Editorial

Citation

Wing, L.S. (2000), "Editorial", Team Performance Management, Vol. 6 No. 1/2. https://doi.org/10.1108/tpm.2000.13506aaa.001

Editorial

When asked, most of us can think back over our life and remember serving as a member of a high performance team. We can describe, in some detail, what we accomplished, what it felt like to serve with this special group of people or on a special project, as well as the personal and technical challenges which made it so special. This sentence alone displays the complexity and the mercurial nature of teamwork, and perhaps explains our fascination with the mystery and magic of groups at work.

The market complexities experienced by for-profit and not-for-profit organizations as they move through their markets to serve their constituents are increasing at an exponential rate. More and more, organizations rely on "people working together" to solve what otherwise would have been left to leadership to resolve. This response relates directly to the complexities and the ability of teams or groups of people with special skills, abilities and knowledge to better address complexity.

At the same time, those of us studying organizations realize that the very nature of the knowledge worker in the workplace requires us to organize and lead differently. The desire of the knowledge worker for a voice in the business, a choice in what and how work will be accomplished and a desire for personal involvement will cause organizational leadership to pause and review the manner in which processes, practices, leadership and management, as well as the goals and objectives of the organization, are derived and accomplished. Consideration for the growth and development of the human resources available to a firm are now considered as vital as the development and growth of capital assets of the organization in achieving organizational success.

For the knowledge worker, individual growth and development are inextricably tied to the growth and development of the organization. This understanding will lead leadership to understand that:

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  The strategic goals of the organization must be clear. The goals can be clearer and filled with wisdom when they include the voice of the knowledge workers within the organization. This inclusion leads us to understand that the very planning process itself must be reviewed to allow for the voice of the organization's workers which are responsible for execution of the strategic plan.

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  A match between individual skills and abilities and the needs of the organization will ease the dissonance felt by the individual and the organization when such a match is not sought. In organizational theory, this match is described as "fit". We see that this "fit" is a two-way conversation: employee to organization and organization to employee.

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  Monetary and non-monetary rewards of the organization need to be aligned with the goals and objectives of both the organization and the individual. There is an old saying that "behavior that gets rewarded ... gets repeated". Careful design of the reward structures will assure a good outcome for both the knowledge worker and the organization. Reward structures for individual and team performance must be considered for optimum organizational and individual performance.

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  The terrorizing momentum of the current demands of the organization often preclude creativity and innovation. New ideas, new perspectives and the development of leadership processes which allow the voice of the new to be heard are an important focus for leadership within the system. The structure of teams can be an organizational method which allows those important voices of the new to be heard and implemented.

Given the complexities identified as a part of everyday business experience, the considerations of involvement, voice, choice, timing, and intention of the organization and the individuals in the organization can lead to optimized business performance. Groups or teams of people working on well identified projects, resourced properly and given the authority to proceed can accomplish great feats.

This journal is committed to enhancing the literature on teamwork and managing team performance that is available to scholars and practitioners. The mercurial and contextual nature of teamwork makes each and every issue an interesting contribution as authors bring to light the complexities of leading, managing, and participating in teamwork. As Editor, I welcome you, the readers, to reflect on your own experience of teams and teamwork to determine what of your experience can be shared in this forum, enhancing our knowledge of teams, team performance and team management and leadership.

Linda S. WingEditorlwing@usinternet.com