READING AND STUDY MATERIAL

What is a Team?
 A team is a group of individuals, all working together for a common purpose. The
individuals comprising a team ideally should have common goals, common objectives
and more or less think on the same lines.
 A team becomes more than just a collection of people when a strong sense of mutual
commitment creates synergy, thus generating performance greater than the sum of the
performance of its individual members.
What is a Group?
 A group is not necessarily a team. A group can have individuals with varied interests,
attitude as well as thought processes. It is not necessary that the group members would
have a common objective or a common goal to achieve.

What is the difference between a Group and a Team?

Characteristics of a team.
 CONTEXT – Adequate Resources

Leadership and Structure

Climate of Trust
Performance evaluation and reward systems
 COMPOSITION- Abilities of members

Personality
Allocating Roles
Diversity
Size of Teams
Member flexibility
Member Preferences
 PROCESS- Common Purpose

Specific Goals
Team Efficacy
Conflict Levels
Social Loafing

Characteristics Explained –
(a) CONTEXT
 Adequate Resources-Every work team relies on resources outside the work team to
sustain it. A scarcity disables a team to perform its tasks.
 Leadership and Structure- Teams cannot function if they can’t agree on who is to do
what and ensure that all members share the workload. Also a leader in a team is essential
to drive the team member to perform.
 Climate of Trust- Interpersonal trust among members facilitates cooperation among
members.
  Performance evaluation and reward systems- A system to get both an individual and a
team members accountable. These can reinforce individual and team effort and
commitment.

(B) COMPOSITION
 Abilities of members-Teams performance depends on the knowledge, Skills and abilities
of its individual members.
 Personality- Personality significantly influences individual employee behavior. Studies
have proven that conscientious people are good at backing other team member decisions.
Also good at sensing when their support its needed. Teams composed of open people are
more creative and innovative.
 Allocating Roles- Teams have different needs, and members should be selected to ensure
all major roles are filled. Roles have to be assigned appropriately.
 Diversity of members- Diverse teams benefit from differing perspectives. Diversity
among team members brings in variety of viewpoints.
 Size of Teams- Team size plays an importance role on its outcome and performance.

 Member flexibility- Each member needs to adjust to the team members and a change in
role when necessary.
 Member Preferences: When selecting team members, managers should consider
individual preferences along with their abilities, personalities and skills. Since not every
employee is a team player.
(c) PROCESS
 Common Purpose: The team members agree to a common purpose which provides
direction and guidance to the team players.
 Specific Goals: Successful teams translate their common purpose into specific,
measurable, and realistic performance goals.
 Team Efficacy: Effective teams have confidence in themselves, they believe they can
succeed. We call this team efficacy.
 Conflict Levels: Conflict on a team isn’t necessarily bad. Disagreements about task
content simulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and opinions and can
lead to better team decisions.
 Social Loafing: Individuals should not indulge in social loafing as this may effect the
groups performance. ( Individuals exerting less effort to achieve a goal when he or she
 works in a group then when working alone). To counter, a member is made accountable
individually and jointly.

Qualities of a good team Leader?

 1) Breaking The Ice

No team members can work together with ease without getting to know each other in a
comfortable level. As a good team leader, you have to initiate this process and encourage your
team members to open up to each other.
 Clear, Open & Honest Communication

Good team leaders are able to communicate clearly and insist on a two-way communication. Keep
the communication open to every member which will allow team leaders to listen to their inputs
and act on them accordingly. Respecting team members’ opinion gives them a sense of belonging
which enhances their productivity.
 Fair and Impartial

A good team leader is also a just man. Treat team members fairly. Be just, while treating members
regarding any issue. There should not be room for any partiality and biases towards any team
member.
 Appreciative

A good team leader never leaves the team members unappreciated. Don’t forget to show
appreciation for their work and efforts. Give rewards and praise where it is due.
Appreciation makes the team get a positive feeling about their work and this drives them
forward.
 Source of Positivity and Enthusiasm

 Good team leaders are always the team’s source of positivity. They have the quality of
being the constant driving source within the team. They are confident and enthusiastic
enough to inspire the rest of the team members. Good leaders keep the team members
motivated and they try to influence members towards the achievement of a goal.
 “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” — John C.
Maxwell
 6) Focus & Evaluate

