UNIT CMI 302 Managing a Team to Achieve Results

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AIM OF THE ASSESSMENT BOOKLET

To complete tasks 1a b, c, d and e you are encouraged, where possible, to support your answers using well-chosen examples from an organisation you know well or have researched.

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Barclays teams are effective in that they support communication and cooperation between various organizational members, encourage idea generation, and contribute to the achievement of organizational objectives. They combine capabilities and expectations to solve problems, enhance value for monetary consumers, and meet organizational targets in harmony with the company’s strategic plans.

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Team type

Explanation

Permanent

Permanent team is defined as a working group within an organization that is permanently assigned to perform specific routine operations within the organization. The decision-making roles as stated are usually distributed amongst the members.

Temporary

A temporary team refers to a group that is assembled for a limited period so as to achieve a specific objective or undertake a specific project. This means that once the task is undertaken and done, the people involved constituting the team are walked off.

Functional

A functional team is a group of people who belong to the same work department or specialize in particular fields. They work together on tasks within their respective capacity for the various operational areas that may include marketing or finance.

Project

A project team is composed usually of people for a particular project across organizational functions. Contingent on the type of project sponsorship and the success or otherwise of the project, the members of the team disband.

Virtual

A virtual team is composed of individuals who work away from one another and at a different location. Most of them work together in a team to commenting on the project subjects without being physically in the same office.

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There is a theory of team roles which is Belbin’s Team Role Theory, it differentiates nine types of roles that people can play in a team. These roles are known in three groups, which are action, people, and thinking roles. There are the Shaper who shifts the focus of the task and encourages the team to progress, and the Implementer who follows through the ideas of the other members. Four different sets of roles exist: The Coordinator who ensures that the other members of the team are in harmony; The Teamworker who guarantees support for the other members; and lastly, the Resource Investigator who looks for opportunities for the team. These include; the Plant role which is defined as generating creative ideas, the Monitor Evaluator role, who is given the role of assessing the options, the Specialist who gives a specialized perspective. The Completer-Finisher guarantees that the created tasks are done to completion regardless of how long it would take. According to Belbin’s theory, teams are aware of the working style which they use and they can make proper use of it.

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Each member of a team can contribute in different ways towards the overall conduct of events through his respective characteristics and expertise. For instance, an outgoing person with leadership attributes may grab the opportunity to lead whereas, an introvert might come up with a critical approach. Different skills enable the formulation of several tasks differently, either fostering innovation or adding conflict to the project if not controlled. Other factors include experience levels concerning decision-making and how or who may seek mentoring from or give out mentoring. Consequently, understanding, tolerance, and compromise are two of bodies most important components that give a way to enable these factors to work in congruent harmony.

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As seen at Barclays, there are benefits of team working as there are those of lone working depending on the type of job.

Group advantages: Group work is always more creative since several minds are working together to find the best solution. For example, in a project for the introduction of a new product, members who belong to the marketing department, the finance department, and the operations department are included in the team. Also, when it is in a group or a team, it eases pressure by dividing the blame as it were in a single personality.

Group work weaknesses: But, for teams there always may appear difficulties related to communication or presence of conflicting interests. Decision-making may also be slower since many parties have to agree on a decision before it is implemented. In Barclays, conflicts may arise in that it may be unclear on the specific task of team members in case there is formation of more than one team working on the same agenda.

Lone working advantages: Lone workers are possibly able of focusing on their job more intensely; they are not likely to be affected by other employees ‘ behaviours in their workplace. For instance, the Barclays analyst writing a report alone can make decisions within shorter time without consulting other group members. Thus, it results in improved work efficiency and the provision of control over procedures.

Disadvantages of lone working: Working alone may be boring, and employees may not be able to share ideas, which are not fun and may affect their job satisfaction. For instance, a child worker in Barclays may feel so isolated due to lack of interaction with his or her team, and therefore may not be privy to some information or may lack certain resources that a team may otherwise be able to provide.

To complete tasks 2a and 2b you are encouraged, where possible, to support your answers using well-chosen examples from an organisation you know well or have researched.

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1.

Specific Targets: Teams with high performance at Barclays have specific targets in their respective areas of specialization. For example, teams in investment banking establish clear goals and objectives regarding financial aspects, and achievements.

2.

Clear communication: openness is one of the effective communication features of virtual teams. Face-to-face communication is common in the Barclays teams where group members meet and update each other for the effectiveness of the group.

3.

