Today is Shrove Tuesday and on Monday we were set a challenge which was based on the skills which we have already developed since we started the course.
As a team, we decided that we was going to sell pancakes with added toppings. As part of the challenge we had to answer a series of questions. Below are the questions answered
1) What are the top five benefits to working in a team on a challenge?The top five benefits of working in a team on a challenge for me are;
- More ideas and creativity; ‘two heads are better than one’. Working within other people which all have different strengths and skills can help develop a range of ideas, and the more ideas which are developed the more creative routes which occur.
- Breaks the challenge down into smaller tasks. Each team member can then contribute to the overall achievement of the group
- Learn from each other mistakes and past experiences.
- Motivation, encouragement and support. When working in a team, everybody wants the same outcome and the environment of support and motivation which is created when working in a team encourages you to do the best you can as you don’t want to let everyone down. It also makes you understand that it’s ok to make mistakes, and your other team members will be there to help you pick up the pieces.
- Varied skills. Not everyone has the same skills, and within a team there will be people which are stronger in some skills than others which can work to the advantage of the team in most situations. Working in a team also helps you develop your own skills, by learning off other team members.
- More ideas and creativity; ‘two heads are better than one’. Working within other people which all have different strengths and skills can help develop a range of ideas, and the more ideas which are developed the more creative routes which occur.
- Breaks the challenge down into smaller tasks. Each team member can then contribute to the overall achievement of the group
- Learn from each other mistakes and past experiences.
- Motivation, encouragement and support. When working in a team, everybody wants the same outcome and the environment of support and motivation which is created when working in a team encourages you to do the best you can as you don’t want to let everyone down. It also makes you understand that it’s ok to make mistakes, and your other team members will be there to help you pick up the pieces.
- Varied skills. Not everyone has the same skills, and within a team there will be people which are stronger in some skills than others which can work to the advantage of the team in most situations. Working in a team also helps you develop your own skills, by learning off other team members.
2) What has made your team effective, or what would have made your team effective? My team was effective because we;- Supported each other; everyone within the team supported each other to achieve their goals. This is so that the best outcome was achieved by the team; we all helped one another to completed tasks.
- Motivated each other; Motivating each other helped keep everyone on track. The teams’ main motivation was to win the challenge and be better than the other team. - Communicated effectively; Whilst planning our ideas out, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each idea which then enabled us to take, what we thought, the best ideas forward.
- Set targets; Each member had their own target to complete a small task; this would either be marketing material or financial costing of the products.
To make our team more effective, I think we could have had a clearer vision of what we wanted to achieve, so when pitching we knew exactly what is we were going to achieve.
- Motivated each other; Motivating each other helped keep everyone on track. The teams’ main motivation was to win the challenge and be better than the other team. - Communicated effectively; Whilst planning our ideas out, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each idea which then enabled us to take, what we thought, the best ideas forward.
- Set targets; Each member had their own target to complete a small task; this would either be marketing material or financial costing of the products.
To make our team more effective, I think we could have had a clearer vision of what we wanted to achieve, so when pitching we knew exactly what is we were going to achieve.
3) How did your team start to work together? How did the team leader get the team working together? What was their management style? Could their style have been improved, if so how and why? The team started to work together by discussing the different ideas we had which were related to Pancake Day and how they could develop. By sharing ideas, it sparked others off and developed some original ideas which we took forward. From then on we worked on the pitch together factorising the costs of activities which we would be undertaking, the sourcing of the products and the return on capital invested (projected sales/income).
Our team leader, Kyran, got the team working together by encouraging each member to contribute as well as asking everyone what they thought about a certain idea.
Kyran management/leadership style was participative, as he wanted all team input before making a final decision. This style was effective and worked well most of the time, but where this style is relaxed sometimes team members weren’t sure on what was needed to be completed? When it needed to be completed by? Kyran was an effective leader, to improve I think that he needs to delegate tasks more effectively as this would ensure team members as to what they needed to complete.
Our team leader, Kyran, got the team working together by encouraging each member to contribute as well as asking everyone what they thought about a certain idea.
Kyran management/leadership style was participative, as he wanted all team input before making a final decision. This style was effective and worked well most of the time, but where this style is relaxed sometimes team members weren’t sure on what was needed to be completed? When it needed to be completed by? Kyran was an effective leader, to improve I think that he needs to delegate tasks more effectively as this would ensure team members as to what they needed to complete.
4) How would/have you controlled/control conflict within your team? What methods would be useful for this? There wasn’t any real conflict within the group, but when there the group discussed the point of conflict, how it will benefit the group if we undertake the point and how it will affect us if we don’t. We also held votes, where the majority won. This was effective as everyone voted for the result they wanted, no one had the overall say and therefore was a team agreement.
5) What have you contributed to your team? How can you prove that you have actually done anything? Were you an effective member of the team? What would you do differently next time? I contributed my ideas to the group, getting involved with the planning and costing of all activities which were undertaken. I also helped create the marketing material which was designed and create as well as the Preferably Pancakes twitter and YouTube accounts.
I believe I was an effective team member as I got involved and contributed ideas and skills to the teams overall achievement.
Next time I will encourage all members of the team to get involved with the challenge.
I believe I was an effective team member as I got involved and contributed ideas and skills to the teams overall achievement.
Next time I will encourage all members of the team to get involved with the challenge.
6) How did you meet your targets that were set by yourself and the team? How did your own skills help to achieve these targets? The group meet our targets by setting deadlines which our team leader insisted we meet. We all shared ideas and contributed different skills which all contributed to the completion of our targets.
7) What are the skills needed by a leader? Do you have them or could you emulate them from someone in your group? Who is the one person that you believe is a great leader?The skills which I perceive a leader to need are;
- Ability to delegate
- Confident
- Open minded
- Assertive
- Ability to make decisions and work under pressure.
I don’t believe I have the skills to be an effective leader, but undertaking challenges where working in a team and having a leader is essential I’ll be able to develop these skills and emulate them off other people.
The one person that I believe is a great leader is Richard Branson, this is because he makes his employees believe in his vision so that he achieves what he set out to achieve.
- Ability to delegate
- Confident
- Open minded
- Assertive
- Ability to make decisions and work under pressure.
I don’t believe I have the skills to be an effective leader, but undertaking challenges where working in a team and having a leader is essential I’ll be able to develop these skills and emulate them off other people.
The one person that I believe is a great leader is Richard Branson, this is because he makes his employees believe in his vision so that he achieves what he set out to achieve.
8) What did your team mates think of you and how have you interpreted this information and evaluated it for the next time? My team members thought I was valuable team member as I worked well with all team members meet my targets/deadlines and contributed my ideas and skills where I could. I have interpreted this information as my key skill is working within a team and pulling everything together. This is good to know as in future team challenges I will be able to input this into the team.
9) What have you learnt about team work and the importance of it? I have learnt that when working within a team it essential that you work together, towards the same targets and have the same vision. That you communicate effectively, support and motivate each other! Otherwise without these key skills the team will lose concentration on what they set out to achieve , and break apart and conflict will occur.
I enjoyed the task, working with different people and learning how each worked and the different skills which were within the team. My team worked together well, and we achieved alot.
Jemma
9) What have you learnt about team work and the importance of it? I have learnt that when working within a team it essential that you work together, towards the same targets and have the same vision. That you communicate effectively, support and motivate each other! Otherwise without these key skills the team will lose concentration on what they set out to achieve , and break apart and conflict will occur.
I enjoyed the task, working with different people and learning how each worked and the different skills which were within the team. My team worked together well, and we achieved alot.
Jemma