 A good team leader while focusing on the improvement of the team never forgets the
bigger picture. Be constantly aware of the main goals and vision of the organization. A
good team leader makes a careful examination of how his team is doing and knows
exactly where they are heading.
 7) Attentive & Responsive

 Good team leaders are always on the check for situation and environment of the team.
They are alert and attentive to the member’s needs and requirement and are highly
responsive at all times.
 8) Flexibility

 Good leaders adjust themselves to match with any situation. They know how to act when
and where. A good leader should change and adapt their style according to the
circumstance. They also keep their minds open to new ideas and change.
 9) Patient & Understanding

 A good team leader is patient enough to give team members their required time to
improve. The team leader should try to understand the nature and situation of the member
and give support to them accordingly. At the same time, a good team leader knows how to
yield command in a strict manner when needed.

 Self-Improvement

 Good team leaders never stops learning. They are always willing to acquire new skills and
development. Good leaders know that for the team to improve it has to change with time
by adapting to the various new developments in technologies and skills coming up every
day. Thus, they make sure that they are fit to lead the team to a better path of success.
 A good team leader sets for himself a desired level of performance and diligently strives
for it.
 11) Commitment & Action

 Good team leaders are truly committed and dedicated to their work. They not only talk but
also take actual actions. As you know action speaks much louder than words. Good
leaders present themselves as a model for others to follow and admire.
 12) Demonstrate

 Good team leaders don’t tell members what to do rather they show them and help them in
explaining things.
 13) Responsible & Accountable

 Good team leaders understand the responsibilities that come along with their position in
the team. They accept the fact that they will be held accountable for the team. They are
quick in admitting mistakes, slow in taking credits. They don’t play the blame-game.
Types of Teams
 Problem Solving Teams

 Self Managed Work Teams

 Cross Functional Teams

 Virtual Teams

Explained—
 Problem-solving team

A problem-solving team is usually temporary. It is focused on solving a specific issue. This

kind of team may be created after the financial crisis or any unplanned event or challenge. It is
aimed to come up with solutions to help the company climb out of problem.

 Self-managed teams

Self-managed teams consist of employees of the same company who work together.
Although they have a wide set of objectives, their key goal is to reach a common result.
There is no manager here. The members of self-managed teams should determine rules
and expectations, solve problems and bare shared responsibilities.
The main advantages of self-managed teams are:
Improved motivation because of autonomy
Ability to manage own time and handle tasks when it suits employees
Pride in team accomplishments because of shared responsibility
What about the disadvantages? One of the weak points is about the lack of hierarchical
authority that can put personal relationships over good judgment.
This can suppress creativity and critical thinking. You should also pay attention to training
time and costs that are higher due to a broader scope of duties.

 2. Cross-functional team

A cross-functional team consists of members from different departments. This kind of

team tackles specific tasks that require different expertise and inputs.
Cross-functional teams are becoming increasingly popular all over the world.
  Virtual team

 A virtual team involves employees who work in different locations and who rely on the
power of communication and collaboration tools to get things done together.
 Virtual teams use computer technology to unite physically dispersed members and achieve
a common goal. This kind of team provides people with better life-work balance and allow
business owners to hire the best experts.
 A virtual team may suffer because of low social rapport and direct interaction among
members

Stages of Team Development ( PPT 2)

1. Forming
2. Storming
3. Norming
4. Performing
5. Adjourning
Explained:
 Forming: A group of people come together to accomplish a shared purpose. Their initial
success will depend on their familiarity with each other's work style, their experience on
prior teams, and the clarity of their assigned mission.
 Storming: Disagreement about mission, vision, and ways to approach the problem or
assignment are constant at this stage of development. This struggle is combined with the
fact that team members are still getting to know each other, learning to work with each
other, and growing familiar with the interaction and communication of group members.
 Norming: The team has consciously or unconsciously formed working relationships that
are enabling progress on the team’s objectives. The members have consciously or
unconsciously agreed to abide by certain group norms, and they are becoming functional
at working together.
 Performing: Relationships, team processes, and the team’s effectiveness in working on its
objectives are syncing to bring about a successfully functioning team. This is the stage at
which the real work of the team is progressing.
  Adjourning: The team has completed its mission or purpose and it is time for team
members to pursue other goals or projects.

