Davis_Case Study Week 4

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Week 4 Case Study: Team Dynamics and Teamwork at Alphabet Solutions MGMT 9040 – Organization Behavior & Development February 1 st , 2024 Christopher Davis

In this case study, there are numerous things that AlphaTech has done to leverage diversity and advance the dynamics of their teams within their organization. One great example of this is through AlphaTech’ s recruiting and hiring individuals from diverse backgrounds. When hiring diversely, this ensures that individuals are being hired based on their skills and qualifications rather than their backgrounds which leads to company’s having a more inclusive work culture. Another thing that AlphaTech does is promote a working environment where their employees having different views and perspectives is welcome. When people of different skills, experience and qualifications come together, it really enhances creativity in the workplace. As the case study explained, having diverse teams also enhances their problem-solving skills when working on projects. Based on diverse teams bringing more varying views to the table, I would have to assume that it is logical to understand that diverse teams would outperform homogeneous teams. When you have a group of people whom all think the same way, they are not thinking outside the box, or looking at all the different ways and options that are available out there. This can lead to great opportunities being overlooked. I also thought it was interesting when looking into the two different teams in comparison that it was explained, “Diverse teams focus more on facts and process them more carefully than homogeneous teams. This makes it more likely that they won't lapse into unreasoning consensus—an affliction known as groupthink—which makes homogeneous teams' decisions less rational and riskier” (www.neuroleadership.com). It is a good point to say that homogeneous teams could potentially make decisions that are more risky and less rational because they are all thinking relatively in the same way, or not thinking of all possible outcomes in their decision making process. It is also said that diverse teams outperform when it comes to detecting errors. This could mean that homogeneous teams are more likely to

make potentially costly errors for an organization. This would show a benefit for organizations, such as AlphaTech, to choose to recruit diverse teams to join their company. When I think of examples of these two team dynamics, it makes me think of teams that I had been apart of in my past workplace environment. For example, there was a team that was formed that was almost like a “fun committee” if you want to call it that. What the company did was pull people from ALL areas of the company, to get differing views throughout the organization. If they had chose to pull a whole team together from a specific role of people (say all engineers, all finance, etc.) the company would have been more likely to form a homogeneous team and may not have the best results in finding activities that would interest everyone, companywide. It is safe to say that there are different personalities of people within certain roles within the company. By creating a diverse team of associates throughout all areas of the company, we were able to be more successful in setting up events that would interest or reach more people. Of course, you are never going to make everyone happy in every event, but by having different backgrounds of people compiling ideas and brainstorming together, we were able to come up with a more diverse list of events to produce. When talking about team dynamics, it is always important to set clear roles and responsibilities among team members. This is exactly what AlphaTech does within their organization. The case study explained that AlphaTech makes it a priority to ensure that all team members understand their roles and responsibilities within their team. AlphaTech also makes it clear as to of what each employee’s personal contribution is making towards the end goal, project, and picture. One reason that it is a good idea for teams to have set roles and responsibilities is to make sure that no one is overstepping one another. Not only that, but it also encourages better collaboration across the team.

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Although the case study did not provide any direct examples of how having clear roles has resolved conflicts and improved teamwork, it is safe to assume with the results that the company has been seeing that this strategy is beneficial. When teams have set roles and responsibilities, they are then more productive. It also reduces duplicate work from potentially happening which can be a waste of time and create frustration within the team. Having set roles also reduces any confusion as to of what should be going on, and who is doing what. This can prevent important pieces of projects from being overlooked and makes errors from occurring to be less likely. The employee surveys for AlphaTech also showed that their employees are extremely satisfied with the company and that they feel valued and highly motivated. This goes to show that having these set roles and responsibilities is allowing everyone to be the best that they can be within the team. With that being said, I do think that changing up leadership roles across different projects is very beneficial. By rotating the team leadership role, it allows all members of the team the opportunity to be in that leadership role. This fosters empowerment for the leaders and encourages active participation. It also is good to challenge people who may not feel that they have those leadership skills. Individuals can then work to build their leadership skills, confidence and gain a different perspective on the project. If a team as the same leader all the time, they may feel as if their role within the team is not as important reducing motivation and productivity. Some people may truly not feel as if being a leader is their strength, but it is always good to have the opportunity to try if wanted. Another thing that AlphaTech does within their teams is complete performance evaluations and have open feedback sessions. “Team performance assessments analyze how well team members work together, produce results, and lead change to ensure long-term success for

the organization. Analyze their teams' capabilities and strengths as well as any vulnerabilities and limitations that can disrupt the team's ability to achieve expectation” (www.cmoe.com). During these evaluations, AlphaTech employees can provide constructive feedback to their teammates when projects are completed. This is beneficial because it allows each person to understand what their strengths and weaknesses were when making their contributions within the team. This is a good way for teammates to work to better themselves each time a new project is taken on or know what they are doing well to keep up the good work. Being the feedback is constructive, no one needs to feel like they are being attacked by their teammates for potentially not doing their best work but encouraging one another to be the best teammates that they can be. The case study explained that this feedback process has been crucial in enhancing team communication and have an overall stronger team dynamic. When employees participate in team evaluations, it also increases team engagement. There are many benefits to organizations that practice cross-functional collaboration. Cross-functional collaboration is defined as “The process where individuals from different departments in an organization with different areas of expertise come together to achieve a common goal. This collaboration could be organic or project-based” (www.bigcommerce.com). Cross-functional collaboration promotes teamwork within the workplace. By working with different departments across an organization, it brings many different skillsets to the table that may not have otherwise been utilized if only staying within your tightknit team. Its also a really great way to share knowledge and expertise that some individuals may not have otherwise known. That knowledge can now be used to come up with even more advanced ideas and have even stronger project outcomes. AlphaTech’ s approach to using cross-functional collaboration

