ManagementTeam

Universitt Duisburg-Essen
Fakultt fr Ingenieurwissenschaften

Maschinenbau
Institut fr Produkt Engineering

Dipl.-Ing. Frank Marrenbach

Seminar
IndustrialEngineering/WS2015/16

ManagementTeam
GroupNo.:IE20
GroupMembers:
Order

FirstName

Name

RegistrationNo. Studycourse

1
2
3
4

Paria
Aida
Yalda
Hatem

Eshaghi
Majnounlou
Majnounlou
Ismail

3029252
3029711
2028330
302320001

TechnischeLogistik
TechnischeLogistik
Production&Log
Production&Log

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Table of Contents
1.
2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.
9.

Intro........................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Management......................................................................................................................................................... ..3
2.1. What is Management?.................................................................................................................................. ..3
2.2. Management categories................................................................................................................................ .4
Team....................................................................................................................................................................... 4
3.1. What is a team?............................................................................................................................................. .5
3.2. Team members............................................................................................................................................... 5
3.3. Team Size....................................................................................................................................................... 5
3.4. Difference between Group and Team............................................................................................................ .5
3.5. Teams classifications ..................................................................................................................................... 6
3.5.1. Types of Teams..................................................................................................................................... 6
3.5.2. Team Models......................................................................................................................................... 8
3.6. Characteristics of a Good/Effective Team.....................................................................................................10
3.7. Team Development......................................................................................................................................11
Team Management...............................................................................................................................................13
4.1. What is Team Management?.......................................................................................................................13
4.2. Team Management Skill..............................................................................................................................13
Team Building......................................................................................................................................................15
5.1. Intro...............................................................................................................................................................15
5.2. What is Team Building?..............................................................................................................................15
5.3. Why Team Building?....................................................................................................................................15
5.4. Tips for Team Building................................................................................................................................16
5.5. How to build a Team?..................................................................................................................................17
5.6. Barriers of Team Building...........................................................................................................................19
5.7. Building an Effective Team.........................................................................................................................20
Team Work...........................................................................................................................................................23
6.1. What is Team Work?...................................................................................................................................23
6.2. Problems and Conflicts in team work........................................................................................................24
6.3. How to manage the conflict between team members?................................................................................24
6.4. Personality Types and How to Manage Them..........................................................................................25
6.5. Soft and Hard Skills of Team Members......................................................................................................27
6.5.1. Soft skills .............................................................................................................................................27
6.5.2. Hard skills.............................................................................................................................................28
6.6. Soft versus Hard Skills................................................................................................................................28
6.7. Advantages and Disadvantages of Team Work ......................................................................................28
Conflict Management...........................................................................................................................................29
7.1. What is Conflict? .........................................................................................................................................29
7.2. Views of conflict:..........................................................................................................................................29
7.3. Types of conflict:.........................................................................................................................................29
7.4. Functional Conflicts:....................................................................................................................................29
7.5. Dysfunctional:..............................................................................................................................................29
7.6. Conflict Management:..................................................................................................................................29
7.7. Modes of Conflict and solutions:...............................................................................................................30
7.8. The selection of conflict management style: ............................................................................................32
7.9. The conflict is resolved in one of three ways:..........................................................................................32
7.10. Personality types and conflict management.............................................................................................32
7.11. Recent conflicts occurred in the companies:............................................................................................34
7.12. The role of the Team Leader.......................................................................................................................34
7.13. The role of the team leader when conflict develops on a team:..............................................................34
7.14. Leadership Contributions to Conflict:.........................................................................................................35
7.15. Conflict of Goals:.........................................................................................................................................35
7.16. Power Struggle:............................................................................................................................................35
7.17. Mediation:.....................................................................................................................................................36
7.18. Role of a Mediator:.......................................................................................................................................36
7.19. Steps to Mediating a Conflict......................................................................................................................37
7.20. Role of a Bystand.........................................................................................................................................38
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................................39
Refrances ..............................................................................................................................................................40

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Management Team
1. Intro
There are some tasks which cant be done alone. Individuals need to come together, discuss
things among themselves and work together towards the realization of a common goal. The
individuals forming a team should ideally think more or less on the same lines and
should have similar interests and objective. People with absolutely different tastes cant form
a team. Their goals have to be the same. Every team is formed to achieve a predefined goal
and it is the responsibility of each and every member to contribute his level best and accomplish
the assigned task within the stipulated time frame. The team members must complement each
other and come to each others help whenever required. Individual performances do not matter
much in a team and every individual should strive hard and work in unison.
The team members dont start performing from the very beginning, they need time. It is not
always that all the members would perform equally. Some of them might not get along well with
their team mates or have other issues with each other. Individuals sometimes find it difficult to
adjust with each other and as a result their performance suffers. Any individual fails to perform;
the complete team is at loss. Team management activities ensure that all the team members
work together on a common platform for a common goal.

2. Management
2.1. What is Management?
Management is a universal phenomenon. It is a very popular and widely used term. All
organizations - business, political, cultural or social are involved in management because it is
the management which helps and directs the various efforts towards a definite purpose.
According to Harold Koontz, Management is an art of getting things done through and with the
people in formally organized groups. It is an art of creating an environment in which people can
perform and individuals and can co-operate towards attainment of group goals. According
to F.W. Taylor, Management is an art of knowing what to do, when to do and see that it is done
in the best and cheapest way.
Management is a purposive activity. It is something that directs group efforts towards the
attainment of certain pre - determined goals. It is the process of working with and through others
to effectively achieve the goals of the organization, by efficiently using limited resources in the
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changing world. Of course, these goals may vary from one enterprise to another. E.g.: For one
enterprise it may be launching of new products by conducting market surveys and for other it
may be profit maximization by minimizing cost.
Management involves creating an internal environment: - It is the management which puts into
use the various factors of production. Therefore, it is the responsibility of management to create
such conditions which are conducive to maximum efforts so that people are able to perform their
task efficiently and effectively. It includes ensuring availability of raw materials, determination of
wages and salaries, formulation of rules & regulations etc.
Therefore, we can say that good management includes both being effective and efficient. Being
effective means doing the appropriate task i.e., fitting the square pegs in square holes and
round pegs in round holes. Being efficient means doing the task correctly, at least possible cost
with minimum wastage of resources.

2.2. Management categories

Management can be defined in detail in following categories:
1. Management as a Process
2. Management as an Activity
3. Management as a Discipline
4. Management as a Group
5. Management as a Science
6. Management as an Art
7. Management as a Profession

3. Team
Teams are becoming a key tool for organizing work in todays corporate world. Teams have the
potential to immediately amass, organize, relocate, and disperse. But, teams are an effective
tool of employee motivation. An individual cannot perform all tasks on his own. He needs
the support as well as guidance of others to be excellent in whatever he does. Complex goals
can easily be accomplished if individuals work together as a team.

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3.1. What is a team?

A team is a group of individuals, all working together for a common purpose. The
individuals comprising a team ideally should have common goals, common objectives
and more or less think on the same lines. Individuals who are not compatible with each other
can never form a team. They should have similar if not the same interests, thought processes,
attitude, perception and likings.

3.2. Team members

The team members must complement each other. All team members should help each other
and work in unison. Personal interests must take a back seat and all of them must deliver their
level best to achieve the team objective. Team members must not argue among themselves or
underestimate the other member.
Organizations have a sales team, administration team, human resources team operation team
and so on. All the members of the sales team would work together to achieve the sales target
and generate revenues for the organization.

3.3. Team Size

The team size depends on the complexity of the task to be accomplished. Ideally a team
should consist of 7-10 members. Too many members also lead to confusions and
misunderstandings.
It is not always that we require a team. Teams should be formed when the task is a little
complicated. A single brain can sometimes not take all critical decisions alone, thus a team is
formed where the team members contribute equally making the task easy. A team can actually
create wonders if all the team members work in unison.