Trust and Mutual Respect: The employees of Barclays trust and value everyone in the team’s respective and diverse skills and opinions. This promotes organizational culture that promotes value addition among the employees and hence high productivity.

4.

Strong Leadership: it is the role of a leader to keep the members of the team on track and encourage them. High-performing teams in Barclays are managed by managers and leaders who can set direction, give guidance, and define expectations.

5.

Continuous Improvement: High-performing teams in Barclays focus on ongoing learning and development. There is also immense job rotation which enhances a culture of creativity among the team members with the aim of improving on their performance.

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In a high-performing team in Barclays Bank, key behaviours include proactive behaviour where all the members are encouraged to contribute to the team. Employees and subordinates especially display organizational culture by accepting to be held accountable for their duties as well as performing the tasks assigned to them. Cooperation is also apparent since people are working with other people, contributing to passing on information and attaining organizational objectives. Clear and open communication is a very useful element that prevents missteps and helps the team respond to the situations occurring during work efficiently. Moreover, encouragement and respect by colleagues ensure the workers are motivated hence creating a marvellous atmosphere that boosts team performance and success.

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SCENARIO

You have successfully achieved a new management position leading a small team. Your team consists of remote and on-site members. The team is well established and colleagues know each other well. The team has a good track record.

Having met the team, you need to determine your own approach to leadership and management.

This scenario can be used to answer tasks 3a, b and c. Alternatively, you may wish to use well-chosen examples from an organisation you know well or have researched.

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Leadership style

Advantages

Disadvantages

1.

Transformational

Inspires and motivates the team, encouraging innovation and growth. Builds trust and strong relationships.

May require significant time and energy to maintain enthusiasm. Can be less effective with routine tasks.

2.

Democratic

Promotes team collaboration and inclusiveness, empowering team members to contribute to decision-making.

Decision-making can be slower due to the need for consensus. Conflicts may arise if team opinions differ.

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Team type

Communication method

Reasons for selection

Remote team

Video calls (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams)

An important aspect of video calls is that they ensure continuity of social interaction, promote active interaction, and enable the use of body language. They allow one to reach the other and become engaged.

On-site team

Face-to-face meetings or team huddles

In such interactions, there is not much restriction in the exchange of information, and emotions are made more vivid since relationships are built in the process and feedback is fast and real-time. It is useful for bringing the members of the team together.

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1.

Clear Goals and Objectives: goals: Goals help in providing a direction to the destination. Specific: By so doing, the following SMART goals will indicate what is expected of the team; The benchmark of having objectives like the sales targets or project deliverables with the Barclays team keeps it directed and on course on the organization goals.

2.

Reward systems: Ensuring that people are rewarded both as individuals and teams ensures that employees feel appreciated and thus do their best. This is so true because through regular encouragement and the use of bonuses, or by conducting team celebrations more positive attitudes would be experienced in the workplace. It is equally important that Product acknowledgments be made at Barclays; this is because they enhance morale, thereby encouraging more productivity.

3.

Fostering Employee Development: The provision of training and development encourages the employees’ personal and career development. Training and development in treating trainings, workshops or mentorship help bridge the gap and create confidence as well as motivation among the employees. To maintain some kind of loyalty in the staff, Barclays has a clue on growth opportunity.

4.

Encouraging Autonomy and Empowerment: Giving team members more control over their work fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility. In cases where employees are allowed to work on their own to run or manage specific tasks then such employees are most likely to produce the best results. The Barclays bank leadership style of operation encourages employees to take more responsibility and invest heavily in its outcome.

To complete tasks 4a and 4b you are encouraged, where possible, to support your answers using well-chosen examples from an organisation you know well or have researched.

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Challenge: Resistance of team members to change

Explanation:

Response:

There is always resistance in a team we may for example fail to support new change as we are not sure of how to handle different process.

The objective of this article is to stress the importance of communication about the change, the involvement of the team in the process and, particularly, the aspect of the training process to minimize the friction in the team.

Challenge: Conflict between team members

Explanation:

Response:

There exist conflicts of interest or differences in traits within people regarding the issue, character or working approach.

In cases of conflict, address them with an aim to assist with the conversation where the two parties can come to a resolution with proper communication breakdown and respect.

Challenge: Unconscious bias

Explanation:

Response:

Some inadvertent factors that are involved when making choices or when interacting with people can cause issues of equity to be compromised.

Create an awareness of equal opportunities and prejudice and deliver diversity and inclusion training sessions in the organization to ensure the inclusion of diverse personnel input in vital decision-making processes of the organization.

