Team Dynamics: What Works and What Doesn’t. “After reading viewing the links answer the following questions. https://myclassroom.apus.edu/shared/commonfolder/management-common/Management/MGMT100/Groupthink.pdf https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_82.htm What is the difference between groupthink and the Abilene Paradox? Which do you think it is easier to fall into and why? If you were leading a group and saw signs of Groupthink how would you handle it? Are there any personal examples of any of these (Groupthink, Abilene Paradox, etc) decision blunders that you have been a part of and realize now? Part 2: A large portion of our working lives is spent working in Teams. How we communicate with our team members is crucial to the success (or failure) of the team. In this week’s lesson, we looked at the Ego states (parent, adult, and child). We all know that effective teams operate in the Adult-Adult realm of conversation and feedback, however, sometimes a rift can occur and cause us to operate from a higher or lower level with each other. Then there are other ways to look at team dynamics. In the video below Charles Duhigg discusses how Google builds the most effective teams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2PaZ8Nl2T4&t=2s Think back to some teams that you have been on that were especially dysfunctional or effective. Did they follow the team dynamics favored by Google or were they more directive in nature? What made them work (or not work)?”

Team Dynamics: What Works and What Doesn’t

Team dynamics are an important factor in determining the success or failure of a team. It is important to understand the different ways that teams can be structured, and to establish the most effective team dynamics. According to Charles Duhigg, Google has identified the most effective teams as those that combine a variety of skills and personalities, and have psychological safety (Duhigg, 2018). Psychological safety is defined as a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking (Edmondson, 2019). Teams that have a high level of psychological safety are more likely to be successful because team members feel more comfortable expressing their ideas and opinions, and are more likely to take risks. In my own experience, I have seen both successful and unsuccessful teams. One team that I was part of was very successful, despite having a diverse range of skills and personalities. This team had an atmosphere of psychological safety, which allowed team members to feel comfortable speaking up and taking risks. On the other hand, I have also been part of a team that was very directive in nature, and lacked psychological safety. This team was less successful, due to the lack of creativity and risk-taking that comes with a psychologically safe environment. Cont…