Running head: ARTIFACT 2 1

Artifact 2 Demonstration of ECQ2: Leading People

Cheryl M. Calaustro
PUA 550 Seminar for Public Administration
McDaniel College
ARTIFACT 2 2
A Presentation and Reflection of Artifact 2
Administrators of environmental programs must be able to create, mentor and
manage diverse teams to achieve programs goals (Executive Core Qualifications, n.d.).
Recognizing and cultivating leadership potential within others will also help to sustain
program goals and objectives. The ability to lead people through hardship and adversity
is a characteristic that program leaders need to successfully manage human resources and
implement environmental policies.

Presentation of the Artifact
As a wildlife biologist for the Guam Department of Agriculture in the Division of
Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, I was employed within the Brown Treesnake Program.
This program is responsible for the application and execution of Brown Treesnake
research and control in support of endangered species recovery and restoration on the
ground on Guam. While there are a number of groups working within a larger, regional
Brown Treesnake Working Group which includes Hawaii and the US mainland, the
Guam Department of Agriculture is solely responsible for work within its territorial
conservation areas and associated offshore atolls.
The artifact presented here is my final assignment from the course PUA 566
Group Dynamics in Public Administration. The artifact, a case study, studies the
efficiency of team members of the Brown Treesnake Program from the standpoint of an
external evaluator tasked with assessing problems in the workplace and creating
interventions to improve observed conditions. The studied situation was taken from
realistic conditions within the department and my personal observations as a senior
ARTIFACT 2 3
employee within the division. This artifact is representative of my application of group
dynamics theory within the intersection of environmental and human resource policy. An
effective administrator of an environmental program will not only understand the
scientific underpinnings of the work but also the circumstances surrounding the people
doing the work. The human dimension of program administration cannot be overlooked.
Within the artifact, I studied the roles of the team members, the existing team
culture and interactions as well as interventions to minimize inefficiency. Being
knowledgeable of the strengths, weaknesses as well as biases and culture of team
members is useful in creating well-balanced, successful teams. Leaders must understand
the cultural, social, and perhaps psychological backgrounds of individual team members
to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses that hinder team productivity. The
presented artifact exhibits understanding of cultural nuances and interventions for proper
team functioning.
Additionally, team leaders with the ability to be impartial but focused on project
goals and outcomes will be able to mediate conflicts quickly and provide positive
solutions that will allow work flow to continue. Good leaders turn team tensions into
opportunities for growth, development and trust. Leaders realize they have power but
can empower others (Robbins & J udge, 2012). Within the artifact, I list opportunities for
personal development to equalize the gaps in knowledge between team members.
Effective team leaders build strong teams by supporting individual team members
individually or on a personal level that has great impact.
Minimizing inefficiency would maximize the likelihood of obtainment of project
goals and objectives. The Brown Treesnake Program is funded through federal grants. If
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demonstrated to be successful, the prospect of continued and even new funding is
possible. Knowledge of managing teams of individuals will aid the administration of
successful public programs not only in regards to group functioning but also in the
delivery of programs to target audiences. When teams function properly, they are more
likely to portray a sense of understanding, credibility and professionalism that others
would want to emulate and perhaps replicate.

Reflection of the Artifact
Humans are social creatures and they interact with others on a regular basis. The
knowledge and experience gained from this course is critical information not only for
academic understanding but for subsequent work that I may pursue after graduation. Any
management position that I wish to pursue will necessitate work with other people in one
capacity or another. This is especially true in the workplace where people are often asked to
work in teams. Often, these teams are not self-selected, meaning, the group members may or
may not have a natural affinity toward one another. Despite this, groups and teams are asked
to not only work together, but be productive and effective together despite differences in
culture, age or even race. They may be asked to be creative and share ideas openly. They may
have to support one another and call on the strengths of other team members to complete their
own work. This requires a level of synergy, collaboration and at times conflict resolution that
is not innate to every group. A good leader or administrator understands their teams
dynamics and how it can be manipulated for success (Byars & Rue, 2011).
From research needed to complete the artifact, it is evident that teams can be an
excellent asset to an organization and produce greater outcomes than individuals working
ARTIFACT 2 5
independently (Franz, 2012). It is also understood that there are a number of challenges and
obstacles a team can face that can negatively affect their ability to collaborate effectively
(Franz, 2012). This is why a foundation in group and team dynamics is critical for effective
management. Learning why teams are important, but also why they often go astray will help
build human resource and leadership acumen. Public administrators must work to uncover the
root of problems within team structure. They must understand and practice relevant research-
based assessments and interventions to make helpful corrections to groups or teams.
Mastering these abilities will maximize work outcomes while simultaneously supporting
professional development of individual employees.
Exemplary leaders strengthen everyones capacity (Kouzes & Posner, 2009).
By empowering individuals through more responsibility, additional knowledge and most
importantly trust, the larger team or group is strengthened and the likelihood of success is
increased (Kouzes & Posner, 2009). Efficient teamwork can be seen as the responsibility
of the team leader but ultimately it is a result of cooperation and understanding among
individual team members.
ARTIFACT 2 6
References
Byars, L. & Rue, L. (2011). Human Resource Management. (10th ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Executive Core Qualifications. (n.d.). OPM.gov. Retrieved J une 14, 2014, from
http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-
core-qualifications/
Franz, T. M. (2012). Group dynamics and team interventions: understanding and
improving team performance. J ohn Wiley & Sons.
Kouzes, J . M., & Posner, B. Z. (2009). The five practices of exemplary leadership. The
Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership, 63.
Robbins, S. P., & J udge, T. A. (2012). Essentials of Organizational Behavior (11th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ : Pearson Prentice Hall.