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Week 5: High Performance Teams - Discussion

Highly Effective Team s (graded)

What characteristics differentiate a high-performance team from the normal/average team?

Responses Response Being a Member of a High Performance Team Author Professor Orr Date/Time 6/1/2013 9:37:49 AM

Have you ever been part of a high-performance team or w itnessed one in action? If so, share your experience w ith the class. What qualities made this team high performance? Regards, Susan

RE: Being a Mem ber of a High Perform ance Team

Jennifer Gherardini

6/2/2013 8:14:21 PM

I have not been part of a high performance team, but w hen I think of a high-performance I think of Army teams, such as infantry. If they are a high-performance team they w ork together like a w ell oiled machine. They know everyone's strengths and w eaknesses and they complement each other in a w ay that balances those out. A plus is w hen they know each other so w ell that they seem to know w hat each other is thinking. Also the longer they w ork together on similar "projects" the more they know w hat each w ill do in each situation. Any conflicts are handled at the very low est level and they all agree how conflicts w ill be handled.

RE: Being a Mem ber of a High Perform ance Team

Sydney William s

6/3/2013 10:52:19 PM

I have had the pleasure in being part of a high-performance team in the military. Our administration team exceeded all challenges with excellence. Every member of the administration team was either sailor of the quarter or sailor of the year. Everyone on the team was highly skilled and also any one on the team can lead on a project. I believe the qualities that made our team high performance are: Great Communication - all ideas were welcomed and everyone was encouraged to share ideas. Well-Defined Roles - Each member knew their jobs and stayed focus on his/her roles. Valued Diversity - We all come from different backgrounds and expertise adds more value to the team. High Sense of Accountability- Everyone on the team is held to very high standards. I believe no matter how great the individuals of a high performance team maybe, but true greatness is working in the team concept to achieve the common goal. Goal Oriented - Always keep the team goal in mind.

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RE: Being a Member of a High Performance Team

Isaac Oyan

6/3/2013 11:54:53 PM

I had an opportunity of being a member of a high performance team in the past. A project was launched sometimes but the project failed due to some logistics and government regulations then, the management looked at the performance of the team that handled the project and there were a lot of flaws on the part of that team, hence the need to inaugurate another team to revisit the project because the project is of utmost importance to the community, that was how our team came on board and at last we laugh last because we really achieved the goal of the project and within the budget. the followings are the secret of our success: Team Spirit: Every member of the team see each other as one, and we work towards the same goal and nobody allow his/her own interest to jeopardize the interest of the group. Communication: The communication within the team and with the upper management was superb, because every team member were carried along with what is going on the project. Our team went deep down to know why and what made the first team to fail? We really explored all resources to see that we achieved our goal. No stone unturned: Every necessary steps that needs to be taken were taken to see that we achieved our goal. We didn't cut corner as the first team did which made them to fail. Unity in Diversity: All team members were able to accommodate each others despite their individual difference, this really help in working together and the result was achieved.

RE: Being a Member of a High Performance Team

Dw ayne Grant

6/4/2013 9:23:52 PM

I see a lot of my classmates mentioned the armed force when it comes to teams, and I actually concur with this statement. The soldiers, marines and sailor have to depend on each other for their survival and their life. Unfortunately the corporate section has trouble with teamwork unless it is a high performance organization or a project team. Some of the qualities of high performance teams are execution, and that is getting most people in your organization to function at a high level. So a performance organization can get most of the right peopleto do the right thingat the right time.

RE: Being a Mem ber of a High Perform ance Team

Em re Karakus

6/5/2013 5:13:06 PM

I have been in four years ago w hile I w as a developer of a softw are project. I have no experience w ith other
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industries, in softw are industry self motivation and closer relations in team is one of the important parameter. If the problem is analyzed w ell and team has a good leader w hich is not only project manager high-performance can be kept until completing the project. Problems has different difficulties and ability to solve it is a distinguishing talent it may be in a w ar or in critical time in life. leaders are the only roles w hich helps to solve it by finding the right person.

