Teams and Organizations- moving onward and upward?
This past month I participated in a supervision training course on Organizational and Team Development and the methods and models that can be used. One such tool is a survey: Organic Quality Management (OQM®) and then use Development Consulting. The survey measures the Quality Characteristics of a healthy company (or team). Here they are listed below:
What does your company (or team) look like regarding the 8 OQM® qualitative characteristics?
· Leadership
· Workers
· Vision
· Structures
· Values
· Teams
· Service
· Relationship
Some More Thoughts Regarding Relationships
Then maybe you want to consider two books from Relational Thinking: The Relational Lensand the Relational Manager. They add to OQM® with regards to qualitative characteristics in the area of relationship. Relationships on a team and in the company as a whole can make or break your success.
Specifically, what are the positives and negatives regarding the relationships on your team or in your company?
Here are the 5 Relational Analytics Areas
· Directness
· Continuity
· Multi-plexity
· Parity
· Commonality
Let’s look at teams for now regarding these five areas and ask some good questions:
Directness– How much face-to-face timedo people have with each other? How is that time used? How can it better be used (especially to create better relationships)?
Continuity– How much turnoveris there on the team? How might/does that affect relationships (especially with regards to group dynamics)? How can the team have more stability to create a common storyline together and give the team a better sense of momentum?
Multi-plexity– How is information gainedon the team? How can the breadth of shared knowledge be broadened so that team members can respond to change together?
Parity– How is the use of poweraffecting the team? How are fairness and participation promoted on the team so that mutual respect is a shared value?
Commonality– How can we see that the team shares the same vision, purpose and values? How does that add to – or subtract from – the sense of synergy and unity of the group?
Finally, I just finished reading “Reinventing Organizations”
If you are interested in different ways organizations work, this is a great book to read. One thing to be aware of, it puts value on “higher level” ways of running organizations (such as holocracy), which can be considered dangerous by some leaders, and it is highly idealistic, focusing on the idea that everyone wants the good of the company and for each other. Anyone who feels threatened by “losing” their structural authority will not find this model very comforting. But it is challenging, and very interesting.
So, if you are the Manager of this team, so what?
That you need to consider. Are you moving onward and upward, challenging yourself and your team?
Here’s my so what: So, what does this have to do with me, as a coach and supervisor in training? I am a licensed OQM® Consultant and thus you can contact me and talk to me about all 8 quality characteristics, about how OQM® works, about the relational thinking qualities, and Reinventing Organizations. This may help you to discover how to develop your team and your company.
To begin your move forward, the above questions are very helpful to reflect upon.
Patricia Jehle
