Working in Business Teamwork - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3152 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? TASK 1 (1) The words group and team are, for the most part, interchangeable at least most people use them that way. But there are distinct differences between groups and teams. For example, we have a football team, not a football group or we have a special interest group, not a special interest team. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Working in Business: Teamwork" essay for you Create order While the differences are subtle, they are indeed different, and we need to understand what those differences are. The main difference is that a teams strength or focus depends on the commonality of their purpose and how the individuals are connected to one another. On the other hand, a group can come from having a large number of people or a cohesive willingness to carry out a focused action political reform, for example. While these differences might be subtle, we have to understand that a group is a number of individuals forming a unit for a reason or cause, and a team is a collection of accomplished people coming together for a common goal that needs completion. The subtleness of these differences are more pronounced when we take these words a step further and look at a work group and work team. In the business world, we have work groups and work teams. A work team has members who work interdependently on a specific, common goal to produce an end result for their busine ss. A work group is two or more individuals who are interdependent in their accomplishments and may or may not work in the same department. Once again, the differences are subtle, but the main thread is a team works together and shares in the outcome, while a group is more independent of each other. Many people used the wordsteamandgroupinterchangeably, but there are actually a number of differences between them in real world applications. A number of leadership courses designed for the corporate world stress the importance ofteam building, not group building, for instance. A teams strength depends on the commonality of purpose and interconnectivity between individual members, whereas a groups strength may come from sheer volume or willingness to carry out a single leaders commands. It is often much easier to form a group than a team. If you had a room filled with professional accountants, for example, they could be grouped according to gender, experience, fields of expertise, age, or other common factors. Forming a group based on a certain commonality is not particularly difficult, although the effectiveness of the groups may be variable. A groups interpersonal dynamics can range from complete compatibility to complete intolerance, which could make consensus building very difficult for a leader. A team, on the other hand, can be much more difficult to form. Members may be selected for their complementary skills, not a single commonality. A business team may consist of an accountant, a salesman, a company executive and a secretary, for example. Each member has a purpose and a function, so the overall success depends on a functional interpersonal dynamic. There is usually not as much room for conflict when working together in this way. The success of a group is often measured by its final results, not necessarily the process used to arrive at those results. A group may use equal parts discussion, argumentation andpeer pressure to guide individual me mbers towards a consensus. A trial jury would be a good example of a group in action, not a team. The foreperson plays the leadership role, attempting to turn 11 other opinions into one unanimous decision. Since the jury members usually dont know one another personally, there is rarely an effort to build a team dynamic. The decision process for a verdict is the result of group cooperation. A team, by comparison, does not rely on groupthink to arrive at its conclusions. An accident investigation team would be a good example of a real world team dynamic. Each member is assigned to evaluate one aspect of the accident. The expert on crash scene reconstruction does not have to consult with the expert on forensic evidence, for example. The members use their individual abilities to arrive at a cohesive result. There may be a team member working as a facilitator for the process, but not necessarily a specific leader. Group building can literally take only a few minutes, but team build ing can take years. Individual members of a group often have the ability to walk away when their services or input become unnecessary. A team members absence can seriously hamper the abilities of other members to perform effectively, so it is not uncommon for individual members to form an exceptionally strong allegiance to the team as a whole. An elite military unit such as the US Navy SEALS or the Army Rangers could be considered examples of team building at its best. Additional aspects of work groups and teams are: Work Team Work Group The leader acts as a facilitator. The leader dominates and controls the group. The members have active participation in the discussions and eventual outcome. The leader is apparent and will conduct the meeting. The team members decide on the disbursements of work assignments. The leader usually assigns work to the members. TASK 1 (2) How often we, as project managers have taken communication lightly when managing a project? Most project managers are generally good communicators but are they communicating effectively? In the recent PMIà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s 2013 Pulse of the Profession report, it has revealed that the most crucial success factor in project management is effective communications to all stakeholders. The research also finds that effective communication leads to more successful projects and hence allowing organizations to become high performers. In the same report, it revealed that not all projects will succeed. On an average, two in five projects do not meet the projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s original goal or intent and one-half of those unsuccessful projects are related to ineffective communications. (See Figure 1) Figure 1.One out of five projects is unsuccessful due to ineffective communications. Communication is one key element which has to be applied effectively throughout a p rojectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s life cycle from the beginning till the end. Hence, why is it that Project Managers are not communicating effective? The challenges a Project Manager has may include the following: STAKEHOLDERS A modest project will tend to have a number of people who need to know its progress and about any issues which crops up during execution. Modern projects nowadays often have an added complication of stakeholders scattered all over the globe. Without a solid communication plan and strategy, it will be impossible to