Chapter 8 provides us with great examples of obtaining balance in the workplace. As an individual, we are able to balance work and personal life. But in the workplace, we are also able to work independently as well as in teams. Team-based organizations are when people attend to "their individual responsibilities [and as] members of one or more working groups" (Eisenberg 235). I generally have a very positive view of team-based organizations. As the text says, this type of group "revolves around interdependent decision-making groups, not individuals" (Eisenberg 235), which definitely changes the dynamic of the group.
There are different types of teams that help the productivity of an organization. I regularly perform in and volunteer for semi-professional musical theatre companies within the community. I immediately thought of project teams, which "help coordinate the successful completion of a particular project" (Eisenberg 236"). In this environment, various individuals (costume designer, set designer, producer, director, choreographer, musical director, etc) come together and within a six to eight week period, put together and produce a show that audiences pay to watch. So much has to be done within this one project and there are many things that could possibly go wrong (i.e. lights not flattering the costumes, set pieces not wide enough to dance on). Every time member has many responsibilities that directly affect other team members.
I think that project teams are a great way to work with others. While there are difficult aspects of this type of team, there are many benefits. Some of these benefits include diversity within team members, detailed and completed sub-projects, and a wide spectrum of ideas and interactions.
Have a great rest of the week! :) :) :)
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More and more organizations are taking a team-based approach. A musical theatre company is an excellent example. Particularly with voluntary organizations, members participate in multiple teams, so there's at least one person to provide a link between each team. When I worked on a large organizational communication audit as a graduate student, each team member was on two teams; there was always one person on a team who had been part of the team that completed the previous step. For example, I was on the survey development and the survey data analysis teams. Understanding how items were chosen for the survey helped in interpreting the data.
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