Blace Jacobus

1)

IE 673

HW 3

Discuss the importance of quality teams works, and team building

a. Teams are clearly better then induvial in the work place or out. It is apparent
that teams allow induvial to uses there specialties skills towards a common
goal. Sports are a great example of this. Basketball consists of different types
of players for particular positions to maximize their efficiently. The tall players
are near the net so they can block shots or get rebounds while the shorter
players are further out utilizing there agility. In engineering teams it is critical
to capitalize on induvial skills to maximize efficiency. For an example of this
think of a small group of engineers one specializing in aero dynamics,
mechanical design, and computer analysis all working on a new airplane wing.
The aero dynamic engineer would understand all the airflow and forces on the
wing. The mechanical design engineer could then design the wing to meet the
requirements set by the aero dynamic engineer. Lastly the computer analysist
could use computer simulations to maximize the design. A project like this
could only be accomplished by a very specialized induvial but with the power
of team work it can be accomplished more easily. The team environment also
allows for double checking of work and different approaches to problems
giving more possibilities.

2) How would you handle conflicts in quality teams

a. Conflicts are bound to happen especially when people are working closely day
after day. It is critical to be able to handle conflict effectively. I find the best
way to resolve a conflict among people is to talk it out with the induvial right
as the problem begins to start. This prevents the issue from growing and
allowing others to get involved. As the book points out it is best try and solve
the conflict on a one on one basis first and not bring other team members in
on the conflict. If the conflict cannot be worked out on an induvial basis it
should then be brought up to a mediator typically a manager to decide the
best course of action for the team. It is not good for the team to constantly be
in disagreements with team members as this will slow the progress of the
group but it is important to stand up for idea or values you feel strong about
such as ethical values. A fellow tem member might feel that using
environmentally harmful chemicals is the correct direction wile I think a green
solution is the better direction. If this decision cannot be worked out among
induvial it should then br brought up to the managers of the group for the
correct direction.
3) How do you reward quality achievements in a team?
a. Creating incentives that will drive a team towards success is the best way to
reward achievements in a team environment. It is no secret that the large
majority of employees are only working for the monetary incentives. With this
being said a reward system that promotes team member to work together to
achieve a goal will motivate the employees to work hard to meet and if
correctly incentivized surpass there goal. The goal should be an achievable
yet difficult goal to drive the employees to work harder. It should also give the

Blace Jacobus

IE 673

HW 3

workers a reason to surpass that goal in the form of increase compensation for
increased completion of the goal. It is also important to reward the employees
on a induvial basis. An employee may not work as hard in a group if they do
not feel that there extra efforts will be rewarded beyond just the group goals.
Induvial incentives should be set that will encourage induvial work as well.
4) How do you communicate effectively
a. Communicating effectively is different than simply voicing ones thoughts to
another. The key difference is the effectively part. To make communicate
effective the sender must ensure message is received, understood, and acted
on. To communicate effectively one must voice their thoughts and also listen
to the others interpretation of the message. This only gets you to the received
and understood portion of communication. To achieve the hardest part of
communication effectively acted on portion one must ensure the receiver is in
agreeance with the message and work out any disagreements. If one person
defies the message then they will surely attempt to bring others with them.
5) Why are listening skills important
a. Listening skills go hand and hand with effective communication. Being a good
listener will ensure you properly interoperate the speakers message. If a
listener is tuned out the full message could be missed or worse
misunderstood. This could result in a negative course of action due to the
misunderstanding. Being a good listener will also allow you to be heard by
others. If you often give off the vibe of not caring while others are talking to
you then when it is your turn to speak others will often tune you out. I found
this topic particular interesting because of a co-worker I have. He often will cut
people off before they are done speaking and will also try to dominate the
conversation with his opinion. It is interesting to note that in turn others rarely
seek his opinion or enjoy working with him. I can see the direct negative
effects of being a poor listener first hand
6) What are the management strategies for quality-focused interpersonal needs?
a. As the book points out and is well know it is not common for all induvial to
work well together but working well with others increases productivity. To
ensure a workforce has the necessary interpersonal needs they should
implement recognition of need, careful selection, training, and reward. The
first step management must take is to see the need for interpersonal skills
such as team work and listening skills. Next, these skills should be made a
part of the screening process of new employees. A measurement system
should be in place that rewards personnel that work well with others to
promote these skills in the workforce. Training should also be provided to help
employees sharpen their interpersonal skills.
7) What are the principle of overcoming negativity and conflicts in the workplace?

Blace Jacobus

IE 673

HW 3

a. Negativity and conflicts in the workplace are very costly to organizations

goals. It is very easy to for an induvial to become negative over a situation at
work and then this negativity can be easily spread. It is important for a
manager to watch for the signs such as the I cant attitude, They
mentality, critical conversation, and blame fixing. All these situations steam
from negativity and reduce work output. To overcome these situations
managers must funiculate effective communication to ensure everyone is on
board with the correct goals. During this communication establishing clear
expectations is key to ensure the employees know exactly what to work
towards. Providing proper channels for venting is needed to allow the stress to
be expressed in appropriate ways this will allow the employees frustrations to
be heard instead of them feeling neglected. One of my favorite strategies is
to include employees. This will allow the employee to see all the working parts
and understand why things the way they are.
8) How can you manage conflict in the workplace?
a. Conflict is not always a bad thing. Constant agreeance often does not
stimulate new ideas. For example in a two person group if one person always
agrees with the other then there ideas and thoughts are typically not voiced.
This would promote the other induvial to only do what they believe and not
utilize the team mentality. On the other hand of the conflict is of a negative
nature the book states many methods to overcome the conflict. The ones I
would like to highlight are Select a private place where the issue can be
discussed confidentially by everyone involved, Encourage participants to
propose solutions, and Evaluate the costs versus the gains of all proposed
solutions.
9) How do you communicate in conflict situations?
a. Communicating in conflict situations is the only way to solve the initial
conflict. If the conflict is not addressed it will not just go away. Before
attempting to communicate for conflict resolution you should ensure the
parties involved are not looking for a fight but looking for a resolution. The
book highlights other tips for resolution but I think this is the most important.
If one person is looking for a fight going into the communication odds are they
will not be open minded to the conflict resolution.
10) Why does quality suffer if there is a major conflict?
a. If an induvial or a team is engrossed in a major conflict they are not focusing
on the goals of the company. This will decrease productivity of not just one
worker but multiple greatly increasing the damaging effect of the situation. If
the issue is not handled quickly this decrease in productivity will often trickle
down the products the company provides to its customers creating a lasting
effect by the major conflict.