keep everyone up to date and informed. In addition to that, different stakeholders may have different expectations and hence the method of communication may vary from one to another and hence a standard communication plan may not be effective. TEAM MEMBERS A project team is generally quite a diverse group of people. Project teams are usually thrust together to deliver a customized and unique benefit to an organization . In some projects, te am members are put together and have never worked together before. The diversity within a project team which can be cultural, geographical, organizational , functional, age related, level of education and so on is indeed the biggest challenge for a project manager. EVER CHANGING SITUATION All projects are by nature fluid and ever changing. Hence a project manager has to consider the changes and challenges all the way until the end of the project and ensure that the team and stakeholders are fully up to date with issues and progress so that there will be no nasty surprises for them to discover later on. Hence, to ensure that effective communication is applied throughout the whole project and to overcome the challenges, a Project Manager should incorporate a communication plan at the planning stage of the project. When making a communication plan, a project manager will have to ask the following questions: What kind of communication is required? (Management Meetings, Team Meetings, Management Reporting, Project Records) Who needs to be communicated with? (stakeholders) How frequent is the communication required? (how often) What needs to be communicated? (reports, meeting minutes, details or summary) A form of standardised communication plan could be adopted. However to be effective and efficient, a communication plan has to be adaptable and suitable to all stakeholders. As described in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK ®Guide) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Fifth Edition, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Effective communication means that the information is provided in the right format, at the right time, to the right audience, and with the right impact. Efficient communication means providing only the information that is neededà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Hence, the project manager has to tailor the communication plan accordingly for each project. The plan should be maintained and updated throughout the project life cycle if there are any changes. There are numerous tools that a project manager can use to better tailor a communication approach. For example, for stakeholder analysis, a Power/Interest grid could be used where stakeholders are grouped based on their level of authorit y (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"powerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢) and their level of concern (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"interestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢) regarding the projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s outcome (see Figure 2). Once the analysis is obtained, a project manager can now assess how key stakeholders are likely to react or respond in various situations, in order to plan how to influence them to enhance their support and mitigate potential negative impacts. Figure 2.Power/Interest Grid Another tool project managers can use to improve communication in regards to problems on the project is by creating a fish bone diagram or Ishikawa Diagram (Figure 3). Each bone is labelled with a problem and then it is broken down further by looking at the causes for each problem. This tool is simple but effective at getting to the real issue quickly. Figure 3.Fish Bone Diagram / Ishikawa Diagram Using a RACI chart (Figure 4) can be very helpful too in promoting healthy communication in a team. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed. The chart ensures that at least one person is in charge of each category, as well as helps others to see their role in assisting the responsible person in getting the job done. This also helps prevent communication that does not need to take place and only interrupts the flow. Figure 4.RACI Chart (R-Responsible, A-Accountable, C-Consulted, I-Informed) In conclusion, effective communication is indeed important for a successful project and in order to achieve effective communication in a project, communication planning is essential and using tools and putting processes in place to ensure daily effective communication during project execution will overcome the challenges and contribute to a more successful project. TASK 2 The Old Spaghetti Factory tops $100,000,000.00 a year in sales at its 37 restaurants thanks to a concept offering fresh, quality food at a low price that families can enjoy. But 40 years of longevity also demand a focu s on cost control and the company has cut thousands of dollars in energy costs by relying on Vanguard PowerMax(TM) gas booster heaters. Colorado Dept. of Transportation maintenance workers repair their snowplows, trucks and equipment in a building thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s often open to the freezing cold yet theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re warm and comfortable under the quiet, infra-red heat from Solaronics. These gas infra-red heaters ensure that tools, floors, work surfaces and equipment stay warm to the touch even with oversized garage doors frequently opening and closing. Kubota Manufacturing of America has reduced parts pick times and improved efficiency in material flow at its Georgia facility by placing pre-engineered carton flow units from Unex Manufacturing within existing pallet rack structures. Unex Span-Track Bays bring the product to the operator in a visual manner that makes it easy to identify and speeds up pick time, from seven minutes to 19 seconds in some cases. Th e Old Spaghetti Factory tops $100,000,000.00 a year in sales at its 37 restaurants thanks to a concept offering fresh, quality food at a low price that families can enjoy. But 40 years of longevity also demand a focus on cost control and the company has cut thousands of dollars in energy costs by relying on Vanguard PowerMax(TM) gas booster heaters. Switch supplier to save on energy bills: save  £301.If you havent switched your energy supplier in the last three years, thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a good chance you could save money.Consumers who used our independent comparison site Which? Switch to switch are currently saving an average of  £301* a year on their gas and electricity bills. This is an average figure, so many customers save a lot more.You can use Which? Switch too click to see if you could save money by comparing energy prices. (*This is an average estimated annual saving for customers who applied to switch suppliers through Which? Switch between 1 January 20 15 and 30 April 2015.) Already switched energy