Unit 19 Team Work and Leadership

Protectors and Collectors

Describe the task: In detail, what was the aim of the task? How many teams? What was the team dynamic? Timings? Rules and restrictions? This task is where we were in two groups, protects and collectors; in each group there was six in a group. Each group had a safe home, which was over the line in the sand. From that line ten footsteps away there was a ball, the collectors team had to collect the ball. The rules were only three people can cross the line at one time (if they were the collectors and as many as the protects can leave), once a member of the protector team came out of their safe house the were able to either walk back into their safe house and if there was another member of the collectors team in the playing area they were in the sin bin However, if the protectors tap one of the collectors they were also in the sin bin. In my team there was; Cara, Miriam, Josh, Marcus and Nathan. What was your role in the team? What did you do? How did you contribute? Leader or team worker? I believe in my team I was two of Meredith Belbins Team roles. One was team worker. I believe this because I was supportive and made sure everyone was working together, I was helping the team get along. I did this by making sure everyone added his or her opinion on how to solve this problem. The other role I believe I took on was the Plant. I believe this was the case because I was thinking of new ideas and suggesting it to the group. This was because I was giving the idea when our team was the protectors, three of us stood over the line. As soon as the some members of the collects came out nearer towards the ball our team would go back into our safe house. How did you perform as an individual? As an individual I believe I perform the best out of all the other activities throughout the team building activities. I believe this because I was contributing ideas to the team and making sure everyone okay. I also made sure everyone participated during the competition, by having ago. I believe I motivated members of our team; also I worked well because I was given praises throughout this activity, which helped me do better. How did you perform as a team? As I team I believe we performed to our best ability. I think this was because after we formed our group we didnt go through the storming stage of Bruce Tuckmans theory. I believe this stage didnt occur because we all got on with the activity, whic h was set to complete. Stage of norming did happen because we were all discussing how to start with our new idea then after the first idea happened, we discussed how 1 Estelle Gregory

Unit 19 Team Work and Leadership to develop. We performed very well because we gain lot more points compared to the other group, this meant that we were able to win. The other team were discussing their ideas too however, they werent really on topic I knew this because they werent as good when it came to the actual game. What were your strengths? Communication, problem solving, time management, supporting others, physical abilities, confidence, motivation, resolving conflict, praise, questioning, body language, listening, awareness, creativity etc My strengths throughout this team building activity was problem solving because when the task was set I was able to suggest my idea straight away. Once some aspects of our idea failed I was able to adapt it and have a better solution. This is important once I was working with a group during a working environment because without solving problems which occurs during the task there would be much more difficulties. For example not suggesting an idea to the team we could have been stuck on this stage longer and waste time when we could be completing the task. Again during a working environment I believe adapting part of the task would develop a better plan, which would be an improvement. Another one of my strengths would be confidence, I believe confidence was one of my strengths during the Protectors and Collectors game because I was able to say what I thought would be a good idea. Have confidence is key when working in a team; this would be because a members of the group will be able to communicate their opinions and thoughts. This would be important because the overall task could be better than one member of the group. During this task our group were confidence, this is because we were able to communicate as a team together and solve the problems, which we came across as a group. Supporting others during this team building activity would have been my strength; I believe this would have been the case because I was making sure everyone was able to contribute an idea. I was able to do this because I was asking everyones question on what they think we should do. I think supporting others in a team would be key, I believe this because without out either motivating members of the team or asking for their opinion our task could of not been to the best of our abilities. Strengths as a team was that we were able to communicate and decide on the best possible outcome this helped us to win the game against the other team. This would be an advantage because we were able to think logically and listen to other peoples ideas from the group. What were your weaknesses? Communication, problem solving, time management, supporting others, physical abilities, confidence, motivation, resolving conflict, praise, questioning, body language, listening, awareness, creativity etc

