Free «When Teams Work Best» Essay Sample

For effective and good result of the group much should be done by the group leader. The leader needs to be aware of the dynamics of groups. He or she also needs to know the different types of group leadership, to certain in which one to apply and when, measuring the proper time. The leader also needs to be aware of the effectiveness of communication within the group and have good communicative skills.

Marcus and Ellen, for instance, need to understand the different cultural backgrounds of the group members. The introduction of multicultural curriculum has been the concern of many people in the world. The curriculum will make the students be able to work with any one from any cultural background. This could have been the problem with the Marcus and Ellen groups. However, they can fully take control of the group, using group management and leadership skills. They need to understand the interactions taking place in the group so as to understand the attitudes of the members and their behaviors.

Marcus and Ellen have the options of using the following group leadership styles. The first style is autocratic leadership. It is this type of the leader who can decide to do everything himself or herself, not involving the group members. In this they dictate everything. According to the situation it seems that these leaders claim that they were not given a chance to know exactly what was going to happen there. It would not be advisable for Marcus and Ellen to use this idea, considering the abusive behavior of the members. However, if used, it will have some advantages. With this style of decision making the number of the arguments and the reasons of their appearance can fast be eliminated. This will not see Marcus and Ellen convincing the members about how to live a healthy life and that it is their responsibility to do that.

The two can also decide to be democratic. As democrats they will take into considerations the views of the group members. They will listen to members’ complaints. For instance, the members say that they were not informed of what exactly was going to happen there and that they were just told to go and were informed about the fact that it will be of benefit to them. They will listen to them and follow everything that happened as democrats. This will, in turn, build good relationship between them and members. Moreover, the delivering of their message will be very easy unlike if they used autocratic form of leadership. The members will also suggest the way the things should be done next time. For instance, when one member says that he or she does not feel that they are responsible for their own meals and that the sessions are not significant for them, Marcus and Ellen should listen to their views as democrats (LaFasto, 2001).

They may also decide to be collaborative. In this way, they will involve everybody in the group in the process of decision making and leadership achievement. In case of Marcus and Ellen’s style, the members are students and many students have negative attitude towards some issues, especially if it’s not directly affecting their studies. They just can’t realize them due to the the doubts about whether they should attend the sessions or not, since they would say that they shouldn’t attend because they think it’s not significant to them. It’s obvious that the sessions are of no importance for them, as they need good and healthy lives. Marcus and Ellen, therefore, should make them understand that it’s important to have good health and that it’s their responsibility to ensure that.

It should, however, be noted that no style of group leadership can be good all the time. This is because some situations might demand the use of autocratic leadership, whereas others may demand the use of collaborative one. All this will be determined by the factors, such as the number of people in the group and also the time allocated. For instance, Marcus and Ellen have ten members. Simply discussing and using collaborative style they will spend a lot of time and will quickly land into the decisions.

To ensure that they communicate, Marcus and Ellen should ascertain that they don’t rush while delivering the message. They should also ensure that they use the language that the members will understand. A plain language will work perfectly. They should first make sure they inspire the members by something like telling them a story of someone who is taking caution with meals and what he/she has achieved by that. That way they will have captured their imagination and got their attention (Heathfield, 2012).

It is typical of human beings that they like doing what they are told, not necessarily something bad. The group members feel that they were forced to attend the meeting and that’s why they feel that it’s not important for them. It’s funny if the session was to be made optional. There is a possibility that the students will find it interesting.

In conclusion, group management should be approached from different angles. The leader needs to even attend classes and research if necessary. The leader should try and apply as many group leadership styles as possible in order for him to be effective and bear good results. When dealing with people, one should also be prepared for anything and be able to work with different types of people. Patience is also required.