Team Building

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorUniversity, Master's February 2008

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This article aims to provide a broad overview of team building by trying to explore the following topics.

Ø Team; What is a team & how is it different from a Group? Ø Stages in the development of a team.

Ø Problems that may arise during the development of a team.

Ø How team building helps and what does team building involve? Ø Steps in designing and running a team building process.

v Team; What is a team & how is it different from a Group? A team is a set of individuals working together and has the following attributes which distinguishes it from a group: · The team has a common purpose, · Recognition by each individual as belonging to the same unity (Team identity), · Functions are interdependent, and the team has · Agreed norms or values which regulate behavior.

Every individual in the team, leader and member alike, is clear on the purpose for which they have assembled as a team; each one has his/her own identity and a part to play; clearly understands the interdependencies of his/her tasks and all of them have an agreed set of norms for the regular team functions like communication, decision making, handling conflict etc.

Group on the other hand is a set of individuals working together but not with the above structure as that of a team.

v Stages in the development of a team Sure, team is a desirable structure to work with, but it does not come into existence as a whole. A team evolves when a group of individuals go through the following four inevitable stages of evolution.

Forming (Initial awareness ? why we are here?) This is the stage in which a group comes together initially. Each member is cautious and avoids conflict. They...