RE: Being a Mem ber of a High Perform ance Team

Derek Am berson

6/5/2013 7:45:27 PM

The only high performance team I have been part of w as my 2007 detachment. We deployed to the middle east and w as so successful that w e became the model for all detachments to follow for both coasts. The reason w e w ere so successful w as that leadership of the team listened to proposals, took action on the ones that w ere even mediocre. The low est person w ant to ensure the team succeeded so they looked for w ays to improve. Since their suggestions w ere take on they w ere w illing to make more. This improved the lines of communication and free flow of ideas. The team w as able to fix the big issues fast and tackle the small ones that plagued other detachments. By the time w e w ere done, w e had successfully completed 105% of our missions, did it at the low est cost per flight hour, and had such a high level of moral that the team still talks to this day, even though w e have all gone our separate w ays. This is w hat makes a team great.

RE: Being a Mem ber of a High Perform ance Team

Desm ond Callow ay

6/5/2013 10:34:49 PM

I can truly attest to being a member of a high performance team thanks to service in the Marines. While a Marine Officer Candidate, our Commanding Officer (CO) challenged us to put together a team of Navy and Marine OCs as a performance drill team. We did so and w ere paraded around the unit and campus thanks to the leadership of Rick Baker, USN. He w as very creative in his routines but exact in delivery and to keep up w e had to match. As a Corpsman, he trained w ith and w orked directly w ith Marines so he knew how to relate to us just as easily as his fellow Seamen. We w ere given a final challenge to perform in Mardi Gras. These challenges did nothing more that empow er us to go above and beyond in training for the event. Unfortunately, Mr. Baker w as injured due to a performance misjudgment and had to rotate out. Even being a man dow n, w e w ere able to carry on and w orked even harder to make our team leader proud of our actions. We w ere empow ered by the task at hand and the desire to succeed at all costs. This is one quality of a high performance team that is inherit in the US Armed forces. This and there is a sense of unit cohesion, w here w e are more like a family than a simple team. We felt each other's pain and w orked to make the others proud.

RE: Being a Mem ber of a High Perform ance Team Modified:6/8/2013 1:52 PM

Joseph Miller

6/8/2013 1:49:44 PM

I have been part of several high performance teams but the one that has left the most lasting impression w ould be a fighter/strikefighter aircraft live ordnance upload/dow nload team. I have had the privilege of playing a role as each member of this elite style team by coming up the ranks as a Team Member (TM), then Team Leader (TL), then Quality Assurance Safety Observer (QASO) and finally Ordnance Flightdeck Crew Leader. A team typically consists of 4 TMs, 1 TL, 1 QASO and Crew Leader overseas multiple teams at a time. Synchronicity and clear, precise, loud commands are required during any given live ordnance upload evolution and can be challenging w hen there are several strickfighter aircraft blazing hot jet exhaust dow n your throat as you and the aircraft are battling sound dominance as you TL the commands to your TMs. The QASO ensures everybody is follow ing exact protocol so that w e do not go home in body bags, nor do our shipmates carrying-out other ops on deck. A typical GBU or free falling conventional bomb upload w ith 2 TMs on the nose of the bomb, 2 TMs on the tail of the bomb, 1 TL w orking the bomb rack w hile simultaneously yelling commands and the QASO off to the side observing every move goes as follow s: TL 1. 2. 3. 4. Nose (visual confirm ation from TMs they are ready Tail (visual confirm ation from TMs they are ready) Bring it Up Dow n nose, up tail, up tail I said!!!
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5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Latched fw d Latched aft Ease w eapon Shake w eapon Rack supports w eapon Lock rack De-rig, next station, double tim e Aircrew is w alking and w e have 7 m ore aircraft to upload hooyah!

You are usually given about 45 minutes to completely dow nload the aircraft of unexpended ordnance and upload the new mission for all 8 aircraft w ith as many as 12 bombs and 4 missiles per a/c. These ops are carried out 25/8, in heat indexes as high as 158 degrees F, and every day for as long as 98 days straight (in my experience), before seeing land for 5 days, and then back to w ork for 45 days, land 5, 39 days, land 5, so on and so forth for 12.5 months (my last deployment). This is a high performance team and these ops w ere carried out mishap free, sending all personnel home alive and w ith all ten fingers, all ten toeshooyah!!!

