Reading 5 - Law and Glover (2000)

I found this article to be rather interesting with the discussion between teams and groups.

The last few decades has seen the increase of teams though out workplaces and schools. Throughout my schooling life, it was evident that teamwork was becoming popular and important to develop not only social skills but develop specific skills for the big bad world. This article provided me with an understanding of the difference between a group and a team and how interchangeable the term is (of which I was unfamiliar with before). A group is two or more people working together whereas a team is more so when a group is deliberately constructed for a clear purpose or focus on its performance level.

Handy and Aitkin (1986) identify five reasons that teams exist

• to share in a common activity
• to promote a cause or idea
• to gain status or power
• to have friends and 'belong' because it is part of their job (and sometimes that is so true!)

Adair (1986) state the six key factors that make up a group

1. a definable membership

2. group consciousness

3. a sense of shared purpose

4. Interdependence

5. Interaction

6. Ability to act in a unitary manner

The road to team cohesion is sometimes paved with good intentions, however sometimes team cohesion is difficult and problematic. Schutz (1966) argues that there are several stages of concern; inclusion, control and affection.

Team cohesion can lead a team off course and in different directions because their purpose is not clear cut.

Team-building issues

Team building can be sometimes hindered by executives and headteachers who see themselves as the make or break person to the team.

Conformity and group norms

Gerrard (1955) suggested there are two kinds of pressure that tend to push people towards conformity

• information pressure - individuals beliefs or attitudes that their ideas are not completely correct
• normative pressure - people want to be liked or wanted and may disregard issues of importance

Teams, roles and performance

there are several identifying factors that are capable of improving team performance by providing people with roles within the team; expectations, functions, complexities. Belbin (1981) argues there is a need to rebalance roles to accommodate individuals to aid the team in appearing more natural to individuals due to personality and intellectual factors.

Leadership, teams and effectiveness

Team effectiveness has been focused on ways leaders operate in their teams to ensure development and progress.

After reading the article it concreted even further to me that a team of high achievers is not always the best team. In actual fact a team needs a range of expertees that complement other people in the team.

Murgatroyd and Gray state that a classroom acts as a mirror to the school as a whole. This statement is so true and the age old saying about the boss addresses the workers, the workers address their wives, the wives address her kids and the kids address the dog. If the boss is not happy about something it flows down to the kids not being happy. If the boss is happy, then the kids are happy to.

Let's make the Principals happy!!

Hmm, personal reflection on my team interactions is in order I think...