Analysis of The Requirements for an Effective Teamwork

In today’s working environment, it has become more likely for educational institutions and companies to require students and employees to work together in groups at a well efficient and organized level. In teamwork there are a few requirements that should be established in order to help the members learn interactively. These requirements may consist of being able to communicate with one another, having responsibility for individual duties, and maintaining a comfortable environmental setting. The purpose of building a strong relationship between each group member is the ability to gain structured experiences that are applicable for future jobs and assignments.

Groups are put together as a way to define one’s strength and weakness that they might be contributing to the assignment. During the first group meetings, there were some challenges that affected the group. Specifically, one of the challenges was time management and lack of communication. For example, after everyone was assigned to their designated roles, it was only appropriate for us to arrange a date to meet up and discuss our team goals. However, one of the members would either show up late or not be able to make it to the meeting at all due to personal reasons. This could be very inconvenient for the other members since everyone already agreed to meet on a specific date, and it is difficult to finish the meeting without a particular role being present. In the reading, it states that “researchers have found that the way group members communicate with each other is crucial in determining what happens when people collaborate.” In other words, this means having communication is a key element of working together. It allows each member to touch base with everyone’s thoughts and opinions as well as confirming any misunderstandings. Overall, it is evident that each member must be able to manage good communication skills in order to convey a clear understanding of information being provided.

On the other hand, there were also some strengths that each member contributed in the first group meeting. In the reading, it mentions “characteristics of effective team members” consist of five aspects that can enhance teamwork. For example, during the first meeting there were about three main characteristics that were very consistent throughout the session, such as, supportiveness, problem solving skills, and openness. One of the characteristics that I embody is problem solving skills. As I previously mentioned before, one of the challenges was the miscommunication with the meeting arrangements. I suggested that the group should always meet up after class on Tuesdays to conduct a group meeting as well as having a constant communication through text. This not only helped clear up the misunderstanding, but it also catered towards everyone’s busy schedules. In addition, the group was very supportive during the entire meeting session. For instance, everyone was very patient and took turns discussing our personality traits. This showed how “supportive team members listen to others, are willing to pitch in and accomplish the job, and have an optimistic outlook about team success”. Overall, by showing characteristics of effective team members it can improve each meeting session more sufficiently.

To conclude the essay, although each member contributes a different characteristic to the group, it is important to collaborate every aspect and skill in the interest of maintaining good work ethics. In teamwork it could be difficult at times if one person shows a stronger feature of the five dysfunctions of a team. In order to maintain a healthy relationship between each member, they must embody the key characteristics of experience, problem solving skills, supportiveness, openness, and team learning and adapting for effective teams. This can improve the quality and effectiveness of the group to have a stronger outcome throughout each meeting session. Therefore, the strength of having good teamwork comes from good communication skills, doing your share of work, and supporting each other.