What does ‘Team Dynamics’ mean to me?

I believe that the performance of an individual varies considerably

when working in a team and not only this, but even the output generated
by that individual is vastly different as compared to when working alone.
Most of the times, it may be observed that an individual performs better in
a team than while working alone. It would also be rational to say that
there is constant change in the manner in which individuals and teams
behave and how this behaviour manifestswith changes in circumstances.
However, to ascertain this change and acknowledge the facts is not
sufficient. The understanding of this behaviour of individuals and why
certain individuals work well in a team is worth exploring further. More
importantly, an effort must be made to get an idea about the various
processes that teams develop in their functioning that make them
different from randomly selected individuals. In combining the above
mentioned aspects one should derive the meaning of team dynamics.
However, this is just a general understanding of the concept, and what is
imperative here is the consideration of the leader’s role in leading his
team and ensuring that all members of the team perform to their full
potential. And this is what I would look at exploring with regards to my
requirements in future.

What I am referring to is that the leader is not only responsible to

ensure that he and his team achieve the desired results, but he is also
responsible to make sure that he understands each and every member of
the team, and to make certainthat every individual is given a task that
matches his/her character and capabilities. In describing team dynamics,
the simulation exercise that was conducted in class was very effective in
helping to get a better idea of this concept especially in relation to the
earlier learning we have got in this program (reflective leadership,
cognitive coaching and the brain). I now have a better and completely
new perception of this program and how it is going to work for me. I
realise the significance of reflecting upon my actions in various situations,
overcoming my cognitions and coaching myself, and how it will benefit me
to be a better individual and an effective leader. At the same time I have
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developed an idea of how to apply the theory of the ‘whole brain’ and I
feel that I now have a better picture of myself and of those around me and
in my team. Although, this is only going to be noticeable in the later years,
I believe that this complete area has a lot in store to be gathered and I
wish to make the most of it.

Going back to the simulation exercise, I would like to digress from

what I learned about my subordinates. Of course that is essential, but
what is important is that I learnt more about myself. It is not what is right
or wrong with others or what others do-it is about me and how I can find
my place as their leader. It is about getting my work done, in the way that
I want it to be done, and in a way that my subordinates / team feels
absolutely convinced and willing to do it. Building trust and overcoming
fear are two of the most basic factors of a team. Only once these factors
are satisfied can a team start to grow positively. And this, according to
me, is what team dynamics focuses on. It is the starting point of a
successful and efficient team and when a team leader has been able to
achieve these then the subsequent stages fall into place. However, it must
not be overlooked that it would not be sufficient that only the team leader
has good understanding of his team members. It must be ensured that
each member has good knowledge about every other member.

Team dynamics is also strongly related to the models of cognitive

coaching and the brain, and without going into further details of the
theoretical aspects of these theories, I would like to bring out that every
individual has the capability to be his or her own coach and to realise as
to which quadrant of the brain they belong to. At the same time, only by
observation, one can suggest with a fair amount of accuracy the same
about other people; and this relates exactly to what a leader would be
expected to do while communicating with his team members.

This whole concept tells us that a team can function as a single

entity. A group of people, who would be rather ineffective individually,
can make the most difficult task seem easy. It is amazing to see how a
team can think and act as one and how the team can overcome even the

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most formidable challenges-just by being a team. Team dynamics
provides an understanding of this aspect of teams and how teams
function and it would indeed be an invaluable knowledge and skill for
every leader to possess. Looking back at the question at hand, it does
make a lot of sense to put the meaning of team dynamicsin the above
mentioned manner. If not for this, than it would be very difficult for a
leader to be able to be successful. In my opinion, team dynamics is the
next phase of the whole discovery process, where a leader has reached
after discovering himself by passing through various phases of reflection,
cognition and understanding of the brain. It is a kind of a practical or an
on-the-job experience that a leader will gain by being able to put into
practice all the personal knowledge he or she has gained by going through
the earlier stages. All that the leader has learnt over the earlier stages
can now be put to actual test.

How can I use Team Dynamics in my life (as a leader)?

I have been fortunate to have been associated with leadership roles

in my past life and especially in my career in the military. I have had
many opportunities to lead small as well as large teams and am proud to
have done this successfully. However, what I now realise is that all that
was like ‘see-and-learn’ most of the times and sometimes it was just
following what the laid down procedures stipulated. As an army officer, I
was never subjected to any kind of study or learning on leadership and
the role played by a leader in getting the most out of a team. Team
Dynamics was a concept not widely known or practiced and it is obvious
that I am finding this subject extremely intriguing and have been trying to
figure out how I would have applied this theory to my practical life had I
continued to be in the military.