3.4. Difference between Group and Team

A group is not necessarily a team. A group can have individuals with varied interests,
attitude as well as thought processes. It is not necessary that the group members would
have a common objective or a common goal to achieve.
What happens in a political rally? The political leader appeals to the individuals to cast the votes
in his favor only. Do you think all of them would cast the votes in favour of the leader ? There
would always be some individuals who would support his opponent. This is example of a group.
All individuals gathered on a common platform but had dissimilar interests and likings. Some
were in favor of the leader while some against.

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A team must have individuals with a common objective to achieve. They should all work
together and strive towards the achievement of a common goal.
3.5. Teams classifications
3.5.1. Types of Teams
When individuals with a common interest, goal, attitude, need and perception come together, a
team is formed. Individuals need to come and work together to form a team for the
accomplishment of complicated tasks. In a team, all team members contribute equally and strive
hard to achieve the teams objective which should be predefined.
In any organization, no one works alone. Every employee is a part of a team and works in close
coordination with the team members to perform his level best and in turn benefit the
organization. The team members should complement each other and come to each others
need whenever required.
Teams can be formed anywhere, anytime whenever the task is little difficult and complicated.
Let us understand the various types of teams in detail.
Permanent teams- These teams perform on a permanent basis and are
not dissolved once the task is accomplished. Work or no work, the human
resources team, operation team, administration team always function
effectively throughout the year and hence are permanent teams.
Temporary teams - Unlike permanent teams, temporary teams lose their
importance, once the task is accomplished. Such teams are usually
formed for a shorter duration either to assist the permanent team or work
when the members of the permanent team are busy in some other
project.
When organizations have excess of work, they generally form temporary
teams which work in association with the members of the permanent
team for the accomplishment of the task within the stipulated time.
Task Force - Such teams are formed for a special purpose of working on
any specific project or finding a solution to a very critical problem.
The government generally appoints special teams to investigate critical
issues like bomb blasts, terrorist attacks and so on. The task force

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explores all the possible reasons which led to a severe problem and tries
to resolve it within a given deadline.
Committee - Committees are generally formed to work on a particular
assignment either permanently or on a temporary basis. Individuals with
common interests, more or less from the same background, attitude come
together on a common platform to form a committee and work on any
matter. To organize any cultural event, organizations generally make
committees to raise funds, invite celebrities and all the major tasks
involved to successfully organize any event. The committee members
work together, design strategies to successfully accomplish the task. In
educational institutes, various committees are formed where students
with a common interest join hands to organize cultural events and various
other activities required for the all-round development of students.
Organization/Work Force - Such groups are formed in organizations
where team members work together under the expert guidance of leader.
A leader or a supervisor is generally appointed among the members itself
and he along with his team works hard to achieve a common goal. The
leader all through must stand by his team and extract the best out of each
team member. He must not underestimate any of his team members and
take his team along to avoid conflicts.
Self-Managed Teams - Self Managed Teams consist of individuals who
work together again for a common purpose but without the supervision of
any leader. Here as the name suggests every individual is accountable
for his individual performance. The team members of self-managed
teams must respect each other and should never loose focus on their
target. No leader is appointed and the team members have to take their
own responsibility. Individuals take the initiative on their own and are their
own guides and mentors.
Cross Functional Team - Let us understand this with the help of an
example. Maria and Andy both were part of the branding team. They got
an assignment from their superiors to be completed within two days.
Unfortunately Andy met with an accident and was advised complete bed
rest. To avoid delays, Peter from the operations team was shifted to the
marketing team to assist Maria for the time being and form a team. Such
teams are called cross functional teams. Ideally the employees should be
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more or less on the same level to avoid ego hassles. Individuals from
different areas come and work together for a common objective to form a
cross functional team. In such teams, people from different areas,
interests and likings join hands to come out with a unique idea to
successfully complete a task.
Virtual Teams - Virtual teams consist of individuals who are separated by
distances

and

connected

through

computer.

Here

individuals

communicate with each other online through internet. Sam at Los

Angeles can form a team with Mandy at Mexico and Sara at Denver all
working for a common objective but the communication is totally digital
through internet. Such teams are helpful when employees need to
connect with each other and are located at different places. Individuals
supporting any community in social networking sites such as Facebook or
Orkut also form a virtual team as all the members are from different
locations but support a common community. They all have a common
objective -to support and promote their community.

3.5.2. Team Models

Teams are the principal building blocks of the strategy of successful organizations. The focus of
your organization may be on service, quality, cost, value, speed, efficiency, performance, or any
other similar goals, but teams remain the central methodology of most organizations in the
private, non-profit, as well as government sectors.
The fact remains that when a team becomes more aligned, a commonality of direction emerges,
and the individual energies harmonize. This way there is a shared vision as well as an
understanding of how to complement each others efforts.
Once you know the type of team you are in, it will help you choose how to plan your work and
what you can expect as outcomes. There are various types of teams. In this article we are going
to discuss the five most common ones.
The Traditional Model
This is a group of people with a traditional boss. The boss also shares some of
his/her responsibility as well as authority. How much is being shared by the boss
is usually dependent on the issues under consideration. This traditional boss is in

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charge. Bust still, on certain issues, this person may allow his other team
members to take on the leadership role.
The Team Spirit Model
This is a group of people who are working for one boss. The team members are
very happy and everything seems to be going well. There is team spirit in people.
The fact remains that in reality this is not really a team. This is because there is
one person who calls all the shots. Besides, there is no sharing of authority or
responsibility.
The Cutting Edge Model
This is a group of people who are managing themselves. There is no single
person in this group who has the authority to make any such decisions about the
events which will impact the whole group. This is also known as a self-directed
work team. This is because each one has the authority as well as responsibility
for all the decisions that they need to make.
The Task Force Model
This refers to a group that comes together for a specific time only. This is
because it has to work on a special project or a task. Such a group has
traditionally been called a task force or a committee. This may also include
quality circles as are used in TQM efforts.
The Cyber Team
In such a team model, members see one another rarely or even, not at all. These
are also known as cyber or virtual teams. What makes these teams different is
that the team has to work together in order to accomplish goals, but they may be
meeting only at the beginning of their project. Post that, they may be interacting
through e-mail, telephone or through video conferencing only.

It is important to know which kind of model your team fits in. Next step is to analyze why you
feel that way. Now understand which is the model your team should follow in order to
accomplish the given task. This is very important in order to achieve the organizations goals.

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3.6.

Characteristics of a Good/Effective Team

Following are the characteristics of a Good/Effective team:

A clear, elevating goal: This is a goal which has been communicated to all.

A results-driven structure: The goal has been jointly decided by all the team members.
They are fully committed towards achieving it.

Competent members: Each team member has the required skill set in order to achieve
the team objectives.

Unified commitment: There is nothing happening in silos. With the total commitment
from team members, achieving organizational goals becomes easier.

A collaborative climate: Commitment from team members and a good leadership leads
to a collaborative team with a productive work environment.

Standards of excellence: Quality orientation is vital to the success of any organization.

External support and recognition: Appreciation as well as appraisal is required to

keep the morale of the team high.

Principled leadership: Leadership defines a team. An able-bodied leadership can chart

the teams path to success.

Each team member participates actively and positively in meetings as well as projects.
This shows a persons commitment as well as understanding towards a project.

Team goals are clearly understood by all: Communication is vital for achieving
successful completion of any project.

Individual members have thought about creative solutions to the teams problem.
Thinking out of the box is vital in todays economic scenario.

Members are listened to carefully as well as given a thoughtful feedback. Listening is an

important skill for any team. Each team member is important. The thoughts and ideas of
each team member have to be listened to, with respect, no matter how silly they may
sound at first.

Everyone takes the initiative in order to get things done. There is no concept of passing
the buck. This is an indication of clear communication leading to understanding of
individual responsibilities.

Each team member trusts the judgment of others: Mutual trust and respect is highly
important for the team. This is the only way to achieve the organization goals.

The team has to be willing to take risks: Risk taking is an attitude which comes with
confidence. Confidence on yourself as well as on the team, besides the ability to face all
consequences.
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Everyone has to be supportive of the project as well as of others. A team is one unit.
Unless these cohesive forces are there, the team will never be able to work efficiently
enough.

