Cara Levinson's post on above has inspired me to code the following
two object solutions (deposited in Internet Knowledge Database, i.e.
Outsights http://www.outsights.com).
Here are my thoughts, your comments / critiques most welcome
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Proposed Object #550 dated 31st Oct. 98
Goal: Dilemma over self-directed team Vs formal governing structure
Fact: Organisation Growth
Fact: Team
Fact: Structure
Fact: Mental Model
Symptom: Organisation doubling in size each year.
Symptom: So far use team-based structure to manage growing size in organisation
Symptom: Teams are formed to serve the needs of our clients, from beginning to
end.
Symptom: The teammembers operate as if they are running their own small
business.
Symptom: Management oversees the teams, but pushes decisions to the team level
as much as possible.
Symptom: Feel the need to apply a more formal structure across the organisation
to manage growth.
Symptom: Isn't it true that structure should be developed by the individual
teams to suit their specific needs?
Symptom: Best practices need to be shared across teams and the organisation.
Symptom: Team-based approach is what will let us grow without adding layers of
bureaucracy.
Change: Growth in organisation size
Cause: Clinch on to old mental model of what works best - self directed team
Cause: Dilemma over need of structure due to growing size of organisation
Cause: Association of formal structure with that of bureaucracy
Fix: There are underlying assumptions and mental model that need
re-thinking. What works best before may not be the only way in view of
change taking place : growing organisation size.
Fix: When there is so much focus on self-directed team, there is no
thought on inter-team dependency and relationship to create synergy for
achieving organisation goals. Achieving organisation shared vision is
certainly more than "sharing of best practices" among teams. We can always
go to International forum / conference to share "best practices". But the
relationship and interaction with the participating teams from other place
are different as compared with inter-teams of an organisation. In this
respect, an appropriate Structure is certainly necessary.
Fix: If Structure is viewed as something that influences human behaviour,
then it needs not be associated with bureaucracy. Hence we should focus on
good design of structure to produce result that we truly want.
Source: <a href="mailto:andrewwhs@hotmail.com">Andrew
Wong</a>, <a href="http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5621"
target="_blank">Web Page</a>
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Proposed Object #551 dated 31st Oct. 98
Goal: Can self-directed teams make Learning Organisation?
Fact: Self directed team
Fact: Learning Organisation
Symptom: Proud in implementation of "Self directed team"
Symptom: Self directed teams are formed to serve the needs of our clients,
from beginning to end.
Symptom: The teammembers operate as if they are running their own small
business.
Symptom: Management oversees the teams, but pushes decisions to the team
level as much as possible.
Cause: Perception that Self-Directed team is the answer, hence the pride.
Fix: Successful self directed teams can greatly help an organisation in
many ways. However these may not be helping in Learning Organisation.
Although to a limited extent, such practice does help in Learning Team.
This assertion is made based on the symptom reviewing the relationship
between the management and the self-directed teams, as the role depicted
for the management is more on "over-seeing", a rather limiting role and
relationship, that will not contribute much to the greater shared vision
of an organisation.
Fix: There must be new thinking for role of management that will help to
achieve collective intelligence and wisdom of the entire organisation.
Source: <a href="mailto:andrewwhs@hotmail.com">Andrew
Wong</a>, <a href="http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5621"
target="_blank">Web Page</a>
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Regards
Andrew Wong
Organisation Observer and Thinker
Personal Coach & Organisation Coach
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5621
An associate of Outsights
http://www.outsights.com
--andreww@petronas.com.my (Andrew Wong Hee Sing)
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>