The fact is that I now am faced with different challenges; those of

the corporate and business environment, which is unknown and new to
me. Instead of considering this as an obstacle, I would rather accept this
as a fresh new start. I have the experience and the required academic
knowledge to function in any area of the corporate world. Having gained a

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good level of understanding of team dynamics I am even more confident
now than I have ever been even while I was in the army.

Every leader is faced with new challenges almost continuously and

it is up to the leader how to tackle these challenges in the best possible
manner. Over the years, I have come to learn that the impending result of
a situation depends on the approach adopted by the leader. I find that
there are two ways to look at such situations. First, I can try and find the
goods and bads about every individual and try and get them to change or
adapt accordingly. On the other hand, I have the option of accepting
every individual as unique entities, different from each other; and I look at
myself and consider where I stand in relating to them. What I mean to say
is that in order to effectively lead a team, a leader needs to start with
reflecting upon his own self and then progressing towards how he relates
to his team.

In the last five months I have seen a transition in my life, not only in
relation to my MBA educationbut also with regards to my personal
development as an individual and a leader. The learning gained from
‘reflective leadership’ have been particularly effective in allowing me to
look within myself and to understand why I do the things that I do and
why I react certain situations in the way that I do. I would say that I have
been fairly successful in understanding my behaviour and am now better
prepared to be effective as a leader. Moreover, I also have this wonderful
tool of the ‘whole brain’ theory and this gives me the possibility to gain a
strong understanding of each and every member of my team, no matter
what their background. I have been using this tool to understand my own
likes and dislikes and thereby gain knowledge about the focus areas on
which I need to improve further.

To give an example from the recent team dynamicssimulation that

we went through, I can say that it was a difficult task to begin with. It
came as a complete surprise to me to be selected as the first ’GM’ and
what was more intimidating was the fact that there were two of my class
mates who were placed as my ‘juniors’ when in actuality they both had

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been in senior managerial positions in their previous jobs. It was
extremely difficult dealing with them as well as the whole class and it
made me realise that these are the kinds of situations that I might
actually find myself in someday. The feedback sessions in between the
various role plays were particularly involving as they provided great
insight into the thinking patterns of teams and how they vary with
different situations. Not only that, but I also learnt how could improve my
communication skills in relating to team members especially in similar
situations of stress and pressure.

Somehow, during the whole simulation exercise I was able to pull

out of myself and look from a different perspective at how I was
functioning as a leader and as a team member. And this is what I would
like to learn and do more often; constantly and consciously observe myself
in leadership roles and improve. More importantly, immediately after I
was the ‘GM’ I was back as a ‘normal’ team member and that gave me a
good view of how I would have performed in comparison with the new
‘GM’. I have been taking a number of feedbacks from various people in
the class about my performance as the ‘GM’ during the simulation and all
these inputs have helped me gain better understanding of the whole
concept of a team. I believe that the model of team dynamics can
actually help me develop my leadership skills rather than focussing only
on my personal growth and development.

I will be working upon the learning gained from this capsule to

develop further as a leader so as to be helpful to me in my future roles
whatever job I might be involved in. I will try to bring out examples from
my past and try and associate similar situations in real time scenarios. In
doing so, I will be able to apply the knowledge that I have gained in the
last two months and be in a position to look at how the outcome could
have been differentfrom what it actually was. I am confident that
although my work environment will change, the way humans behave in
teams will not and with this newly found knowledge, I have the advantage
over others in being able to analyse what reactions to expect and thereby
be better prepared for any contingencies that might arise out of the
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situation. I will be looking forward to be in real situations of similar sort
and then look at how I apply myself in effectively communicating with my
team. Even today I am constantly thinking and going through situations in
my mind and how I will react to them. It is like a dry rehearsal and the
funny part is that I think of these situations when in the bathroom, either
brushing the teeth or while bathing. I get weird ideas and think of possible
situations and how I would react and what I would do in these conditions.
And these are the times that I can really remember all the learning and
various theories about leadership and the discovery process that I have
learnt in the last few months.

It is indeed a wonderful feeling to be in this position and to see

myself as a future leader, even if it may seem a distant dream right now.
It has been almost two months since the simulation and I have seen
myself evolve already. I will continue to do this till such time I am ready to
move to another stage of personal development. It just gives me a whole
new sense of excitement just to realise how well all these different
theories fit into each other. To understand these concepts, to experience
their effects, and to see myself improve continuously to emerge as a
completely different individual is something I look forward to at the end of
this program.

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