The Emergent Nature of Teams: The Next Challenge for Training & Development Professionals
By Stu Noble and Lisa Kimball
Teams (project, virtual, distributed, global, etc.) aren't what they used to be. . As such, learning interventions based upon an old team model may no longer work. The implications associated with this are many. First and foremost is that in order to for training professionals to effectively support the learning and development needs of this new generation of team, there must be a new understanding of this current change in the nature of teams and collaborative work. Effectively addressing this transition will be one of the greatest the challenges facing training professionals.
A New Team Model
The nature of teams has changed significantly because of changes within and outside their organizations. Organizations have become more distributed across geography, cultures, industries and functional areas. Companies have discovered the need and value of collaborative work in order to maximize use of know how and resources, as well as provide fast results in a competitive environment that requires speed and agility. There is also a renewed emphasis upon knowledge management, harvesting the learning of the experience of members of the organization so that it is available to the whole organization. Team members often have membership on a number of teams, not only one.
And there are many other factors that are influencing change every day, some emerging even as you are reading this!
All of these changes in the emergent nature of organizations and the way that work gets done have changed why and how teams are formed and how they work. Except in areas where more tangible, linear and routine work is performed, (i.e., production settings, administration, etc.) many collaborative situations blend both face-to-face and virtual work. The model for teams has changed, and like the constantly changing organizations in which they exist, will never be the same.
The changes can be summarized as follows:
TRADITIONAL TEAM MODEL
Fixed team membership
All team members drawn from within the organization
Team members are dedicated 100% to the team
Team members are co-located organizationally and geographically
Teams have a fixed starting and ending point
Teams are managed by a single manager
EMERGENT TEAM MODEL
Shifting team membership
Team members can include people from outside the organization (clients, collaborators)
People are members of multiple teams
Team members are distributed organizationally and geographically
Teams form and reform continuously
Teams have multiple reporting relationships with different parts of the organization at different times
Although the technology that supports these new teams gets most of the attention when we talk about virtual teams, it's really the changes in the nature of teams - not their use of technology - which creates new challenges for team managers and members. The effective emergent team maximizes the use of available communication strategies and project management techniques, as well as human interaction and social processes.
A tall order for any team to achieve!
Most Training and Development professionals have known the importance of training support for team development and building, as well as effective facilitation for successful team performance. But how many have really grappled with the issues of trying to help the development of teams that are doing knowledge work? Working on multiple teams? Those often dealing with constant changing priorities, goals and expectations? And/or working, at a distance and time?
Team Characteristics
Here are some characteristics of an effective 21st century 'emergent' team. You will notice that many of these characteristics are the same or similar as what we have been saying for all teams. In many ways the differences are subtle, in some more pronounced. This is not about starting over…just starting fresh. We can use what we have learned about teams and make the appropriate adjustments to reshape our work for these 'new' teams.
· Clear purpose, mission and direction; outcomes understood
· Role clarity, adaptability, flexibility
· Shared leadership
· Established team protocols and rituals
· Possess (or have access to) required knowledge, skills, resources and information
· Focus on relationship building, social interaction; trust
· Networking (inside and out)
· Handle information overload to provide clarity and usefulness of information
· Effective use of technology
· Individual accountability ('Collaborative Individualism')
· Frequent recognition and acknowledgement
· A speed orientation
· Positive attitudes and energy
The Challenge
In this time of rapid change, there is no shortage of need for training efforts focused in this critical area of opportunity. Some of the key areas for focus to help organizations to enhance the impact and use of teams include:
· The creation of newly redesigned processes for team management and development
· Leadership Training in new team management and effectiveness strategies
· Team member training in new ways of effectively working in collaborative contexts
· Support for the associated culture change within the organization, which includes challenging old models and assumptions.
It is important that the Training and Development profession learns to adapt to (and be ahead of) changing business and organizational conditions to provide the best learning support possible. There is probably no greater area of value to current organizations as improving the effectiveness, speed and productivity in its collaborative work. The opportunity is there, though requires a willingness to confront and challenge personal assumptions and beliefs associated with what's worked in the past. And what better way could there be to begin this journey forward?
Lisa Kimball, 202-686-4848
Stu Noble, 215-836-2401
Reprinted from Greater Philadelphia ASTD RESOURCE Newsletter June, 2001
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