Introduction
Sandra Kay Richardson of the Center for the Study of Work Teams cites fourteen common blunders organizations face when trying to create a team-based, empowered organization (2002). Some of the more noteworthy include:
? Assuming teams are for everyone
? Lack of planning to implement changes
? Lack of customization to fit current organizational culture
? Relying entirely on outside consultant
? Underestimate money and time needed
? Expect immediate results
? No long term direction to managers and they fear loss of power
? Lack of training managers in new role
The common misconception and the general theme of the above blunders is that throwing a team together is a fix-all for any organization. The above blunders should be taken seriously. An organizational shift to a team-based, empowered organization cannot be accomplished by upper management simply dictating that everyone will be in teams by next week. Planning, education, training, money and time are all needed in order to begin to navigate and put into place such a large organizational change.
Dealing with the Situation
When the manager decides to move to a team environment and to push many of the decisions to the lowest possible levels, he is attempting to rid the company of bureaucratic layers of decision making that are not value adding. In other words, he is attempting to create a self-sufficient team-based, empowered organization that can act decisively with upper management's support in order to "to do whatever it takes to accomplish the objectives and implement the plan" (Parker, 1998).
...