Teamwork can address all the moving parts.
Our author begins describing a “self-directed work team” as an “organizational innovation” that has been given a great deal of freedom and responsibility. [Tubbs, p. 365-366] The “self-managing team” has such non-traditional responsibilities as “(1) preparing budgets, (2) … timekeeping…,” (3) keeping quality control records, (4) solving technical problems, “(5) adjusting production schedules, (6) modifying or redesigning production processes, (7) setting team goals, and (8) assessing internal performance.” What I found truly remarkable was the parallel between the self-managing teams and what we call the entrepreneur. This is usually a highly motivated individual who, in the course of starting a business, executes the very tasks that the self-managing team is accomplishing. What a wonder that “unbridled enthusiasm” is the raw motivating power” shared by both. [Tubbs, p. 366]
It seems to me that we have been evolving in the business world for a very long time and now with the acceptance of robotics, we have begun to appreciate for the first time the individual and collective contributions that can be made by the so-called “rank and file” employees. These same employees that heretofore were nothing more than robots themselves in their jobs.
Human robots.
We see this particularly in manufacturing: repetitive work, repetitive actions. But now, these individuals are demonstrating previously unknown and unrecognized abilities by participating in self-managing groups.
Brian Scudamore, a Forbes contributor, reiterates our text in his post from March of this year, “It builds trust, mitigates conflict, encourages communication, and increases collaboration. ” And even though some of his article is a restatement of our text, I simply love the stories! Sometimes I think life is a giant “what if?”
Parallels.
But speaking as an entrepreneur, it is easy for me to see the parallels between the self-managing groups and starting and running a business. They are both facing the same challenges … how to make it work, how to make it work better, how to make it profitable, what did we do wrong that we can correct, all the same questions, just different answers depending on the application.
And having worked in the tight-fitting hierarchical corporate world, oftentimes not even on the same floor as the leadership much less having permission to even approach upper management, the concept of self-managing groups is simply light through the clouds.
The freeing up of human creativity was such a powerful demand that a nation was formed and a constitution created to give a platform for just that … “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Certainly human creativity would fall neatly under this umbrella, at least it does for me.
And if you have not heard the Declaration of Independence in a while, or maybe never, I encourage you to take a minute and think through its message.
To deny people the expression that has been so interwoven into their being has been the darkest form of slavery, to my way of thinking. Were it not for the love and encouragement of families, it would be unbearable. Free at last … the unleashing of human potential is truly on the horizon … be it through self-managing groups or individual entrepreneurship … we are on an “event horizon” unlike anything our world has ever seen. I’m so ready to “be here now!!” How about YOU?
1. Declaration of Independence, 1776. Independence Hall Association. Retrieved Nov 15, 2016, from http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/.
2. Reading of The Declaration of Independence. YouTube, Aug 27, 2009. Retrieved Nov 15, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETroXvRFoKY.
3. Scudamore, B. Why Team Building Is The Most Important Investment You’ll Make, Mar 9, 2016. Forbes Online. Retrieved Nov 15, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/brianscudamore/2016/03/09/why-team-building-is-the-most-important-investment-youll-make/#500c2e097f02.
4. Tubbs, S.L. A Systems Approach to Small Group Interaction. McGraw-Hill. New York City. 2012.
I believe Stewart L. Tubbs did a good job of organizing his content and framing it under a model that leads to the final topic of consequences. As technology advances companies their business practices and ethics. When you are looking at some challenges it is important to balance out the problems and solutions or the causes and effects.
I share your thoughts about Tubbs’ work, this textbook is amazing in its scope, content and presentation. I have already been recommending it to other professors as well as professional colleagues.
I’d have to agree, it is quite interesting how much the work force has changed over the years. From being menial labor workers to now being part of social work groups that actually have a say in the company’s decisions, the jobs of the common employee have evolved so that now everyone has a say. This is the kind of work environment we should all strive to have, because it allows for more free thinking and innovation that we never had before.
Thanks, Henry. I realized in class that very few would really understand because of the generational shifts but certainly all can relate to the energy and excitement of participative work groups.
Isn’t it interesting, that it took a little robot involvement to appreciate our human collaborative spirit? In the army I got to work with all kinds of people, and all kinds of ages. I didnt really recognize the value until I got back to school and spent more time with my peers. Wow, I mean there can still be a lot of hot air passed around in any generation, but having access to multiple different viewpoints in a collaborative environment was a great way to work, sometimes slightly frustrating but the benefits were there nonetheless.
Funny that you mentioned your military experience because my friend, who served in the Air Force during WWII as a flight controller, was talking about how she had such feelings of inadequacy, etc. until she went into the military, and there the only question you needed to ask was “where are you from?” and you had a new friend. There were and are so many benefits to military service and I think so few realize it. I was more than a little frustrated when they decided to do away with the draft because the training that was given was so very valuable in helping young people exercise self discipline. My friend went on to say how she used to look down the stairs and call out to her mother if her blouse was ironed yet. You know where I’m going with this, because at camp, her uniforms had to be perfect, hung in the right place, etc. and there was no “momma” doing it. It all paid off in great ways as she met her husband, had five beautiful children, lived all over the world, and has her own company, and respected by so many, myself included. So, the military was a great helper/builder in her life.