Does anyone know the true motive behind...?

Question

...implementing "The Team Concept" in the work place?

We all know that team building in the work place, primarily in the industrial sector does not and will not never work, and many time refered to as "A Bunch of Bull....." . When the team concept was introduced in the Mid 80's Upper managers new this from the start. So... why would they spend thousands and sometime millions in training (Brain Washing) the employee to this concept? The true reason lays behond! WHAT IS IT?

Answer 1

Ah, but it does work. The answer is increased poductivity.

Answer 2

No conspiracy here. Teams work as well as the leadership of the company lets them work. I worked at a company where they took teams to the extreme (i.e no hierarchy, no specific jobs assigned): disaster! But it works well within a reasonable framework as the industrial and corporate worlds will attest.

When it doesn't work well it usually is because:
1) idea of a team is not well defined- the "team leader" really has no interest in what the team says- so you're not a team really.
2) it's too extreme- no direction or accountability defined
3) company leadership is not behind it - so they step on the team structure at every turn.

All these bad things happen regularly, but as another person indicated, companies all over the world make it work. Like every other aspect of business it takes buy-in from the top, clear objectives for the idea, and a sincere implementation at all levels.

Answer 3

In the seventies American vehicles were crap. The 'plus or minus an eigth of an inch' industry standards were waaay too sloppy. Workers mostly stopped trying so hard. Meanwhile you could get 250,000 miles out of a Honda Civic. People were buying foriegn cars for dependability. All this caused American auto manufacturors to start implementing the team concept of management and quality control. It works. American cars are much more well made because of it.

Answer 4

The true reason that lay behind this was basically that they tried to copy Toyota, who made this work very successfully with small self directed teams with an optimum team size of 5 - 9. The theory behind this comes from Maslov's hierarchy of needs.

Traditional Management:
Top down management
Weak feedback
Poor ownership and initiative
Limited improvement activity
Diluted communication
Wait to be told or directed
Narrow roles and responsibilities
Poor utilisation of resources

Lean Organisation:

Affects whole organisation
Non-Value Adders support Value Adders
Two way communication
Roles and responsibilities clear and broader
Improvement driven by all
Work Group focuses on internal improvements

Control Theory: The needs that drive human behaviour

Survival & Reproduction
The need to stay alive & reproduce. Ongoing 100k years. At work members must be able to “see” how their day to day effort influence their survival. i.e. data that relates to their job.
Belonging
The need to be part of a group
Power
The need to be able to influence surroundings. (This is what drove the development of the first tools and all technology since then)
Freedom
This is the need to make choice’s of one’s own (empowerment)
Fun
Diffuses tension, critical because everyone else is also trying to get as much of the other 4 as possible!

Work Groups:

People would if naturally left to their own devices would form groups of 7 +/- 2
Groups larger than 9 have difficulty communicating effectively with each other
Groups smaller than 5 may not have enough psychological energy in the face of adverse circumstances
In groups of 7 each member can feel as if they are important to the group
In large groups fragmentation occurs as group intimacy decreases. Smaller sub-groups form, social loafing takes place as commitment to the original group is transferred to the sub group.

The work group is the most powerful influence on people.
Not satisfying the group, an individual risks their “belonging” need.
Although the correct things are said, we must spend time & effort to shift the behaviours of the culture, otherwise actions that follow are determined by the existing culture.
With a work group leader, to face outwards & inwards the non-leaders can focus on achieving the objectives of the group

Work Group Definition

A Work Group is a small number of employees working together on the same subject following the same targets
Everybody fully involved in all aspects of the process, responsibilities can be shared (window role assignments)
Team or Work Group Leader operating as a coach, not involved directly on the process, but 90% of his / her working time is dedicated to line work (troubleshooting support & absence cover)
Utilizing regular team meetings for internal communication and continuous improvement activities
Utilizing effective visual communication tools for monitoring their key measurables and escalating complex concerns

Paul S

Answer 5

Finding synergies is a common answer. Also, it allows your employer to do more work with less people if they distribute the work load of one to all others. The most important reason is that your employer will not depend on certain employees for a certain function; in other words, it ensures continuity. Of course, if you piss them off, they'll let you go too, it's easier to replace you with crosstrained employees.