You are required to work in a small group as assigned by your tutor and complete a written report agreed by all members of the group.

A managerial colleague has approached you with the following problem.

I have moved to a new organisation and inherited a small ‘team’ of six people, four of whom only joined the organisation within the last eighteen months. I am disappointed that members miss deadlines, pull in different directions and spend too much time on turf wars rather than with improving business results. I have attempted to discover each member’s strengths and weaknesses and to re-allocate certain roles and tasks but this is resisted. They are becoming bad-tempered and dissatisfied. I worry the team is increasingly dysfunctional. What advice can you give me?

Discussion

■ To what extent were your own suggestions influenced by previous experience of team working/management?

■ How did you go about establishing priorities and a timetable for action?

■ How easy was it to reach agreement with your colleagues?