Among the many changes that occur in organizations there is one that remains and with each new theory or administrative technique that appears, it is increasingly reinforced. All of them mention it as a vital element for companies to transform. We remember it from the circles of quality in Total Quality, Teams by Processes in Reengineering, as well as in the “empowerment” and High Performance Teams, etc. The recommendation in all of them is the mobilization of human resources to obtain better results, greater productivity, better quality, creativity and innovation. Kaplan reinforces that the goals are: more profits, sustained growth and effective competition in a global economy and proposes that companies work on the change agenda that is needed, starting primarily with teamwork.It can no longer be assumed that a team will be effective if it brings together a group of people talented enough to perform a common task, even when the mission, vision, and goals are clear.
Governments and sports history is littered with team failures that failed to function successfully despite efforts to gather as many "superstars" as possible to win. Let's just remember two recent events: “the galactics” of Real Madrid, a Spanish soccer team, which was expected to win the three championships they played, did not win a single one, recently they have changed their coach again. Like the famous USA basketball “dream team”, in the last Athens 2004 Olympics it did not win the precious gold like its predecessors. The chemistry doesn't work: the stars failed to channel their efforts toward the overall goal, which was the team's triumph. This problem also seems to be present in the work teams of companies. Of course,A Michael Jordan (former Chicago Bulls player) with his individual talent is indispensable to the success of any business. Organizations are realizing that one of their main intangible assets, talent, is either not being fully utilized or being wasted. What companies really require is a star team, not a star team.
Various writers and modern "gurus" talk to us about what change is needed. The essential factor is a full participation of all the members of the organization, be they at the top or operational level, from top to bottom and to all sides of the organization chart. Reading Robert Kaplan, Peter Drucker, Kenneth Blanchard, Tom Peters, Bill Gates, Michael Hammer, Robert Blake, everyone says it and recommends it. If they all say it, they will have to be believed. There are few subjects in which such unanimity of opinion can be seen.
But what happens in companies, where it is usually one of their values, however, it is one thing to know what is important and another to put it into practice. Why if the majority of the members of the organization want to participate as fully and productively as possible that prevents this from happening? Why has it been so difficult to strengthen the quantity and quality of participation? Why have so many methods failed or produced such varied results? It has not been possible to increase participation by emulating excellence (as Peters recommends), or by direct association.
Blanchard's recommendation that thoughtful encouragement and censorship during a one-minute series of contacts with a subordinate can stimulate engagement improvement has not been entirely successful.
Techniques for obtaining staff participation have suffered similar fates such as quality circles, participatory management, high performance teams, internal customer culture, self-directed cells, and so on. Approaches that in her life were very popular, no longer have it.
Says Robert Blake, creator of the "Management Grid": "The common characteristic of all of them is that they use direct means to achieve improved participation or persuasion or direct manipulation through rewards and punishments, or the revocation of authority. Neither has attempted to strengthen participation by providing members with effective behavioral skills essential to participating responsibly; Neither provides members of the organization with a greater understanding of the barriers that arise within their team's cultures; no one tells them what to do. "
Most of the current strategies, aimed at ensuring teamwork, include the exercise of power to impose obedience, the use of some reward to moderate resistance and negotiation to reach a position that is not ideal..
Robert Blake recommends the following:
To achieve power and authority, teams must self-assess the way orders are given and how meetings are held. Members must analyze the structure of their organization and the distribution of responsibilities within the team, which is given by the way in which the job description is established, mainly when it comes to the new competencies that are required.
It is important to assess the way in which rules and policies are established, since the concept of quality largely depends on it, and the way in which the conflict between team members is handled. The goals are reached depending on the definition of objectives and the way in which innovation is accepted, hence the way to establish those objectives, as the concept of innovation are fundamental to strengthen teamwork.
In order to obtain feedback and criticism, the way in which the performance evaluation is carried out is important, as well as the communication itself. On the other hand, when evaluating team spirit and commitment, it will be possible to define what the team's morale and cohesion will be like.
For a team to change its behavior it must change its attitudes, but above all it requires:
- Understanding the need to change A conviction that it is important to change A conviction that bosses want to change A conviction that they will receive help to make the change A conviction that they will be rewarded for changing Understanding what life will be like with change A compelling picture of what life will be like things Confidence that they have the capacities to change A conviction that life will be significantly better after change.
Some of these approaches are summarized by Dr. Tenzin Gyatso, XIV Dalai Lama on his recent visit to Central America:
“I think that in certain Westerners the interest in Buddhism happens because they look for something new, to experience new emotions, just like they are wearing a new dress.
It is like fashion, and thus they change the way they dress and even shave their hair; that's not very serious. If one does not change oneself, one cannot change the world…. ” La Nación, Costa Rica, September 28, 2004.
The "kaizen" has its base in the ZEN, specifically in the "Zen Buddhism" religion, hence the affinity with the themes exposed by the Dalai Lama.
Awareness of oneself or of their work team is proposed by the ZEN as follows:
"A philosopher asks Buddha:
- I have heard of ZEN as a doctrine of enlightenment. What is the method? Or in other words, what do you do every day?
- We walk, eat, wash, sit, etc.
- And what is special about these acts? They all walk, eat, wash, sit…
- But my friend, there is a difference. When we walk, we are aware of the fact that we walk, when we eat we are aware that we eat and so on… When others walk, eat, wash, sit, they do not realize what they do.
The teacher (consultant) does not transmit his awakening to the disciple; nor does he create the awakening that was already latent in him.
Six ZEN principles for Teamwork:
- Living together under the same conditions (Equal rights) Observing the same rules (equal obligations) Mastering the word to avoid disputes (Respect) Sharing the goods (similar rewards) Sharing the different points of view (involvement) Creating the harmony of opinions to maintain the joy of living in community
If you work in a team without being aware of that work, it becomes like not working in a team (you have to light up your existence). Consciousness is a discipline that helps man to fulfill himself (produce the power of concentration and develop his vision), because the ultimate goal of ZEN is the vision of reality, acquired by the power of concentration. Seeing in its own nature is the end of ZEN and its essence is awakening. So there is no talk of ZEN, it is experienced. (from the book "The keys to Zen).
For several years now, and in a fairly representative number, management teams have been helped to self-evaluate themselves and learn how they are operating. All of them started with a self-evaluation of the management team and later each team did the same with their immediate collaborators. They are experiences worth imitating.
