Introduction
It seems reasonable to claim that sufficient and productive teamwork is affected by a significant number of factors. Each member is to dedicate himself or herself to the needs of a team as a whole, putting personal interests aside. The scholarly dimension provides the important concept of five dysfunctions that is directly applicable to the issue. It implies the overcoming and an in-depth understanding of five obstacles that a team might face on its way to successful and healthy relationships. This paper aims to investigate a particular situation through the prism of the mentioned concept, as well as to provide relevant and reliable recommendations on it.
Main text
The given case might imply the dysfunction of the absence of trust. “If team members are unable to reveal their weaknesses and be vulnerable and open with each other, it fosters a culture with the absence of trust” (Markle, 2018, para. 4). The fact that employees refer to the DecisionTech executives as The Stuff indicates the lack of warm relations within the team. Then, it is visible that without such an essential element, all the meetings have an exact extent of tension, which results in inappropriate decisions or their absence. Due to this, discussions are not interesting and slow – it does not contribute to efficient cooperation.
To deal with such a state of affairs, for the executives, it might be rational to hold several conversations with employees, collecting their feedback. The personnel will be asked to express an opinion on what should be changed and what problems do they consider crucial within the scope of the teamwork. Kathryn is to convince these executives that such action is essential as currently, the working environment remains tough. What is more, she could suggest holding several meetings in an informal atmosphere. For instance, the team may go to a restaurant or bowling so that they could figure out a little more about each other.
The above actions will make personnel feel that they are being cared for, as well as that the company is interested in their perception of working conditions. This might contribute to the emergence of understanding that the team members are not unemphatic to the others. It is the primary foundation for the willingness to work together, making sure that that the colleagues perceive the situation the same way. Markle (2018) supports the provided arguments, “By sharing experiences, following through, demonstrating credibility, and developing strong insight into the unique characteristics of each team member, teams can successfully overcome this dysfunction” (para. 4). Then, the executives will realize what factors hinder the development of healthy relations within the team. It will provide them with the opportunity to deal with the issue of the absence of trust consistently, coherently, and efficiently.
It is visible that this team will gain several crucial benefits if the above actions are undertaken. First, the colleagues will be ready to rely on each other and be confident that the company’s mechanism is operating appropriately. Second, managers will be sure that the personnel is dedicated to the targets of the firm, which, in turn, leads to sufficient strategic solutions. Third, the absence of trust will be overcome – it is the primary goal that DecisionTech should aspire to achieve. These gains are likely to contribute to the improvement of the company’s performance as a whole.
It should be emphasized that each team member is to be involved in the described process, starting from executives and ending with an ordinary employee. The feedback collection and informal corporate time-spending should take place continuously but without any pressure. For example, managers may send invitations to a bowling club to the personnel via e-mail every last Friday of a month. These letters will also include an attached questionnaire aimed to collect their feedback. After the information is analyzed, the executives may invite employees to their cabinets and discuss any issue to concern. While attending the bowling club, all the expenses should be covered by the company so that the staff could understand the scale of the firm’s corporate responsibility.
As mentioned above, the main costs related to the provided plan are for the bowling club. However, the company may cover only abonnements but not food and drinks. Another essential resource that will be used is the working hours of executives who will collect feedback and analyze the obtained information. It seems that the firm may compensate these hours if they fall out of the executives’ schedule. In general, such actions will not be a substantial financial burden for DecisionTech.
Conclusion
It might be rational to conclude that an expedient action against the absence of trust dysfunction is a vital element of a company’s team performance. The suggested intervention is likely to result in a healthy working environment and the employees’ willingness to rely on each other. It will serve as a substantial foundation for further achievements and the comprehensive decision-making process.
Reference
Markle, A. (2018). Overcoming he five dysfunctions of a team: how Valid creates results-oriented organizational structure. Web.