Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL
Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL
Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL
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1999) Since coherence is a key factor in creating synergy <strong>and</strong> all corresponding outcomes, both<br />
external <strong>and</strong> internal ones, it should also be managed.<br />
Below, we will briefly address the six mentioned aspects of manager’s job. These are not all<br />
aspects of his job, of course. Our selection was based on our perception of priority in addressing<br />
these aspects when working with organizations.<br />
Building teams<br />
Teamwork is among the most popular concepts in management <strong>and</strong> training. An incredible number<br />
of publications are available <strong>for</strong> anyone interested. There would be no reason to come back to the<br />
topic if there were not so many cases of misunderst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong> misuse surrounding the idea. It<br />
directly reflects on the way organizations are built. That is why the author considers it important to<br />
comment on the topic.<br />
A team is a higher-level entity than individuals who constitute a group. Being a distinct entity, it<br />
should possess certain emergent qualities that justify the inevitable loss of freedom its members<br />
sacrifice <strong>for</strong> the sake of the greater results that may be achieved in the team.<br />
For example, five officers in the social department of one local government agreed to meet<br />
applicants not all at the same time, (as be<strong>for</strong>e, when everyone would talk with applicants who<br />
belonged to his or her corresponding districts), but to do it in turns, each one meeting all<br />
applicants. Then each officer was busy with applicants only one day per week, thus drastically<br />
improving productivity on other days. In this way the general productivity - <strong>and</strong> satisfaction of<br />
applicants who no longer felt they were disturbing somebody - rose considerably. No additional<br />
work, but better results. That could happen only with their shift in attitude – instead of ‘everyone<br />
meets his clients’, the new attitude was ‘we all together meet our clients’.<br />
A group of people working in close proximity does not necessary constitute a team. Not any group<br />
- even belonging to a single department, or sitting in the same room, or doing similar jobs, or<br />
contributing to the same project, or having extremely warm private relations, or sharing absolutely<br />
identical moral <strong>and</strong> values, even if very successful in communication, <strong>and</strong> celebrating all birthdays<br />
as great events – may be called a team. What makes a team is a common purpose as an<br />
organizing factor.<br />
People in a team together per<strong>for</strong>m one <strong>and</strong> the same task. The result will be one <strong>and</strong> the same <strong>for</strong><br />
everyone. Some individual gains may be different – but they come from the same common result.<br />
The team was able to reach it, or not. The goal is accomplished, or not. The index is fixed on the<br />
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