There is ample communication between the team members.

Team decisions are made by using organized as well as logical methods.

Dissenting opinions are never ignored: In fact, they are always recorded in order to
be revisited in case the future situations dictate so.

Teams are given realistic deadlines: External support as well as aid is vital to the
success of any team.

An efficient team needs support from both inside and outside. It needs to meet the individual
needs of its members in order to achieve the organizations goals.

3.7.

Team Development

Teams are becoming a key tool for organizing work in todays corporate world. Teams have the
potential to immediately amass, organize, relocate, and disperse. But, teams are an effective
tool of employee motivation. It is essential to consider the fact that teams develop and get
mature over a period of time. Team development creates a captivating atmosphere by
encouraging co-operation, teamwork, interdependence and by building trust among team
members.

The four stages of team development are:

Stage 1: Forming
During this stage, group members may be anxious and adopt wait-and-see attitude. They will be
formal towards each other. There would be no clear idea of goals or expectations. Besides, they
may not be sure why they are there.
This is the stage where the team needs to write its own charter or mission statement as well as
clarify goals. The most important thing here is that goals must have a personal buy-in.
By doing this the team will be able to establish boundaries as well as determine what is
expected. Team members will get to know each other doing non-conflict laden task. This builds
the commitment towards one larger goal.

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Thus, during the forming stage, the team members are in process of knowing each other and
getting at ease with them.

Stage 2: Storming
During this stage, team members are eager to get going. Conflict can arise as people tend to
bring different ideas of how to accomplish goals. At this time, they notice differences rather than
similarities. This leads to some members dropping out mentally or physically.
At this stage, communication is important. Tensions will increase. So recognizing and publicly
acknowledging accomplishments also become important. It becomes important to participate in
meetings and diversity needs to be valued.
Thus, during the storming stage, the team members begin showing their actual styles. They
start getting impatient. They try to probe into each others area, leading to irritation and
frustration. Control becomes the key concern during this stage.

Stage 3: Norming
This stage is when people begin to recognize ways in which they are alike. They realize that
they are in this together. Hence, they tend to get more social and may forget their focus in
favour of having a good time. This is the time to help with training if applicable. It becomes
important to encourage them in order to feel comfortable with each other and with systems.
Also, the group needs to stay focused on goal.
Thus, during the norming stage, there is conflict resolution. There is greater involvement of team
members. There is a greater we feeling rather than I feeling.

Stage 4: Performing
This stage is when team members are trained, competent, as well as able to do their own
problem-solving. At this time, ways need to be looked at in order to challenge them as well as
develop them. The team is mature now. The members understand their roles and
responsibilities. They would require more input in processes. The members would be selfmotivated as well as self-trained. Thus, their efforts need to be recognised. Growth has to be
encouraged. This is done by giving new challenges to the team.

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Thus, teams at the stage of performing are self-controlling, practical, loyal as well as productive.
Focus is there on both performance as well as production.

4. Team Management
4.1. What is Team Management?
Team management refers to the various activities which bind a team together by bringing
the team members closer to achieve the set targets. For the team members, their team must
be their priority and everything else should take a back seat. They should be very focused on
their goals.
Let us understand Team Management with the help of a real life situation.
Maria was representing the training and development vertical of a leading firm. Joe, Kathy,
Sandra and Tim were reporting to Maria and helped her in designing the various training
programs. Maria left no stone unturned to ensure that all her team members were satisfied with
their job responsibilities. The workload was shared equally among four of them. Ideas were
discussed on an open forum and each of them contributed to his level best. They went out for
movies and stayed in touch even after work.
Maria being the team leader was actually responsible for bringing her team members closer so
that none of them feels left out and all are motivated to deliver their level best. With the help of
the team management activities, she managed to create a positive ambience at the workplace
and promoted healthy competition in her team.

4.2. Team Management Skills

Management is essential in every walk of life. Even what we eat should be managed. You just
cant put anything in your mouth. One needs to be cautious. In the same way, a team must be
managed effectively to expect the best from the team members. The team leader plays an
essential role in managing his team well.

For effective team management, it is important that the team leader is more of a
mentor to his team members rather than just being a strict boss. Understand your
team members well. Gone are the days when people used to fear their bosses. Now a
days employees share a healthy relation with their superiors and the comfort level has
increased to a large extent. Dont impose things on them.

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Ensure that each and every team member willingly participates in team
discussions. Debates are important, but make sure you dont end up fighting with each
other. Suggestions must be invited from all and do not discuss issues separately with
individuals. Call everyone on an open forum and formulate strategies keeping in mind
every bodys inputs. Policies should be made best suited to all. The objective of the team
must be clearly set and circulated among all the team members. Everyone should be
aware of his roles and responsibilities in the team.

Communication among the team members must be clear and transparent for an
effective team management. Every team member should get the same information
and should have an easy access to the superiors in case of any query.

The team members must not pass on any information to anyone outside the team.
Learn to keep things to yourself. It is unethical to share your professional secrets with
others. Dont leak information or any confidential data.

The team members must be motivated on a regular basis. Appreciation is a must. If

any team member has performed extraordinarily, do give him a pat on his back.
Performance appraisals, perks, incentives, trophies, prizes are all instrumental in
motivating the team members to perform even better the next time. Avoid criticizing any
of your team members.

Loose talks, blame games, dirty politics should find no place in the team. They
spoil the environment and people lose interest in their work and organization. If you
come to know anything about someone, its better to discuss with him face to face, else
ignore.

It is easy to create a team but it is actually difficult to bind the team members together
and even make them work. Team management techniques help in strengthening the
bond among the employees and creating an environment where they can trust each
other. People actually become friends and start working together as a result of team
management activities.

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5. Team Building
5.1. Intro
When individuals with similar interest, attitude, and taste come together to work for a common
objective, a team is formed. Every individual contributes equally and performs his level best to
meet the team targets and achieve the organizations goal. Team members strive hard to live up
to the expectations of others and successfully accomplish the assigned task. A team cannot do
well unless and until each and every member is focused and serious about his responsibilities.
For every team member, his team should come first and everything else later. Personal
interests must take a backseat.
Every individual must feel motivated to perform his level best. Never impose things on anyone;
instead, the individuals must take the initiative on their own. They should come forward and
accept the challenge.

5.2. What is Team Building?

Team building refers to the various activities undertaken to motivate the team members
and increase the overall performance of the team. You just cant expect your team to
perform on their own. A motivating factor is a must. Team Building activities consist of various
tasks undertaken to groom a team member, motivate him and make him perform his best.
We all are human beings and love appreciation. Any individual performing exceptionally well
must be appreciated well in public. He feels happy and motivated to perform even better the
next time. If any team member has come out with a unique idea; treat him with any thing that
makes him happy. Never criticize any team member or demotivate him if he has failed to
perform. Ask him to Buck up.

5.3. Why Team Building?

Team Building activities are of utmost importance as they help in the overall development of the
team members and in turn improving the teams performance. It also strengthens the bond
among the employees and they feel motivated to work and achieve the targets. Some kind of
team building activities must be undertaken from time to time to encourage the team members
to work hard and realize their dreams.

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5.4. Tips for Team Building

Let us go through some tips for team building

The team leader plays a very important role in binding his team together. He is a
constant guide for his team members. He needs to communicate on an open forum
inviting all the related members. Do not communicate with any individual separately.
Prefer communication through emails. Learn the art of writing emails and never use
derogatory sentences or lewd remarks in your mail. Do mark a carbon copy to all the
team members.

Invite suggestions from your team members. This way they feel motivated and
important for the team as well as the organization. Ask them to help each other so that
they start interacting more often. Motivate the members to assist their fellow workers
whenever required.

Go out for lunch or movies with your entire team once in a while. Dont always
discuss work with them. Celebrate their birthdays, anniversaries and let them come
close to each other. Take them out for picnics for them to open up and discuss things
freely.

Keep a day separate for team building activities preferably the weekends. Include
lots of puzzles, brain teasers and do ask your team members to participate in it as a
single unit.
Give them lots of newspapers and ask them to prepare something creative out of it
probably a dress, or some utility item like a bag and so on. You will be surprised to find
everyone trying hard to do something or the other as a single unit.

