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Assessment 3: Team Performance Evaluation

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Subject code & name

Executive Summary

This report critically evaluates the performance of our team in completing the first two

assessments for this course. With the help of knowledge obtained during the course, we analyze

the advantages and disadvantages of the team composition, division of roles and responsibilities,

and work processes. By reviewing the processes that this team followed, the roles and

responsibilities of the members, and the specific difficulties they encountered, this report shows

how individual, team, and context factors influenced the team outcomes. Based on the findings,

recommendations are made to improve team performance in future collaborations, including

clearer role definition, better conflict resolution, and the application of relevant team

management frameworks.
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Table of contents

Assessment 3: Team Performance Evaluation............................................................................4

Background................................................................................................................................4

Team Formation and Dynamics...............................................................................................5

Team Roles and Responsibilities..............................................................................................5

Challenges and Contextual Impacts.........................................................................................6

Performance and Evaluation....................................................................................................7

Recommendations / Action Plan...............................................................................................7

Conclusion......................................................................................................................................9

References.....................................................................................................................................10
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Assessment 3: Team Performance Evaluation

While our team completed the first two assessments, the process revealed several areas

for improvement. The main concern was the lack of clarity of roles, which resulted in problems

and imbalance of work distribution where some members were more overloaded compared to

others. Disruptions in communication were also reported and resulted into work delays and

redoing since there was no harmony. However, the team was not effective in conflict resolution

so some issues were left unsolved causing a negative effect on the progress. It is evident that

understanding Tuckman’s stages of group development could have helped in anticipating the

potential for conflict and control change across the forming, storming, and norming phases.

Besides, applying Belbin’s Team Role Theory could have been constructive in assigning roles

from competence and skills hence making the process efficient. This report offers actionable

recommendations to address these challenges and improve team dynamics for future projects,

with insights that will be valuable both academically and in professional settings.

Background

Our team was formed to complete assessments 1 and 2, which required collaboration to

tackle real-world business problems. It was insightful because it was done in groups and each

member had a role of conducting research, group discussion, and presentation. However, there

were several complexities or issues related to context, which influenced our performance right

from the beginning of the project in terms of scheduling, communication, and commitment.

Since the members of the team were selected based on their strengths they all had different

backgrounds and this created confusion during the first phase because roles and responsibilities

were not well defined. Moreover, concerns like the lack of time and other obligations also made

the process even more challenging. However, it should be pointed out that as a team, at least we
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managed to progress even though in a limited manner and at a slower pace than expected.

Understanding these dynamics and their effect on performance will inform our evaluation of

team processes and help us pinpoint areas for improvement.

Team Formation and Dynamics

Our team went through the classic stages of group development as described in

Tuckman’s model, which includes forming, storming, norming, and performing (Tuckman,

1965). During the forming phase, the team did not have proper communication and was not sure

what was expected of them. Individuals avoided voicing their opinions, and it was challenging to

ascertain responsibility resulting in some unproductiveness during the initial days. The storming

phase then ensued characterized by conflicts as the various members had divergent expectations

regarding the tasks and how best to tackle them. This had implications of tension and retarded

speed. However, as we moved to the norming phase, there were structures in place that helped

the group define better communication and teamwork relationships. That way, we divided work

based on each person’s strengths and this was effective in making the flow and coordination

much better. However, the performing phase was not very effective because on some occasions

we continued to experience some hitches attributed to external pressure and minor unresolved

conflicts. Reflecting on this model, the team would have benefited from a clearer and earlier

emphasis on role definition and conflict resolution strategies.

Team Roles and Responsibilities

The roles played by each team member varied, and while some individuals excelled,

others struggled due to unclear expectations. For example, one member naturally took on the role

of team leader, often guiding discussions and making final decisions. However, this created an

imbalance, as the leader became overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility and the absence of
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other team members taking initiative. Other team members gravitated towards research and

analysis, but without clear task delegation, some did not contribute as expected, leading to

frustration and missed deadlines. According to Meredith Belbin’s (2011) Team Role Theory,

there is an ideal balance of roles in a high-functioning team, such as “Plant” for creative ideas,

“Shaper” for driving progress, and “Implementer” for turning plans into action. Unfortunately,

we did not adequately identify and leverage these roles, which contributed to performance

inefficiencies. In future projects, a more structured approach to role assignment based on

individual strengths is crucial to avoid overburdening a few members and ensure balanced

contributions.

