Research Paper on Team Development

As a result of working as a team, I have significantly learned that the purpose of a group dramatically affects the actual outcome. Additionally, I had the opportunity to experience how fantastic it is to work in teams. Majorly, the success of any team development program is achieved through togetherness of the team members (Yang 2014). However, if the members are pulling towards different directions against the core purpose, the experience is awful. Moreover, it is worse when the members lack sufficient instructions and concentrate on the wrong objective. The dire consequences of such exposures significantly affect the organization since essential resources are directed towards the misguided mission. Therefore, there is a significant connectedness between the successes of a team, shared vision, and the team building exercise.

Team Building as an Exercise

Notably, team building offered the most suitable exercise that could fully explain the ideas of a shared vision. For instance, shared vision provides that employees define their goals that are achievable and unique (Coto, 2012). As a result, the exercise provided the best opportunity for the members to identify their mission and goals. Additionally, the training instilled the members with the crucial role of working as a team in seeking both personal goals and organizational goals. Notably, it is evident that every person within an organization has a different idea of how they would like to see the team grow. In this regard, the activity offered the participants with an opportunity to share their personal goals and visions and align them with the organizational vision. Therefore, the exercise provided structured events in which the participants took part such as drawing, discussions, and brainstorming. In these activities, we came up with the idea of developing an organizational magazine. Participants were asked to give their views on developing the contents of the magazine cover that will address the state of the firm and explain the services offered and how it meets the clients demands.

Team Building in Support of Shared Vision Discipline

Indeed, the exercise offered the most suitable activity in support of the discipline of a shared vision. Team building significantly promoted the subject of shared vision since the participants had the chance to address their institutional goals, identify areas that need improvements for the most desired purposes of the organization. Also, the involvement of participants in developing a cover for the organizational magazine significantly clarified on the institutional direction and the development of a framework of what employees should learn in developing their visions. Moreover, with the employees ability to determine and identify their weaknesses, the program helped in drafting the desired goals and strategies for the employees to implement and achieve the desired goals and changes.

Substantially, team building offered the most effective and efficient process of developing a shared vision. The exercise brought in different people with different perspectives and designed them towards the desired goals of the organization. However, there were challenges in the implementation process. For instance, employees need to fully understand and appreciate their differences regarding specific ideas and methods within an organization. As a result, it is essential for the employees to set aside their differences and attitudes and focus o the common good of the organizational vision. Therefore, team building offered employees with the most appropriate activity to undertake and embrace their dissimilarities and work towards a universal concept. Importantly, when the team members realized on the actual needs to be achieved, they were able to focus on the original and broad vision.

Potentiality of Team Building and Shared Vision

Additionally, the exercise was a great success to the participants. Through the activity, they were able to change the way they perceive on other peoples ideas. Again, the participants learned about the need to focus their strengths on broad goals of the organization rather than focus on their differences and weaknesses. As observed, any organization has many departments and each one of them is attached to a unique vision. However, all these views are brought together to form a universal organizational goal which offers the organizational excellence. During the exercise, the participants were involved in developing their visions and later on placed in a group to develop one central concept. In the end, the exercise impacted all the participants positively through offering insights into developing missions, overcoming group challenges, maintaining discipline and most importantly understanding the value of a shared vision.

Personal Experience as a Facilitator

Being a facilitator offered a unique experience since every exercise provides a different lesson. Importantly, the process was a learning experience, and I significantly gained new knowledge regarding personal and organizational development. Notably, learning in this activity offered a different context since collaborative learning provides the most practical way to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge. Through team building, I understood the meaning of the phrase two heads are better than one since it offers different ideas from different people and using the same to develop one substantial goal. Moreover, the collaborative learning through a team building activity provided the most suitable opportunity to learn from each other and understand our different views, acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses. In turn, it helped in attaining higher levels of thinking achieved through challenging one another practically and also in evaluative settings.

Evidently, team building as an activity significantly changed my understanding of teamwork and the ability to appreciate other individuals strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, the exercise offers the ability to overcome individuals weaknesses and utilize their strengths in working towards achieving the overall vision of the organization. Therefore, shared view is the most appropriate discipline due to its potential in assisting employees to appropriately examine themselves, define their direction and commit towards that direction. Importantly, shared vision provides a vital feature in that, it makes an individuals idea to be universally known by all the participants and hence, giving the organization a sense of purpose (Coto 2012). In this regard, an organizational ability to foster a sense of commonality amongst the staff members dramatically facilitates in achievements of the desired vision. Lastly, a shared idea is the most creative and efficient way in managing changes in any institution. It offers all the members with an opportunity to participate and give directions by committing their ideas to the vision of the company.

However, next time I am offered such an opportunity, I will consider integrating different ideas and people perceptive towards implementing changes. Through the exercise, I learned that not everybody is receptive to change. Additionally, various people hold diverse skills and expertise that are essential in teamwork (Yang 2014). As a result, it is vital to offer all the members with an opportunity to give their ideas and share their knowledge based on their skills rather than limiting them to the organizational vision. Therefore, next time I have the chance to facilitate a group I will consider utilizing the participant's knowledge efficiently.

References

Coto, R. (2012). Five Disciplines Concerning the Dynamics of Change. International Journal Of Arts & Sciences, 5(6), 259-275. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303692635_The_Five_Disciplines_Concerning_the_Dynamics_of_Change

Yang, I. (2014). What makes an effective team? The role of trust (dis) confirmation in team development. European Management Journal, 32(6), 858-869.