Motivate your team members to share responsibilities among themselves at the

workplace. Dont impose things on them; let them happily accept the challenges. They
know better what best they can do. Discuss things with them and do take their advice.

Always ask your team members to first discuss things among themselves before
escalating it further. Employees willingly or unwillingly sit to sort out issues among
themselves and reach to a conclusion. Through meetings and discussions, they
understand the thought process, attitude and taste of their fellow team workers. They
would know how a certain employee would react to a particular situation. They tend to
become a little more flexible and also come forward to help each other.

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Encourage morning meetings at workplace so that all the team members can
assemble to discuss the agenda of the day. Dont make it too formal. Allow them to
bring their cups of coffee. Be the first one to greet everyone with a warm smile. They
would definitely reciprocate. Give them some time to interact among themselves to
discuss the movie they watched last night apart from work. Avoid criticizing or blaming
others. Ask them to exchange their contact numbers to stay in touch even after work.

Team members must take their lunch together at work. Share your food among
yourselves. Relations improve this way. Appreciate each other.

Team building activities doesnt mean entertainment but are simple efforts to motivate the team
members to work together towards a common goal. Such activities bring employees close to
each other and they start treating each other as their well-wishers and friends rather than mere
colleagues and acquaintances. Together they work hard to achieve their targets, objectives and
eventually their dreams.

5.5. How to build a Team?

Let us go through some important points one should keep in mind while building a team:

The team members preferably must have a similar if not the same taste, interests,
likings, needs and attitude. It has been observed that individuals with a similar taste
tend to gel with each other easily as compared to others with different
interests. Individuals should be from similar backgrounds and too much of a gap
should be avoided. The team members must be selected keeping in mind their
interests and specialization. Do not form a team just for the sake of it. An individual with
a technical bent of mind will always be in a state of confusion in a team of marketing
professionals.

Always understand the team members well. No individual is alike. A person might be
a very good speaker but may be poor in writing mails or written communication. An
individual can be excellent in presentations but might lack the art of making an
impressive presentation. It is very important to understand the individuals well and
responsibilities must be assigned to them as per their interest and according to their
qualification and specialization. An individual with excellent marketing skills never finds a
desk job interesting and his best will never come out. Never force any one to be a part of
any team. Individuals must participate on their own.

The goal or the objective of the team must be clearly defined. The objective of the
team must be shared with every team member and they must be clear what is expected
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out of them. The purpose why the team has been formed must be very clear to the team
members. They should know what they have to work on so that they can deliver their
best.

Promote effective communication among your team members. Communicate with

the members on an open platform and encourage team members to actively participate
in discussions. Prefer a meeting room or a conference room to discuss various issues
inviting all the members. It is always better if the communication is through email with all
the team members in the loop so that none feels neglected or left out.

Avoid conflicts. Dont let negativity creep in your team. Pick individuals with a positive
attitude. One should avoid fighting over small issues and be a little more adjusting.
Everything cant be exactly the same way you want. Team members must be
demotivated to criticize or make fun of their fellow team members.

Various activities and events must be promoted within the teams. Work will never
suffer if the team members go out for a movie or lunch; instead it strengthens the bond
among the team members. Individuals come closer to each other this way and avoid
fighting among themselves. People know each other better. Always remember to greet
your team members with a warm smile.

A leader should be appointed carefully. A leader should be such that everyone looks
up to him for advice and guidance. Do not select anyone just because you like him,
instead prefer the voting system. The most favorite candidate among the group is the
best choice for a leader. The team leader must extract the best out of his team members
and be equal to everyone. He ought to be intelligent and a little tactful. He must motivate
the individuals from time to time and be impartial. Never embarrass any of your team
members.

It is important to take the feedback from each and every individual. Review your
team and team members performance on a monthly basis. Sit with each and every
member to understand whether he is enjoying his work or not. Job rotation is a good
option to reduce monotony. Promote healthy competition among the team members.
Appreciate if he has done something great. Reward him suitably.

Discipline must be maintained at all levels in the team for maximum output. Team
members must reach on time for meetings and discussions. One should avoid a casual
or a laid back attitude. The team leaders must be easily available to the team in case of
queries and confusions.

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5.6. Barriers of Team Building

Let us understand the various barriers to team building and the methods to overcome
them:

When individuals give priority to their personal interests than work, the team
suffers.
Mike never wanted to have a team meeting in the morning as he had to first drop his son
to school and then his wife to her office. The agenda of the day could never be
discussed and everyone worked on their own sweet will. Mike was more concerned
about his sons school and wifes office. They are important but not at the cost of ones
office. Nothing ever productive came out of Mikes team as he himself never really was
serious about his work. For the maximum output, the team members must think of their
team first and everything else should come later. One has to respect his team as well as
his organization to expect the same in return.

Individuals not being clear about the teams goal and their roles and
responsibilities in the team also create problems in effective team building. The
goal has to be common. Individuals should not have separate goals.
For a marketing team the goal is to generate revenues for the organization and every
one including the team leader has to work towards it.

The roles and responsibilities must be designed according to the team members
interest, educational qualification and specializations.
John, Ali, Kate and Ben were part of the sales team in an organization of repute, but
Kate was more interested in helping the operations team. She was never too keen in
marketing activities and accepted it just because of pressure from the management and
the fear of losing the job. She was more interested in finding a place in the operations
team rather than focusing on her work. Individuals should not accept responsibilities
unless and until they are very sure about it. It is better to say a no in the beginning rather
than troubling yourself and others later.
When a team is formed, the team members are almost new to each other. They do not
know each other well and feel shy and hesitant. It is important to break the ice among
the employees in the very beginning otherwise it becomes a strong barrier later. We are
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not robots who can start working just by the push of a button and work non stop without
even talking to each other. Human Beings must talk to each other, discuss things among
themselves and trust each other. Dont always assume that everyone is jealous of your
work and will harm you. Trust people, it will reduce half of your tensions.

Lack of discussions is again a barrier to effective team building. Team members

must not sit quietly in team meetings, instead should speak their heart out. One must
participate willingly. Debates are important and strategies or policies should not be
implemented without evaluating the pros and cons. Every team member must have a
say in the teams decisions. Dont attend meetings just for fun, come prepared.

Poor communication is also one of the barriers to effective team building. Too
much of a complicated hierarchy also result in poor and ineffective communication.
Unorganized thoughts and abstract ideas create misunderstandings and confusions
among the team members and in turn decrease the productivity of the team. Individuals
should be very careful about what they speak. One should never use derogatory
statements or lewd remarks in the office. It is better to communicate through mails as it
is more reliable.

Lack of discipline and punctuality also create problems in team. Never be late for
work. It is unprofessional to keep others waiting. Always reach before time for team
meetings and discussions. One should also maintain the decorum of the workplace. Do
not indulge yourselves in unproductive things. Dont loiter around unnecessarily.

One should never forget the objective of his team. Adopt a positive attitude and always strive
hard to give your level best without worrying about who is dating whom or who are bosss
favorites? These things do not matter in the long run. Behave nicely with everyone and avoid
being rude. Be a little more involved in your work.
5.7. Building an Effective Team
Having goals or a clear purpose is important to each of us. In fact, people who set goals are
always more successful than the others.
For leaders who are serious about setting goals, some things are to be kept in mind. These
goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and with Timelines. Besides, for
any organization, goals should also be expressed positively. And for a team, goals need to be
personalized for each member of the team. All these goals should be put in writing, where you
as well as the team can see them often.
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Once you sit down with your team and set some goals, it can be very useful to develop some
kind of action plan for accomplishing that goal.

Informality as well as Participation: In order to build an effective team, the climate has
to be informal, comfortable, as well as relaxed. There should be no tension or any signs
of boredom. Teams enjoy getting together, they interact easily. There should be lots of
good-natured kidding and laughter. Have seating arrangements in order to facilitate this.
A circle is the best seating arrangement usually, while a typical classroom arrangement
is the worst.

