Management
Design E is the term used to describe the process of selecting a task force that includes members from two teams, for example Team X and Team Y. Dyer et al. (2007) assert that the responsibility of the task force is to review the job of the task force is to review the problems that arise whenever the two teams interact. After the problems are identified, the members of the task force are supposed to recommend possible solutions that the teams can take under consideration and agree on. In the first step, Team X and team Y select team members who the group feels they have the best ability to represent them. The teams then exchange the names of the selected group members. Both teams must engage in this selection and listing process (Dyer et al., 2007). The selection results to members who are put into a task force. The task force conducts an assessment of both teams in order to determine the teams’ interface/ interaction problems and provide possible solutions. This can be achieved through either interviewing team members from other teams or inviting facilitators to help in the assessment process (Dyer et al., 2007). The assessment process selected does not matter. What is important is that the task force comes up with the issues causing inter-team ineffectiveness, the possible solutions to be undertaken, which team members should be responsible for what solutions, at time frame within which the solutions will be implemented, how the teams can prevent the issues from recurring, and what techniques will be used in case other issues arise (Dyer, 2007). The advantage of this design is that it is a self-designing process which saves management a lot of time and resources. Instead of hiring other teams to replace the teams and start projects from scratch or start training the new team members, or instead of appointing external assessors or assessors from other departments and taking more time in the assessment process, management uses the involved teams to solve their own problems (Williams, 2010).
Take the example of a small IT business which has two creative and innovation teams (Team A and Team B). Each team has 10 members. These teams do not get along and this has slowed down the results expected from both teams by the IT company; their interface problems have slowed down achievement of targets as expected by the company. The teams work under one supervisor. In order to solve the interface problems, the supervisor summons the teams to the conference room and asks them to solve their interface problems using Design E. The teams are given 4 hours to come up with solutions to their problems. Team A selects 4 members that would best represent it and hands the list to Team B. Team B does the same and hands the list to Team A. Once the team members are agreed upon, a task force is formed. The task for assesses the interface problems by interviewing every member of each team. The task force learns that the main problem the teams are facing is lack of communication and selfish competitiveness, has led to withholding creative ideas and knowledge. The task force comes up with solutions such as the benefits of sharing ideas and knowledge for any creative and innovation teams. Within 3 hours, the possible solutions are presented to Team A and Team B. The teams agree on the solutions and present them to the supervisor to implement them immediately (Williams, 2010).
References
Dyer, W. G., Dyer, J. W., & Dyer, J. H. (2007). Team Building: Proven Strategies for improving team performance (4th ed). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Williams, C. (2010). Self-Assessment. In C. Williams, Management (6th ed)(p. 392). Mason, OH: Southwestern Cengage Learning.
