Team Communication & Decision Making

Swati Verma
5 min readJun 17, 2020
https://caso.com/about/management-team/

We need to build teams in such a way that team communication system flows, and issues arise less between groups; the team plays an important role in the decision-making process and they are effective for performance building of teams as well as the ways to incorporate diversity in the team which is helpful in bringing positive impact to the team. Individual decision making and team decision making are both integral but depending on the situation it can be done; few situations require the leader to take decisions on behalf of the team in these situations the team can’t make decisions independently. In some situations, a decision needs to take by the team which involves views from all members as the perspective of all members needs to be taken into consideration. Group decision helps to improve the efficiency of the team and their work.

Few of the possible biases and points of error that may arise in team communication systems are mentioned as follows–

1. Differences due to cultural conflict — Conflict can arise in teams where people work with each other but are from different areas as they will have cultural differences. Due to a multi-cultural company environment, people belonging to different areas come together due to which differences can come between people in the team.

2. Behavior towards each other — When working in teams each other attitude towards work and team members reflects behavior towards each other and this can cause issues in the team as problems can arise due to other's ego and attitude.

3. Groupism — Groups formed between some members of the team can cause issues when people single out individuals in the team.

Communication problems in a team that can lead to disasters are mentioned as follows -

1. Problems that happen in the team due to communication issues can lead to critical issues for the client and products. Regardless of the way that means have been made to improve custom, ‘interchanges’ are every now and again still seen by the organization as something that essentially ‘occurs’ as a significant part of the predictable task the board endeavors, using principal, and improper instruments, for instance, email or possibly spreadsheets.

2. “Within a group, individuals may behave in distinct ways, use unique or specialized terms, or display symbols that have meaning to that group. Those same terms or symbols may be confusing, meaningless, or even unacceptable to another group. An individual may belong to both groups, adapting his or her communication patterns to meet group normative expectations.”

Measures that might have prevented problems from arising within each team’s communication system are as follows -

1. Thoughts need to be clear: You should be clear about your objective and what needs to be done to achieve that objective. Sort out your insights in a real solicitation and after that convey in like way. Precise correspondence and clarity in ideas are adequately got and recognized. Eccentric talks can be misleading so you should constantly attempt to exhibit that there is a point or method of reasoning behind your exchange.

2. The communication system should be working: You should separate the deficiencies in the correspondence system. All the undertakings should be made to know whether you should focus on the formal or easygoing way to deal with conveying. “Such agendas, if and when they are approved by groups at the outset of their meetings, maybe individualized to name the persons who are to give reports and make recommendations.”

The key symptoms of groupthink are –

1. Invulnerability — Sometimes when individuals feel that they are invulnerable they will go out of their way and have an optimistic outlook towards their group.

2. Moral values — People in a group don’t discuss moral values while performing their activities and while working in a group it is inferred that everyone is doing the right thing.

3. People who are not part of the group are considered adversaries and their views are not relevant to the group.

Problems and shortcomings that can arise in the decision-making process as a result of groupthink are –

1. People will not always agree with one another due to which issues can arise.

2. Even if views are poles apart conflict between them can be amicably resolved.

3. Members need to listen to each other so that they can address queries and concerns to conclude.

Groups are better decision-makers as the decision taken is based on everyone's view and then the decision is made. New ideas and advancements are the need of the hour and are useful and pertinent. So, you must utilize each available to benefit from the varying assortment of your social group. To get the output of agreeable vitality in your gathering, a collective choice making procedure is imperative. “Behavior change can refer to any transformation or modification of human behavior. Formal approaches to learning and development often have the highest transfer probability and follow a systematic framework.”

Pros of Group Decision –

· Everyone is included while a decision is made.

· Points of view vary which helps to make an informed decision.

Cons of Group Decision –

· Conflicts are a lot between individuals.

· It can be a complex task and people don’t feel heard

Pros of Individual Decision –

· The Process is quick and easy.

· One individual is responsible and makes the decision.

Cons of Individual Decision –

· It is a big responsibility and difficult to take sometimes.

· It feels like a dictatorship.

Conclusion

The team plays an important role in the decision-making process and they are effective for the performance building of teams as well as the ways to incorporate diversity in the team which is helpful in bringing positive impact to the team. Group thinking in the team is an important part of the discussion and gives an open environment to bring points and views of the team as a group. Issues between team members can create shortcomings and disasters in the team which reduces productivity and efficiency. These shortcomings are harmful to the reputation of the company as it displays irresponsible behavior. Clashes moreover develop due to differences in perspective and instead of making the situation proportionate, someone tried to be more mindful rather than expecting obligation. Forming small groups in the team can lead to conflict between each other which can result in differences and spoil the health environment of the team.

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Swati Verma

Software Developer, Writing enthusiast, Avid Reader, TechSavvy #CodingGirl