In Support of Teams
You may think that there is little new about the
concept of teamwork. For over 20 years AQP has
dedicated its efforts to teamwork, employee
involvement, workplace democracy and participation.
We have written about team dynamics, the processes
and the impact teams have on an organization’s
success. And we have looked at the reasons why some
team efforts fail. Today, our work and our
organizations have changed but we continue to
struggle with finding new ways of working together.
Working together has different dynamics than it did
20 years ago, and change is redefining the ways in
which we accomplish our goals. But in spite of recent
changes the fact remains: The work of teams is
important, moving and an essential part of
organization.
As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that
a small group of committed citizens can make a
difference. Indeed it’s the only thing that
ever really has.” Teams give us a sense of
community. They give us a sense of uniting together
to serve a common purpose and they have an
impact—bottom line.
Keeping Teams Alive
In this section we hope to provide you with the tools
and resources that will help you in your fight to
keep team efforts alive, to build a greater sense of
community and unity in your organization and recharge
your teams’ batteries to continue their
work.
The strongest common thread stitching these
ideas together is the expression that team efforts
are not possible without the support of leaders and
managers. The three winners of AQP’s National
Team Competition reiterate the need for
commitment—“it must start at the top and
flow down to everyone in the organization.”
Cynthia Minor, a manager and team leader, addresses
the need for management to practice what they preach,
“Companies very often teach and preach teams
while rewarding and promoting individual
competitiveness.” And Peter Block challenges
leaders to invest more deeply in teams no matter how
slow, expensive or counter-cultural it may
seem.
Teamwork is making a difference in North
Carolina, as hospitals in Chapel Hill reap the
benefits of happy customers by first satisfying the
needs of its employees. Our consultant contributors
offer ways to deal with difficult team members and
every contributor in this section shares their
insights to overcoming obstacles, meeting challenges
and recognizing that in today’s changing world,
teams are as important as ever in
succeeding.
INSIDE THIS SECTION:
Insights: Cynthia Minor and Mike
Levenhagen
Just
What The Doctor Ordered
Highlights of Winning
Teams:
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
Peter
Block--My Kingdom For A Team
Views for a
Change
Pam Walsh's
Unofficial Quality Tips
May
2001Homepage
My Kingdom
for a Team
