Managing Groups and Teams

This article illustrates the efficiency of the model, from real life experience, in eliminating friction and communication hitches between team members and having them collaborate well and active higher productivity. The Force Field Analysis was created in the 1940s by a social psychologist called Kurt Lewis who used it in his work (FFA,2016). Nonetheless, it is now used in communication and business. The principal idea behind this model that situations run on an equilibrium between forces that resist change and those that drive it. As a result, for change to be achieved, the resisting forces are reduced, or if the forces driving change are increased. Others were still adjusting to the work environment and would feel that the well-adjusted group was bragging when giving them advice, correcting them, or seeking to speak all the time during team discussions.

There was, therefore, apparent conflict at the time. I was part of those who felt disrespected by some members because of regular disapproval of my work. By the third week, nonetheless, all team members had gained the necessary skills needed for the project and felt equal to each other. The team achieved the spirit of unity and even played soccer together. Models of communication include the Shannon and Weaver model which closely resembles the functioning of telephone and radio technology. The initial model included the sender of information, the content or the message itself, the channel or media used and the receiver. The sender symbolized the part of a telephone that an individual speaks into, the telephone itself was the channel, and the part of the telephone used to listen on the other end symbolized the receiver.

According to Shannon and Weaver, background or static sounds often interfered with communication between the two parties. Also, absence of signal on either side could be the source of interruptive “noise”. According to this model, how an individual communicates is the deterring factor for how the information will be interpreted. The transmission of information in this case heavily relies on use of common personal filters between the sender and the receiver. The understanding of sent information, in this case, depends on different regional traditions, culture, and gender which may alter meaning. It is possible that the team members who appeared to talk in arrogant language in the initial stages of the project thought it was normal to do so because of regional filters.

However, where I and those who initially felt slighted by disapproving remarks come from, such language is considered disrespectful because our filters interpret the words as such. I have lent from this analysis that team work is crucial to organizational success and thus I intend to use proper communication, including its semantic and technical aspects, to achieve better unity with my colleagues. I will also share knowledge on solutions to challenges facing teams through certain awareness on sociological models such as the Tuchman model. Conclusion Communication is primarily the backbone of the success for any team to achieve its goals. Multiple efforts must be directed to assess the efficiency of communication between team members. Team members must also be taught on proper team work skills, including proper communication and conflict resolution.