Group Members: Jade Pelayo, Brent Gray, Juana Soliz, Genea Sulton, Brittney Rivera, Syntiche Kawel
For our problem, we have decided to address our communication and teamwork problem in our class community, that is our group, Manufacturing. We decided our problem would be uncommunicative groups. How can we better align to get our work done? The reason it’s a problem is that we are not getting input or feedback from all members, which in turn is creating more work for other members. Or we are playing catch up since we don’t communicate in a timely fashion.
Uneven participation in our team assignments is a serious issue that impacts our group’s success. Our projects require all members to contribute, but when one does not, it leads to delays and extra work for others. This problem is particularly concerning because our grade depends on effective teamwork. As noted in our course text, “In mixed company: Communicating in small groups and teams” by J. Dan Rothwell, understanding the problem’s causes and effects is crucial (2021). In our case, the lack of participation results in imbalanced workloads and missed deadlines. This issue matters because it directly impacts our academic performance and team dynamics. Addressing it will help improve our processes moving forward.
The Small Win should be a complex task that requires more than 1 person to accomplish (a basic definition of the purpose of a group), that it can be accomplished within the timeline of 4 weeks, and that involves all members of the group in the Small Wins solution. In addition, it needs to be consistent with the college’s guidelines for the safety and security of our students. Please keep this in mind as you develop ideas.
Some ways that we could improve our small group’s participation and time management would be through a soft or strict approach. A soft approach would involve gentle reminders, no harsh consequences, and relies on the group members to motivate themselves to complete work. A harsh approach would involve strict ruling, pressure from others to complete work and participate, as well as consequences if problems continued to persist. Strict ruling would motivate group members to participate properly out of fear for consequences.
Our group has determined that a strict approach to member participation will motivate them to participate in group assignments. Our group has agreed that a negative consequence, such as grade deductions, would make a lack of participation less appealing. According to the Center for Leadership Studies, a telling leadership style is high in tasks and low in relationships (“Understanding Situational Leadership,” n.d.). This style works best for members that are not experienced, or unmotivated like our small group. Our group also plans to incorporate transactional leadership by adding punishments through a group member’s participation outcomes. We expect this to be effective because in “Impact of Leadership on Team’s Performance”, the author states that this works best in instances that have clear expectations of group members (Gadirajurrett et al., 2018).
At the beginning of any project, our group will clearly define roles and responsibilities in order to enhance communication and teamwork. Weekly check-ins will be held to monitor progress and ensure everyone contributes. Real-time updates will be sent via group chat or a shared Google Drive folder, and participants have 24 hours to reply. Members who don’t participate will be reminded, and persistent infractions will be noted and reported to the teacher. To guarantee equitable participation, we will perform peer reviews at the conclusion of each project. These actions will guarantee the success of our group efforts, increase efficiency, and foster accountability.
Addressing the issue of uneven participation and communication within our group is important for improving the way we work and our academic performance. By implementing a stricter approach to group dynamics, clearly defined roles, weekly check-ins, and group reviews—were aiming to create a more structured and accountable group. This ensures that members will contribute equally. While the strict approach may seem demanding, it is a necessary step to keep everyone on track and motivated, ultimately leading to more successful and timely completion of our projects. With consistent effort and clear communication, our group will overcome these challenges and achieve better outcomes moving forward.
Rothwell, J.D. (2021). Chapter 10: Effective Decision Making and Problem Solving [p. 256]. In mixed company: Communicating in small groups and teams. Oxford University Press.
The Center for Leadership Studies (n.d.) The four leadership styles of situational leadership. Situational.com. https://situational.com/blog/the-four-leadership-styles-of-situational-leadership/
Gadirajurrett, H., Srinivasan, R., Stevens, J., & Jeena, N. (2018). Impact of leadership on team’s performance. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2911&context=etm_studentprojects