Barriers to effective team Building.

 When individuals give priority to their personal interests than work, the team
suffers.
Mike never wanted to have a team meeting in the morning as he had to first drop his son to school
and then his wife to her office. The agenda of the day could never be discussed and everyone
worked on their own sweet will. Mike was more concerned about his son’s school and wife’s
office. They are important but not at the cost of one’s office. Nothing ever productive came out of
Mike’s team as he himself never really was serious about his work. For the maximum output, the
team members must think of their team first and everything else should come later. One has to
respect his team as well as his organization to expect the same in return.
 Individuals not being clear about the team’s goal and their roles and responsibilities
in the team also create problems in effective team building. The goal has to be
common. Individuals should not have separate goals.
For a marketing team the goal is to generate revenues for the organization and every one
including the team leader has to work towards it.
 The roles and responsibilities must be designed according to the team member’s
interest, educational qualification and specializations.
John, Ali, Kate and Ben were part of the sales team in an organization of repute, but Kate was
more interested in helping the operations team. She was never too keen in marketing activities and
accepted it just because of pressure from the management and the fear of losing the job. She was
more interested in finding a place in the operations team rather than focusing on her work.
Individuals should not accept responsibilities unless and until they are very sure about it. It is
better to say a no in the beginning rather than troubling yourself and others later.
 Lack of discussions is again a barrier to effective team building. Team members must
not sit quietly in team meetings, instead should speak their heart out. One must participate
willingly. Debates are important and strategies or policies should not be implemented
without evaluating the pros and cons.
 Poor communication is also one of the barriers to effective team building. Too much
of a complicated hierarchy also result in poor and ineffective communication.
Unorganized thoughts and abstract ideas create misunderstandings and confusions among
the team members and in turn decrease the productivity of the team.
 Lack of discipline and punctuality also create problems in team. Never be late for
work. It is unprofessional to keep others waiting. Always reach before time for team
meetings and discussions. One should also maintain the decorum of the workplace.
One should never forget the objective of his team. Adopt a positive attitude and always strive hard
to give your level best without worrying about who is dating whom or who is boss’s favourite?
10 Essential Team work Skills
1. The Ability to Listen
If a team of people in any group are going to work well together, it is important to listen to one
another’s ideas. Too often in a business setting, you have a group of people simply waiting for
their turn to speak, not paying one iota of attention to the persons on their left or right. So it is a
good teamwork skill to have the ability to listen
2. Check Your Ego
But leaving your ego at the door temporarily is a very important team work skill. The reason this
is so essential is because there is always someone better than you at something, no matter how
brilliant you are.
3. Critique
By critique, I mean constructive criticism. Be able to give others constructive criticism and be
able to listen to others critique your ideas and work. There shouldn’t be any offense taken to
constructive criticism. You all want to succeed, and this is a vital step in doing so.
If one of your teammates or co-workers pitches an idea that you like, acknowledge that it is a
great idea, and then offer thoughts in which you think it could be improved.
4. Delegation
In a military boot-camp, there were a number of chores one had to have done by the end of the
day. Clothes folded, wall lockers arranged, floors spotless, boots nice and shiny, weapons cleaned,
loose strings clipped off of our uniforms. They quickly discovered that they were all good at
specific tasks. So, what they did was delegate each of these specific tasks to teams of 4-5 men
who were better at them than the rest. The end result was of higher quality and it was done more
efficiently. We became a well-oiled machine.
This same mentality must be applied to teamwork. Delegate roles to those who do them best.
5. Show Respect
The truth of the matter is that not everyone is going to like each other all the time. There might
even be people in your group that you really can’t stand. Guess what? That doesn’t matter. You
are there to conjure up ideas and complete tasks. Show equal respect to each and every person,
and work to your best ability.
If you and another person happen to be paired up and can’t stand each other, you can still put that
aside for a couple of hours, treat each other civilly, and complete the tasks at hand. You may even
overcome the dislike toward one another.
6. Be Helpful
If one of your teammates does not understand an idea, discussion, or task that is being completed,
take the necessary time to explain it to them and work with them. There are no weak links when
everyone helps one another. Some take longer to learn than others, but that doesn’t mean that they
are of less intelligence.
7. Question One Another
“Question everything” is an intellectual endeavor everyone should partake in, and this applies to
the workplace, classroom, or anywhere else where there are ideas coming together.
If someone brings up a topic of discussion and a solution to this topic, question them.
Respectfully question, don’t badger. Rather, ask them how it will work, why it will work over the
long-run, and how everyone else can implement the idea.
8. Participation
Everyone has to pitch in and carry their own weight.Quite frankly, some folks prefer to work
alone rather than in a team environment. They’re introverted, shy, nervous, or have bad anxiety. It
is important to bring these people out of their shells. Have the entire team encourage shy people to
engage in the topics of discussion.
9. Rational Debate
Rational group debate is very important. There can’t be any biases, and it is even better if there
are data to back each argument. But these ideas have to be fact-based. If you are proven wrong,
that’s a good thing as it gives you new ideas and a new foundation on which to build.
10. Set The Right Environment
Try to make the space in which your team is assembled as comfortable, relaxing, and inviting as
possible. This means comfortable chairs, coffee, drinks, pastries, and other refreshments. When
people feel taken care, calm, and relaxed, their ideas flow more freely..

