CMI 302 Assignment Example
Table of Contents
TASK 1
AC1.1 Define the Purpose of Teams
According to Darmawan et al. (2020), the purpose of the team is to work together towards common goals and objectives, increase productivity, ensure quality and serve as a strong support system. Teams achieve continuous improvement by bringing together diverse skills and perspectives, developing new initiatives and nurturing innovative ideas. By working together, teams can use their combined strengths to achieve goals that might be challenging individually. This collaborative approach not only increases efficiency, but fosters a dynamic environment that fosters creativity, adaptability and shared success.
AC1.2 Explain Types of Teams in an Organisation
| Team type | Explanation |
| Permanent | It is composed of members who continue to work together. They develop strong connections and familiarity, contributing to a stable and consistent workflow. |
| Temporary | They form a temporary team for specific projects or deadline tasks, and disband after the goal is achieved. They allow flexible use of special skills. |
| Functional | Functional teams are made up of people with similar skills or expertise and focus on specific functions such as marketing, finance or operations. This type promotes specialization and exchange of skills |
| Project | They are hired for unique initiatives and bring together the diverse talents needed for project completion. They value collaboration, coordination, and achieving targeted results. |
| Virtual | They leverage technology to work remotely and use digital communication tools to collaborate across geographic boundaries. They offer flexibility but require effective communication management. |
AC1.3 Summarise the roles in a team using a recognised theory
Belbin’s theory of team roles identifies the different roles that individuals take on in a team (Siemon, Li & Robra-Bissantz, 2020). These roles, such as a factory for generating innovative ideas and a coordinator for leading team work, help energise teams. “Implementers” ensure that plans are implemented effectively, “Monitor Evaluators” provide critical analysis, and “Team Workers” facilitate collaboration. “Resource Investigators” explore external possibilities, while “Finishers” ensure that tasks are completed correctly. Dear five team roles include Explorer, Evaluator, Actor, Graduate Student and Organizer. These role theories recognize the diversity of strengths that individuals bring to a team and emphasise collaboration and leveraging each member’s skills for mutual success.
AC1.4 Explain how members of a team affect team dynamics
Team membership significantly affects team dynamics. Personality shapes how you communicate and make decisions, as Myles Briggs’ theory suggests (Braz & Sichman, 2022). Industrial relations affect collaboration and collaboration, and affect overall performance. Diverse skills and knowledge help form diverse teams and encourage problem solving and innovation. Seniority brings experience and leadership and influences decision making. Strengths-based role assignment facilitates efficient distribution of tasks. The interplay of these elements shapes team dynamics, affects communication patterns, conflict resolution and ultimately determines team success.
AC1.5 Identify the advantages and disadvantages of team working and lone working
The benefits of teamwork include efficient division of tasks, where different skills help to complete tasks more quickly. Collaborative problem solving (Gray et al., 2020) leverages collective insights, resulting in better decision-making. Mutual support can promote a positive work environment and increase commitment and motivation.
However, shortcomings such as groupthink can hinder critical thinking and innovation. There can be unequal participation and conflict, disrupting workflow. Communication and information sharing are critical, but misunderstandings or unequal access can pose challenges.
Working alone increases productivity because you can focus on tasks without delays in collaboration. Autonomy enables independent decision-making and adaptability. However, disadvantages include limited problem-solving perspective and mutual support. Communication can suffer, leading to inconsistency and isolation. Access to expertise may be limited, making it difficult to learn and share good practice. Ultimately, both approaches have merit, but their effectiveness depends on the nature of the task, team dynamics, and personal preference.
TASK 2
AC2.1 Outline the characteristics of a high performing team
| 1. | Alignment towards common goals and objectives fosters a sense of unity and commitment. This common direction ensures focus of efforts and coordination of contributions. |
| 2. | Team members collaborate actively, value each other’s opinions, and make use of different perspectives. They support each other, encourage growth and ensure that everyone’s skills contribute to the success of the team. |
| 3. | According to Lapshun & Fusch (2021), trust is the cornerstone of high-performance teams. Team members rely on each other’s skills and communicate openly, creating a cohesive environment where ideas can flow freely. |
| 4. | Team members are motivated and enthusiastic about their work. They respond nimbly to change and adapt to new situations and challenges while maintaining a high level of motivation to achieve their goals. |
| 5. | They are composed of people with diverse skills and expertise. This diversity encourages problem-solving and innovation as team members draw on their collective knowledge to address challenges. |
AC2.2 Discuss behaviours which can be observed in a high performing team
A manager should display a strong sense of responsibility, drive, resilience, and determination to achieve shared goals. Inclusion is evident as they remain open, approachable, and genuine, actively seeking out different perspectives to build trust and avoid unconscious bias. Agile behaviour stems from their flexibility, creativity, and innovative problem-solving abilities. They respond positively to feedback, adapt to change, and rise to challenges with an entrepreneurial spirit. Additionally, high-performing teams provide professional role models and adhere to ethical standards and codes of conduct (Campbell, Welsh & Wang, 2023). Fairness, consistency and impartiality foster a collaborative environment where honesty, integrity and accountability can flourish. Taken together, these behaviours create an energised and supportive atmosphere that enables high-performing teams to consistently achieve excellence.