RE: Being a Mem ber of a High Perform ance Team

Mary Hart

6/9/2013 7:12:24 PM

After reading the factors of a high performance team I have realized that I have been part of one. The most relevant factors of that team were: -Each member of the team was totally committed to the team and its goals and objectives. -The members genuinely cared for and supported of each other, which created a true sense of unity. -Strong identity. - High sense of camaraderie. -They were fast learners and we had fun working together.

Reference: Week 5 lecture.

Barriers to High Performance

Professor Orr

6/3/2013 10:44:38 AM

If you have not been part of a high-performance team, w hat kept the teams you have been on from being high performance? Regards, Susan

RE: Barriers to High Performance Modified:6/4/2013 12:37 AM

Isaac Oyan

6/4/2013 12:35:20 AM

Prof, I have never been part of low performance team, however, I have attended a lot of team oriented seminars and trainings and which I will like to share some of the reasons why some team failed or record a very low achievement on the assigned projects. (a) Ineffective leadership: The without effective leadership, it is impossible for have high performance team, because, the leadership will dictate the tempo at which the project will go. The leadership gives direction, in a situation where the leader doesn't know what to do or how to anchor the team, what will happen? failure is looming.

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(b)Lack of goal: Goal is part of any organization or team, it has been noticed that some people do not know how to consistently plan, set and pursuing the goals on a personal basis, how can such person pursue the corporate goal. Every team members must have an understanding of the goal and seek to pursue the goal in order to have a good result after all. (c) Lack of organizational ethics: If the team is going to be high performance, there must be a laid down rules and guidelines on the corporate ethics, what should be done and what should not be done within the team/organization. Individual has his/her own interest in mind and wants to pursue the interest at any time, it is the ethics of the organization that will curb such individual excesses and let the team move forward. "Discipline is a unifying factor while alternate is chaos" (Earnest Shonekan 2004). Things that are ethical or unethical can be judged and dealt with according provided there is organizational ethics in place. (d) Lack of working consistently with the Strategic Plan: A lot of times, the group/team failed to consistently work with the strategic plan and even lack the measurement or comparing the level of work done with the strategic plan of the organization and if there is an deviation, could they trace and aligned with the strategic plan? In a short form, some team loose focus on what they are doing, with this, they can not be high performance team.

RE: Barriers to High Performance

Sydney Williams

6/5/2013 10:29:52 AM

I have also had the "privilege" of being on a low performance team which was a nightmare. I can tell everyone a few of the barriers that keep the team from achieving its objectives, and by the times the objectives were achieved it was too late. Barriers to High Performance are: No understanding of the mission and vision. When the team can not see where it is going and does not know where it is going there will be problems. Any project or program that I start I always think about the ending in mind. What is it that we are going to accomplish? How is what we accomplished help our organization or purpose? At one of my old organizations, they cared about metrics instead of the mission of the organization. The VA at one point just cared about cutting cost even at the benefits of the veterans. If the mission is to help Veterans, then that is what you do, use the metrics in how to get it done, not the reason in what you do. Lack of communication. You can not be a high-performance team, when you team does not know it will be doing and when. Information must be communicated in a timely manner, but also there needs to be a general understanding of the team what is going on. People must communication is an exchange of ideas. We had a lot of great ideas but the ideas were never communicated to upper management so this hindered performance. Communication is great because it recognizes problems on the lowest levels before they become big problems. Trust. This barrier is simultaneous with communication, you need to overcome this barrier in order for better communication. In poor performance teams, the members do not trust one another therefore they do not communicate and try work as individuals instead of a collective group and not getting synergy in which they can greater results together rather than apart.