Listening: A highly efficient team has team members who use effective listening
techniques. These include questioning, paraphrasing, as well as summarizing in order to
get out ideas. Listening is the most effective factor that distinguishes effective teams
from ineffective teams. This is a highly important subject which needs to be discussed in
detail in another article.
The ability to really listen is a highly important skill. Each team member has to have it.
Listening lets you understand what the other person is saying. Besides, it shows the
other person that youre interested in what he/she has to say. But all of us experience
common listening problems.
We tend to let our attention wander. Our mind drifts away. We start thinking about the
time, or other tasks at hand. This way we lose our concentration.
We miss the real point of what is being said. We may end up focusing on the personality
of the speaker. Else we may let our judgment of the person based on past experiences
come in the way. Or, we may be trying hard to look for hidden messages and lose out on
the crux of the conversation.
Our emotions interfere with our judgment. This takes away our focus from what is being
said. Our judgment of the person interferes with our understanding of what is being said.
We tend to interrupt and step on the statements of others. This way we dont listen to
what is being said. Besides, there is a tendency to think ahead to what we want to say
next and miss out on whats being said right now. It is important to use the steps of
active listening in order to be a good listener.

There are many facets of building an effective team. Having an informal atmosphere as well as
listening skills are some of them.
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6. Team Work
6.1. What is Team Work?
Typically, teamwork is defined as: Co-operation between those who are working on a task.
Teamwork is generally understood as the willingness of a group of people to work together to
achieve a common aim. For example we often use the phrase: he or she is a good team
player. This means someone has the interests of the team at heart, working for the good of the
team.
But teamwork is not exclusive to teams. For example, you can see evidence of teamwork in a
committee, which might not necessarily see itself as a team. In this context, teamwork might be
random co-operation, effectively working together for periods of time. But not always!
To define teamwork it might also be worth clarifying what its not, and thinking about the
distinction between teams and teamwork. In our view, a team exists when individual strengths
and skills are combined with teamwork, in the pursuit of a common direction or cause, in order
to produce meaningful results for the team members and the organisation. A team combines
individual strengths with a shared commitment to performance, its not just about getting on well
together. Teamwork is absolutely fundamental for teams to work effectively. Only when the skills
and strengths of individual team members are joined with shared goals, and a focus on
collective performance, will you start to see the benefits of a team at work.
Teamwork suggests that people work in an atmosphere of mutual support and trust, working
together cohesively, with good inter-group relations. Each others strengths are valued. It should
also foster an increasing maturity of relationship, where people are free to disagree
constructively, and where both support and challenge are a part of helping teams work.
With real teamwork we tend to see positive attitudes and behaviors such as:

Trust in colleagues to deliver what they promise

Willingness to help when needed
Sharing of a common vision of the future
Co-operation and blending of each others strengths
Positive attitudes, providing support and encouragement
Active listening
All members pulling their weight and in the same irection
Giving the benefit of the doubt
Consensus building
Effective conflict resolution
Open communication

Perhaps the best way to define teamwork is: when a group of people work together cohesively,
towards a common goal, creating a positive working atmosphere, and supporting each other to
combine individual strengths to enhance team performance.
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6.2. Problems and Conflicts in team work.

Eight Common Problems Teams Encounter:
1. Absence of team identity. Members may not feel mutually accountable to one another
for the teams objectives. There may be a lack of commitment and effort, conflict
between team goals and members personal goals, or poor collaboration.
2. Difficulty making decisions. Team members may be rigidly adhering to their positions
during decision making or making repeated arguments rather than introducing new
information.
3. Poor communication. Team members may interrupt or talk over one another. There
may be consistent silence from some members during meetings, allusions to problems
but failure to formally address them, or false consensus (everyone nods in agreement
without truly agreeing).
4. Inability to resolve conflicts. Conflicts can not be resolved when there are heightened
tensions and team members make personal attacks or aggressive gestures.
5. Lack of participation. Team members fail to complete assignments. There may be poor
attendance at team meetings or low energy during meetings.
6. Lack of creativity. The team is unable to generate fresh ideas and perspectives and
doesnt turn unexpected events into opportunities.
7. Group thinks. The team is unwilling or unable to consider alternative ideas or
approaches. There is a lack of critical thinking and debate over ideas. This often
happens when the team overemphasizes team agreement and unity.
8. Ineffective leadership. Leaders can fail teams by not defining a compelling vision for
the team, not delegating, or not representing multiple constituencies.

6.3. How to manage the conflict between team members?

Conflict between team members comes from several sources. Some conflicts have their basis in
how people behave, while others come from disagreements about the nature of the team's work
and how it is being accomplished.

Competing interests: Conflict can arise when people have mutually incompatible desires
or needs. For exkkiample, two team members with similar skills may both want a certain
assignment, leaving the one who doesn't receive it resentful.
Different behavioral styles or preferences: Individuals may clash over their respective
work habits, attention to detail, communication practices, or tone of expression. While
these can affect coordination of interdependent tasks, they can especially inhibit direct
collaboration.
Competition over resources: Members may fight over the limited resources available to
accomplish the team's tasks. For example, if two people both rely on the action of a third
person to meet identical deadlines, disagreements might arise over whose work should
receive that person's attention first.
Failure to follow team norms: A team member creates conflict when she displays
attitudes or behaviors that go against the team's agreement about how it will function. If
a group norm calls for prompt arrival at meetings and prohibits the use of mobile devices
during discussions, ignoring these practices can engender conflict.
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Performance deficiencies: When some team members are either not contributing their
share of effort or not performing at the expected level of quality, the impositions that
result can create friction, which may be heightened when critical or highly visible tasks
are involved.
Poor communication: When team members do not share relevant information with each
other, people may make decisions or take actions that others consider inappropriate or
even harmful. Blame and questions about motives can result, creating discord among
the team.
Ambiguity about means and ends: Lack of clarity about tasks, strategies, and/or goals
can lead people to make assumptions that others do not share or agree with, which can
result in conflict.

6.4. Personality Types and How to Manage Them.

Every team is made up of different personality types, and some demand more time and
attention from the leaders who manage them than others. As every team leader knows, theres
no hard and fast management strategy that fits every kind of employee. Short of that, though,
there's a rough framework managers can use to decide how to direct their energy toward getting
the most out of all the personalities on their teams. Heres a quick rundown of eight of the most
common personality types and how to manage each one.
1. THE RISING STARS
Every team has a few obviously rising talents. They noticeably, and for the most part
independently, come up with ways to improve how their jobs are done. Its clear these
stars will be moving on to bigger and better things in the future.
Leadership Strategy: Promote internally. Acknowledge their reliable performance and
reduce the amount of supervision you provide these fewit's better spent elsewhere.
Your goal should be to help them advance toward their career goals while giving them
enough room to grow to make sure they don't leave for more enticing positions.
2. THE DOMAIN MASTERS
These aren't your team's top innovators, but they're among its most competent
amazing producers who rarely complain and never seem to need much assistance. You
can always count on them to get their jobs done on time and well. They enjoy their jobs,
have been doing them well for years, and seem content to stay in them just about
indefinitely.
Leadership Strategy: Nurture in place. As a manager of this personality type, your goal
is to keep them feeling valued and happy in their current role while also finding new
challenges to help them continue to grow at their own pace.
3. THE SQUEAKY WHEELS
These folks may produce above average results, but they consume outsize resources to
do it. Not only do they frequently need help fixing problems and figuring out how to do
their jobs, they're regularly asking for more support, budget, or staff.
Leadership Strategy: Wean patiently. You need these folks to keep delivering the good
results they've shown themselves capable of while reducing the resources they eat up in
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order to get there. Encourage more independence by challenging them to solve