5 Steps to Facilitating Successful Team Decision

(1) Break down the problem
Unless your team knows what, exactly, the problem is, you’ll end up wasting a lot of time.
Everyone needs to know what the underlying problem is, otherwise, it’ll lead to Arguing &
Chaos.
(2) Analyze the available data
Now that the team has outlined and understands the problem, they need to gather more
information. The team leader should try to guide the team toward focusing on data rather than
relying on opinions or anecdotal evidence
(3) Brainstorm possible solutions
next step in the process is for the group to brainstorm possible solutions to the problem. It is a
good idea for the group to agree on a deadline for the brainstorming session ahead of time so the
discussion doesn’t drag on indefinitely. It is also important that everyone is allowed to offer their
input without criticism.
(4) The team leader should navigate the group discussion
It is hard to make sure that everyone has a chance to share their ideas, that the group stays on
topic, and that the discussion remains cordial. For that reason, the team leader should navigate the
discussion to make sure the group stays focused on their main objectives and everyone has a
chance to participate.
(5) Settle on a solution and action steps for moving forward
Now that everyone has offered their input and you have come up with a variety of solutions, it is
time to choose the best alternative. To select the best alternative, the team must know what their
desired outcome would look like and also what are the possible consequences of that outcome.

Group Decision making methods- ( PPT- 3-4)

Some of the common group decision-making methods are
 Brainstorming,

 Dialetical inquiry,

 Nominal group technique

 The delphi technique.

Explained-
 BRAINSTORMING.

Brainstorming involves group members verbally suggesting ideas or alternative courses of action.
The "brainstorming session" is usually relatively unstructured. The situation at hand is described
in as much detail as necessary so that group members have a complete understanding of the issue
or problem.
The group leader or facilitator then solicits ideas from all members of the group. Usually, the
group leader or facilitator will record the ideas presented on a flip chart or marker board. The
"generation of alternatives" stage is clearly differentiated from the "alternative evaluation" stage,
as group members are not allowed to evaluate suggestions until all ideas have been presented.
Once the ideas of the group members have been exhausted, the group members then begin the
process of evaluating the utility of the different suggestions presented.
One of the difficulties with brainstorming is that despite the prohibition against judging ideas until
all group members have had their say, some individuals are hesitant to propose ideas because they
fear the judgment or ridicule of other group members.
 DIALETICAL INQUIRY.
Dialetical inquiry is a group decision-making technique that focuses on ensuring full
consideration of alternatives. Essentially, it involves dividing the group into opposing sides,
which debate the advantages and disadvantages of proposed solutions or decisions. A similar
group decision-making method, devil's advocacy, requires that one member of the group highlight
the potential problems with a proposed decision. Both of these techniques are designed to try and
make sure that the group considers all possible ramifications of its decision.

NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE.