Task 3
AC3.1 Identify advantages and disadvantages of leadership styles that can be used to manage a high performing team
| 1. | Situational leadership | Situational leadership adapts the leadership style to the maturity and needs of the team. Given the team’s proven track record, this approach suits their independence and expertise. This style ensures clear direction and support, increasing team effectiveness by tailoring communication and coaching to the needs of each team member. | On a well-established team, assessing the maturity of team members and adjusting leadership styles can be time-consuming and challenging. Overanalyses can lead to micromanagement that undermines the team’s trust and erodes its autonomy. |
| 2. | Adair’s approach | Adair’s approach emphasises balancing the needs of the mission team with those of the individual. This helps maintain productivity while promoting a cohesive and collaborative team environment. It ensures that all aspects of leadership – task, team and individual – are well thought out and enhances the energy and performance of the entire team. | Maintaining an overall balance between tasks and teams can be challenging and requires consistent assessment and adjustment. Managing different aspects at the same time can take a lot of time and effort, and can distract from core tasks. |
AC3.2 Assess communication methods used for different types of teams
| Team type | Communication method | Reasons for selection |
| Remote team | In remote teams (Flood, 2019), communication needs to transcend physical boundaries. Digital tools such as email, instant messaging and video conferencing play a key role in ensuring real-time interaction and collaboration. Platforms such as intranets, forums, and social media foster a sense of belonging among team members in different locations. | Remote teams rely on these methods because they bridge geographic gaps, ensure instant communication, and facilitate document sharing. Digital platforms offer flexibility and allow team members to engage however they want. Video conferencing adds a personal touch, enabling face-to-face interactions regardless of distance. |
| On-site team | They benefit from face-to-face interactions such as face-to-face meetings, briefings, and conferences. These methods of verbal communication allow for rapid information sharing, immediate feedback, and an environment conducive to brainstorming and problem solving. | According to Garg (2023), face-to-face communication can build stronger relationships and minimise misunderstandings by incorporating nonverbal cues. Meetings and briefings enable real-time discussions for better collaboration. Written methods serve as formal records and reminders, and improve overall clarity and team alignment. |
AC3.3 Explain how to motivate a team to achieve results
| 1. | Regular positive feedback and encouragement recognizes the efforts of team members and boosts morale. Constructive feedback can help individuals identify areas for improvement, leading to their growth and improved skills. |
| 2. | Recognizing outstanding achievement through recognition emphasizes the value of individual contributions. Rewards such as bonuses or promotions can incentivize high-quality work and motivate team members to keep their commitments. |
| 3. | Providing opportunities for skill enhancement and career development demonstrates a commitment to personal development. |
| 4. | Creating an environment of trust and open communication can enhance a team’s sense of belonging and unity. Collaborative work thrives in a supportive atmosphere that increases team motivation and overall performance. |
TASK 4
AC4.1 Explain the challenges of managing a team; AC4.2 Explain how to respond to challenges proactively
| Challenge: Resistance of team members to change | |
| Explanation: | Response: |
| In the Tesco company where we sell milk, resistance to change may be encountered when introducing new milk packaging and distribution methods. Some team members may prefer the existing approach to which they are used, leading to less enthusiasm and acceptance of the new approach. | To proactively address this challenge, Tesco company management can implement a structured change management process. They should communicate the reason for the change and emphasise its benefits to the team and the organisation. Involving team members in the decision-making process and getting their feedback can create a sense of ownership. Training can help team members familiarise themselves with new approaches and increase their confidence to adopt change. Regular updates on the progress of the change also help keep the team engaged and motivated. |
| Challenge: Conflict between team members | |
| Explanation: | Response: |
| Conflicts may arise within the team due to different opinions, communication styles, or task responsibilities (Cortellazzo, Bruni & Zampieri, 2019). These conflicts can hinder effective collaboration and undermine team cohesion. | |
| Challenge: Unconscious bias | |
| Explanation: | Response: |
| Unconscious bias can affect decision-making and interactions within a team, potentially resulting in unfair treatment or limited opportunities for certain team members. | By creating a culture of transparency and accountability, team members are encouraged to address bias when making decisions. Implementing a blind review process for promotions and assignments can help mitigate the effects of unconscious bias. |
| Challenge: The challenge of being a member of more than one team | |
| Explanation: | Response: |
| Team members may face the challenge of joining multiple teams at the same time, such as cross-functional projects or cross-departmental collaboration. This can lead to distraction, conflicting priorities, and possible burnout. | Facilitating open communication about team commitment and workload can help team members better plan their tasks. Setting clear expectations and priorities for each team role prevents conflict and ensures a balanced workload. |
AC4.3 Outline approaches to absence management
In order to address a team member’s poor attendance, a comprehensive strategy must be employed to facilitate progress. This approach entails several facets: Firstly, it is crucial to establish clear expectations regarding attendance, outlining its effect on the team’s productivity and the individual’s responsibilities (König et al, 2020). Additionally, attainable attendance objectives should be established collaboratively to work towards. Continuously reviewing attendance data is essential to identify patterns and trends. Openly discussing the situation to gain an understanding of the reasons behind the absence and exploring potential solutions is also necessary. Human resources policies should be applied to manage absenteeism. Finally, offering support through flexible work arrangements, remote work, or medical accommodations, when appropriate, can be beneficial. Find ways to improve attendance by working together and emphasising solutions. Ensure that team members are encouraged by recognizing improvements in attendance. Overcome attendance challenges by offering peer support and mentoring.
