Blake Sports Apparel : Bringing Executive Team Together

The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate effective strategies for leading diverse groups at various levels of an organization while fostering collaboration and compassion. Review the case, Blake Sports Apparel and Switch Active wear: Bringing the Executive Team Together. Consider the criteria for successful teams and the factors needed to ensure teams are structured for success. Write a 750-1,000 word plan describing the steps necessary to create more successful teams at various levels in an organization by utilizing the events outlined in the case. Address the following questions and concepts in your paper. Be sure to support your rationale by providing specific examples. You are required to include three to five additional references to support your position. Define the characteristics and structure of successful teams. Describe how independent teams are vital to organizational success. Discuss the important factors to consider when leading teams within the various levels of an organization. Discuss specifically which factors are important to consider when leading teams at the executive level. Describe the aspects that are essential in identifying appropriate members for teams and ensuring the teams are successfully launched. Discuss the important factors for ongoing team dynamics. Describe guidelines to evaluate the function and productivity of teams. Describe strategies that can create collaboration and leadership initiative among team members. Based on the content provided in the case, explain the action that Barker can take to improve collaboration among the team members. Compassion is a significant attribute of many religions and philosophies, as well as being important for both authentic and servant leadership. From a Christian worldview perspective, discuss how would you empower your teams as a leader through compassion, honoring diversity, engaging team members in civil discourse, and supporting equality for all members as they work toward a common goal.Blake Sports Apparel : Bringing Executive Team Together

Define the characteristics and structure of successful teams. Describe how independent teams are vital to organizational success.

There are four main characteristics of successful teams. The first characteristic is strong leadership that is able to clarify the team goals, direct other team members to stay on task, and resolve conflict. The team leader has the responsibility of ensuring that all the team members stay on task, contribute to overall goals, and work well together. In addition, leaders who are considered strong must be confident, consistent and committed, and must also be able to help instill the same values to the team members. Besides that, strong leadership allows the team to have a clear structure of responsibilities and roles that result in a successful team (Weiss, Tappen & Grimley, 2019).

The second characteristic is common goals. If the team is to reach its full potential, then all the team members must be willing to subordinate their personal goals for the good of the team. Without agreeing on a purpose as defined by the goals, the team cannot work in unison. Ambiguous goals would result in the team members misinterpreting the team’s strategies and objectives for themselves, and this would ultimately cause confusion and friction among the team members who would then begin working against each other (Weiss, Tappen & Grimley, 2019).

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The third characteristic is diversity. Although having a common goal is imperative for a successful team, diversity in perspectives on how to achieve the common goal would be equally important. Diversity is not just important in the demographics, but is also important in other areas such as personal interests, personality traits, and work expertise. Multiple perspectives of the same problems can help to present potential avenues to success that may not emerge from a team without diversity. Besides that, constructive conflict that arises from diversity positively impacts success as it enables the members to challenge each other’s strategies and ideas, which can lead to the most creative and efficient solutions to problems (Weiss, Tappen & Grimley, 2019).

The final characteristic is trust as it allows for a great working relationship. From trusting the ability of the team leader to lead to trusting the other members of the team to listen to and consider all contributions, great teamwork that is inherent in successful teams hinges on mutual respect. All the team members, including the leader, must exhibit trustworthiness by being honest about expertise and skills, persistent in their resolve, and consistent in their actions (Weiss, Tappen & Grimley, 2019). These four characteristic and structure help in shaping successful teams.Blake Sports Apparel : Bringing Executive Team Together

Discuss the important factors to consider when leading teams within the various levels of an organization. Discuss specifically which factors are important to consider when leading teams at the executive level.

There are five main factors to be considered when leading successful teams. The first factor is commitment to the values and purpose of the team so that it has a clear sense of direction. The leader must help the team members to understand how their contributions fit into the team goals even as they agree that the team goals are achievable and aligned with other team objectives. Commitment helps to create synergy within the team. The second factor is contribution in terms of the initiative that the team members expend and the skills they possess. Contribution ensures that things get done as the team members should responsibilities. The third factor is communication as it improves the capacity of the team members to work together and reach their full potential even as they risk making mistakes, share ideas, ask for help and express their thoughts. The fourth factor is cooperation help to match the efforts of the team members and create interdependence. It helps to support synergy by ensuring spirit, timeliness, creativity, accuracy and follow-through. The fifth factor is conflict management that help to manage differences brought about by diverse thinkers. This factor allows for the conflict to be harnessed and turned into a strength for the team (Stanley, 2017).

Describe the aspects that are essential in identifying appropriate members for teams and ensuring the teams are successfully launched.