 The nominal group technique is a structured decision making process in which group
members are required to compose a comprehensive list of their ideas or proposed
alternatives in writing. The group members usually record their ideas privately. Once
finished, each group member is asked, in turn, to provide one item from their list until all
ideas or alternatives have been publicly recorded on a flip chart or marker board.
 Usually, at this stage of the process verbal exchanges are limited to requests for
clarification—no evaluation or criticism of listed ideas is permitted. Once all proposals are
listed publicly, the group engages in a discussion of the listed alternatives, which ends in
some form of ranking or rating in order of preference.
 As with brainstorming, the prohibition against criticizing proposals as they are presented
is designed to overcome individuals' reluctance to share their ideas. Empirical research
conducted on group decision making offers some evidence that the nominal group
technique succeeds in generating a greater number of decision alternatives that are of
relatively high quality.
 DELPHI TECHNIQUE.

The Delphi technique is a group decision-making process that can be used by decision-making
groups when the individual members are in different physical locations. The individuals in the
Delphi "group" are usually selected because of the specific knowledge or expertise of the problem
they possess. In the Delphi technique, each group member is asked to independently provide
ideas, input, and/or alternative solutions to the decision problem in successive stages. These
inputs may be provided in a variety of ways, such as e-mail, fax, or online in a discussion room or
electronic bulletin board. After each stage in the process, other group members ask questions and
alternatives are ranked or rated in some fashion. After an indefinite number of rounds, the group
eventually arrives at a consensus decision on the best course of action.
Team Failures- Reasons why teams fail and ways to overcome it.
Team failure reasons can be divided broadly into five categories
1.Environmental Influences
2.Goals
3.Roles
4.Processes
5.Relationships

Explained-
1. Environmental Influences:
1. The team members may be placed at different location making it difficult for them
to meet frequently. Hence a solution needs to be found to resolve this issue.
Communication is vital for any team to work well. Physical distances can always
be overcome with the use of technology.
2. The team is not given adequate resources in order to do its job. You cannot expect
an employee to work with his hands tied, can you?
3. Team efforts can be recognized. This is a key human trait. Appreciation is a big
morale booster for any employee.
4. A lack of recognition by the organization or its leaders about the existence of a
team can also lead a team to its failure.
2. Goals:
1. No participation from members in setting goals. This takes away the ownership
from the team. It reduces the commitment of the team members.
2. Team is not clear about the goals. Communication is vital, whether to a team or to
an organization.
3. Goals are not effectively communicated. Everybody is doing his own thing with no
attention to team goals. Working in silos leads to duplication of work as well as
ruining the organization culture.
3. Roles:
 1. Responsibilities of the team members are poorly defined. This leads to ambiguity
as well as lack of commitment.
2. No clear leader identified. Leadership is vital to any team. A good leader outlines
the strategy and charts the path to reach the goal.
3. There is buck-passing of responsibility, which shows lack of commitment.
4. Members indulge in power plays for authority and control. This is a problem of
attitudes which needs to be managed accordingly by the leader and the
organization. Members refuse to recognize their interdependence and act as if they
were independent. This will lead to the failure of the team.
4. Processes:
1. Lack of processes makes decisions always a crisis situation. A case of decision-
making being dominated by one person leads to poor commitment of the team
2. Communications are one way: top down and channeled through the leader. This is
not the feature of a team. Negligible points are debated continuously. This leads to
waste of time as well as energy.
3. Meetings are unproductive with the issues unresolved implies that poor planning
has been done. Meetings cover trivia versus significant issues as the way to
achieve goals is not clear.
4. In case, actions are taken without planning, the team will fail.
5. Relationships:
1. Members are unwilling to be identified with the team. There is disguised conflict
between the team members as well as severe personality conflicts. Relationships
are competitive.
 Most of the issues mentioned above can be resolved. All that is required is planning,
processes and performance appraisal, which will be covered in detail in another article.
Teams are vital for any organization. Their failure leads to the failure of the organization
as a whole.