Challenge: The challenge of being a member of more than one team

Explanation:

Response:

Managing duties across many different teams can cause stress or help minimize it.

The most important strategies that can be adopted are organizing working priorities, and demarcation of responsibilities to ensure tasks are assigned rightfully while balancing the work load and communication with all the involved teams and departments.

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In case of a situation where one of the team members is closely attending sessions, I would meet with him/her personally in a bid to discuss the cause of the poor attendance records. I would specify expected punctuality, provide assistance (if in terms of flexible working schedule is required), and check on the performance as well. That way any constant matters could be immediately tended to through check-ins.

To complete tasks 4a and 4b you are encouraged, where possible, to support your answers using well-chosen examples from an organisation you know well or have researched.

INSERT YOUR ANSWER HERE:

1.

Social Relations Management: I would always make sure that all team members understand the overall objectives of the team as well as how their work relates to these goals. It judiciously reminded the subject of his goals to make them salient and ensure they are pursued throughout the period.

2.

Promote Frequent Interaction: We could maintain efficient and effective interaction through group meetings and feedback sessions to keep everyone on the same page. This would enable all the team members to air their concerns as well as to be in a position to know how the rest of the team is faring in the completion of the set goals and objectives, in a bid to achieve the overall goal of the team.

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In managing work assignment among the teams’ human resource, I would consider their abilities, experience, and work capacity. In a summary, it would be even more effective if everyone had their roles and responsibilities spelled out and if the assigned tasks matched the skills of whoever was to do them. This schedule would assist with tracking the progress, managing issues or concerns likely to hinder accomplishment of the aims and objectives in an efficient way.

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1.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – The values of KPI provide an understanding of team and task advancement, effectiveness in relation to specific goals, and overall effectiveness.

2.

Routine Team Meetings – With planned meetings, it becomes easy to provide updates on progress, challenges, and overall status regarding the set goals.

3.

Employee Feedback and One-on-One Reviews – It is important to perform periodic performance evaluations and check-ins to understand overall employee output, determine areas of strength and weakness in order to offer the appropriate resources and support for increased productivity.

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For individual evaluation, one-on-one meetings will be conducted, where both an employee’s weakness and strengths will be taken into consideration. I would pay much attention to accomplishments that have been made, challenges that remain and developmental objectives in the following ways.

In order to engage in team feedback, I would create frequent meetings for team feedback and provide an evaluation of the progress that was made, participation, and the areas of difficulty. During the interactions, I would allow everyone to express themselves and make the team members feel appreciated and desired at the workplace. Based on the performance data and examples, feedback will be made concrete and practical to encourage the process and practice of change.

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REFERENCING AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aguinis, H. (2019) Performance Management for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Aguinis, H. (2023) Performance Management (5th ed.). Chicago, IL: Chicago Business Press.

Aguinis, H. (2025) Research Methodology: Best Practices for Rigorous, Credible, and Impactful Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Cascio, W.F. and Aguinis, H. (2019) Applied Psychology in Talent Management (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Fairley, R.E. (2024) 'Teams, Teamwork, Motivation, Leadership, and Communication', Journal of Engineering Management, [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381402787_Teams_Teamwork_Motivation_Leadership_and_Communication [Accessed 7 Feb. 2025].

Paredes-Saavedra, M., Vallejos, M., Huancahuire-Vega, S., Morales-García, W.C. and Geraldo-Campos, L.A. (2024) 'Work Team Effectiveness: Importance of Organizational Culture, Work Climate, Leadership, Creative Synergy, and Emotional Isdntelligence in University Employees', Administrative Sciences, 14(11), p.280.

Ruben, B.D. (2022) Implementing Sustainable Change in Higher Education: Principles and Practices of Collaborative Leadership. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Ruben, B.D. and Gigliotti, R.A. (2019) Leadership, Communication, and Social Influence: A Theory of Resonance, Activation, and Cultivation. Bingley: Emerald.

Ruben, B.D., De Lisi, R. and Gigliotti, R.A. (2021) A Guide for Leaders in Higher Education: Core Concepts, Competencies, and Tools (2nd ed.). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Setyanti, S.W.L.H., Agustina, M., Farida, L. and Titisari, P. (2024) 'The Influence of Leadership, Motivation, and Communication on Employee Performance', Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences, [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383271888_The_Influence_of_Leadership_Motivation_and_Communication_On_Employee_Performance [Accessed 7 Feb. 2025].