Challenges and Contextual Impacts

The primary challenges faced by the team were related to communication and external

pressures. Initially, the interaction was somewhat synchronous and there were times when some

members of the team may not be very active in as much as providing updates or posting

comments. This led to a situation where a lot of conflict was rife internally and most decisions

were delayed for a long time. Further, factors outside the program such as time schedules, and

other engagements interfered with the progression and coordination of our meetings. Based on

the discussion of contextual dynamics in Module 5, it’s clear that variables like organizational

culture, workload, as well as stimuli have a huge impact on team performance. Some of these

were contextual factors that influenced the work of the team; for instance, many time

management issues attributed to the sudden change of availability of other members of the team.

These problems pushed the group members to feel more disconnected and angered, which led to

the lower morale and productivity of the group. It is evident that a clearer communication
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strategy, supported by effective time management tools, would have reduced these barriers and

improved overall team dynamics.

Performance and Evaluation

When evaluating the team’s performance, it is clear that there were mixed results. On one

hand, we managed to complete the tasks required for the assessments, demonstrating our ability

to collaborate and deliver results under pressure. On the other hand, the process was far from

smooth, and several areas of performance could have been improved. First, the lack of role

clarity at the beginning slowed down progress. In the norming stage, team members began to

engage more fully, but by then, time constraints made it difficult to fully implement changes. In

terms of the team’s process, we exhibited strengths in brainstorming and research but struggled

with conflict management and prioritization. As noted in Module 6, teams benefit from early

identification of potential conflicts and the establishment of clear communication channels. Had

these elements been addressed earlier, our performance would have been more efficient, and the

outcome might have been stronger.

Recommendations / Action Plan

To enhance our team's performance in future assignments, the first key recommendation

is to establish clear role assignments from the very beginning. This way, each one is acquainted

with his/her roles and duties hence dismissing misunderstanding and slacking. Using Meredith

Belbin’s (2011) Team Role Theory, roles can be assigned according to one’s competency, and

this means that every team member’s strengths shall be put to optimal use. For instance, some

may be outgoing and capable of providing leadership to the group while others may be best at

research or generating new ideas. Assigning roles based on aptitudes not only distributes the

workload evenly but also fosters responsibility and commitment. Additionally, setting clear
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expectations for each role from the start, along with regular check-ins, ensures that no team

member feels disconnected or unclear about their duties, minimizing delays and

misunderstandings.

Another critical recommendation is to improve communication across the team, which

will significantly streamline our processes and ensure smoother collaboration. Our main

shortcomings involved communication and collaboration, which necessitates basic

organizational solutions, such as working with documents and utilizing project management

tools to address tasks and disseminate knowledge. Google Docs or other similar tools such as

Trello or Slack will assist in keeping everyone up to date as well as monitor the progress.

Through these tools, it is possible to input information more dynamically and also share

information in real-time hence not spending a lot of time in several meetings as well as in writing

emails. Furthermore, weekly checkpoints will foster clear and timely communication in case of

any problem while also making certain that each member of the team understands what the

others are doing to avoid duplication and/or lack of coordination.

Lastly, conflict management is an area that needs significant improvement within our

team. Earlier, the conflict arose due to the different attitudes towards strategies and goals that

impacted the group dynamics negatively. To avoid this, the communication and conflict

resolution strategies employed should be more structured including pre-planned conflict

checkpoints or regular group meetings which can allow the members to air their issues. For

instance, one member may experience a problem with another member’s work, and by listening

to each other, the issue can be solved before even getting worse. Reduction in negative

interaction will help in developing a culture whereby each individual feels appreciated. Through
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the execution of these practices, we will be able to foster a positive change in workplace health

and team dynamics to enhance the capacity for collaboration in future endeavors.

Conclusion

While our team completed the first two assessments, the process revealed key areas for

improvement that impacted efficiency and effectiveness. One of the main challenges was that

some of them did not know their roles and responsibilities while others were overloaded with

tasks. There was also confusion about the objectives of the project, which arose due to poor

communication in the initial phases of the project. Also, conflict resolution was another issue of

concern especially when it came to disagreement on how to accomplish a given task. As a result,

understanding and applying concepts such as Tuckman’s stages of group development and

Belbin’s Team Role Theory during the implementation of future projects would be valuable. The

measures suggested in this report should help prevent such problems, thereby promoting

improved teamwork. These insights are not only valuable for this course but also applicable to

real-world work settings.

References

Meredith Belbin, R. (2011). Management teams: Why they succeed or fail. Human Resource

Management International Digest, 19(3).

Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological bulletin, 63(6),

384.