has resulted in the company delivering successful, complex projects. This goes to show how effecting this tool can be within an organization. One thing that AlphaTech does for its employees is that they invest in continuous education and training. This allows employees to continually work on improving their skillsets by attending different classes, seminars, and workshops on teamwork, communication, and conflict resolution. AlphaTech Solutions goal is to provide their employees with all the tools to be able to effectively collaborate and work within a diverse team. When looking into notable case studies of employees showing teamwork skills, I found a source that provided many great examples. One case specifically was for Microsoft. Microsoft is always looking for new innovative ways to bring their teams closer together. In the specific event that I found, Microsoft teams broke out into small groups, tackled challenges like relay races and target practice, and earned points in the form of non-perishable food items. Then, they used their cans and boxes of food to try and build the most impressive structure possible in a final, collaborative contest. As a result, they were able to donate a truckload of goods to the local food bank! This team building activity was equal parts fun, interactive, and philanthropic. Celebrating achievements within teams is extremely crucial to team morale and teamwork. AlphaTech displayed the importance of this in this case study. Not only does AlphaTech celebrate project completion, but they also celebrate various milestones along the way. This helps to keep associates within the teams to stay motivated and focused to continue to work hard for the course of the entire project start to finish. When individuals are working hard, they do not want their work to go unnoticed. Celebrating successes together also fosters a growth mindset and encourages a learning culture. Moreover, it boosts morale and happiness, leading to positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, and pride that enhance well-being and productivity

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(www.linkedin.com). Another benefit to celebrating achievements and successes is that it can be a confidence booster for some individuals. The end goal is always to do things for employees that are going to inspire them to do their best work and be the most productive possible. This is beneficial for not only the individual, but the organization as well. In my past employment, there have been many examples of where achievements were celebrated to boost team spirit and motivation. Specially, in my logistics role, it was very difficult to try to find ways to keep drivers motivated to do their best work. One thing that our team had was a “Driver of the Month” award. Every month we would look through all the drivers and find things that were completed that made the individuals stand out. Those could be things like volunteering to work extra on the weekends, staying late to execute work assignments even if they were outside their normal hours, have accident/incident free months, showcase the companies core values, show safety in all that they do and so much more. Once a driver of the month was chosen, they got their picture taken and posted within the operating center office. They also got to choose an article of company clothing from the company store like a new hoodie, jacket, hat, etc. They then could be put into a quarterly drawing to earn an extra day of PTO. By showcasing these drivers, it gave them a goal to work towards that was not just a “pat on the back” but also had a physical reward as well. This is just one example of how celebrating achievements boosted team spirit and motivation. I feel as if it would be safe to assume that AlphaTech Solutions will plan to sustain their current team dynamics and initiatives in the future. The reason that I say this is because the case study explained that in the last three years, AlphaTech has seen great results, happy employees, successful projects, and great team dynamics evolve. This does not mean that Alpha Tech Solutions will never have to further advance their current initiatives. To keep employees

interested, new dynamics and initiatives will always need to be considered. This could be things as simple as changing how employees are rewarded or recognized. I think it is also important to always be changing up team dynamics from project to project. If teams always have the same team members, individuals may start to get bored or get too comfortable. When people get comfortable, they sometimes become less productive or focused and may cut corners. There is nothing wrong with changing things up and mixing up the different skillsets and expertise. Rotating team members can help you extend the knowledge base of people who can effectively work to create successful projects.: Variety is the spice of life! There are many great things that other organizations could takeaway from the example that AlphaTech has set when it comes to teamwork and team dynamics. AlphaTech covers all the bases when it comes to having a strong and functional team that produces great projects. To begin, AlphaTech displays just how beneficial having a diverse team can be within the workplace. Having a diverse team and have diversity in the organization opens the door for endless possibilities. Everyone has something different to offer when it comes to building a successful team. AlphaTech stated within the case study that they have seen a significant improvement in their team dynamics and teamwork. Other organizations can also learn the benefits of having specific roles and responsibilities within teams, as well as having team evaluations and constructive feedback. By having set roles, it keeps everyone aware of what their specific purpose is within the team and give them the opportunity to best use their strengths. By having evaluations and feedback, teammates can help others within their team build their skillset and be praised for their strengths. To adapt these practices within an organization, it all begins at time of recruiting. This is an organizations greatest opportunity to hire a diverse group of people to add to their team. If

companies only try to hire a certain “type’ or group of people with a certain skillset, they are creating a more homogeneous team which have proven to be less effective and productive over time. It is also important when adapting these practices that proper training is provided for employees. Continuing education, training, workshops, and seminars are all good ways for companies to effectively provide their employees with the tools they need to be successful. All in all, this case study proved the benefits of organizations operating with diverse teams, and the importance of having a strong team dynamic. There is no one person who can be 100% successful on their own. Working together and demonstrating teamwork within organizations, just as AlphaTech did, will create successful and productive projects and companies.

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Works Cited Center for Management & Organization Effectiveness [CMOE] . CMOE. (2024, January 25). http://www.cmoe.com/ Change in weeks, not years . NeuroLeadership Institute. (2024, January 31). http://www.neuroleadership.com/ Develop your personal wellbeing and Career Skills - Mind Tools . Mind Tools. (2024, February 1). http://www.mindtools.com/ Enterprise ecommerce, simplified. BigCommerce. (n.d.). http://www.bigcommerce.com/ Homepage . Outback Team Building & Training. (2024, January 29). https://www.outbackteambuilding.com/ Log in or sign up . LinkedIn. (n.d.). http://www.linkedin.com/

Davis_Case Study Week 4

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