Manage People Performance
Task 3: Case Study A

11/05/2013

1.) Define Team dynamics. Use examples from Bernard’s team to explain your answer.

Team Dynamics:

Good team functioning is a product of cooperative structures and the intelligent, responsible participation of the team's members.
Good internal dynamics have to be learned. The activities necessary for effective group operation can be divided into "task" functions, needed to help the group achieve its goals, and "maintenance" functions.
Dynamics involve processes of communication, decision-making, leadership and sharing of power, and include the development of norms and expectations.
Team dynamics is concerned with the interaction between members of the team, and how this relates to the performance of the team. (Team Building Dynamics, 2009)

Example:
In the case study it is mentioned that Bernard is the section manager for the “Preparation Department”, which means he has a “Team” of five (six including him) people under his control. This team has to achieve a goal, in order to reach that goal, the “Team” has to work together, and each person has a different task/role. Following the definition written above, Bernard needs to establish key objectives (goals) and norms in order to get the job 100% done.
The situation we have in this case study involves different people in one team, which have different personalities and ways of working, but their goal is the same, each role/task they work on, is going to help other member of the team to perform perfect is his/her section task/role, in order to achieve it they need to communicate and make decisions. Ivan is responsible for calculating the required formula mix. Nick works in the warehouse where all the ingredients are kept, Tan is the dry blend operator and filters and blends the ingredients. Kelly is the hot blend operator, Lily is the 2nd blend operator, Bernard as a leader of the department has to make sure that the team has a clear understanding of what the goals are; each member role and the key of what a good communication can lead the team to.
2.) Explain how team dynamics influence performance. Use examples from Bernard’s team to explain your answer.

There are different team dynamics that can influence the performance of a team for example personalities; each team member has a different personality and way of doing their job –as mentioned above-. Ivan, Nick, Tan, Kelly, Lily and Bernard have their differences, disagreements and concerns at work, which clearly influences their performance for example: Lily claims Nick drives his forklift too fast and is careless. As a response Nick thinks that what he does is not Lily’s business; In this situation Bernard as a leader of the Department should analyse the situation and talk to both workers. What he really did, was threatened Lily; as a response she didn’t argue but her performance dropped. As a leader as I mentioned above Bernard has to talk to both workers and after make them solve their problems and differences too, because it affects in a negative way the work of all the team. Communication is a key point to success as a team. The situation with this “Team” starts with the leader, the description of Bernard (his personality and way of dealing with issues), he is blunt and to the point. He focuses on getting the job done and has little time for idle conversation. He has several issues he finds difficult to deal with; his personality can affect on the performance of each worker, in a positive side is good that Bernard is blunt and to the point, he says what he wants clear; the negative side could be how he express what he want or need to be done, - as I mentioned above communication is the key to success in a “team” -. As a leader he has to confront with different issues not only from his crew, but his own issues, in order to be able to perform (Bernard and the team) as expected (positive results).

3.) The consultants suggest