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RE: Barriers to High Performance

Huyen Bui

6/5/2013 3:25:39 PM

In my previous experience in University, most of the barriers that prevent the team from highperformance start with the trust and relationship. It doesn't matter what kind of project but the initial impression from the kick-off meeting is very important. Without a proper kick-off meeting or the PM doesn't want to get to know his/her team members, this will be where there is a lack of trust, team efficiency, quality issues, innovation, apathy and conflict are not far away. Lack of effective dialogue In todays complex organizations, team and individual roles are so interdependent that without constant coordinated dialogue there will be costly delivery, quality and brand erosion problems. There are a lot of really smart people that for a variety of communication and or relationship reasons cant effectively work within an interdependent team structure. Feedback people need continuous constructive feedback to optimize and calibrate their approach, actions and communications with peers, staff and leaders. Without feedback people will continuously play out their blind spots

RE: Barriers to High Performance

Dw ayne Grant

6/5/2013 7:34:02 PM

I have been on high performance teams but I have also been on functional teams. So, I still felt the need to comment on this discussion thread, and the single most determining factor that keeps teams from being high performance is leadership. We learned that some leaders are functional, and some leaders are transformational. Transformational leaders are good and they make the people around them better, and they always keep their pulse on the big picture. Just to summarize people want to work them, and workers will give their best for them.

RE: Barriers to High Performance

Derek Amberson

6/6/2013 7:10:02 AM

Communication and stubbornness, a team w ithout communication and full of members that are unw illing to bend for the good of the team are w hat I believe are the major dow nfalls of a team. The harder they try to w ork together the tougher it becomes. The team has to have an atmosphere of togetherness, w ithout it the team members themselves feel isolated and become part of the problem rather than the solution.

RE: Barriers to High Performance Modified:6/9/2013 2:10 PM

Emre Karakus

6/8/2013 6:15:36 PM

Hi Professor, here is the summary employees w ould like to see future of the company and project. big picture of the project must be draw n by project leaders. being realistic about the situation or something else it may be a person or a case in project. If these situation makes losing guards of project managers/team leaders, it should be taken straightforw ard. Asking good questions another w ay of keeping motivation high. it also makes team closer to each other. When all things can be talked in a team, it makes all team members can see w hole points of problem and personalities. deep talks brings deep know ledge and sensitivity. A goog leader also fallow s through the commitments, it is a w ay of measuring the honesty. A good team leader is a good listener also. information and solutions w ill be reevaluated w hen though are correlated on each other. high performance teams have good brain storming cases. Because of all human nature are not same during the project some members may lose their motivation and it affects their performance. keeping team high performance project leader must face up team members. Team leader/ project managers can create fun to keep
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performance high, it should be a sarcastic style.

RE: Barriers to High Perform ance Emre,

Professor Orr

6/9/2013 10:22:21 AM

Did you copy this from a site? If so, please note the citation. It is a requirement that all posts be 80% your ow n w ords and 20% quotes maximum. Please re-post using your ow n explanations. Thank you, Susan

Turning Around a Failing Team

Professor Orr

6/4/2013 10:31:57 AM

Let's look at the oppositea team that is considered a failure. Why do teams fail? What can be done to turn a failing team into a high-performance team? Regards, Susan

RE: Turning Around a Failing Team

Catherine Nderitu

6/4/2013 4:31:35 PM

Teams fail due to various reasons, w hich may include;i) Goals - unclear goals - goals not effectively communicated - not involving team members in setting goals ii) Roles - undefined roles and responsibilities - unidentified leader iii) Communication - one w ay communication What can be done Proper planning is required to resolve the above mentioned issues. Goals should be w ell defined and communicated so that the team members can understand w hat they are striving to achieve. also, involving the team w ill give them a sense of ow nership and make them more committed. When roles are w ell defined, then everybody know s w hat to do and contribute fully to the team. effective communication should be in place to ensure there is feedback both w ays not just directions. http://w w w .managementstudyguide.com/team-failures.htm

RE: Turning Around a Isaac Oyan Failing Team

6/5/2013 3:15:54 AM

A team is bound to fail if they forget the fundamental principles that established the team, therefore a failing team can be turned around if they go back to the basics. How? The followings must be put in place, which includes:

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Goal clarity: The goal of every team must be properly spelt out, which includes the objectives, and what is required of the team, who are the sponsors, stakeholder and this can be achieved by clearly written charter which will spelt out how the work should be done and what are metrics to be used for measuring the progress. Skill identification: The skill sets needed to achieve the goal of the team must be identified and provided for, one should not over look the planning, negotiation and leadership skills, properly identified and make sure that they are included in the team composition. Size: The size of the team matters if there is going to be turn around, the team must be large enough to have all the needed skills and resources to accomplish the goal and most be small enough to be manageable and efficient by the leader. However, Small and large are relative, depending on the type of project at hand. Commitment: Once the team has identified the goal, size, skill and resource, another thing is the team members commitment to see that the goal is achieved, fully participation, and when in doubt of anything? communication to get direction or help.

