Source: Google Images

After reading Kexuan’s post on teamwork, I do agree with her on the point that group members should have effective communication and problem solving skills.  Additionally, I think that each team member should be responsible and accountable in completing their delegated tasks and be willing to go further if it were needed.  It is essential that team members establish a common goal so that the whole team would be more motivated to work towards achieving that common goal – since higher motivation levels would lead to higher quality performance.

From reading the article on Forbes about teamwork linked on Kexuan’s post, I would say that my team type is a “real team”, where teams establish a culture of their own and they perform tasks in a way which are most effective for each member.

I have always preferred working in teams over individual work because I think that working in a functional team produces the most efficient results as tasks are delegated to each member according to their own individual strengths.  Furthermore, a group of people working together is more likely to produce more innovative and creative ideas as people come from different backgrounds with varying perspectives.  I also think that working in a team is good because team members can provide each other with support and guidance whenever they encounter hardships.  However, I do also believe that certain projects would be more efficient if they were to be completed individually.

Word Count – 240

Sources:

Romero, Luis E.  “What Everyone Should Know About Teamwork.”  Forbes.com.  20 Jan. 2016.  <http://www.forbes.com/sites/luisromero/2016/01/20/what-everyone-should-know-about-teamwork/#55c5fbe21663>

I personally think that one of the key factors in having a successful company is to have a diverse workforce and an understanding management team.

To me, a diverse workforce consists of people from different cultural backgrounds, genders, interests, sexual orientations and so on.  When a diverse group of people come together in a group, it would be highly beneficial to the company as the workforce can attend to a larger clientele effectively as the differences in each individual member’s perspective can aid when trying to produce a creative or unique idea, ultimately improving the whole team’s performance.

Other than that, I think having a diverse workforce is very important because the world is becoming more integrated as more and more cultures are given exposure.  However, every situation has its drawbacks.

I came across an article in the Economist that talks about the “diversity fatigue” which outlines the challenges of diversity in the workforce.  One particular statement I found interesting in the article was quoted by David Livermore who said diverse groups are “more likely to produce truly innovative ideas, but they are also more likely to fail completely,” linking it to how trust is the biggest challenge in diverse groups.

Perhaps some groups fall apart because some of the group members may think that their fellow members’ methods of performing certain tasks are skewed or incorrect because they are from a completely different background and are not used to the way things are being done differently.

Overall, I still think that diversity should be highly valued in the workforce and additionally, I think having a high cultural intelligence – a term introduced by Elaine Mosakowski of the University of Colorado which basically means that a person is able to work effectively across cultures, is essential for building a diverse team.

Word Count 300

Sources:

“Diversity Fatigue.”  The Economist.  11 Feb, 2016.  <http://www.economist.com/news/business/21692865-making-most-workplace-diversity-requires-hard-work-well-good-intentions-diversity>

Source: Dan Pink

Many research studies have been conducted in attempt to analyze what motivates workers.  Traditionally, pay and benefits were considered to be the most important factors for motivating employees.  Nowadays, work enjoyment, challenges and recognition are some of the many factors frequently quoted by employees when asked what keeps them motivated.  I came across a very interesting article on ideas.ted.com summarizing seven insightful studies that outline the non-financial factors of motivation.

One point that stood out was: “The promise of helping others makes us more likely to follow rules”.  What stood out to me wasn’t the concept of helping others but rather how effective the study was – by putting up signs at a hospital’s hand-washing stations, doctors and nurses used 45% more soap or hand sanitizer in the stations with signs.  It was surprising to me because I personally don’t respond to signs that much.  I guess every person responds to a motivation factor differently.

However, I can definitely relate to the point: “The harder a project is, the prouder we feel of it”.  Every time I finish a challenging task, I feel incredibly proud because I feel like I have gone through the worst and as a result, I am motivated to work even harder on future projects.

I think that the fourth point: “Knowing that our work helps others may increase our unconscious motivation”, is tied to McClelland’s motivational needs theory under the “n-achievement” in which a person is motivated by the need for a sense of accomplishment through seeking challenging goals and there is a constant need for feedback regarding process and achievement.

After reading through the various factors of motivation, I would definitely like to find out more about what motivates my friends or the people around me to work hard.

Word Count: 293

Sources:

Gross, Jessica.  “What Motivates Us At Work? More Than Money.”  Ideas.Ted.Com.  21 May, 2015.  <http://ideas.ted.com/what-motivates-us-at-work-7-fascinating-studies-that-give-insights/>