Topic outline
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Good leaders know that being a good manager helps in getting a lot accomplished. Managers must collaborate with employees so people with different skills from different parts of a company can successfully contribute to projects. The concept of collaboration has evolved into the practice of creating teams with specific individuals with complementary skills who gather around a common purpose. This purpose might include accomplishing a specific task, addressing a particular problem, revising an internal company process, etc.
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Time: 7 hours
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Free Certificate
The term "team" is used so frequently today that the meaning of this concept is often diluted. Modern organizations rely on the efforts of different kinds of teams and pull together teams with members scattered over multiple geographic locations (including multiple countries) to bring together the skills and competencies needed to address tasks.
Some key roles all managers have is to establish goals and purposes with a team and make sure they select the right team members. So, what does a successful team look like? Even the best teams experience conflict, which actually can be a productive force in generating new ideas and multiple options for consideration. The important thing for keeping your organization healthy is to learn to avoid letting professional conflict harm personal relationships.
In this course, you will look at the leadership and management skills necessary in helping you understand the different stages of group development, how to create an effective team, and how to harness the talent of your team's strengths.
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What does it mean to be a leader? In this unit, we will explore different aspects of leadership, power, and influence, and how effective leaders help an organization accomplish its goals.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.
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Students mustMark as done
Watch this short video for a refreshing view on the definition of leadership and the impact leaders can make on the lives of others.
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Students mustMark as done
Watch this lecture for a motivational message on what makes leaders great.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this article. After you read, consider the following questions: Should all leaders throw away their old models of leadership? Which of the four capabilities discussed in this article would you consider to be of greatest importance? Or, should all capabilities be given equal importance? Why or why not?
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Students mustMark as done
Read this article and consider whether or not you agree with Mr. Immelt's argument that leadership may have no shelf life. Do you feel that it is necessary for GE, or any large organization, to continually change its leadership strategies? Are some strategies universal and time-tested? Do you think that any of the 10 qualities of leadership stand out more than others? Or, should they all be given equal weight? Why or why not?
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Students mustMark as done
Read this article and consider Warren Bennis's ongoing references to William Shakespeare. Do you agree with Bennis's premise that people purposefully choose to avoid negative comments? Or, is our aversion to negativity an unconscious act? What do you think of Bennis's theory that we do what we believe we should without considering whether or not we are moving toward what we desire?
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which introduces you to the concepts of power and politics as they are considered within the business world. This section closely examines Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple Inc., and the ways in which he used a variety of power strategies to achieve business success.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which addresses the meaning of power. Power ultimately can be considered to be one's ability to influence others, a skill that all managers need to possess, regardless of their level of management within an organization. This section also discusses the negative and positive consequences of power as it is used by managers.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which discusses and defines different types of power. As you are learning about these different types of power, keep in mind that all managers have a dominant style of power – a style they are most comfortable with. But if a manager relies only on utilizing one type of power, he or she may find him- or herself in situations in which his or her management loses some of its effectiveness. A good manager has to develop an understanding of all types of power and then uses that understanding to shape how he or she will respond within any given situation.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which discusses how to interpret, manage, and prioritize organizational politics. As you will see, lack of opportunity often leads to feelings of contempt and jealousy in the workplace. One example provided in this section is the absence of upward mobility within a given company. If employees believe there is an absence of these opportunities, they in turn may perceive the organization as being overly political. This section offers you strategies to help minimize the politics within your organization and promote a more harmonious environment.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which emphasizes the benefits of working towards improving internal and external social networking. In today's management environment, no one should overlook or underestimate the power of social networking. As you read, focus on the discussion of social networking as it applies to management, as well as the section's analysis of social networking's influence on an organization's ability to remain relevant within the marketplace.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which examines how ethics and culture impact power. Having power without the ability to exercise some level of control will inevitably lead to a variety of ethical challenges. This potential for the misuse of power increases significantly when a company makes the decision to conduct business globally. Regardless of the setting and field in which a business operates, an organization should consider how power is harnessed and applied, and how it can be used to minimize or eliminate cultural or ethical challenges.
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Students mustMark as done
Read sections 13.8 and 13.9, which review the tools necessary to create a thriving work environment. Earlier in this course, you were introduced to the concept of social networking and its impact on an organization's ability to remain competitive and relevant. As you read this section's real-life application of social networking, keep in mind that before you can actually apply any of these concepts in an organizational setting, you have to first understand how these concepts impact you individually. Too often individuals mismanage themselves and prematurely claim to possess the tools needed to properly manage strategic business environments. Throughout your studies in this course, you should be applying important concepts to your own business studies and analyzing how you can use this information to achieve individual success in management.