RE: Turning Around a Failing Team

Jennifer Gherardini

6/5/2013 3:11:09 PM

Team cohesion is a big part of a successful team. If the team members aren't properly placed, that is if they do not complement each other's w ork and of course get along, then it's going to be a lot less likely that they w ill be a successful team. In my last job the contractor teams alw ays had team building activities and exercises. Sometimes they w ould have competitions against each other, w hich w as all in good fun, w hile other times they competed against other teams, w hich of course alw ays brings people together w hen they are trying to prove they are better than the other team. There are lots of different team building activities though and I believe taking the time to figure out w hich ones w ill best bring a team together is w ell w orth it. Other reasons a team might fail as a team w ould be clashing personalities or people w ho do not understand or agree w ith their positions on the totem pole. When I w as 23 I had a boss that w as 19. I didn't have a problem w ith it; I understood he had been w orking there longer and knew the job better than me and I thought he did a good job of being in his position. Others how ever, it seemed like the older the grumpier, did not take having a boss that age very w ell. It distracted them from w ork and they put their time and effort into trying to sabotage him or get a different job rather than on the team's missions.

RE: Turning Around a Failing Team

Mary Hart

6/5/2013 8:39:09 PM

There are both internal and external factors that affect team success. External causes of project team failure are as follow: - Work load assigned. Excessive work load may affect work quality and work schedule. - Organizational support. This lack of organizational support may result in inadequate resources for the project and little or no incentive for success. -The goal of the project is not achievable . The team is automatically set up for failure if the project goal is not possible. Internal causes of team failure are as follow:
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-Poor team dynamics; the personalities of the team members just do not work well together. This results in lack of cooperation and support within the team. -Poor team leadership.For a team to be successful, it needs strong leadership. -Creep. If the scope is not kept in check and it begins to grow, it can become totally unmanageable. Any changes to the scope must be carefully evaluated before they are approved. - Lack of planning, lack of a skill set, lack of team cohesion, and unproductive meetings. These are considered the main reasons for team failure. A PM will what to know what can cause team failure in order to prevent many of these and have a better chance in succeeding.
Reference: Lecture of w eek 5.

RE: Turning Around a Failing Team

Desm ond Callow ay

6/8/2013 10:15:05 PM

The first failure of a high performance team can occur w hen there is a breakdow n in communication betw een the individual departments comprised in the projects. If there is a misunderstanding betw een the teams, there can then be confusion cause w ithin the team that is attempting to complete the objectives of the project. That also entails the matter of communication of duty. The duties of each individual member of the team should be expressed and should compliment their strengths and build against their w eaknesses. This is another reason for the failure of the team, When the team itself is misaligned to the duties that are assigned, there could be definite lapses in time for the completion of tasks. The team should be comprised of members that are each selected for their strengths and the duties assigned should reflect this. This lends to to the third major reason, selecting the correct team. The selection of the team should be based on the requirements of the project itself. The duties should be able to be completed w ithin the specified frame of time. To turn the team around, one could assume the necessity of restructuring the team. This could entail reassessing the strengths and w eaknesses of the team and reassigning tasks accordingly. The reassignment of duties based on abilities w ill allow the team to focus on their w ork and create more directed results. With this should be the establishment of new deadlines that w ill bring the project back on schedule. The timeline should also utilize the resources that are already slated for the project and reallocate those that w ere misdirected to begin w ith. Lastly, the assessment of risks and contingencies should take precedence to the assignment of duties. If there are problems w ith the duties of the project itself then there should be a statement of change that w ould render a new evaluation of the project. This statement should outline w hat is being done to make the project compliant w ithin the given parameters. All of this begins w ith the selection of the proper project to begin w ith. The selection of the right project w ould allow the team to function properly. If the project is too ambitious, the project manager should the render options to the proposed plan and give actionable projections. This w ould allow not only for the selection of the proper project, but the selection of the best team for the expected tasks and deliverables. You w ould not w ant to select a programming team to accomplish the duties of the system admin team if all that is needed is the building and installation of a computer in an office. The duties w ould not involve program code, so the skill set w ould not align properly.