Strategies for Improving Communication in High-Performance Teams

 Communication is the most pertinent factor which determines the level of cohesion or
effectiveness of a team. Communication strategies do play a pivotal role in facilitating a
positive change in the organizational environment and boosting high-performance.
 By Meeting Regularly:
 By holding regular meetings, all the team members can be involved and informed about
the major project related decisions or strategic changes. Frequent meetings helps in
providing an equal or a fair chance or an opportunity to the team member to voice out
their ideas or share certain status updates.
 Practicing Inclusiveness:

Inclusiveness implies involving every member of the team in the team’s decisions or
ensuring that important communication or information in the form of reports should be
sent to each member of the team. During the kick-off meeting, the leader of the team
should start with taking the consent of all the team members on their preferred modes of
communication.
 Ensuring Transparency and Clarity:

Transparency and clarity play a very important role in a team functioning. This has to me
ensured by the team leader and all the leaders.
 The Team Member should have High Respect for Each other: All the team members
must value the presence of every team member and regardless of their position in the
hierarchical framework all members should respect each other. The members of the team
should be given the liberty to express their thoughts freely or communicate with others
without any fear of being subjected to ridicule or criticism.
 Using online tools for communicating and collaborating: Online tools facilitate
convenience in the handling of assignments and facilitates free flow of communication
amongst the team members and also the stakeholders. The team members evolve their own
procedures and practices for information exchange or communication between the team
members.

Barriers to communication
 Noise- The obstacles in communication are termed as Noise.

3 Major Barriers are

(1) Personal
(2) Physical
(3) Semantic

Explained
 Personal Barriers- Personal Barriers: Communication interferences that arise from human
emotions, values and poor listening habits. They may also be because of difference in
education, race, sex, socioeconomic status.
Personal Barriers often involve a Psychological distance- A feeling
of being emotionally separated.
 Physical Barriers: are communication interferences that occur in the environment un
which the communication takes place.
eg. A typical physical barrier is a sudden distracting
noise that temporarily drowns out a voice message.
 Semantic Barriers: is the science of meaning, as contrasted with phonetics, the science of
sounds. Nearly all communication is symbolic that is, it is achieved using symbols
( Words, Pictures and actions) that suggest certain meanings.

Leadership styles in team management.

 Autocratic

Autocratic leaders make their own decisions without consulting employees or other team
members. They hold absolute authority over the team and team members are expected to
obey and comply with the decision that is made by the leader. Autocratic leaders use one
way communication, which is that they will instruct team members without expecting
feedback in return.
 Democratic

Democratic leaders will consult with employees before proceeding to make a decision.
Democratic leaders will take on a two way communication approach where team members
can provide input and voice out their opinions aside from the team leader issuing
instructions.
 Laissez-Faire

Laissez faire is a leadership style where the team leader will allow the team members to
carry out their duties on their own and at their own pace. There is little to no management
and authority implemented by the team leader. Eg.This style of leadership is applicable to
product design or advertising teams where flexibility and freedom provides a more
suitable environment to stimulate creativity and is expected to generate positive results.
 Transactional
 This type of leadership is the most common among the styles. The relationship between
the leader and team member is one of compliance, the team members do what is asked of
by the manager. A transactional leader uses rewards and punishments to gain compliance
this from team members and thus this leadership style produces solid but average results.

Types of Communication
 Verbal Communication. Verbal or oral communication uses spoken words to communicate
a message. ...
 Non-Verbal Communication. Non-verbal communication includes body language,
gestures, facial expressions, and even posture. ...
 Written Communication. Written communication is essential for communicating
complicated information, such as statistics or other data, that could not be easily
communicated through speech alone.

Advantages of team Decision making

 1. Diversity in opinions

As a group has a lot of members and they as individuals come from different backgrounds
so ultimately they have unique and different ideas and opinions regarding the matter at the
hand.
All the ideas may be as unique and better in comparison to individual decision making.
With the help of the number of ideas, you can create a large number of alternatives and at
the end finally can come to a successful conclusion.
 2. Participation and interest of the individuals

When a is person dedicated and interested, it promotes more innovative ideas and plans
which make decisions promising. When interested people share their ideas the group
discussion becomes more participative and effective. The active members may or may not
be the expert in that particular topic but their opinion still matters because of the
participation and dedication shown by other members.
 4. The collective contribution of ideas:

