Managing Team Dynamics

Name: Managing Team Dynamics
Author: Barry Davis

Learn to create positive team dynamics

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Course: On-Demand

(upbeat music) Social psychologist Kurt Lewin introduced the term team dynamics to describe the positive and negative underlying currents at play within groups of people. Since then, this definition has been refined to reflect the differences between groups and teams. A team is a type of group, but not every group is a team. For example, imagine a waiting area at an HR firm. There are two groups waiting for different reasons. The first group may consist of those waiting to complete paperwork, and the second group is waiting to complete new employee orientation. Both are groups, but neither of these are teams. Teams involve some degree of working together to achieve a common goal, mission, or objective that requires collaboration and coordination to accomplish. In the HR firm, it is the employees as they work together to help each group with their paperwork or orientation that would be the team in this example. In a recent "Arizona Sun" article written by project management professional, Tara Duggan, failure to recognize the importance of team dynamics in project management may limit your team's achievements. Duggan also suggested that recognizing good dynamics can be harder than seeing bad dynamics. To help you distinguish between the two, let's discuss some characteristics of good and bad dynamics. High performing organizations have discovered the benefits of creating and cultivating a positive team dynamic. These benefits include greater levels of trust between team members. Cultivating a team ethic of reliability and dependability tends to build trust among individual teammates. Trust often takes time to develop and each interaction is an opportunity to reinforce it. Constructive communication in the workplace: each team member is encouraged to use their voice in supportive ways. For example, when someone is sharing an idea, you can support them by being a good listener, validating their contribution, and considering the potential merits of their idea. Effective collaboration: teams cooperate to accomplish tasks that would not be possible if attempted by a single person. Greater creativity: with a good team dynamic innovation can flourish and information and resources can flow freely, allowing the team's most fertile minds to join together and develop more creative solutions. And a strong support base: when one team member struggles, other team members are there to lend a hand. Just as positive team dynamics offer many benefits, negative team dynamics can be destructive. Here are some negative team dynamics to look out for. Lack of trust between team members: team members who do not feel included, valued, accepted, or engaged are unlikely to trust each other easily. Trust is fundamental to team success and says, "You can rely on me to be there." Poor decision making: this negative team dynamic can affect the team's ability to make sound decisions due to interference and distractions. Friction between team members: poor team dynamics often divide things up instead of seeking consensus, which can cause friction to develop within the team. Barriers to communication: negativity erects barriers between team members and communication is often one of the first dynamics affected. And less collaboration: when team members do not get along, they may find it difficult to collaborate. Negative team dynamics can further dampen team members' willingness to work with one another. There are several warning signs leaders can look out for that indicate when a team's dynamic may be headed in the wrong direction. These include social loafing. Poor team dynamics can cause individual contributions to drop off. Team members may stop pulling their own weight, leaving others to work harder in order to make up for them. Disengaged team members: an unhealthy team dynamic can often be quickly identified by a sudden drop in engagement. This may not tell you exactly what is wrong, but it will be a major red flag that something is dysfunctional within the team dynamic. Poorly defined roles: when members on a team change due to adding or replacing members, well defined roles may start to become less clear. When someone is unsure of their role amid shifting responsibilities, the team's performance can suffer. Dominating team members: when one team member is overly domineering, other members may feel less valued and less apt to contribute themselves, impacting overall performance. And dysfunctional behavior: sudden behavior changes like an uncooperative attitude, devaluing fellow teammates, or getting hostile during teammate interactions are all strong indicators of negative team dynamics.

Advanced Provider : Barry Davis 7 Lessons · 30m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

Team dynamics are the positive and negative underlying currents at play within groups of people. There are many benefits of positive team dynamics, including communication, collaboration, and creativity. It is possible for teams to have a negative dynamic, which can cause poor decision-making and friction between members. It’s recommended that leaders foster open communication and align their team around a mission. It is difficult to accomplish tasks or resolve conflict without creating a positive team dynamic. So, how can you evaluate and improve your team dynamics?

In this Managing Team Dynamics course, you will learn necessary team leader skills, such as creating a positive team dynamic and overcoming negative dynamics. You will also learn the skills to foster open communication, align team roles with team objectives, and identify and resolve conflicts. By the end of this course, you will be able to create a work environment with trust and communication to lead your team to success.

What You'll Learn

Identify signs of problems with a team's dynamic
Foster open communication within your team
Align team roles with project objectives
Apply conflict resolution techniques to identify and resolve conflicts
Nurture team commitment and create meaning
Evaluate and improve your team dynamics

Key Takeaways

Team dynamics are the positive and negative underlying currents at play within groups of people.
Positive team dynamics support communication, collaboration, and creativity, while negative dynamics can cause poor decision-making and friction between members.
Leaders are recommended to foster open communication and align their team around a mission.
It is difficult to accomplish tasks or resolve conflict without creating a positive team dynamic.
Creating a work environment with trust and communication helps lead a team to success.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn in the Managing Team Dynamics course?

You will learn team leader skills such as creating a positive team dynamic and overcoming negative dynamics, fostering open communication, aligning team roles with team objectives, and identifying and resolving conflicts.

Who is this course for?

It is designed for team leaders who want to evaluate and improve their team dynamics and create a work environment with trust and communication to lead their team to success.

What topics does the course cover?

The course covers knowing your team's dynamic and identifying problems, fostering open communication, aligning team roles and project objectives, identifying and resolving conflict, nurturing commitment and creating meaning, and evaluating team dynamics.

What will I be able to do by the end of the course?

By the end of this course, you will be able to create a work environment with trust and communication to lead your team to success.