Using SDWT for MBA Man Com

Or, How Self Directed Work Teams Make the Leap from

Industry to University

Aline WolffStern School of Business

New York University

Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.

Wearing the same shirts doesn’t make you a team.

The goal is not to have a team, but to increase productivity and employee satisfaction.

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.

Teamwork is the quintessential contradiction of a society grounded in individual achievement.

Self-Directed Work Teams rely on impact factors:Self - interestBelief in the team’s visionSupport and cooperationShared goalsNew member integrationAuthenticity and recognition

Quotes from Grant M. Bright

What about organizations today?

We used to think that we knew how to run organizations. Now we know better. They need to be global and local…small but big…centralized and decentralized. They expect workers to be … autonomous and more of a team, managers to be more delegating and more controlling.

–CB Handy, The Age of Paradox

What we know about teams in industry

Fortune 1000 Companies87% use teams for functional

purposes: quality98% use project teams (cross-

functional, short and long term)47% use permanent work teams as

their organizational structure

Source: Lawler and Cohen, 1992!

What is a self-directed work team, anyway?

A small number of people (5-9, optimally)Complementary skills (diversity a plus)Common purpose (starts with a mission)Performance goals (establish, track, meet, evaluate)Common approach (agreement about work style,

rules)Mutual accountability (not the boss but ourselves)

Source: Katzenbach and Smith

Applying SDWT to the MC curriculum

Team rights and responsibilitiesAssignments for MC goalsPoint values for team and individual

assignmentsSimilarities to workplace teams: multi-

tasking, diversity, electronic communication

Results?

Defining teams: rights and responsibilities

RightsSelf-defined missionsAbility to ‘fire’ free-loadersSelf-determined meetings: time, place,

duration, modeResponsibilities

Team executive summaries 30% of grade: teamworkRotating leadershipOngoing communication: team-mates,

class, instructor

MC goals for class teams

Active listening Non-verbal communication Communication climate Meeting management

AgendaPre-meeting documentsWritten meeting recordsFollow up, minutes, preparation loop

Brainstorming techniques Electronic meetings and tools

How the class works

Course outline: include teamsTeam and individual assignmentsTeam pointsIndividual points

Technology to help teams

6. Here’s the final version -- with a clear readability score

6. Here’s the final version -- with a clear readability score

Faculty teamwork: walking the talk

Pre-semester meetingsConsensus, cooperation, commitment

Bi-weekly meetings during the semesterFocusing, improving, comparing notes

Constant e-mail dialogueBulletin boards and broadcast messagesIdea, assignment and resource sharing

Results: the students speak

My overall experience with my team has been very positive. We have not only helped each other become better communicators, but have also become friends outside of class.

I definitely gained the most in this class though the interactions and work with my team members. You have to rely on your teammates.

As a team member, I learned to trust other members. Without this mutual trust, group work would be impossible.

I learned how to contribute to my team according to my strengths while allowing others to contribute with their strengths.

In this group, my personal goal was to let the group organize as a team and not always jump in and take charge -- it really made a difference in the team experience.

It is natural for me to be the leader of whatever group I am in. But I wanted my teammates to assert themselves so we could get their ideas.

We taught each other and offered insight for improvement.