TEAM DYNAMICS
Team Dynamics: The Importance Of Each Member On The Team (Organisational Development)
Have you ever heard of Aesop’s Fable “The Belly and the Members”?
If not, the fable reads:
“One fine day it occurred to the Members of the Body that they were doing all the work and the Belly was having all the food. So they held a meeting, and after a long discussion, decided to strike work till the Belly consented to take its proper share of the work. So for a day or two, the Hands refused to take the food, the Mouth refused to receive it, and the Teeth had no work to do.
But after a day or two the Members began to find that they themselves were not in a very active condition: the Hands could hardly move and the Mouth was all parched and dry, while the Legs were unable to support the rest. So thus they found that even the Belly in its dull quiet way was doing necessary work for the Body and that all must work together or the Body will go to pieces.”
When we underestimate the importance of each member on a team, group dynamics has a tendency to fall apart. Getting a feel for how an individual responds to conflict could prevent some major stress and tension within the group down the road. The easiest way to reveal this vital information can be through the use of assessments.
Similar to Aesop’s Fable, it is important to recognise an individual’s distinct skills, behaviours, and strengths in order to utilise the team dynamics and achieve an effective team.
So what’s the moral of the story? Each person brings a different skill set, behaviour, and personality to a team. Sometimes, it may seem that certain team members are doing more work than others, but that is not always the case. That’s why team communication is a key focus for organisations worldwide!
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