RE: Turning Around a Failing Team

Em re Karakus

6/9/2013 2:23:12 PM

Motivations is one of the important fact needs to be considered w hile searching causes of failure. Project is all about management. managing of source, managing of quality and managing of time. project analysts are also key factors to describe failures. It is another w ay to keep team high performed. project managers/team leaders must check three things at a time. First thing is checking schedules, second thing is mood of team members and the third thing is quality of creation. project failure can be defined also failure of team members or failure of quality. project leader should check quality of project and team members after completing a successful project. high performance team can be understood w ith their mood. When team leaders have built the perfect team, the job is not over. The team must be sustained. This is especially important on long term projects, in w hich team members leave and new people come in. Keep on giving clarity on outcomes, roles, behaviors and project mechanics.

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Your Qualities of Effective Leaders

Professor Orr

6/5/2013 11:18:43 AM

What qualities do you currently have that w ould help make you an effective leader? Regards, Susan

RE: Your Qualities of Effective Leaders Honest Self-motivated Optimistic Organized Great listener Proactive Responsible Personable Patient Decisive

Catherine Nderitu

6/5/2013 1:47:04 PM

RE: Your Qualities of Effective Leaders

Huyen Bui

6/5/2013 3:30:57 PM

In order to be an effective team leader, I already traits like flexible, problem-solving, active listening, delegating, creative, optimistic, enthusiasm, accountable, and having a clear vision. What I need to w ork on to make myself better in communication skill, result-driven, and organized

RE: Your Qualities of Effective Leaders

Isaac Oyan

6/6/2013 1:32:39 AM

The qualities that I have presently as a team leader are, Integrity, Commitment , Optimistic, great listener, Open minded, Team spirit, encourage others, Time conscious, excellent communication both written and verbal and always ready to learn new things.

RE: Your Qualities of Effective Leaders

Sydney William s

6/6/2013 6:16:57 AM

The qualities that I currently have that makes me an effective leader are: Resiliency - In in the business world and life in general we all get knocked down, and the best laid plans in a project or program does not seem to always go right. The ability to come back from tough situations, I believe is my greatest asset. Strong sense of purpose - People are not going to commit to a purpose unless you, yourself are committed to that purpose. Understanding - If you are understanding of people they will come to you and that opens up
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communication. Motivated - The more motivated you are or even appear, people will feed off that energy and follow you.

RE: Your Qualities of Effective Leaders

Kelser Mcm iller

6/6/2013 9:38:16 AM

I believe the qualities that I have are that I can listen, but also take a neutral stance. I allow other people to lead w hen necessary, as w ell as, allow people to fail and correct their ow n mistakes. I am honest even w hen it may hurt someone, w hich means I am a realist w hen it comes to situations at w ork. I also like to look tw o steps into the future to make better decisions.

RE: Your Qualities of Effective Leaders

Derek Am berson

6/7/2013 8:26:19 PM

I w as once told that a good effective leader is not someone w ho know s everything but surrounds themselves w ith those that do. I like to say that a person follow s a manager because they have to and follow s a leader because they w ant to. This is w here the leaders break out and become the cream of the crop. Take a look at President Reagan. It can honestly be said that he w as not the best suited for the position as president at the time, 1980. He w on and instead of doing it his w ay, he w ent out and found those that w ould not only give sound advice, but give the right advice. He did not know everything, and that show ed in some of his decisions, how ever today w e remember the man as one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century. This is because he knew w hen to question, w hen to ask and w hen to act. He lead his team by empow ering them to become the best in their field. In turn they made him the best in his.

RE: Your Qualities of Effective Leaders Modified:6/8/2013 10:39 PM

Mary Hart

6/8/2013 9:40:38 PM

What qualities do you currently have that w ould help make you an effective leader?

