Title: Self-directed Work teams
1Self-directed Work teams
2Aim
- To investigate the concept of self-directed teams
3Objectives
- To analyse the thinking behind the development
of self-directed teams - To compare and contrast self-directed teams
with other management/leadership styles - To analyse the dynamics of team formation
4What are self-directed teams?
- They are co-operative communities of workers
who adopt a collaborative model of
management/leadership - They differ from the (perhaps!) more
traditional boss-worker model -
5What are self-directed teams?
- They arose from the QUALITY revolution that
swept (predominantly) Japan, during the 1980s - Their focus is to achieve dramatic results
within short time-frames (SMART) - Their activity appears chaotic to outsiders
(contrast with Tuckmans team building theory)
6What are self-directed teams?
- They achieve 75 of their results in the last
25 of their allotted time spans (subtle variant
on the Pareto Principle?) - They achieve more (outcomes) with less
(resources)
7What is their claim to fame?
- It is asserted, by exponents of self-directed
teams that they enable complex projects to be
completed- - more quicklyand more effectivelywith greater
worker satisfaction and, therefore, lower
attrition/absenteeism ratesdue to the belief
that the collective brainpower of a team exceeds
that of any manager (comments, please!) - than more traditional approaches
8What is the evidence to support this notion?
- Rise to economic dominance (briefly) of Japan
(there may, therefore, be a strong hint to
consider, here!) - Leading-edge organisations, in the west, e.g.
Federal Express ( the overnight delivery
service) still uses this approach - Change, particularly in quality enhancement, is
often created and effected by self-directed
teams
9What factors would support this approach?
- Mutual/peer respect and trust
- Shared vision
- Shared reward schemes
- Freedom to constructively criticise
current processes and procedures
10What factors would support this approach?
- Team independence, from other teams
- Team self-sufficiency
- Empowerment
- No blame culture
11Just a word of warning!
- It is all too easy for organisations to term
their teams self-managing while not giving them
meaningful information or decision-making power!
12Questions, for group feedback, about
self-directed teams
- What might happen if a self-directed team
becomes stifled, frustrated or just plain lost?
13Questions, for group feedback, about
self-directed teams
- What potential problems might you consider, in
respect to the ease with which self-directed
teams introduce change?
14Questions, for group feedback, about
self-directed teams
- What potential problems do you envisage with
regard to self-directed teams working
independently of other self-directed teams?
15Questions, for group feedback, about
self-directed teams
- It is claimed that self-directed teams promote
independence, self-sufficiency and
competitiveness at the expense of shared goals
and collaboration discuss, with particular
relevance to the healthcare sector