Assignment: The Team That Is Not a Team

In the Discussion you addressed the unproductive team that needs motivation. You reviewed leadership in the Reading area, and leadership styles and negotiation strategies in the Learning Activity. In this Assignment you address leadership and the use of negotiation strategies to resolve members' conflicts to ultimately make them a real team.

Make sure to complete the Learning Activities before you begin this Assignment. Then, read the scenario and address the checklist items in a substantive manner.

The TotsToys Corporation is using self-managing product development teams. The team includes:

• R. Smithers (Sales)
• P. Harrington (Marketing)- unofficial leader of the team
• K. Norrosky (Research and Development)
• L. Lee (Finance)
• T. Schumacher (Manufacturing)
• A. Rossi (Customer Service)

The team, although it is self-managing, ultimately reports to E. Vonich, Toys Division Director. Morale in the team is low, competition among certain team members (like Smithers and Harrington) is high, and confusion about what the priorities and ultimate goals are is high. Many meetings degenerate into arguments between Smithers and Harrington. The team has yet to come up with any new products, resulting in a stressful situation.

Vonich does not realize any problems with the team as yet. Smithers and Schumacher have been overheard saying that they are both very frustrated with the lack of progress and results with the team. They think Harrington is only interested in receiving a promotion and are frustrated because they feel the leader does not adequately support or represent all of the team members. All the members agree that, every time there is an executive committee meeting, Harrington constantly wants more research and more information from other team members versus tackling the task of new product development.

Theoretically, team leadership is shared between Vonich and Harrington, but Vonich deems his time too important and tells Harrington he must run it. Harrington on the other hand has never been a team leader and does not seem to act but simply to react if it is his priority concerning an issue.

Checklist:

• Identify the teamwork problems.
• Describe the leadership style evidenced and the leadership problems.
• What should be negotiated and how?
• Explain which negotiation strategies might assist in resolving conflict amongst the team members.