I find that first of all I have the will of being a leader, many people will have the internal qualities of a leader but he/she is not aware of these qualities or just don't what to be one for many reasons. I enjoy building teams, setting standards, motivating others, encouraging performance, fostering collaboration, and promoting learning; these qualities helps me in being an effective leader. But learning project planning, monitoring and controlling procedures will help me in being an effective PM leader.

RE: Your Qualities of Effective Leaders

Em re Karakus

6/9/2013 4:01:31 PM

Sharp perception is one of the qualities for being an effective leader. The other important quality is self-assessment, people w ho can only improve their self and prepare for future asking and answ ering questions about their self. this is also an element for being an effective leader. keeping teem members motivated can only be done by responding their needs and criticism. Know ing the organizations helps better decision and directions. decision makers must take risks to move the team and projects forw ard.

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RE: Your Qualities of Effective Leaders

Desm ond Callow ay

6/9/2013 10:02:33 PM

An effective leader is one that has the ability to communicate w ell to the team under their command. This does not mean yelling or barking orders though. The information that is being given should be reflective of the needs of the company. It should also be clear, concise and delegated to those w ho can be most productive in the tasks. A great leader w ould be able to select their team based on the tasks being assigned. This w ill allow for them to communicate in language that the actor of the task can understand. This information should be fully in line w ith the deliverables and mission of the project. The communication of the leader also means that the leader listens to the information being given to him/her. The information can be useful to the progress of the project as a w hole. It may also offer a unique view of the project and w hat is needed for the team.

Qualities of Good Leaders you have Know n

Professor Orr

6/6/2013 11:20:28 AM

Take a moment to think about the different leaders that you have w orked for or w ith. What qualities did they have that made them good leaders? Regards, Susan

RE: Qualities of Good Leaders you have Know n

Jennifer Gherardini

6/6/2013 3:50:06 PM

The best leaders that I have know n have taken care of their subordinates. They take the time to ask about how they are and put the effort into remembering. This is more easily done by leaders w ho actually care and pay attention. There are lots of w ays a leader can take care or their "kids". Know ing w hat opportunities are available to them, including job advancement and training, informing them and helping them obtain the options that they are interested in is one w ay. Another w ay is making sure others do not take advantage of them or throw them under the bus. Sometimes people get loaned to other offices or have a joint job and others may try to treat them unfairly or if something w rong happens try to blame the outsider. A good leader w atches out for their employees and does their best not to allow this to happen or put themselves on the line to insure it gets corrected. Also taking the time to show appreciation is w ell w orth it. I w as fortunate to have a great leader w ho cared about all of us, took care of us, and alw ays made us feel appreciated and w e w ere happier at w ork and w orked harder because of it.

RE: Qualities of Good Leaders you have Know n

Catherine Nderitu

6/7/2013 3:28:25 PM

My last supervisor w as/is a great example of a good leader. She w as a team builder and w orked on developing the team, an example to the team, inspirational, motivator and a great listener. She w as involved w ith the team and her office w as open to all team members. She recognized the good w ork of the team as w ell as pointing out w hen the team w as slacking and w orked w ith the team to streamline things. I believe having risen through the ranks to management position also helps build a leader because they understand the w ork of the subordinates better.

RE: Qualities of Good Leaders you have Know n

Kelser Mcm iller

6/7/2013 7:48:47 PM

I have seen many different types of leadership styles since I have been w orking, and it seems there is not really just one good leader. My VP of PEP for my company is a very open and approachable guy. He allow s for people to come straight to him w ith issues, concerns, and even new ideas and observations. He w ill speak w ith you and give you an insight that maybe w as overlooked by yourself. He also is very transparent w hen he is able. Information is freely given in the form of w eekly updates on Board of Director decisions and financial announcements for the company as a w hole. I believe he is a great example of a good leader w ho encourages independent thought and loves new ideas
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that may help the organization.

RE: Qualities of Good Leaders you have Know n

Dw ayne Grant

6/8/2013 10:51:18 AM

We know about the follow-up and follow-thru and the communication process. However, leaders know and understand the people process, and understand that nothing can be accomplished without taking care of the people that take care of you. Next, I want to talk about transformation leadership, and we have an inherent idea of what it means. It is one of those concepts that hard to define, but we also know what it is not. Transformational leaders are impact players and we dont know everything they do on a daily basis, but we can sure tell when they are not around. The idea, concept and strategies that I learned from some transformational leaders, are filed in my memory banks and are used when the appropriate situation arises.

