There is no ‘I’ in team, but you can’t have a team without me!

The focus of class on Monday involved participation and teams. We began by discussing the meaning of workplace democracy, as well as the four steps towards workplace democracy. We also discussed why participation and teamwork is important and different opinions on whether or not people have to participate within an organization. We determined that people do have to participate within an organization in order to accomplish goals and complete their work.

Another topic that we discussed was the difference between teams, groups, and working groups and the distinguishing characteristics of each. The class was able to experience being part of a team first-hand through an activity called “Making Teamwork Work”. In this activity, we were randomly placed into two ‘teams’ and assigned roles to play for the activity. It was interesting to see real-life roles being played throughout the process. The roles included the group facilitator, the silent type, the intimidator, the monopolizer, the nice guy, and the unhappy camper. There was also a role in which the participant was supposed to ‘play themselves’. Seeing a team work together, being able to distinguish between the different roles, and applying those concepts to various team situations was extremely enlightening.
Personally, I began to look back on different teams I have been a part of in the past. I realized that I have never quite had one definite role. Sometimes I would classify myself as the silent type. Other times I would classify myself as a facilitating monopolizer. How could I, at one time or another, act in ways such as these opposite extremes? I assume the cause of these differences would be related to how comfortable I am in a situation, or even how passionate I am about the topic at hand. This makes me wonder if taking on different roles within a team is a universal feature, or does it depend on the individual?

After thinking about what we learned in class and the role playing exercise, several questions came to mind. Is there one particular role that is more important than another within a team? What participatory roles have you played within a team, or does that usually change depending on various factors for you as well? How would a team be different if one particular role were eliminated? Are all roles needed for a team to function properly?

By: Mary Kathryn Carroll