Case Analysis of the Forgotten Member Patrick M. Curley patrickmcurley@verizon.

net GM591 Leadership and Organizational Behavior Professor Patrick Kinane Keller Graduate School of Management

Date: Saturday March 17, 2012

It is important to firstly state that, as a reference point, that an effective team achieves high levels of task accomplishment, member satisfaction, and viability to perform successfully over the long term. Additionally it is also beneficial to note there are various stages of team development to consider when reviewing or performing a case analysis. The various stages of team development are: The Forming Stage: team members come together and form initial impressions combined with orientation of task assignments along with interpersonal testing. Basically, it is the beginning stage of a group brought together be a team; the getting to know one another period and organizing task to the respective members to achieve their purpose. Next is the Storming stage where team members struggle to handle the expectations and assignment of task. A period of conflict and one can argue that is exactly where this group is. They are stuck at the end of the forming stage and at the beginning of the storming stage. The next or next to last final stages are the Norming and Performing. The Norming stage is the initial integration stage where members naturally begin to align in growing cooperation amongst each other for the goal to be accomplished. This group does not reach this stage not to mention Performing stage or the final stage or Adjourning stage. These last two stages would illustrate members maturely organized well on their way to achieving groups goal moving to the Adjourning stage and achieve a successful closure. The forgotten group member case indicates the group is stuck in between the Forming Stage and the Storming stage. At all turns Christine seems besides herself, preoccupied with the missing in action Mike, and surprised by the team coincidently gathering in the cafeteria. Additionally, Christine is consumed by the idea of always working for good grades on her own power now anxious and stagnated that her success is predicated on working with a group of people all the while being the leader of that group. Christine was elected team coordinator at the first group meeting. That was the time Christine, in acceptance of the role, has the opportunity to set-up and establish a true team development in the forming stage. That did not happen and it has hindered the team altogether. It is only by virtue that they never truly develop in the forming stage they are stuck in the forming stage or at the very most in-between the first two stages. Rather than continue to be anxious about her individual grade Christine would have been better off using that energy to provide the leadership to help the group ( it is difficult to even call this a team as they never really gelled ) through the Storming stage an into the Norming stage and perhaps they would have found their groove. Mike is the biggest problem and concern for the group and if Christine would have utilized her knowledge of the Storming stage, as stated on page 167 of the text, Outside demands such as premature performance expectations may create uncomfortable pressures. In the process, membership expectations tend to be clarified, and attention shifts toward obstacles standing in the way of team goals. Each member of the group play a significant role in the group/teams success. Mike is always on the outside looking in. Yes, Christine has an initial responsibility to provide the leadership as a coordinator to bring him in close to the center of the room.

At the same time it also appears Mike is too difficult and has too many issues that it may have been prudent to advise Sandra Thiel of this prevailing and constant problem with Mike. Week 5 is underway and Christine was in state of wondering. There is another underlying issue, a second problem, this group has that is not a clear as the issues surrounding Mike. Christine, in hindsight perhaps, does not seem capable to be the team coordinator. In week one and week two the group should have gone through the Forming and Norming stages and by week three would have the appearances of a team and certainly by week four been in the performing stage with or without Mike. Unfortunately, Christine is wondering in week five and biting the tip of her pencil. Clearly there are solutions to dealing with Mikes issues to help him become an participating and effective team member. Early on in week one it would be important to set up and organize a meeting schedule and to handle any and all conflicts with Mike working as a campus security guard, his need to tune into Happy Harry, and issues with punctuality. Since Steve was very businesslike and had the desire to want an agenda for each meeting the team leader/coordinator could have leaned on him more to be the teams meeting manager for the group so that adherence was kept and progress was made. Even though Diane was the quite one she would have provided high quality ideas when asked. Diane may have been the one that could have led this group into a team and over the cusp towards success. In moving forward delegated roles to each so that the group would have gone through the stages growing from a group into a team. In the event Mike was still an issue at the week thee mark Diane would have brought this up to Sandra and his position on the team would have been marginalized for the teams sake. In consideration of delegating to Steve and having Diane as the team coordinator it is more likely the vision forward would have met up with the teams planning and we would have read a success story instead of an impeded group stagnated and stuck in the formation stage. Christine, by her own behavior and actions, has indicated she was not up to the role as a leader. She was preoccupied, anxious and nervous where her energies would have been better invested meeting with Mike and discussing the consequences and impact of his actions on the group. Additionally, if she would have channeled her energy into illustrating to the team the process of forming a team from a group and growing through the respective stages, perhaps using a table like the one below as a handout in their initial meeting there would have been an opportunity.

Resource Inputs Resources Task Team Assess Team Composition

Team Process Norms/Cohesion Roles Communication Decision Making

Outputs Team Effectiveness Accomplishments Task Performance Member Satisfaction Viability

On page 171 of the text it states, If you want a team to perform well, youve got to put the right members on the team to begin with. We can agree that Christine was assigned the members of her team however she need to take action as a leader to make use with the cards she was dealt or meet back with the teacher, Sandra Thiel, and inform her there are impediments that are impeding her ability to perform her function. Essentially Christine failed to act as a leader in any instance. Her ineffective preoccupation went too far into the established timeline, week 5, which hindered her and the group to complete the project. Idealistically, Diane would have been a better team coordinator and led the team over the goal line.