RE: Qualities of Good Leaders you have Know n

Joseph Miller

6/9/2013 12:16:41 PM

Empathetic/sympathetic but w ill hold you accountable Lead by example Takes ow nership in decisions Know ledgeable/experienced yet humble to continue learning Confident yet open minded Motivator Understands each subordinate on all levels of psychology, productivity, strengths, w eaknesses, etc Provides incentive based goals Can recognize w hen to counsel for both positive and negative scenarios Supportive yet disciplined

RE: Qualities of Good Leaders you have Know n

Em re Karakus

6/9/2013 4:14:51 PM

Because of my w orking area, it is alw ays technical skills w hich brings a leader to front. Softw are development projects have problems w ith planning and project success/productivity. Agile principles has methods w hich makes planning and scheduling easier. The other problem in softw are development teams are communication, people w ho prefer being a softw are programmer don't like talking much or their conversations are alw ays on specific areas. project leaders have difficulties to communicate w ith them, communication is one of the important skill makes a project manager successful. Project managers must have authority on financial parameters like giving bonus to team members, scope of project and team members.

Becom ing Better Leaders

Professor Orr

6/7/2013 8:16:29 AM

What qualities did they not have or did they need to w ork on to become better leaders? Regards,
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Susan

RE: Becom ing Better Leaders

Isaac Oyan

6/7/2013 11:51:17 PM

Leaders can be more better, if they change from certain things they were doing like Micromanaging the subordinates, Leaders always right, No room for initiatives. Micro-Managing is an official ways to manage or control the subordinates with excessive attention to minor details. Monitoring or policing the employees or teams to see all what they are doing at every time. Getting into the business of the team members unduly. This really kills the morale of the employees. Leaders always right: This is general saying for those leaders that are not competent and have fear that their subordinate may be more knowledgeable than them, as this, they do not want their subordinate to share their experiences, instead they try to silence them by saying that leaders always right. No room for initiatives: Some leaders are authoritative in nature and they give order instead of direction/instructions to their subordinates by doing this, initiatives are not welcomed and the subordinate has to follow the order of the boss to letter.

RE: Becom ing Better Leaders

Kelser Mcm iller

6/8/2013 11:39:11 AM

One quality I have seen in one of my managers is their ability to take everything personal and to get angry. When w orking in a professional atmosphere, a leader has to be aw are that there w ill be times w hen expectations may not be met. They also need to understand that everything is not about their ow n personal feelings. I believe an effective leader is able to differentiate betw een their emotional feelings and the good of the organization. A better leader also know s how to stay a leader by keeping others that report to them at a length. It does not mean not participating in personal conversations w ith w orkers, but making sure their are boundaries.

RE: Becom ing Better Leaders

Em re Karakus

6/9/2013 4:22:31 PM

Projects w ere planned mostly time limited and money oriented. Project managers didn't take risk to extend some parts of projects w hich w ill make project better. these kind of extensions are required system analyst can not be able to see. Project leaders/managers didn't put effort to motivate teams. I believe most of the employees motivate w ith money not a free lunch for a long term project, because of the limitations in authority project managers are not able to use their full rights on team. Most of the companies, make business w ith softw are projects have a problem w ith sustainability, motivation is one of the major element to sustain team/project/project managers success. I believe stakeholders project ow ners must have much role on projects and companies auditing how project teams are managed and motivated. It is also important for their projects finished on time and having a high quality product.

Advice for Developing Leadership Skills

Professor Orr

6/8/2013 12:39:08 PM
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What w ould be your advice to them regarding w hat to do to develop their leadership skills? Regards, Susan

RE: Advice for Developing Leadership Skills

Em re Karakus

6/9/2013 4:28:01 PM

A project leader must have confidence at first his/her self never behave sarcasm to the team members. Selfassessment is another important quality a leader must have, sharp perception keeps leaders far from failures. If a leader be responsive to team members requirements/needs leadership and team performance w ill be sustained.

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