Con says:
>Gerry and Janet,
>
> Are you interested in starting a thread to discuss "virtual" teams?
>I have been part of one for a year, and we often wonder whether other teams
>are encountering the same emotional and political barriers in their
>organizations. For instance, our funding comes from two formal sources and
>from many informal sources in the company's grey economy. When competing
>for staff, budget, and resources, we lack standing when compared to teams
>with only one sponsor and source of funds. Have your teams also experienced
>this disadvantage?
I am particularly interested in this thread. I'm an internal management
consultant for a large state agency, responsible for the care and feeding
of the management system (strategic planning, work planning, budgeting,
evaluation, CQI, etc.). I was hired 4 years ago to manage a small group
of management analysts, but through budget cuts and reallocations I've
lost 3 positions, with the 4th on long-term hold. So it's just me, in the
context of an agency-wide reorganization that is calling for rewriting the
entire management system book.
My unit is supposed to develop systems, help implement them, and modify
them as needed; this is a system-wide PDCA process that is done jointly
with system users. But because of the lack of dedicated systems people,
the agency will most likely redefine the management system through a
process that engages staff on a part-time basis using ad-hoc "teams". I
think I have two issues about this:
1. The scenario I see is where small groups of technical experts get
together on a part-time, short-term basis to create or modify processes,
and then hand them off to other ad hoc groups for implementation. The
members of these ad hoc "teams" generally do not have a vested interest in
the overall system (they all have their regular jobs to do); they know the
current operating practices but not the range of possibilities; and they
do not normally work together.
I'm concerned that the absence of staff dedicated to the functioning
of the whole system will cause a variety of disconnects in both the short
and long term.
2. I'm still theoretically in charge of a consulting group. However, in
reality I will need to adapt my role to that of advisor, staff support,
and idea person, without getting so bogged down by any particular process
analysis that I lose sight of the big picture. In other words, I'm
shifting from steering to rowing, but I'm not sure that's what's needed.
How do I keep steering when I don't have my own boat? Alternatively, how
do I play bosun for several ships at once?
I'm looking for perspectives, role descriptions, models, and any
thoughtful advice that will help clarify how to use ad hoc work groups (I
balk at the word "teams" here) and my own role ambiguity.
Any thoughts out there?
Dave
-- David E. Birren Phone: (608)267-2442 Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources Fax: (608)267-3579 Bureau of Management & Budget E-mail: birred@dnr.state.wi.usWe shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. (from T. S. Eliot's "Little Gidding")