A520.6.5.RB - Team Roles

            In order to have a successful high performing team, balance is needed between task-facilitating individuals as well as relationship-building individuals. The task-facilitating individual on a team plays a key role because their ultimate goal is to keep the team focused and complete the objective on time (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). On the flipside, a team cannot be all work and no play, a team needs relationship building individuals in order to keep the spirit of the team high and assist by focusing on a tension free environment (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). For a high-performance team, what are they key elements for a task-facilitator and relationship building individual, how do the two work together in order to have a successful team and is it possible for a high performance team to function without one or both?

            In order to have a high-performance team, a task-facilitator and relationship building individuals are necessary for success. The task-facilitator is a job for an individual who is capable of keeping the focus of the team, recognizing when the team is off track or not meeting deadlines, and is able to enforce established rules, guidelines, and procedures (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). On the other hand, a team needs people who can balance the workload along with keeping the spirits high and stress free as possible. This is the job of relationship building members; this task is used for support, tension relief, energy, and consensus building (Whetten & Cameron, 2011).  Based on the necessary requirement to be one of the key roles in a team, I would more likely relate to a task-facilitator because I focus on completing tasks at hand. I enjoy the effort of the relationship builder because it is easy to become focused on work and forget there are other things going on that may potentially benefit the team; this may include relieving tension, developing new ideas, and keeping the energy flowing (Whetten & Cameron, 2011).

            Next, how is it possible to have two important roles within a team work in unison to complete the task? The relationship builder of the team is there to keep the team together and in harmony and not allow tension to rise when disputes begin (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). On the other side, it is necessary for an individual to keep the team focused to complete the task on time in accordance with the guidelines established from the beginning during the forming stage (Whetten & Cameron, 2011), (Pigeon, & Khan, 2014).The goal of the facilitator is not to boss the team and shake their finger in anger; the individual should ask questions and discuss recommendations about how to complete the tasks (Pigeon, & Khan, 2014). I am one who works as a facilitator and would like to believe I am capable of completing the task. It can be a stressful job as a facilitator to take on the role because the end goals is the focus is for the job. However, it is important to step back and let others bring the calm, cheery, comfort in order to maintain balance in order to not stress the team as whole (Whetten & Cameron, 2011).

            Finally, a team needs a balance of both tasks, which may involve multiple individuals, in order to be a successful higher-performance team. Without a task-facilitator and a relationship builder, it is not possible to have a successful high-performance team because the team will struggle to effectively perform (515). The necessity is needed to ensure the task is completed while team bonding of multiple personalities come together (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). As a facilitator when I work with a teams, my goal is to see the results. I work to keep the cohesion together in order for success.

            In conclusion, in order to meet the established goal, it is important to have a capable task-facilitators, as well as relationship-building individuals. The key elements of the two jobs should be established, the individuals must work together to have balance, and the team must understand it takes both jobs in order to have a successful team. "We must all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall hang separately." (Benjamin Franklin).

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Building Effective Teams and Teamwork. (Eighth ed., p.513-55). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. 

Pigeon, Y., & Khan, O. (2014). Leadership Lesson: Tools for Effective Team Meetings - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love my Team. Retrieved July 11, 2015, from Association of American Medical Colleges website: https://www.aamc.org/members/gfa/faculty_vitae/148582/ team_meetings.html