There are five aspects that must be considered as essential in identifying the appropriate team members and ensuring that the team is successfully launched. Firstly, there is need to have an excellent communicator who is able to work with others from a variety of backgrounds. Secondly, should be highly organized and able to know what is happening at every step of the team activities. This would allow the member to leverage available techniques and tools to stay organized even when under significant stress. Thirdly, should have strong ability to read people in order to know how to communicate with the other team members and express ideas, as well as avoid conflict. Fourthly, should be skilled and knowledgeable with the ability to accurately estimate resource needs for assigned tasks and responsibilities. Finally, should be self-assured with the ability to politely but firmly stand his/ground when faced with opposition from others. This would require the individual to clearly convey needs and stand up for the team’s best interests even when facing with roadblocks (Finkelman, 2019).

Discuss the important factors for ongoing team dynamics. Describe guidelines to evaluate the function and productivity of teams.

There are five important factors for ongoing team dynamics, which would help with evaluating the function and productivity of the team. Firstly, open communication that allows the team members to express themselves. Secondly, empowerment that gives the team members the right to make decisions concerning the work that the team is doing. Thirdly, clear roles and responsibilities to ensure that all team members what is expected of them, and knowing whom they can count on for help with the work. Fourthly, effective leadership that sets clear goals, gives clear direction, shares experiences, emphasizes positive rather than negative, builds cohesiveness, appreciates contributions, and offers feedback. Finally, reward and accountability system to ensure that team members take responsibility for their efforts (Finkelman, 2019).

Describe strategies that can create collaboration and leadership initiative among team members. Based on the content provided in the case, explain the action that Barker can take to improve collaboration among the team members.

There are seven strategies that can be applied to create team collaboration. The first strategy is communicating the expected outcomes. For the team to success, each member must understand expectations otherwise there is a possibility that some of the team members will unknowingly fail to fulfil their responsibilities. The second strategy is organizing individual tasks to help with leveraging individual strengths and wasting time with group activities. Blake Sports Apparel : Bringing Executive Team Together The third strategy is creating transparent roles so that the team members are aware of what others are working on and do not feel left out. The fourth strategy is organizing team building activities to help break the ice, build new relationships and develop strong bonds. The fifth strategy is rewarding collaboration thereby showing recognition for the expected collaborative behavior. This would encourage the other team members to collaborate. The sixth strategy is having the right leaders who can lead and manage the team while focusing on the team objective and supporting relationships within the team. The final strategy is developing a shared and compelling cause that helps to inspire the team members so that they are motivated to collaborate in pursuing the identified cause (Groysberg & Baden, 2019; Weiss, Tappen & Grimley, 2019).

Compassion is a significant attribute of many religions and philosophies, as well as being important for both authentic and servant leadership. From a Christian worldview perspective, discuss how would you empower your teams as a leader through compassion, honoring diversity, engaging team members in civil discourse, and supporting equality for all members as they work toward a common goal.

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Christian worldview offers a unique perspective on leadership. Firstly, it requires alignment among the team members and leader so that they have a clear and shared purpose. This makes it easier for the team members to be committed to realize the shared purpose in a common and coherent way. Secondly, it requires that all members have clear roles. The leader would help the members to clarify their roles. Thirdly, it requires accepted, competent and clear leadership to orchestrate and facilitate the achievement of its goals. Leadership must not be based on a static position, but must instead be based on dynamic response to individual roles and encountered needs (Bogosh, 2015). Fourthly, it requires effective team processes in terms of how the team functions and interacts as it resolves conflicts, solves problems and makes decisions. Helping, facilitating and encouraging the team members to work together is a key role for Christian leaders. Fifthly, it requires solid relationships that are about working well together, even as it engenders trust and appreciation of other team members to enable the team to collectively deal with conflicts, misunderstandings and setbacks. Finally, it requires excellent communications so that members understand how to share information in a way that others can understand, and assume responsibility for ensures that incoming communications are understood (Mauk & Hobus, 2020). Blake Sports Apparel : Bringing Executive Team Together

References

Bogosh, C. W. (2015). Biblical Medicine: Developing a Christian Worldview for Medical Science. Createspace Independent Publishers.

Finkelman, A. (2019). Professional Nursing Concepts: Competencies for Quality Leadership (4^th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

Groysberg, B., & Baden, K. C. (2017). Blake Sports Apparel and Switch Activewear: Bringing the Executive Team Together. Harvard Business School Case 417-048.

Mauk, K. L., & Hobus, M. (2020). Nursing as Ministry. Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

Stanley, D. (2017). Clinical Leadership in Nursing and Healthcare: Values into Action (2^nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Weiss, S. A., Tappen, R. M., & Grimley, K. (2019). Essentials of Nursing Leadership & Management (7^th ed.). F. A. Davis Company.

Blake Sports Apparel : Bringing Executive Team Together