Team Dynamics and Conflict Resolution

Team Dynamics and Conflict Resolution

Team C

Communication in learning is very essential to how the team accomplishes assignments and tasks. It is very important to establish good lines of communication between team members, and to be upfront with what each member expects from the team. Some conflicts that may arise while working in a team environment include but are no limited to; different time's students are on line, writing styles, and when to set deadlines for certain projects. In past experiences a team environment can be very helpful, but at the same time it can be very damaging. If team members are on the same page, or have a similar understanding on how they want to handle issues, it could end up hurting the team, and effect grades. Communication can essentially make or break a team.

Going to school in an online environment takes a lot to get used to. Communicating online is even harder. Making sure that you are online everyday, maybe five times a day can get very monotonous and stressful, especially if you are working full time and taking care of a family. One of the great things about online classes is the fact that they are online. You do not have to be on at any giving time; however this can cause a problem between team members, especially when it comes to team assignments. Not every one can post at the same time or even same day. This makes it very challenging to formulate a foolproof plan so you can avoid miscommunications between members. The idea to have deadlines and guidelines seems so simple, but it is just as hard to implement those. When a student does start taking charge and "guiding" the team, it has to be done very carefully. Verbal communication is very easily readable. You can tell how a person is feeling by the tone of their voice, or by their body language, whether they are happy, sad, or mad. Unfortunately in the online atmosphere, you cannot tell what someone's emotions may be at any giving time; therefore some of their emails or posts can be misread or misconstrued. You may not be able to voice your opinion as effectively as you would like. On the other hand you may unintentionally hurt someone's feelings and not know it. You know the saying "think before you speak," well that holds true in writing as well. It is very important to get your point across in a very positive upbeat manner, while using positive reinforcements to criticize if need be.

People tend to forget the importance of good communication skills. How throughout our whole lives, communication can help in current careers, get us out of speeding tickets, reprimand our children, effectively give speeches and guidance to our peers, and help us express our selves appropriately. The way you say and write things can express your feelings and intentions clearly and easily to those listening and reading. It is very important to remember the way you express yourself through words is a general reflection of the type of individual you are and how you come across. If your communications skills are lacking, it could affect future career goals and keep you from getting the where you want to be. It could also have an impact on you socially.

When a team first comes together anxiety levels are usually high. There are certain agreements that team members must establish at the conception of the team to ensure the production process runs as smooth as possible.

When a team first comes together expectations need to be set. To do so members should spend some time together getting to know one another. Each team member needs to keep in mind that everyone will have different schedules, agendas and prior commitments, both career and personal. These obstacles need to be taken into consideration when setting up team meetings and deadlines. If the members feel that their needs are important and being met then they will feel more obliged to fill the part of the responsibility.

A team leader needs to be chosen. The team leader needs to ensure that members are aware of the goals and objectives of the team. Assignments need to be dispersed to individuals, taking in consideration each ones abilities and attributes. The leader needs to set a solid timeline. When various assignments are delegated they are done so with a deadline date. This will ensure that everyone stays on task and that the project is completed in a timely fashion.

Effective communications also needs to be set up. Team members still need to coordinate with each other in their accomplishments even when there is not a meeting or before actual deadlines. They will need to know how to contact other members and the leader if need or a problem arises. These are functions that the team leader needs to implement and instill at the initial meeting.

Every team will always have conflicts. Some problems are big and some are not so big. At the beginning stages of a team each person will have different ideas and outlooks on how the team should be handled. Who should be the leader, what are the main objectives and goals, how often should they meet and numerous other difficulties. When a team faces their first conflict it will raise a lot of doubt and even hostility. If this does occur, team members may become less enthusiastic about the team, temporarily. Certain problems will arise and should be anticipated by the team leader in advance, such as tardiness to meetings, not attending meetings, not meeting deadlines, etc. These problems need to be addressed at the beginning, during the first meeting so each member will know in advance what is expected of them. The team leader should also discuss with the team the fact that conflicts will happen and that this is a normal process so they are not caught off guard. The team leader should identify and discuss possible ways to handle the conflicts, before the conflicts occur. Stress the fact that not everyone will agree, not everyone will have their way and sometimes it is best to step back, agree to disagree and move on. If these conflicts are not addressed at the beginning the team may run the risk of falling apart and in turn, failing to achieve their goal. Each member has to build a trust in the others. They need to use constructive criticism when addressing a problem situation if they are to stay together as a team and complete their goals.

Once the team has its initial meeting(s) to identify personalities, schedules, leader, objective and goals, assignments need to be delegated. To delegate effectively, the leader needs to take into consideration not only strengths of the members but also their weaknesses and needs. Each individual team member's knowledge is limited by their own experiences.