INFO.

SHEET
WORK IN A TEAM ENVIRONMENT
RUBILYN B. SUMAYLO, RN, MSN, LPT 1.2

St. Anthony College of Roxas City, Inc., San Roque Extension, Rocas City, Capiz Philippines 5800 - Health Care Services NCII

INTRODUCTION

As teams work on common goals, members fill various roles and responsibilities to contribute
to the group effort. 

As individuals consistently take on similar tasks and functions, other members will come to
expect to see them in those roles. This is one way groups become predictable and stabile. When roles
are ambiguous and unclear, members experience frustration and group performance suffers. But when
everyone understands their role within the group, misunderstandings and process losses can be
minimized. Consistent patterns of behavior from individual members can be associated with one or
more of the three major categories of group roles: task roles, relational roles, and individual roles
(Forsyth, 2006).

OBJECTIVES

After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:

1. Identify individual role and responsibilities within the team environment.
2. Identify and recognize roles and responsibility of other team members.

CONTENT / DISCUSSION

Working with Team Environment

What is team work?

Teamwork is defined as a “a joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his or
her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group.” This does not mean that
the individual is no longer important; however, it does mean that effective and efficient teamwork
goes beyond individual accomplishments. The most effective teamwork is produced when all the
individuals involved harmonize their contributions and work towards a common goal.

Why we interest in teamwork?

The most important element of team work is share information. Teamwork has become an important
part of the working culture and many businesses now look at teamwork skills when evaluating a person
for employment. Most companies realize that teamwork is important.

What is a team role?

A team role is a tendency to perform, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way. Team
role shows the different types of contribution that is make to the team.

1
 INFO.
SHEET
WORK IN A TEAM ENVIRONMENT
RUBILYN B. SUMAYLO, RN, MSN, LPT 1.2

St. Anthony College of Roxas City, Inc., San Roque Extension, Rocas City, Capiz Philippines 5800 - Health Care Services NCII

Three Major Categories of Group Roles

Task Roles
Task roles are roles that contribute to the ultimate goal of the group. Members who primarily
fill these roles provide critical thinking and strong organizational skills.
Critical Thinking - are able to analyze problems and overcome obstacles to success
Strong Organizational Skills - the ability to make plans and create accountability
structures.

Sometimes perceived as driven, those immersed in task roles are goal-oriented and keep the
group focused and on track. Productivity, efficiency, and achievement are important values to those
who are in task roles, causing them to become frustrated if the group wastes time or becomes
inefficient.

Relationship Roles
Relationship roles are roles that build cohesion in the group. They fulfill the important functions
of creating trust and increasing member satisfaction. Members who fulfill relationship roles are aware
of the interpersonal dynamics of the group and strive to encourage and validate others. While some
may perceive these roles as overly concerned with non-task related issues, both task and relationship
roles are needed to balance the group experience and increase the chance for success.

Individual Roles
The third type of role describes behavior patterns that are not often beneficial to the group.
Individual roles work against the group’s goals and distract the group from its mission. People who are
playing individual roles are often frustrating to other members as they passively or actively resist the
work of the group. While they may serve a function by challenging and thereby establishing
boundaries, individual roles are generally seen as more of a hindrance than a help to performance.

“Functional Roles of Group Members”

Task Roles
 Information seeker: Asks for facts, opinions, and ideas from the group, and for clarification and
elaboration about existing concepts
 Information giver: Contributes facts, opinions, and novel ideas to the group
 Discussion facilitator: Facilitates the discussion by engaging the group
 Task manager: Keeps the group on task and focuses on practical details
 Skeptic: Challenges ideas and evaluates potential solutions
 Recorder: Takes notes and records the decisions of the group

Relationship Roles
 Encourager: Validates, affirms, and supports others
 Harmonizer: Mediates conflict between group members
 Process observer: Observes and periodically comments on the groups progress
 Advocate: Helps quieter members to speak up and be heard in the group

2
 INFO.
SHEET
WORK IN A TEAM ENVIRONMENT
RUBILYN B. SUMAYLO, RN, MSN, LPT 1.2

St. Anthony College of Roxas City, Inc., San Roque Extension, Rocas City, Capiz Philippines 5800 - Health Care Services NCII

