Analyzing Teams

Teams Comment by Sabina: Analyzing Teams Working in teams can be very complicated and rewarding. It is important to understand the dynamics of working in teams. One of the fundamental knowledge is that each team member is different, have different abilities, motivations and personality. "Group work requires critical thinking, analytical skills, and excellent communication skills. Individuals with different personalities and different work ethic can be a potential problem" ("Potential challenges with," 2010). When creating an innovative team many different considerations should be analyzed.

In this paper I will discuss some of the important aspects of building an effective team, innovate and creative team. The leader of the team is extremely important (Sarkisian & Bok, 1997). Some of the most important qualities of a great team leader is integrity, high ethical standards, honesty, clear vision, enthusiastic, committed, solution oriented, empowers others, fosters self-motivation, strives for excellence, good communication, a good negotiator, nurtures relationships, kindhearted, generous, is a great manager and transforms weakness into strengths (Naseem, 2011). Members of the teams should be selected carefully if possible.

Each team should have members with great technical strengths, individuals with great organization strengths and other strengths that are pertinent to completing the project. Individuals from different backgrounds and different abilities are great assets to any team. Diversity and changes in the market could also impact the way a team operates, this could create problems within the project. Cross functionality within organizations is essential for creating innovative and creative teams. Cross functional organizations encourage teams where individuals within in each team can do multiple tasks.

MetLife is a cross functional organization, each team member is required to learn another person's job, to ensure that job can be completed in the absence of the individual. The leader of the team must support cross-functionality. They must promote individuals learning multiple roles within the project and the organization. Project leaders at MetLife encourage cross-functionality by rewarding employees who are cross-functional through promotions and bonuses. Inter-organizational networks are essential to innovation and creativity within any multi-cultural organization.

Gathering information from other entities, other organization and creating networks will allow the organization to become more creative and innovative. MetLife continues to utilize outside consultants from other organization to get new information and become more innovative. Intra-organizational networks influence ethics, innovation, and creativity within any diverse organization. Managers and leaders of projects connecting within the organization, can connect, share best practices, offer help and support for projects.

MetLife have quarterly roundtable conferences where the managers, directors and project managers would get together and share information about best practices, HIPPA rules and other useful information. Leaders can observe when resistance to change is occurring when the culture of the work environment is different, when employees are unhappy.