Learning teams will become high performance teams when an environment exists where team members can be creative, hardworking, dedicated, motivated, knowledgeable, and competent. Our learning team has developed these traits throughout the learning team meetings at University of Phoenix. For instance, one our team members offer her creativity when building the presentation for the group. Another team member is dedicated. After the homework is assigned, she sends an email reiterating what each team member’s tasks are. Each member is knowledgeable, competent, motivated and dedicated to complete the assignments on time. Other members offer their expertise and experiences to the rest of the group. Due to the diversity of our team, we process our assignments in a timely manner, therefore reaching our goals.
As leaders, we are committed to bring out the best in others while keeping them focused on the tasks at hand so they are not distracted causing delays in meeting deadlines. We must facilitate progression and develop stages in order to reach and maintain higher levels of performance. We understand our goal must be to strive to improve each individual team or team member’s performance, as well as the organizational performance.
Teams must prioritize roles and responsibilities when they meet for the first time and subsequently thereafter. By providing role and responsibilities, it makes clear to the other members what is expected and desired by the team. Our learning team determined the first class that we would share in the team responsibilities. Each week a different person completes the Learning Team Log. It provides an opportunity for those wanting to learn to write better a chance to complete the form as well as gives others a way to feel a part of the team. Sometimes, other team members review and comment which helps the individual that wrote it develop their writing skills. Roles are usually determined by volunteering and process of elimination. If you do not volunteer or pick an assignment to process, you are left completing whatever is left over. The role of each team member is to actively participate in group activities.
Along with the roles of each team member come responsibilities. Each team member is responsible to complete assigned tasks on time, cooperate with all team members, provide input on ideas and communicate if problems arise. It is the responsibility of each team member to inform the other members if they will not be able to partake in any of the weekly activities or if assignments can not be completed in a timely manner. In this instance, if someone where to advise me they could not complete the assignment, I would rearrange my scheduled to accommodate the team member who could not complete the task. Responsibilities come in all sizes and require different amounts of attention. It is the responsibility of each team member to decide how much time is required to accomplish such a task and to schedule accordingly.
Team members need to be instrumental in developing programs to improve the effectiveness of the department and overall operation of the organization. In order to manage and maximize effectiveness, teams must demonstrate a systematic approach in order to carry out assignments. By this, I mean, team members must methodically plan each assignment and task and then perform that task in the scheduled time allotted. This process is to administer time management skills.
Team members must be able to demonstrate a strong ability to identify, analyze and solve problems. Each team member needs to obtain and maintain a good standing with the other team members. In order to do this, they must make decision, handle problems, suggest optional solutions, and foresee the consequence of the decisions being made. And finally, the most important point is to communicate these decisions to the entire team. In making conscience decisions, team members must remember to avoid hasty decisions and carefully evaluate the alternative risks. Our team has provided each member with email addresses, phone numbers, cell numbers and our home number so we might be able to help if the need arises.
Team members must provide encouragement and support for each member. Conflicts between members will not provide an environment for teamwork and accomplishment of team goals and tasks. Members will struggle to constantly demonstrate strong interpersonal skills. Employees must focus on demonstrating the ability to relate to issues and ideas, while administering cooperativeness and providing constructive criticism. Each team member on our learning team provides adequate steps to maintain quality workmanship and assumes responsibility for mistakes and shortcomings of subordinates. If a team member does not understand the assignment, other team members explain what is expected. All team members devote appropriate attention to assigned responsibilities and accept new job assignments willingly. This type of team work and participation is the basis for a well-defined productive team.