Individual Roles
 Resister: Opposes the group by being negative and passive-aggressive
 Dominator: Dominates discussions and intimidates others
 Avoider: Tries to do as little work as possible
 Attention seeker: Calls attention to self to meet personal needs

“Without clearly defined roles and agreed upon division of responsibilities, teams
sacrifice productivity and potentially even induce chaos. Part of the Team Member’s
role is to pay attention to the problems others may be facing. Tolerance and good
communications are essential ingredients of successful teams.”

Clarify Roles

Knowing everyone’s role and being familiar with the responsibility of those roles create efficiency
and flexibility. Ideas for clarifying roles on the team include:
 Review team members’ roles frequently.
 Relate team member expectations to the team’s overall purpose.
 Clarify responsibilities when action planning.
 Learn what others do on the team.
 Figure out ways to help each other.

Setting aside time to really evaluate what you do and how that impacts the company you work for
is important to understanding the value you and your role have with that organization. Are you a key
player on your team? If not, does the role provide opportunities for you to advance toward this?

After fully understanding your current role, value within your company, and its possible
benefits and setbacks for your future, it’s time to take action. So many people become complacent in
their careers and on the job.

If after evaluating your overall situation you discover that it’s actually beneficial to step out of
your current role—step out of it. Don’t be afraid to follow after what your heart truly desires.

Relationship and Responsibility

Being a mutually evolving process, a relationship requires team members to be dependent on
each other. Every individual should develop a level of trust for each other in order to be reliable for
each other. Some of us just cannot find it easy to entrust a work with another team member or cannot
seem to trust what a member can contribute.

In order to build trust, the team can hold trust-building talks during meetings every now and
then. Self-disclosure is a good strategy for establishing trust with each other. Learning how to open and
share a little about you to your teammates will give them a chance to know you as a person.   Inject
humor and some fun to be comfortable with each other.

Once you start to trust each other as an important member of the team, you will also become
easily dependent on each other. With this, a budding relationship is established.
Each individual in a team has talents and abilities that can contribute to a solid work relationship which
is needed to be productive in the job. As a team, members have to identify who excel in technical
3
 INFO.
SHEET
WORK IN A TEAM ENVIRONMENT
RUBILYN B. SUMAYLO, RN, MSN, LPT 1.2

St. Anthony College of Roxas City, Inc., San Roque Extension, Rocas City, Capiz Philippines 5800 - Health Care Services NCII

expertise, who are keen in problem-solving and decision-making, and who are adept in active listening,
giving good feedback, and conflict resolution.

Identifying these skills helps a team perform effectively. This is otherwise known as team
synergy through a coordinated effort of performing these abilities. Diversities even in skills and talents
are common. But sharing these skills for the benefit of the team can build a solid work relationship
among the individuals.

For a relationship to become healthy, learn to appreciate each other’s talents. Being recognized
by fellow colleagues for the effort contributed for the team is heartwarming and rewarding.

Relationship with a Team

Typically, in a work setting, every working individual belongs to a team where a group of
members work together with similar functions and work description, though not necessarily similar in
interests.

Also, individuals in a team generate a collaborative effort to achieve common goals, and may
need to give up individual autonomy in order to attain those goals. The organization as a whole can
make up a team and this component is by far the largest to be called as such.

If you are paired up with another work colleague on a project, you are already called a team.
Regardless of the population of the members and diversities in a team, building a relationship is a
crucially important factor grounded on teamwork.

Team members who develop a common strategy in working such as using a discussion in the
interaction process or assigning tasks are manifesting teamwork. Individuals work together by sharing
individual objectives and eventually come up with a unified goal.

Being a part of a team also entails commitment in the job and the responsibility. In order for a
team to be harmonious, a good working relationship has to be established.

OTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Answer and Pass your self-check activity anytime next week – July 20-24, 2020
For offline: You may leave your activities to Ms. Rona Apelacio (Secretary)
For online: You may pass via messenger in MS Word or Photo.