supplier? Make sure youre on the cheapest tariff. The biggest savings are for paying by monthly direct debit and choosing an online tariffs managed on the internet.If you want the same supplier for gas and electricity then getting a dual fuel deal will nearly always be cheaper. But if you dont mind having separate suppliers, then our research found that going for the cheapest electricity supplier and the cheapest gas supplier would work out even cheaper. Turn down your thermostat: save  £90.Reducing room temperatures by just 1 ºC can cut heating bills by up to  £85- £90 a year in a typical home, according to the Energy Saving Trust. So put on a jumper rather than turn up the heating. Already turned down your thermostat? Save even more by turning down the radiators in rarely-used or empty rooms and by programming your heating to turn off when youre not there. For more advice, see our top five tips to effective ly using your home heating controls. You might also find a smart thermostat, which lets you operate your heating remotely via the internet, could help you save money. Weve also tried out smart thermostats including Honeywell Evohome, Nest and Hive. Replace light bulbs: save  £70. Energy-saving light bulbs can help you cut your energy bills easily. If you replace 10 light bulbs in your house with energy-saving ones, you could save about  £70 a year. Remember, energy-saving light bulbs do last longer than traditional ones most CFLs claim lifetimes upwards of 6,000 hours and LEDs around 25,000 hours, whereas traditional light bulbs last around 1,000 hours. But not all energy-saving light bulbs are the same. Our testing has found big differences between how long different bulbs last to find out more, see our light bulb reviews. Already use energy-saving bulbs? Remember to switch off lights when not in use, and use the best bulb for the size of room or the job it will do . . Cut draughts: save  £50. Stopping heat from escaping through unwanted gaps could help you save up to  £50 a year. Take a look at the following areas: Windows use draught-proofing strips around the frame, brush strips work better for sash windows. Doors use draught-proofing strips for gaps around the edges and brush or hinged-flap draught excluders on the bottom of doors. Chimney and fireplace if you dont use your fireplace, use an inflatable cushion to block the chimney or fit a cap over the chimney pot. Floorboards and skirting as floorboards need to move, use a flexible silicon-based filler to fill the gaps. Loft hatches the use of draught-proofing strips will help to prevent hot air escaping. Get an energy monitor An energy monitor is a simple handheld gadget that estimates in real time how much energy youre using, so you can see where to cut back. Monitors cost from around  £25, but some gas and electricity suppliers give them away free. Colorado Dept. of Transportation maintenance workers repair their snowplows, trucks and equipment in a building thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s often open to the freezing cold yet theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re warm and comfortable under the quiet, infra-red heat from Solaronics. These gas infra-red heaters ensure that tools, floors, work surfaces and equipment stay warm to the touch even with oversized garage doors frequently opening and closing.SPACE-RAY is a division of the Gas Fired Products, Inc (GFP). Space-Ray manufactures energy efficient overhead radiant heating, space heating and process heating systems in the USA and UK. We specialize in gas fired infra-red radiant heating. Infra Red radiant heating, indirect or direct fired radiant gas heating, is the most efficient heating that can be easily installed in industrial, commercial, agricultural and garages. In most cases infrared heating can save business or building owners over 30-50% when compared to conventional forced air heating . Radiant tube heaters and radiant ceramic plaque heaters are a popular heating solution for buildings such as a factory, warehouse, garage, fire station, manufacturing plant, auto dealership, machine shop, truck service area, farm building, greenhouse, loading dock, sports arena and aircraft hangars. Radiant tube heaters and radiant cone brooder heaters are popular for agricultural buildings such as poultry houses. The blown warm air heater for chickens, turkeys other poultry provides a whole house heating solution which can also be installed in conjunction with energy efficient radiant brooder heaters. An infrared heater or heat lamp is a body with a higher temperature which transfers energy to a body with a lower temperature through electromagnetic radiation. Depending on the temperature of the emitting body, the wavelength of the peak of the infrared radiation ranges from 6993780009999900000à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  780nm to 1mm. No contact or medium between the two bodies is needed for t he energy transfer. Infrared heaters can be operated in vacuum or atmosphere. One classification of infrared heaters is by the wavelength bands of infrared emission. Short wave or near infrared for the range from 6993780009999900000à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  780nm to 6994140000000000000à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  1400nm, these emitters are also named bright because still some visible light is emitted; Medium infrared for the range between 6994140000000000000à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  1400nm and 6994300000000000000à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  3000nm; Far infrared or dark emitters for everything above 6994300000000000000à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  3000nm. This heating technology is used in some expensive infrared saunas. It is also found in space heaters. These heaters use low watt density ceramic emitters (usually fairly big panels) which emit long wave infrared radiation. Because the heating elements are at a relatively low temperature, far-infrared heaters do not give emissions and smell from dust, dirt, formaldehyde, toxic fumes from paint-coating, etc. This has made this type of space heating very popular among people with severe allergies and multiple chemical sensitivity in Europe. Because far infrared technology does not heat the air of the room directly, it is important to maximize the exposure of available surfaces which then re-emit the warmth to provide an even all round ambient warmth. Kubota Manufacturing of America has reduced parts pick times and improved efficiency in material flow at its Georgia facility by placing pre-engineered carton flow units from Unex Manufacturing within existing pallet rack structures. U nex Span-Track Bays bring the product to the operator in a visual manner that makes it easy to identify and speeds up pick time, from seven minutes to 19 seconds in some cases.This had made in the increase of business profit. Working In Business TeamPage 1