problems they would otherwise toss into your lap.
4. THE STEAMROLLERS
These team members produce strong results but also make a lot of noise delivering
them. Still, like the "squeaky wheels," they get the job done. What sets them apart is
their attitude. They barrel through any hurdles and step on a lot of toes. You'd rather not
lose them or their relentless drive, but you wish they were a little less pugnacious.
Leadership Strategy: Reduce the friction. "Steamrollers" take some coaching to
become better collaborators and more sensitive to the company culture. Show them how
to temper their approach to get the same results while reducing the toll their actions take
on others.
5. THE STOWAWAYS
Most teams have at least a handful of these. They show up to work, but thats about it. If
they don't bother you as a manager, it's only because they're comfortable producing the
bare minimum to stay out of trouble.
Leadership Strategy: Engage. Your goal is to get more from this type of employee than
they're used to delivering. Increase the amount of time you spend with them, discussing
the responsibilities of the job and the support they need to do it. If they can't improve
their performance enough to meet your expectations, you should shift your focus to
managing them out of that role so you can get someone in it who meets all the
organizations needs.
6. THE JOYRIDERS
These people are highly engaged, like coming to work, and bring lots of energy to the
office. They come up with all kinds of ideas for extracurricular activities and run with
them in a visible, all-consuming way. The problem is you dont see any real results in the
main responsibilities they were hired to perform.
Leadership Strategy: Refocus. Get these team members back on track tackling their
core duties. Assess why they aren't focused on the right things. Reassign or put a stop
to some of the social projects they're devoting their energies to. Recognize their
contributions to team morale, but remind them of what they're there to do and turn the
focus on their progress on business-related work.
7. THE SQUARE PEGS
The 10% of your team that consumes 90% of your leadership capital. These people
claim to work hard and long and make sure everyone knows it, but they still dont get
their jobs done properly. You have to double-check everything they do. Their work is
often late, incomplete, and sometimes flat-out wrong. They've proved they dont have all
the skills they need for the job they're in.
Leadership Strategy: Fill in the skill gaps. Your need to get these people out of the
"square peg" box in the short-term, either by helping them rapidly improve their skill-set
or redeploying them to another role they might be better suited to.
8. THE SLACKERS
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On paper, these workers have all the required skills. But in practice, they just don't get
results. They seem to be content knowing how to do their job instead of actually doing it.
You frequently have to push them and check on their progress.
Leadership Strategy: Motivate. They might not look it, but sometimes the slackers are
your potential high-risk, high-return leadership investments. Your goal is to get them to
perform at the levels they're capable of. The main thing holding them back is motivation,
so if you can figure out how to excite and inspire them, you might be able to turn lead
into gold.
Teams are formed when individuals with a similar interest, taste, need and even attitude work
together to achieve a common goal. Conflicts must be avoided among the team members so
that they are able to concentrate on their work and do not lose their focus and concentration.

6.5. Soft and Hard Skills of Team Members

Every individual is not a good team player and requires skills to successfully work in a team. A
team member must have certain qualities in him so that he is not only able to work in a team but
also deliver results and grow both professionally and personally.
6.5.1. Soft skills are extremely important for individuals and organizations to be
successful in the workplace, and it seems as if a day does not go by where I do not
hear people discussing this topic. Soft skills are essentially interpersonal or people
skills. Although soft skills can be observed easily in people who are effective
leaders and communicators, they're not as easily measured. Therefore, soft skills
are considered intangible. However, whereas hard skills can't cross every job
description or industry, soft skills are universal. As you move from job to job or
industry to industry, soft skills are portable. They're the people skills needed to be
successful when working with co-workers, customers and clients.
Some common attributes of soft skills are:

A good work ethic

Being team oriented (i.e. the ability to function in a team)
Dependability
Problem solving ability
Mentoring or coaching proficiency
Showing the ability to take initiatives
Presentation and communication skills
The ability to adapt to change (i.e. flexibility)
Professionalism
Networking

Anyone who has to work in a team environment, virtually everyone these days, needs to have a
basic inventory of soft skills, and managers and leaders need to have a full inventory of soft
skills. A lack of soft skills can cost a lot of money, in the form of lost business or productivity,
when people cannot synergize well with their organization or team members.

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6.5.2. Hard skills are the essential, required skills needed to perform a job. They
include learned skills and training related to your career or profession. Hard skills
are considered tangible skills because they're easily identified and measured with
things like tests and exams. When writing a resume or applying for a job, it's
essential that you convey hard skills to your prospective employer, such as
schooling, degrees, training and certificates.
Examples of hard skills include:

Proficiency in a foreign language

A degree or certificate
Typing speed
Machine operation
Computer programming

6.6. Soft versus Hard Skills

Perhaps the easiest way to differentiate between soft and hard skills can be described in this
manner:

Hard skills are those that are easily observed and quantified (perhaps via a scientific
test). It's also relatively easy to teach someone a hard skill in a formal classroom setting
or using an on-the-job situation. Hard skills include abilities such as working with
spreadsheets, operating machinery, speaking a foreign language, or using a personal
computer.

Soft skills are sometimes referred to as people skills; and based on the examples
provided earlier, they're not easy to quantify, and are sometimes described as
intangible. That said, it's often easy to identify a coworker that appears to possess
strong soft skills; due to what seems to be their natural ability to work effectively with
others.

6.7. Advantages and Disadvantages of Team Work

Here are some advantages of team works:

Higher quality output by capitalizing on the strengths of the team members

Involves every team member, making the team players feel important and heard

Pressurizes the group to get things done thereby improving implementation

Generates a bigger pool of ideas through discussion

Improves understanding of others' points of view

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Enables discussion to clarify issues and come up with better solutions

Provides the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other and to improve on those ideas
resulting in better problem solving

Keeps people focused for longer

Develops relationships and camaraderie as people communicate and get to know each
other's ways of thinking

Enables sharing of expertise

One of the greatest teamwork benefits is the collaboration of the various skills that the
team brings together. It can result in creativity that the team can produce that individually
they simply could not.

Teams get results and projects completed much quicker than trying to accomplish it
individually. Everyone uses his or her own skills in order to complete projects in a
timelier fashion.

Teams work together by brainstorming on new tasks or projects in order to decide how
best to complete it. In addition, they form a supportive environment for the team in which
to complete the projects.

The workload seems less to the individuals on the team once it is delegated than if they
had to do everything themselves. Therefore, there is reduced stress among teams that
are working together, and there is more satisfaction knowing they are a part of a bigger
project.

Here are some disadvantages of team work:

Lack of competence

Unwillingness of management

Political Involvement

Less training

Not cooperative attitude

Lack of education and updated knowledge

Lack of trust

Trade Union

Universal participation

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7. Conflict Management
7.1. What is Conflict?
Conflict may be defined as a struggle or contest between people with opposing needs, ideas,
beliefs, values, or goals. Conflict is inevitable and we find ourselves in the middle of challenging
situations and relationships almost every day. Our success in workplace hinges on our quality of
relationships and our ability to find collaborative solutions to these challenges.
7.2. Views of conflict:
Traditional view:
The belief that all conflicts are harmful and must be avoided
Human relations view:
That belief that conflict is a natural and an inevitable outcome in any group
Integrationist view:
The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in group but that is absolutely
necessary for a group to perform effectively (Conflict is constructive rather than
destructive when it is managed in a correct manner).

7.3. Types of conflict:

Functional conflicts
Dysfunctional conflicts
7.4. Functional Conflicts:
Increase the involvement of people, information and ideas
Leads to growth and reduce stagnation
Constructive
Encourage the innovative thinking
Relationships are clearly defined
Provides an outlet for stress, anxiety, frustration, anger.
Leads to cohesion within the group
7.5. Dysfunctional:
Keep people from getting work done
Threatens the relationship
Destroys confidence and trust
Becomes
personal;
feelings
dictates conformity; people are forced to a decision
Poor decision because of withheld or distorted

are

hurt

7.6. Conflict Management:

The opportunity to improve situations and strengthen relationships. How you handle that conflict
determines whether it works to the team's advantage, or contributes to its demise. Healthy and
constructive conflict is a component of high-functioning teams. Diverse teams are more effective
than those made up of people with similar experience. When people with varying viewpoints,
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experiences, skills, and opinions are tasked with a project or challenge, the combined effort can
far surpass what any group of similar individual could achieve. Team members must be open to
these differences and not let them rise into full-blown disputes. Understanding and appreciating
the various viewpoints involved in conflict are key factors in its resolution. These are key skills
for all team members to develop. The important thing is to maintain a healthy balance of
constructive difference of opinion, and avoid negative conflict that's destructive and disruptive.
To manage the conflict in the organization is termed as conflict management.

