Working with and leading people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Working with and leading people - Essay Example His recruits learnt to support each other during difficult times; it was a lesson on showing concern for one’s teammate. This is a depiction of the principle stage of Tuckman’s Teamwork Theory which discusses the formulation of the team. This is a stage where each individual is trying to find his/her role in the team, they are sizing each other up and there are cases of doubt to one’s purpose (Tuckman Bruce, 1965) Oliver tasked the recruits with challenging assignments like working night shifts at the bakery. Knowing the difficulty level of his challenge, he appeared for some of the shifts and he worked alongside his recruits. At the end of the training they were expected to work together as a team in a commercial kitchen, they therefore had to develop a sense of devotion towards each other. To foster this devotion, Oliver took his recruits for camping activities and later on he tested them by taking them through a simulation test. They were tasked with the duty of preparing meals for fifty clients. The purpose of the simulation was to see how they worked under pressure. This was in line with Tuckman’s second stage theory which is the Storming. At this level they have started seeing themselves as a team however, this stage is characterized by confrontations and various levels of conflict. This is expected due to the pressure put on them by Oliver. As per the expectations, some of them crumbled when the scene got chaotic. This was however, part of the team building process. At the end of the training, the recruits were assured of a job working for Oliver. They therefore had an end in mind. This sense of purpose according to Dr. Belbin, M. 2014 is the motivator for teamwork. Oliver demonstrated participative leadership when he engaged with his recruits in their daily tasks, when he helped them solve problems that occurred at the ground level. His hands on approach was in line with the Participative Leadership Theory which