Task 5
| 1. | Aligning the company’s mission, vision, and objectives to teams on a regular basis to ensure clear communication of organisational purpose. Be sure to emphasise the significance of each team’s role in contributing to the overall success of the organisation. As an example, the team responsible for the sales of milk at Tesco should be reminded of the importance of delivering high-quality products that support the company’s values of health and sustainability. |
| 2. | Set measurable goals, specific to the company’s objectives, to achieve a performance alignment via goal setting. The result is a concrete connection between the objectives of the team and individual contributions towards the overall goals of the organisation. |
AC5.2 Explain how to allocate work to team members
To determine the appropriateness of specific tasks for each team member, it is necessary to assess their skills, experience, and capacity. For example, at Tesco, we assign a team member with customer relations experience to handle inquiries from clients which will result in exemplary service. It is crucial to prioritise tasks based on their urgency and importance, such as packaging and distributing milk before the delivery deadline at Tesco to ensure timely product availability. Developing work plans that outline responsibilities, timelines, and tasks is key to ensuring accountability and clarity within the team, as exemplified by Tesco’s creation of a timetable for monthly promotional campaigns. To ensure seamless collaboration, it is important to communicate the reasoning behind task allocation while also encouraging open dialogue to address any concerns. To enable growth within the organisation (Guinan, Parise & Langowitz, 2019), it is imperative to align tasks with the developmental needs of each team member.
AC5.3 Identify methods of monitoring team performance
| 1. | To ensure the milk sales team at Tesco achieve their goals, it is important to establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as sales targets, customer satisfaction scores, and product delivery timelines. According to Ellmer & Reichel (2021), KPIs should be customised to the team’s specific requirements. Tracking progress and identifying areas for improvement can be achieved by regularly measuring these indicators. |
| 2. | To ensure that all team members are on the same page, it is recommended to ask for regular updates on their progress. These reports should include information on finished tasks, ongoing projects, and any obstacles that they have encountered. This will allow you to have a clear understanding of each person’s contributions and to identify any areas where additional assistance or resources may be necessary. |
| 3. | The collection of feedback from customers who have had interactions with Tesco Company’s milk sales team is an essential component in obtaining first-hand insight into the team’s effectiveness in providing quality products and exceptional service. This type of feedback is highly valuable in the evaluation of the team’s performance. |
AC5.4 Explain how to provide feedback on individual and team performance
According to Dwyer (2019), the provision of feedback that is effective to team members, both as individuals and as a collective, is highly essential to their growth and the improvement of their performance. At Tesco company, it is important to conduct regular individual feedback sessions with each member of the team. During these meetings, it is crucial to provide both written and verbal feedback that emphasises their strengths and areas requiring improvement. Qualitative feedback should be used to celebrate achievements, while quantitative data should be utilised to measure progress in relation to set objectives.
To enhance overall team performance, it is recommended to schedule regular team meetings at Tesco Company. During these meetings, it is important to present a balanced view of the team’s accomplishments as well as areas that require improvement. To foster a conducive environment for open communication, it is essential to encourage dialogue among team members where they can share their insights, exchange feedback, and work collaboratively towards identifying solutions. Incorporating coaching strategies into feedback sessions is an effective approach. It involves providing constructive criticism that is centred around specific behaviours and outcomes. The emphasis should be on highlighting the positive aspects of the feedback, while also offering actionable steps for improvement. This approach encourages a growth-oriented mind-set among team members.
Tesco Company employs a strategy of amalgamating individual and collective feedback to guarantee that team members comprehend their respective contributions and coordinate their endeavours in accordance with shared objectives. This approach augments both individual and team performance, which in turn drives the company’s triumph in the milk sales industry.
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