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How is a team different than a group? In this unit, we will discuss team and group development, the characteristics of teams and groups, and what an effective team looks like.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.
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Students mustMark as done
Read the introduction and section 3.1, which discusses the concept of teamwork through an analysis of GE's employee practices. Once you have finished this unit of the course, you may want to return to this case study and reexamine it to solidify your knowledge of concepts related to teamwork.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which discusses both formal and informal group dynamics. Pay particular attention to the foundational model of team and group development. There are a number of other models for team development available, but the Tuckman model is one of the most popular in today's business world. This section also introduces a more radical approach to understanding groups and teams that is known as punctuated equilibrium. This model of team-building is based on the idea that teams go through periods of stability and periods of rapid change. What happens during these alternating periods is what makes this approach to managing teams so unique.
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Students mustMark as doneRead this article, which explains team and group formation and development. Pay particular attention to the section describing the five stages of group development.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which identifies the main characteristics of a team. Note that a group and a team are not always one and the same. This section discusses the foundational distinctions that differentiate the two. Make sure you fully understand these differences before you move on.
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Students mustMark as done
Read the collection of articles under Defining Teams and Teamwork. Start with the sub-section titled "Defining a Team" and read through the sub-section titled "Differences between Groups and Teams". This page describes the components of teams and groups, along with the pros and cons of effective teamwork.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which discusses how managers strategize when forming teams. Establishing team norms is an essential part of the team-building process. This section covers how to host team meetings and how to use various strategies in order to efficiently and effectively guide a team.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this section, which examines some of the common challenges that managers typically face when presiding over workplace teams. After you read this section, consider the following question: How have some of these concepts been applied to some of your own workplace situations? If you have never participated in a team, look at some of the case studies presented in this course with the goal of applying the specific insights presented in this section.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this article and consider Dr. Lafair's process for team formation. Think about whether or not this process can be consistently successful. Might there be situations in which team development might not ever get to the perform stage? Might there be situations in which a team might be consistently successful, yet not reach the transforming stage? What situations might render the transforming stage ineffective?
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How do you run a team? In this unit, we will discuss building a winning team, including how to manage conflict and delegate responsibilities.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this article and consider the following questions: Why are diverse teams so common in the modern business world? What are the differences between diverse and homogeneous teams? What are some of the challenges, advantages, and pitfalls of diverse teams? Why are Dr. Maznevski's three stages to implementing a high-performing team essential to a team's performance?
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Students mustMark as done
As you read this article, consider the following questions: Why do organizations need teamwork? Why do employees need teamwork? What is team-building, and when should teams engage in team-building activities? What characteristics are present in high-performing teams, and what characteristics are present in dysfunctional teams? How can team-building exercises help these two types of teams?
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Students mustMark as done
Watch this video about the importance of surrounding yourself with positive people in order to become a strong leader.
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Students mustMark as done
Read this article and consider the following questions: Why is team-building important to an organization? How can team-building activities improve team performance? Do you currently work in a team environment? If so, does your team implement any of the steps noted in this article to build a winning team? How does this process affect the team's performance?
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Students mustMark as done
Reflect on the article you have just read about building a winning team. What roles have you played as part of a team in your own work environment? Do you prefer to work alone or with others, based on your past experiences with teamwork? Share your thoughts on these questions in the course discussion forum by clicking on the link above and creating a free account (if you have not already done so). Read the responses that other students have posted and post your own comments on the forum. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with your peers and to receive meaningful feedback of your own.
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Students mustMark as done
As you read this article, consider the following questions: Why does conflict occur? What is your own typical conflict style? How can you improve the way you currently handle conflict?
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Students mustMark as done
Read this article and consider the following questions: Why is delegation an important management skill? Why do managers hesitate to delegate? How can planning help managers improve delegation results? In your current job, do you delegate as often as you should? If not, why?
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Please take a few minutes to give us feedback about this course. We appreciate your feedback, whether you completed the whole course or even just a few resources. Your feedback will help us make our courses better, and we use your feedback each time we make updates to our courses.
If you come across any urgent problems, email contact@saylor.org.
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Take this exam if you want to earn a free Course Completion Certificate.
To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt.
Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate.
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Students mustReceive a gradeReceive a passing grade
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