Estelle Gregory

Unit 19 Team Work and Leadership I believe my weakness was that I was indecisive; I believe this because when everyone suggested what we should do I left Cara to make the final decision. I think I did this because I didnt want someone else in our team to become upset that we didnt use his or her idea. Another weakness of mine was I had poor communication, I believe this because I was unable to make sense when I was explaining the possible ideas. I had to explain my idea a few times so make sure everyone understood where I was coming from. Also my first few ideas I forgot about the constraints. Also I believe time management was one of my areas of weaknesses. I believe this was the case because when I was communicating my opinion, also because my communication wasnt very good I was unable to take a short amount d iscussing my idea. If I had better communication our team would be able to have more time to think effectively and perform in a different way. A weakness of our group was that we were unaware of others ability knowing what they were good at and how this could help develop the task which has been set. This was a weakness because if we had known more about the individual people in our group they would feel more confortable by completing something, which they would enjoy. A weakness of the other team was they arent on topic which was an advantage this is because they werent thinking about the game itself. Finally I do not think I praised during this activity, I wasnt appreciating what individual members of the group were doing during this activity. I believe praise is important during a team group activity because someone praising them motivates some individuals. What could you improve for next time? For next time if I had to do the same team building activity, which is Protectors and Collectors, I would improve by making more decisions. This would mean that I would not be as indecisive. I would try and improve my communication; I would do this by thinking before I try to communicate my idea to the team. This would mean that our team would have had more discussion time the effect of discussing more would be by improving my idea from other members of the group. Another way I would improve by would be by time management this would be linked into communication, this means that I would have to think before I try to explain my idea. Also another way I would be able to improve my time management would be by setting a timer, so that everyone has a certain time to speak for the same equally amount of time. Time management would me important during various tasks because there would be deadlines for each task. Another example would be if members of the group had to do individual l tasks to make the whole task achieve there would be deadlines within the group. As a team we should improve on being aware of others ability in the group. This would be an improvement because we could of used this as a advantage to beat the other team. This would mean that we should of got to know our team more so that

Estelle Gregory

Unit 19 Team Work and Leadership we could see who was able of doing what, and understanding what they werent so good at and try to encourage them to have a go. Also this would have been better to understand so they felt more comfortable during the task, which was set. I believe the other group should improve on staying on topic and thinking more about how they could win by thinking more logically. This would make the other team have more ideas on what to do when a situation came up. Finally the last thing I would improve on would be praise. I believe I need to improve on praise would be because the members in the group are different; this means that some members of the group become motivated by someone giving them raise. I find praise is important once working professionally, praise could be given in different ways; this could be by bonus awards, promotions but the list continues. Was there any conflict in the group? If yes, describe why and how was it resolved? If no, what did the leader do to ensure this was the case? During the Protectors and Collectors team building activity; there was no conflict with members of the group, I believe this was the case because our team leader Cara was able to get everyones opinion from the team group. The type of power that I believe Cara had was the referent power, I think this is the case because every member in our group liked Cara and Cara liked them. She was able to talk to various members from the group to understand if they were annoying another member of the group. The type of leadership Cara used I believe was a democratic leader, this was because she would ask for feedback from the team which made her feel apart of the team. In the other team there was also no conflict I believe this because everyone came up with his or her final decision and agreed together that it should be there final decision. They also had a leader, which would control the group, and control conflict that could of occurred. How could you use relevant theory to analyse the overall performance today? Leadership styles, Belbin, Tuckman, Adair, Honey, Margerison & McCann, Woodcock. Using the theories I have learnt about during this topic starting from Bruce Tuckmans theory, I believe our group went through the forming stage because a member of staff placed us into groups. We made relationships with other people, which formed us into a group. Why I think we went through this stage compared to all the other activities I have spoken about is because we wouldnt normally work together during class. However, strangely enough there wasnt a storming stage . I believe there was no storming stage because our leader Cara was able to make sure every member of the groups opinion and thought was included. Why I think this happened was because we were all thinking more about the task then forming a friend type of relationship.

Estelle Gregory

Unit 19 Team Work and Leadership During the norming stage we discussed every member of the groups ideas, opinions and thoughts. After we had our first go doing this activity we discussed how to improve our performance, I believe this happened because members of our group understood and accepted the rules. Once we improve our performance every member of the group knew their roles of the task, also members of the group formed little groups within the big group of who they would talk to. Why I think we went through this stage was because we had to discuss as a team to gain the best possible achievement. During the performing stage every member contributed to doing a main part of the activity, this meant that we were achieving our best possible outcome. Why I think we went through this stage was because is because our team was very productive since we all worked together. From John Adairs theory the type of leadership that Cara used was the Action Centred Leadership I believe this because Cara balanced each type of leadership situation, which were the group of people performing the task, each individual member of the group involved in the task and the achievement of a goal or task. This makes Cara the most effective leader out of the other team building activities, because she attended each element at the same time. The team role I believe I took on from Meredith Belbins theory is team worker and plant, I believe I was these team roles because during the Protectors and Collectors game I was a role of a team worker because I was supportive to all the members of the group. I was able to do this by having every member of the group telling their idea to the group, I believe every member of the group should be heard because using just one members idea there would be no improvements without a mind of another member. Why I think being a team worker is important is because making sure every member of the group gets along with each other, without the group getting along the best of every member ability. Additionally I believe I was the plant was because I was able to give various ideas and let the group chose the best idea. I also believe I was the plant because I get very motivation through praise; this makes me strive to do more. Why I think being a plant is a good team role is because without a plant there wouldnt be various ideas to chose from, this would mean that the group would be very limited on ideas.

Estelle Gregory