Background:
Group work and teamwork are crucial to the success of organizations worldwide as they constitute the primary means for organizing work. Becoming a good (if not excellent) team player is one of the most important things every employee should strive for. Do you think you are a team player? What is your team player style? This SLP will help you find out the answer to these important question.
Required Reading:
Kirnan, J. P. & Woodruff, D.(1994). Reliability and Validity estimates of the Parker team player survey. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 54, 1030-1037.
Assignment:
First, complete the following survey Team Player Survey and calculate your scores according to the guidelines. Please note that you will have to write down your answers on the 18 questions to calculate your score. The Team-Player Survey will help you identify your style as a team player. The results will lead you to an assessment of your current strengths and provide a basis for a plan to increase your effectiveness as a team player. Teams may use the survey to develop a profile of team strengths and to discuss strategies for increasing team effectiveness.
Directions: First, this is a survey, and, therefore, there are no right or wrong answers. Please answer each item according to how you honestly feel you function now as a team member rather than how you used to be or how you would like to be. You will be asked to complete eighteen sentences. Each sentence has four possible endings. Please rank the endings in the order in which you feel each one applies to you. Place the number 4 next to the ending which is most applicable to you and continue down to a 1 next to the ending which is least applicable to you. For example:
As a team member, I am usually most concerned about:
a. meeting high ethical standards.
b. reaching our goals.
c. meeting my individual responsibilities.
d. how well we are working together as a group.
Please do not make ties or use 4, 3, 2, or 1 more than once. It is possible that some of the sentences will have two or more endings that apply to you or will have none that apply to you, but you should assume these are your only choices and rank them accordingly. Each set of endings must be ranked 4, 3, 2, and 1. Remember, 4 = most applicable; 1 = least applicable.
After completing the survey yourself, ask a person who works with you to complete the survey on you. In other words, this person should asses the type of team player you are.
Read the article by Kirnan & Woodruff to get a better understanding of the ideas behind the survey, and submit a paper (not including the cover sheet, references, and assessment sheet) in which you will answer these questions:
What does the survey assesses? Why is it important and to whom?
What were your scores on that survey and how you interpret them? What were your peer scores (on you) and how you interpret them?
What are the gaps between your vision and your peer's vision regarding your team playing style? If there are significant differences, try to explain their source.
What type/s of orientation among the 4 is the most important for your job? Why? Is there a gap between your score on it/them and your desired scores?
What can you do to improve your team player style?
It is really important that you get a second opinion about your team player skills from someone who works with you. If for some reason you can't get a second opinion as part of this exercise, be sure that you explain well why it's not possible. Just ignoring this part of the exercise will cost you part of a grade.
Keys to the Assignment:
The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered in your paper include:
Completion of the assessment according to the guidelines and interpreting the results.
Including the actual results.
Explaining the results - meaning and the gaps between your peer's and your perspective and explain why they exist.
Discuss the importance of the team player dimensions for your job and your goals in that respect.
Discuss ways to improve your team playing style.