7.7. Modes of Conflict and solutions:

Each of these modes can be characterized by two scales: assertiveness and cooperation.

Competing
The competing conflict mode is high assertiveness and low cooperation. This mode is
appropriate when we need to act quickly and we must handle vital issues. In this case
the person stands in his ground, asserts his opinions and feelings, uses rank or
influence and etc.
Compromising
The compromising mode is moderate assertiveness and moderate cooperation. In this
case each give up something and they are often quite satisfactory. This mode would be
appropriate when we are dealing with issues of moderate importance, when we have
equal power status or when we have a strong commitment for resolution. Also that is

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31

used when th
here are time
e constrains
s. In this casse we try to n
negotiate, assert valuess, find
a middle grou
und, make concessions
A
Avoiding
The
T avoiding mode is low
w assertiven
ness and low
w cooperatio
on. Most of the times pe
eople
avoid to confflict due to la
ack of confid
dence in their conflict ma
anagement skills. This m
mode
s appropriate
e when we have
h
issues of low impo
ortance, to re
educe tensio
ons, to buy ssome
is
time or when we are in th
he position of
o lower pow
wer. In this ccase we musst have the a
ability
o withdraw, sidestep
s
issu
ues and etc..
to

Accommoda
A
ating
The
T accomm
modating mod
de is low as
ssertivenesss and high ccooperation. It is approp
priate
when
w
we will keep peace
e, develop performance
p
e or in some cases the iissue is rela
atively
unimportant to
t one partne
er. In this ca
ase one part ner gives in to what the other wantss.

C
on
Collaboratio
The
T collabora
ating mode is high asserrtiveness an
nd high coop
peration. In th
his case parrtners
work
w
togethe
er to unders
stand the re
eal issue b ehind the d
difference a
and search for a
re
esolution tha
at meets the needs off all. Some profess tha
at the collab
boration mode is
always the be
est conflict mode
m
to use
e. However, it takes a grreat deal of time and en
nergy.
Thus,
T
it sho
ould be used when the conflict warrants tthe time an
nd energy. The
co
ollaborative mode is appropriate when
w
conflicct is importtant to the people who
o are
co
onstructing an integrativ
ve solution, when the isssues are to
oo importantt to compromise,
when
w
merging
g perspectiv
ves, when ga
aining comm
mitment, whe
en improving
g relationship
ps, or
when
w
learning
g.
In
n this case we
w should lis
sten actively,, analyze inp
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7.8. The
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Sometimes we have a choice to engage in or avoid a conflict. The answer to these questions
can lead us to decide whether to engage in a conflict.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

How invested in the relationship are you?

How important is the issue to you?
Do you have the energy for the conflict?
Are you aware of the potential consequences?
Are you ready for the consequences?
What are the consequences if you do not engage in the conflict?

7.9. The conflict is resolved in one of three ways:

Lose-Lose
Everyone loses when people try to work out their disagreement
Win-Lose
Someone wins and someone loses
Win-Win
Everyone can win

7.10.

Personality types and conflict management

Having a basic understanding of why people act the way they do is essential to maintaining
unity within diversity. Understanding the behavioral tendencies of basic personality types under
stress provides valuable insight into why and how people act. Though it does not excuse
inappropriate behavior, it does allow some predictability of a persons response to conflict. For
example, the dominant personality type will become autocratic, the influencer will attack, the
steady will acquiesce, and the compliant will avoid.
1. Cultural variables:
A persons cultural background will influence every aspect of the conflict process, ranging from
the goals that are considered incompatible and whether the outcome is considered to be
satisfactory or not. As such, the nature of conflict itself is seen very differently across cultures.
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2. Values
Whether ones priority is a personal or a group goal can often determine a persons strategy for
dealing with conflict. For example, people from individualistic cultures are more likely to resolve
conflicts using a dominating or obliging style, whereas those from collectivistic cultures are more
likely to do so using an integrating or avoiding style. Overall, it seems that a collectivistic
orientation is associated with the group taking priority over all else; however, with an
individualistic orientation, there is room for a higher concern for the self as well as the group.
This is perhaps reflective of a higher freedom to choose ones values, be they self- or grouporiented, within individualistic versus collectivistic societies.
3. Beliefs/cognitions:
A recent avenue of research examining the ways that culture affects individual behavior focuses
on beliefs or cognitions rather than values. Values have an evaluative component to them,
determining that something is either good or bad, whereas beliefs incorporate information about
antecedents and consequences as well as the causes and cures of psychological problems.
4. Personality variables

Self-monitoring
High self-monitoring has been linked to more favorable outcomes at work, as
those individuals who are more likely to alter their behavior based on the
particular scenario in which they find themselves are also more likely to resolve
conflict by engaging in collaboration and compromise. In contrast, the behavior of
low self-monitors is more likely to remain stable across situations, thus
demonstrating less of a concern for the needs or opinions of others and more
often eliciting a dominating, avoiding, or obliging conflict resolution strategy.

Emotional intelligence
This conceptualization elaborates on the idea that some people are more skilled
at understanding the feelings of others and responding to them in a manner that
is characterized by empathy and compassion. Emotionally intelligent individuals
make better friends, better partners, better co-workers, and better leaders.
Research has demonstrated that EQ fosters positive interpersonal interactions.
They have the ability to perceive accurately, appraise, and express emotion; the
ability to access and/or generate feelings when they facilitate thought; the ability
to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and the ability to regulate
emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth.

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Influence of personality variables linked to both cultural variables and styles of conflict
resolution. High self-monitors and those who have higher levels of EQ are more likely to use a
contingency-based style of managing interpersonal conflict as well as more likely to have
positive conflict outcomes.

7.11.

Recent conflicts occurred in the companies:

7.12.

Lockouts
Strikes
Issues related with performance appraisals
Resistant to change
Conflicts related to emotions
Conflicts due to frustrations
Role Conflict- may be conflict between personality of the person and the
expectations of the role

The role of the Team Leader

The role of organizational leadership is not to eliminate conflict, but to use it. Team leaders
develop and communicate the strategy for the group.
In order to design an effective business strategy, a team leader:

understands the objectives of company

stays on top of industry trends and news
analyzes his team's strength and weaknesses
ensures that team members have tasks aligned with skills and experience
solicits feedback on the group project

After consideration of these Factors, he assigns tasks, sets deadlines, holds group members
accountable, keeps the team on course and provides updates from the group to company
leaders.

7.13.

The role of the team leader when conflict develops on a team:

It is a leaders responsibility to maintain stability in the group by quickly eliminating conflict in an

objective and reasonable manner. A leader can take certain steps to deal with conflict, whether
internal or external in nature. Explanation, alternatives, negotiation, counseling, investigation,
and authority can all be used to diffuse conflict. Group conflicts often result from unnecessary
misunderstandings. These often can be resolved by a simple statement or explanation. If
explanation fails, a leader can come to some sort of compromise through negotiation or the
offering of alternatives.
By demonstrating a firmness and authority in attitude, a leader may be able to dissolve the
persisting conflict. A leader can also ease unrest in certain situations by offering counseling or

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further investigation into the situation. The fact that the members with the conflict realize that
someone is taking notice of the situation will further calm them.

7.14.

Leadership Contributions to Conflict:

A group leader is often a catalyst for the interaction of a group and can initiate either harmony or
conflict. Although it is a leaders duty to create harmony within the group, the individual can
unknowingly generate conflict. Some of the common ways in which a leader can contribute to
conflict are:

7.15.