The group discussion helps in removing the barrier of monopoly in the decision-making
process. At times if a decision happens by a single individual it is unreliable. Hence with
the help of having a collective idea choose the factor of unreliability removed.
 A decision by a single person can be partial and mainly works in his favor so collective
decision making is important because it can favor all the people in the organization.
 5 Team building:

Active participation from all the individuals of the group helps in building the morale of
the team and builds a healthy and coordinative relationship among the members of the
team of the particular group.
As this happens the members develop certain skills of the decision-making process which
benefits the group members and the group as a whole.
 6. Democratic decision making:

The group decision-making process is more of collective participation so it is, in turn,

democratic in comparison to the individual decision making which is more autocratic.
When the decision is democratic, it is more easily perceivable and acceptable and in tune
with society, we live in. Thus it is always preferable that the discussion shared with more
than the two individuals.
 7. Abundant information:

When a group is sharing their ideas and opinions it passes more information and some
ideas compare to the individual decision-makers who will have limited ideas confined to
his limited knowledge only.
So group decision making or group discussion is far more of an advantage and beneficial
in making a clear and accurate or definite decision that will affect the result of the plan.
 8. Expert opinions can be obtained:

Many ideas put together now need a expert opinion. Only a group is able to outline many
perspectives to sort a direction. For this, an expert might already involve in the group or
he calls from outside to advise the decision that is to make.

Disadvantages of team decision Making

 1. Consumption of Time:

The Group discussion making techniques often consume and take more time to come to a
conclusion which is accepted by each individual in the group as every individual in the
group has their own unique and innovative ideas which result in having too many options
in consideration.
 2. Different ideas and opinions:
 In the group discussion, all the participants involved have their ideas which are their
favorites, in turn, protecting their interest. This brings disparities among the members in
the group which is not very healthy leading to personal conflicts among them.
 3. Being silent in disagreement:

At times when the decision process in groups is being carried out, some members agree in
favor of a certain decision just for agreeing or following the norms agreement. When a
times the member may stay silent even thou he does not totally agree to the decision.

 4. Social Pressures:

When an individual of the group remains silent at the time of the decision-making process,
one of the reasons may be the social pressures in that particular environment. Thus this
leads to the failure of being a good member.
 5. Priorities on certain ideas:

Some ideas are presented within the group. At times the members of the group may only
focus on a certain number of ideas, one or two alternatives only and they may not focus or
come up with other ideas that may benefit their group and the individuals that it
represents. Thus it causes all the members of the group to limit their choices and stuck to
only a few ideas.
 6. Against the goals of the organization:

When the goals of the individuals do not agree with the goals of the group as a whole this
situation arises which will lead to disrupting the work behavior of the organization and not
reach the goals and objectives of the firm quickly.
 7. Avoiding certain important decisions:

During the decision-making process in the group some decisions give more or are high in
priority and some decisions are of low priority in the eyes of the members of the group. So
sometimes certain high priority tasks replaced with low priority tasks.
 8. Responsibility denied by the leader:

When there is not enough time to carry out a decision unanimously and there is a hurry to
implement a decision then the responsibility of future happenings after the decision has
been put into effect is given to the committee by the team leader leading to an
irresponsible attitude and behavior.
 9. Overuse of Authority:

The group discussion concept considers the working of many individuals as a whole in
harmony and unity to reach the goals and objectives of the Organization. But at times to
 get their opinion influence by others, certain Members of the group overuse their authority
and dominate the group and their Individuals.
 13. Forming of Groups:

In a large group as a whole, at times a certain smaller number of groups also form with a
few members as they think they are better and different from others. This concept is
known as ‘groupism’ which itself is a very negative comment.

