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Hi, I'm John
And I'm Natalie
And this is our presentation on the best ways to set up and manage
work roles in virtual teams
Katie, Chad, Annie, and Jeff are all taking an online introduction to
business communications course through their university
They must work as a team to write a research report about the
evolving role of technology in business
Katie and Chad are both domestic students
While Jeff is an international student from China
The three of them are living on campus this semester
While Annie, another domestic student, is abroad in Europe
Although the team has been trying to work individually, they are failing
to accomplish anything as a whole, and their rough draft deadline is quickly approaching
Katie and Chad believe the team may be struggling because they
failed to assign group roles at the beginning of the project
The group contacted Natalie and I, the UA's for the class for some guidance
Here's some advice we had to offer
First of all, socialize and get to know one another's personalities
And see if any natural roles occur based off of that
This isn't about getting any work done, but just getting to know everyone in your group
If roles still aren't apparent, try taking a personality test, such as the HBDI or Clifton Strengths Assessment
to see where each individual would be strongest in the group
From there, your group should try to align roles with strengths and interests
Keep in mind, in a work setting your specific duties may already be assigned
However, informal roles may emerge based off personality
Will Schultz developed the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientations Behavior
or FIRO-B to help understand interpersonal behavior in teams
According to the theory people fall into team roles based on
their own needs in relation to the needs of other team members
Some roles include the energizer, who insists on covering the
and then pushes the team towards decision making and action
the Initiator, who begins discussions generates ideas and ensures
that the problems and procedures are addressed
The Clarifier, who summarizies facts and data and keeps everyone
in the team up to speed
and Lastly, the Task Master, who keeps the group focused while
avoiding unnecessary conversation
In our scenario Chad is very motivated and enthusiastic
So he may serve as the teams Energizer
Someone who pushes the project forward
Annie is very direct and meticulous
So she may serve as the teams Task Master
Someone who keeps the team focused on their goals
After assigning roles the team should develop a group contract
that outlines expectations
In the workplace, expectations align with company and industry culture
So, there is no need for contracts
However in a student setting, they help students to develop
habits and practices that are needed for collaboration in the workforce
In the work setting, employees are really focused on the project
rather than their grades, everyone will succeed or fail together
Since taking our advice, Chad, Katie, Jeff, and Annie have changed the course of their project
and are on their way to success
If your team follows our recommendations for establishing
and managing team roles from the start it will also develop a strong
foundation for its lifetime
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