By example setting a poor example

Procrastination being too slow or lackadaisical

Indecision being unable to come to a conclusion

Rigidity always wanting it done his or her way

Lack of information not gathering all the needed facts

Criticism affecting the style of the group

Negative remarks affecting the attitude of the group

Lack of involvement not participating

Conflict of Goals:

For a group to function properly, the leaders goals and the groups goals must be the same.
It is a leaders responsibility to assist the group in setting goals in accordance with the
groups norms and values, with their best interest in mind, and by receiving input from all
group members. At times, conflicts may arise between goals due to the fact that a small
group of members are not in agreement with the whole. If the entire group does not totally
agree with the set goal, it is the leaders responsibility to justify the goal and gain their
agreement. The leader can fully explain the goal and convince the dissenting members.

7.16.

Power Struggle:

Another conflict that may arise is a power struggle between leaders and members. A power
struggle occurs when the persons of authority perceive a threat to their power, while members
perceive a threat to their egos. Several factors can initiate a power struggle such as threat,
fear, competition, and distrust.
The phrases, You cant make me do it, Who do you think you are? and Dont you know
anything? are verbal signals of a power struggle. Any time there is an attempt of one member
to be superior or defeat another member; there is a power struggle in effect.
Communication Skills:
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While miscommunication can lead to conflict, good communication is the key to settling
problems peacefully within a group.
Language is extremely powerful. If you have ever heard the phrase fighting words, you
know that there are some words that can escalate a conflict, and others that can be used
to diffuse one. Example of some fighting words are: never, always, unless, cant, wont,
dont, should, shouldnt, and the use of profanity. Likewise, good communication is
blocked when either party blames, insults, puts the other down, interrupts, or makes
threats or excuses. On the other hand, words that can be used to de-escalate a conflict
include: maybe, perhaps, sometimes, what if, seems like, I feel, I think, and I wonder.
Non-verbal communication, or body language, also has a tremendous impact on those
who observe and interpret it. It can encourage or discourage a fight. When trying to
resolve a conflict you should maintain eye contact, and use a tone of voice that is
sincere and not intimidating or sarcastic. You should also keep your legs and arms
uncrossed, and your fists unclenched.
Successful conflict resolution and negotiation depends on the use of positive
communication skills.
If you cannot reach an agreement, the conflict may need to be resolved through
mediation or arbitration.

7.17.

Mediation:

Mediation, from the Latin word meaning middle, literally means putting another person
in the middle of the dispute. The mediator is sometimes an independent third party that
acts as a facilitator, and can be another student. In fact, research shows that peer
mediation programs, where students are trained to resolve disputes of other students,
have proven to be relatively successful. The goal of mediation is to help the disputing
parties find and agree on a win-win solution in which each partys needs are met.
Mediation is usually contrasted with arbitration, which should be used as a last resort.
Arbitration is the submission of a conflict to a disinterested third party, an adult such as a
teacher or principal, who makes a final and binding judgment to decide who is right.
Typically, arbitration leaves at least one person with resentment and anger about the
decision and toward the arbitrator. However, both parties involved in the conflict should
abide by the decision made by the arbitrator, and agree to let go of the conflict with no
hard feelings toward either person.

7.18.

Role of a Mediator:

A mediator facilitates a discussion between the disputing parties, by asking open-ended

questions that will encourage a discussion of solutions. Unlike an arbitrator, mediators will not
issue orders, find fault, investigate, impose a solution, or make decisions for parties. Mediators
try to help the people involved in the dispute reach their own agreement, and achieve practical,
sustainable resolutions. However, a mediator cannot enforce agreements once they have been
reached. It is up to all parties to enforce and implement their own agreements.
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As a general rule, mediators should:

Be honest

Remain objective

Act in good faith

Show empathy, but avoid becoming emotional

Use good communication skills

Listen effectively

Summarize accurately

Think critically

As with any conflict situation, mediators should not get involved in an intense argument that has
the potential for turning violent at any moment.

7.19.

Steps to Mediating a Conflict

Have you ever helped two friends reach an agreement, or helped to settle an argument between
siblings? If so, you have mediated a conflict. Mediation is a simple, straightforward process.
The procedure for a successful mediation is outlined below:
1. Introductions

Explain the mediators role

Emphasizes neutrality

Establish the ground-rules such as: confidentiality, respect, no name-calling or vulgar

language, no interrupting, etc.

Explain the steps of a mediation

Ask for questions

2. Tell the story

Both parties tell their side of the story to the mediator

Mediator summarizes each partys point of view including facts and feelings

Mediator makes sure that each party understands the conflict

3. Explore possible solutions

Ask both parties how they can solve the problem

Write down all solutions

Check off only those solutions that both parties can agree to

4. Dont give up

Keep trying until you can reach an agreement. You may have to trade something that
one side wants for something that the other side has.

Ask the parties to write down the agreement in their own words
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Ask all parties to sign the agreement

7.20.

Role of a Bystander

Even if you are not personally involved in the conflict as one of the disputing parties or the
mediator, you have a responsibility to do your part to prevent violence by:

Refusing to spread rumors

Refusing to relay threats or insults to others

Staying away from potential fight scenes

Showing respect for people who use good judgment in ignoring insults or other trivial forms
of conflict

Appealing to your peers to help control a situation, and reduce the potential for violence.

8. Conclusion
Team work is defined as "a joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates
his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group." in Webster's
New World Dictionary. The joint action of people is effective when all the team members have
certain characteristics. They are, the team must have a clear goal. Everyone should know what
they need to complete and what is expected as a team. The team must have a collaborative
climate. They should be good listeners, competent and commitment towards work. The team
should obey the ideas shared by others and also should be able to persuade others when
others idea would bring better results. Team members should not brew any negative opinions
over others. Importantly it is the responsibility of the team lead to recognize the pros and cons of
the team and support the team in timely fashion. She/he should monitor the performances of the
team and recognize the team effort and accolade them for all their support during the hard
times.
Speaking about the darker side of team work, when the feeling of oneness among the team
members is missing then, however, technically strong a team is it would lead to failure of
accomplish of task. There would be no co-ordination between them and everyone would try to
blame or criticize others. In certain scenarios, individual accountability will not be recognized
over the team. Also the same person will be criticized along with others when there is failure in
the completion of task. So he/she would lose interest over the work. So it is the responsibility of
the team lead to identify that person and acknowledge him for his work. This would also impress
others
to
work
in
the
same
way.
So when everyone in the team has team spirit and realize that we are working for a common
cause/purpose then the team would be successful. When the same characteristic is missing
among the team then the end product would not be impressive whatever the technical level be.
Also the team lead should always drive the team towards the correct direction with his supports
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or acknowledgements and solve the problems among team members in an unbiased and
friendly manner.

9. Refrances
1. TheHappyManager(2016),WhatisTeamwork?Somethingworthbuilding!:http://www.the
happymanager.com/articles/whatisteamwork,ABrufam20.01.2016.
2. Moneyzine.com(2015),UnderstandingSoftSkills:http://www.moneyzine.com/career
development/leadershipskill/understandingsoftskills,Abrufam20.01.2016.
3. BankofInformation(2013),AdvantagesandDisadvantagesofTeamwork,
http://bankofinfo.com/advantagesanddisadvantagesofteamwork,Abrufam20.01.2016
4. Consulting Psychologists Press (CPP). Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. Palo Alto, CA: (800)624-
1765 or available on the World Wide Web at http://www.cpp-db.com. 1. Norman.
5.

ARTICLE IN PRESS R. Kaushal, C.T. Kwantes / International Journal of Intercultural Relations 30 (2006)
579603 581.

6.

Rahim, M. A. (1992). Managing conflict in organizations (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Praeger.

7.

Leung, K., & Bond, M. H. (2004). Social axioms: A model of social beliefs in multicultural perspective. In M.
P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (pp. 119197). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.

8.

Shawchuck, Managing Conflict and Change (Lecture at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary,
Springfield, Mo., October 1999).

9.

Warech, M. A., Smither, J. W., Reilly, R. R., Millsap, R. E., & Reilly, S. P. (1998). Self-monitoring and 360degree ratings. Leadership Quarterly, 9, 449473.

10. Herkenhoff, L. (2004). Culturally tuned emotional intelligence: an effective change management tool?
Strategic Change, 13, 7381.

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