Classification of Conflict.
• When we think of the different types of conflict, we might instantly think of the ones
referred to in literature, especially in fiction. They can be applied to real life, of course.
However, in contemporary times, types of conflict which are easily identifiable are
classified into four different types −
• Intrapersonal
• Intragroup
• Interpersonal
• Intergroup

Classifications Explained
• Intrapersonal Conflict
• Intrapersonal conflict takes place within an individual. The person experiences it in his
own mind. Thus, it is a type of conflict that is psychological involving the individual’s
thoughts, values, principles and emotions. Intrapersonal conflict may come in different
forms, from the simple mundane ones like deciding whether or not to go vegan for lunch
to ones that can affect major decisions such as choosing a career path.
• However, this type of conflict can be quite difficult to handle, if you find it hard to
decipher your inner struggles. It results in restlessness and uneasiness, or can even cause
depression. On such occasions, it is advised to seek a way to let go of the anxiety by
communicating with other people. Eventually, when the person finds himself/herself out
of the situation, he/she can become more empowered as a person. Thus, the experience
invokes a positive change which helps in personal growth.
• Intragroup Conflict
• Intragroup conflict occurs among individuals within a team. The incompatibilities and
misunderstandings between team members leads to intragroup conflict. It starts from
 interpersonal disagreements like team members have different personalities which may
lead to tension or differences in views and ideas. Say for example, during a presentation,
members of the team might find the notions presented by the one presiding to be
erroneous due to their differences in opinion.
• Within a team, conflict can be helpful in coming up with decisions, which will eventually
allow them to achieve their objectives as a team. But, if the degree of conflict disrupts
harmony among the members, then some serious guidance from a different party will be
needed for it to be settled.

• Interpersonal Conflict
Interpersonal conflict means a conflict between two individuals. Basically, this occurs
because of some differences in people. We have varied personalities which usually lead to
incompatible choices and opinions. So, it is a natural occurrence which can eventually
help in personal growth or developing our relationships with others.
In addition, adjustments are necessary for managing this type of conflict. However, when
interpersonal conflict becomes too destructive, calling in a mediator helps so as to have
the issue resolved.
• Intergroup Conflict
• Intergroup conflict occurs when a misunderstanding arises among different teams within
an organization. For example, the marketing department of an organization can come in
conflict with the customer support department. This is because of the varied sets of goals
and interests of these different groups. In addition to this, competition also contributes to
intergroup conflict. There are other factors which increase this type of conflict. Some of
these factors may include a rivalry in resources or the boundaries set by a group to others
which forms their own identity as a team.
• Conflict should not always be perceived as a problem rather at times it is a chance for
growth and can be an effective means of opening up among groups or individuals.
However, when conflict begins to suppress or disrupt productivity and gives way to more
conflicts, then conflict management is what is needed for problem resolution.

Conflict Management techniques

• We get into a conflict when the person opposite to us has a different mindset. It is very
common in a workplace to get into differences of opinion. Sometimes there is a conflict
between two or more employees, sometimes employees have a conflict with their
managers and so on. Now the question is, how can we manage disagreements in ways that
build personal and collegial relationships?
• Here are five strategies from conflict management theory for managing stressful
situations. None of them is a "one-size-fits-all" answer. Which one is the best in a given
situation depends on variety of factors, including an appraisal of the levels of conflict.
• Collaborating − win/win
• Compromising − win some/lose some
• Accommodating − lose/win
• Competing − win/lose
• Avoiding − no winners/no losers

Explained
• Collaborating
This technique follows the rule "I win, you win". Collaborating means working together
by integrating ideas set out by multiple people. The objective here is to find a creative
solution acceptable to everyone. It calls for a significant time commitment but is not
appropriate for all conflicts.
• Example − A businessman should work collaboratively with the manager to establish
policies, but collaborative decision-making regarding office supplies wastes time better
spent on other activities.
• Compromising
This technique follows the rule "You bend, I bend". Compromising means adjusting with
each other’s opinions and ideas, and thinking of a solution where some points of both the
parties can be entertained. Similarly, both the parties need to give up on some of their
ideas and should agree with the other.
• Example − Two friends had a fight and they decide to compromise with each other
through mutual understanding.
• Accommodating
• This technique follows the rule "I lose, you win". Accommodating means giving up of
ideas and thoughts so that the other party wins and the conflict ends. Example − When we
fight with someone we love we choose to let them win.
• Competing
This technique follows the rule "I win, you lose". Competing means when there is a
dispute a person or a group is not willing to collaborate or adjust but it simply wants the
opposite party to lose
• Example − When in a debate the party with more facts wins.
• Avoiding
This technique follows the rule "No winners, no losers". Avoiding means the ideas
suggested by both the parties are rejected and a third person is involved who takes a
decision without favoring any of the parties