The Role of Communication in Team Dynamics Essay Example
The Role of Communication in Team Dynamics Essay Example

The Role of Communication in Team Dynamics Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (989 words)
  • Published: October 2, 2017
  • Type: Paper
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Communication is without a doubt one of the most crucial elements when it comes to team dynamics.

The success or failure of a team is highly dependent on its communication efficiency. Newson (2006) highlights the negative impact of ineffective communication on team morale. Therefore, every team member has a responsibility to promote effective communication in order to enhance overall team performance. By analyzing team communication, observable behaviors that predict success or failure can be identified (Hutchins et al.).

The year 1999 marked the identification of four essential elements for effective team communication: openness to authentic discussions, active listening, willingness to confront conflicts, and understanding. To create an environment that fosters open and authentic discussions, teams must consider various factors. One crucial factor is understanding each team member's communication style and strengths and weaknesses in expressing their opinions. With this information, team members can

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facilitate participation among the group when discussing topics related to team goals.

It is crucial to encourage clear and objective conversations within a team to prevent extroverted members from overshadowing their introverted counterparts. Team members should present factual information without dominating the discussion. Open discussions are an excellent opportunity for team members to better understand each other.

By fostering open conversations among team members, valuable information can be uncovered that facilitates effective communication and strengthens trust. Active listening is crucial during these discussions, with individuals encouraged to demonstrate interest in what is being said before reacting or responding. Clarification should be sought through questioning or summarizing to ensure comprehension.

The process of sympathetic, or active, listening involves four steps that include mimicking and then rephrasing content along with reflecting feelings.

When actively listening to someone,

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it's crucial to comprehend both your own emotions and those of the speaker. Christol (2008) suggests empathizing through pondering on the speaker's content and emotions. This technique aims to gain a thorough comprehension of their sentiments and thoughts. You can exhibit active listening by posing clarifying questions such as "Please confirm if I understood you correctly..." or "Please verify that I have all the information...".

Classroom discussions provide a platform for students to engage in ongoing dialogue with their professors and demonstrate active listening skills aimed at ensuring comprehension. This capability can be taught and should be practiced regularly in daily communication. Additionally, effective communication entails the capacity to confront team conflicts that may arise due to unclear communication.

According to the University of Phoenix (2008), a team charter serves as a guide for teams in achieving their goals by clearly outlining the expectations of each team member. Conflict is inevitable within a team due to the unique differences among team members, and it is important to resolve conflicts through discussion and compromise. It is essential for team members to confront conflict when it arises, even though it may be uncomfortable.

Honesty is a valuable tactic for dealing with conflict as it earns greater respect from team members when confronting them. Therefore, having genuine and upfront discussions can be facilitated by this approach. However, being truthful can create some discomfort, but it is worthwhile for resolving the conflict.

If conflicts cannot be resolved by team members, a mediator such as a faculty member may be necessary. It is important to proceed with caution, as faculty members will refer to the team charter to determine the agreed-upon method

for conflict resolution. Therefore, it is crucial that the charter is highly specific. Unavoidable and uncontrollable circumstances can arise when working with teams due to human nature and unexpected events (e.g., sickness, car troubles, or family deaths).

It is important to have a basic understanding of certain things relating to teams and to have a revised charter in place to address emergency scenarios. The charter should cover situations where a team member is unable to participate in an assignment due to an emergency. If the team has established good relationships, it should not be difficult for members to step up in the absent member's place. However, it is crucial that the member experiencing the emergency notify other team members as soon as possible of their inability to deliver or perform a task.

Facilitating this will enable the rest of the team to make any necessary modifications to their schedules to handle the unforeseen additional duty. Unexpected circumstances occur, but effective communication can overcome any challenge. In essence, Jim Temme and Jeanine Katzel's (1995, 14) findings indicate that involvement must be genuinely favorable. Team members should listen to one another's proposals and take action when required.

To foster authentic participation, it's crucial to value and acknowledge all ideas while providing affirmative feedback for good ones. Criticizing team members' ideas can deter them from sharing their thoughts. Creating an atmosphere of openness where individuals feel comfortable expressing their opinions is essential to promote team intimacy. Successful communication in teams involves genuine conversations, attentive listening, a readiness to resolve conflicts, and comprehension.

Christol's (2008, May) article in Tactical Response, vol. 6, no. 3, highlights the difference between active and effective listening.

On

December of 2006, an article by P. Newson was retrieved from the ProQuest Central database with a Document ID of 1489166611.

This information was obtained on July 22, 2008.

The article "Participate effectively as a team member" by Temme, J. and Katzel, J. can be found in the Nursing ; Residential Care journal, volume 8, issue 12, pages 541-544. It was retrieved on July 22, 2008 from the CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.

(Jan 9, 1995) Successful teamwork goes beyond simply calling a group a team - it should be ingrained into the way of life. This insight is featured in Plant Engineering, Volume 49, Issue 1, on page 112. The article can be retrieved from General OneFile via Gale on July 22, 2008.

The University of Phoenix has provided an overview for Week Two on their website galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS.The resource entitled "GEN300- Managing Learning Team Conflict" can be found on the University of Phoenix website under Week Two, and was accessed on July 22, 2008.

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