BUS 5113 – Organisational Theory and Behavior

Assignment Unit 6

Submitted to
Jermaine Tucker

University of the People

May 2021
According to Wright (2013), the six myths and realities of teamwork are as follows:
Myth 1: Teams are harmonious people who compromise their needs for the sake of the team.

The Reality: Good teams are made of diverse people with specific needs to be met. If the
diverse profile within a team can be recognized and utilized appropriately, the team members
will deliver team success. This diversity is to be seen as a strength. Failure to recognize
diversity can lead to team chaos.

My Thought: The assumption is that teams will sacrifice their needs to achieve the objective
of the team. This may not be applicable in real life as a team is made of people from different
backgrounds. It is important to have someone in the team playing the devil's advocate for the
team to disagree and come to a consensus. I believe this healthy for the team.

Myth 2: Team conflict is unhealthy.

The Reality: Conflict within teams needs to be recognized as a positive energy source,
especially if the whole team can embrace the team’s primary goal or mission rather than
individual goals. The passion for a common goal allows conflict to be seen in a positive light,
as the ‘fight’ is about achieving the objective and not with each other. Conflict can be healthy
and should be harnessed for the common good, rather than suppressed.

My Thought: Conflict is important in a team. This is because everyone on the team cannot
be on the same lane all the time. It also allows the team to have a second look at other team
members' points of view. I believe conflict is a necessary evil for a team to achieve more.

Myth 3: Most people like teamwork

The Reality: About one-third of the working population enjoys teamwork, one-third is
neutral and one-third prefers to work solo (source: Wright Consultancy).

It is obvious to say that not everyone will respond to teamwork in the same way; each person
is different and should be recognized as such. Some people have a preference for working by
themselves and the team needs to accommodate this without compromising the team
objectives or values. It is possible to create a team environment that caters to the work
preferences of each individual.

My Thought: Certain people prefer to work in silos and this should be considered when
working in a team. For me, the most vital thing is for the individual to play his/her role in the
achievement of the team goal.
Myth 4: Teamwork is essential to business success.

The Reality: Teamwork is not essential to all businesses. Teams thrive on complexity;
however, if a task or process is simple, an organization can cope without teamwork and
continue to be successful working in silos or a task environment.

Teams thrive on complexity; however, if a task or process is simple, an organization can cope
without teamwork.

My Thought: Not in all cases that teamwork is needed. Some tasks require people to work in
isolation. Hence a team is not usually required at all times for the business to succeed.

Myth 5: Teams are easy to influence and manage.

The Reality: Leading teams requires a very different skill set to that required for normal day-
to-day management. There is, for some managers, significant unlearning of habits and
processes. Teamwork requires courage and high levels of personal awareness from its
leaders.

My Thought: Team requires a leader with great interpersonal skills. This is based on the
premise that the team is made of people with different personalities and the ability of the
manager to recognize this and lead is essential.

Myth 6: Senior Managers encourage teamwork.

The Reality: Far from encouraging teamwork, senior managers are uneasy with the loss of
control that teamwork appears to bring with it. Most senior managers are anxious about
teamwork and the potential loss of power or control.

My Thought: My experience is that some managers use teamwork to achieve a task faster.
However, this may not apply across organizations.

Myth 2- Team conflict is unhealthy. - Why do people buy into this myth? Is it difficult
to influence others to see the reality against the myth? Explain your thoughts.

According to Brady (n.d), conflict, when done in the right way, can be the best and most
productive thing for the team. Positive conflict happens when ideas are discussed in a way
that does not discourage people from speaking or debating. Only when you have established a
culture of trust can employees discuss anything to do with the project without fear of being
abused or shut out for an idea that may not make much sense.

Additionally, employees need to be able to resolve any issues they have with each other at
work. This can only happen through positive conflict situations, where employees feel okay
about confronting each other in regards to certain situations at work. Wroblewski. (2019,
November 05) states that healthy conflict can strengthen relationships in a team.

From the foregoing, People buy into this myth because they believe conflict is a negative
thing. This is not true especially when the conflict leads to a better understanding of issues. I
do not think it is difficult to influence others to see the reality against this myth because
focusing on the issue that resulted in the conflict and constructively resolving the conflict will
make people understand the need for conflict in a team.
 References
Wright, D. (2013). The myths and realities of teamwork (1st ed.). Retrieved from
https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/1184074/mod_book/chapter/273465/wright_teamwor
k.pdf
M.T. Wroblewski. (2019, November 05) Chron. Healthy & Unhealthy Conflict. Retrieved
from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/healthy-unhealthy-conflict-2832.html.
Darren Brady. (n.d). Is Team Conflict a Good Thing or a Bad Thing? Retrieved from
https://www.totalteambuilding.com.au/author/darren/