ESSAY: Analyzing the team

Last week, you began to analyze your team by considering its level of emotional intelligence (EI). You also considered the communication style of both the team and leader. You will continue analyzing the team and its leaders by using the concepts that we have studied this week. Consider the following categories and answer the questions:
Values
What are the common values team members’ shares? How do these common values help the leader?
Are there any shared team values, which, if present hinder the team’s performance? Justify.
Are there any shared values missing which if present would enable higher team performance?
Is the leader a value-based leader? Justify.
What action steps would enhance the shared values of the team?
EI
How would you analyze the leader of the team using the four EI dimensions (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management)?
What competencies does the leader have that are strengths?
What competencies might be lacking or are weaknesses?
Is the team marked by resonance (positive emotions) or dissonance (negative emotions)?
What action steps would help improve the leaders’ EI?
Empowerment
Is power shared in the group? How?
Do team members feel empowered?
Is the level of empowerment in the group appropriate? Why?
What conditions exist that support team members’ feelings of empowerment?
What conditions exist that if removed could increase team members’ feelings of empowerment?
What action steps could improve empowerment/motivation in the team?
Communication
What type of communication occurs in team interactions (i.e., persuasion, information, entertainment, relationship)?
Does the correct type of communication occur or does the wrong type of communication frequently occur?
What type of communication method does the leader use? Does the leader listen, persuade, manipulate, or coerce?
What actions steps could improve team communication?
Team Design
How well is the team designed? Is there any category of the team design phases (i.e., task analysis, people, process or procedures) that needs to be re-examined and possible changes made?
Where is the team at in the stages of team development?
What action steps could improve team design or development?

ANSWER

Values

            In this team, there are some values shared by the members. These shared values, for example, include listening to one another open-mindedly without interruptions, sharing information, experience, and knowledge, and expressing concerns. The leader of the team benefits from these shared values as he can arrive at key decisions agreeable to the members, as well as positively challenging destructive behavior and dishonesty of the members without backlash due to the open-minded nature of the team. Accordingly, such shared values as a blame culture and engaging with ego from members if present would hinder the performance of the team. For example, the presence of a blame culture in the team would force everyone to protect themselves, and shift blame to others, thus hindering continuous improve…

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

            I would analyze the leader of the team using self-awareness (EI dimension) by determining whether he understands his emotions, and how to control them when handling the team. Using the self-management dimension, I would determine whether the team leader can manage or handle the team without resorting to verbal attacks, makes emotional or rushed decisions,….

Accordingly, I would use the social awareness dimension to examine how well the leader communicates with the team members, manages change and team conflicts, improve the team’s communication skills, and praises the members when they perform well. Lastly, the relationship management dimension would be ideal in determining the leader’s ability to nurture team relationship, as well …

            Some of the competencies the team leader has exhibiting his strength include excellent interpersonal skills, prudence, good decision-making skills, and social intelligence (how he handles the team). On the other hand, some of the competencies showing his weakness comprise perfectionism and sometimes disorganized in his approach. Additionally, the team is marked by resonance (positive emotions), which…

Empowerment             The power is shared in the group. Every member of the group has a position with the authority to oversee the execution of a specified activity. For example, the power-sharing agreement involves every member of the team having a say through participation in various activities, as well as influence the decision-making process. At the same time, the team members feel empowered because the decisions made in