A521.6.3.RB_Matthew-Napu Manglona_High Performance Teams
When it comes to working with High Performance teams I would
have to say that my Platoon in Afghanistan was the best high performance team I
have ever worked with in my career so far. High Performance teams as Denning (2011) discusses is that they exceed
expectations, they are able to adapt to any circumstance of the situations at
hand, they become so embedded with each other they know each other as
individuals both good and bad characteristics, and they encourage each other
and bring out the best in one another. They also realize that the team and the team’s
objectives are put first, and finally they all share a passion for their work.
When one falls there is always another team member to pick them up when they
fall. (p. 156) When I was in Afghanistan majority of these elements were
present during our time serving with one another. Warrick (2016) explains that “it
is important to know what is working and not working regarding teamwork, and
where needed, to build a case for a greater emphasis on teamwork and developing
leaders into skilled team builders.” (p.16)
my platoon at one point did not get a long, they were lazy, and they
cared only to do the bare minimum. I had to change all that, I did this by
getting my other leaders involved and encouraging them to get at my level and
work together to accomplish our main objective at hand.
Denning (2011) states that sharing values creates trust (p.
149) this was essential because my subordinate leaders knew my intent, they
knew the caliber of work I expected, and they knew I genuinely cared about
their well-being not only for them but all our soldiers as well. They saw this
and did not expect these kind of values from a young lieutenant. That’s when
they knew I could be trusted and that was what they wanted from me simply to
care because they care about their soldiers and lieutenants rarely show these
genuine values coming into a platoon. From there my subordinate leaders to
include myself were able to turn things around with our soldiers and have them
exceed the standards of our mission goals and stand out amongst the other 3
platoons in our company. I accomplished this by implanting something that Youngwirth
(2008) discusses that by giving my subordinates a clear purpose, clear
knowledge of their job description, continuing to give them training that they
need, and I manage their interactions with one another which helped them become
successful.
The four patterns of working together which are work group,
team, community, and network. For a positive work group setting I once participated
is the one I currently in with my MSLD 521 team. My professor assigned me to
this group and we have become (so far) successful in our objective assignments.
A negative work group that I had worked with was during my time at work when I came
into the probation officer “team” which consisted of five of us. We were put
together by our supervisor to get our cases together and consolidate them
bi-weekly taking turns briefing the judge about our clients performances.
However my team members did not pull their weight leaving me and one other
probation officer doing all their work. But because I was still new I did not
want to speak my mind and shake a hornet’s nest. In this particular situation I
could have just tactfully spoke to them and get them on the same page. I could
have been assertive in the way of their wrong doings and listen to what they
had to say. That way we can come up with a solution to the issue and work
together.
To add one more, I would have to say that the second pattern
of “team” came out as a negative outcome, I was in a competition team for
Crossfit in which we were the top five crosfitters in our island put together
for a common goal. However egos were as big as our gym and no one could be on
the same page. Everybody was trying to outdo each other instead of
concentrating on our goal of winning. I do not think I could have changed or influence
the outcomes because of the egos that oozed out of my other four training
partners. It was a team I really did not want to be a part of. Leadership was
something I failed at during this moment. DuBois, Hanlon, Koch, Nyatuga, &
Kerr (2015) states that “Leadership is about providing guidance and direction for
a group. In leadership, it is important to not only achieve good results, but
to also create a culture where people are empowered and inspired by a common
purpose.” (p. 35)
References:
Denning, S. (2011). The leader's guide to storytelling:
Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass/A Wiley Imprint.
DuBois, M., Hanlon, J., Koch, J., Nyatuga, B., & Kerr,
N. (2015). Leadership styles of effective project managers: Techniques and
traits to lead high performance teams. Journal of Economic Development,
Management, I T, Finance, and Marketing, 7(1), 30-46. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1681254193?accountid=27203
Warrick, D. D. (2016). What leaders can learn about teamwork
and developing high performance teams from organization development
practitioners. Performance Improvement, 55(3), 13-21.
doi:10.1002/pfi.21559
Youngwirth, J. (2008). Building a high-performance team.
Journal of Financial Planning, , 12.
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