Creating Self-Directed Work Teams

Success in today’s increasingly complex work environment is usually a result of organizational teamwork and employee empowerment. This form of work democratization is due to globalization, increased diversity, the development of technology and rapid environmental change. More and more companies are embracing the self-directed work team, (SDWT), organizational structure and taking advantage of all it has to offer. In general SDWTs increase organizational effectiveness and improve personal satisfaction. SDWTs have also been shown to increase customer satisfaction, reduce operating costs, produce higher quality solutions, retain employees, rapidly respond to technological change, increase innovation and creativity, and create organizational growth through learning. For individuals, SDWTs provide motivation, personal growth, job satisfaction, sense of community, fulfilling relationships, leadership development, empowerment and trust. In general there are four key principles to consider when an organization decides to develop SDWTs and there are anges to current human resources systems. The third key principle assumes that the organization and teams must build trust. In a SDWT course given by Alliance Training and Consulting they teach that, “In order to build trust, the two cultures including the formal culture (the rule making process where the bottom line is typically the most important thing) and the informal culture (the group that cares most about people and relationships) have to be opened up to one another.” The fourth key principle to be considered is that leaders should share information and responsibilities, display respect and demonstrate how SDWTs function in day to day operations.

When implementing SDWTs there are four main groups to acknowledge through the transition. The first group that should be created when developing SDWTs is a “Steering Committee.” The steering committee represents both the formal and informal culture. The members of the steering committee should be appointed or elected based on their leadership capabilities. These committees are usually best served if members are rotated in and out every 12 to 18 months. In addition to the steering committee there will be a group of supervisors in each SDWT. Their primary role is to coach the team through projects. When the organization transitions from the hierarchical business structure to the SDWT structure the supervisors must gradually hand their duties down to the team members. The last group is made up of the team members. The team must learn how to govern itself and this process will be done gradually. Typically the steering committee will decide what the criteria will be for each stage the team progresses through.

Creating SDWTs is highly dependent on job enrichment. Enriching jobs can be done by removing controls and increasing accountability, granting authority to employees in their activity, making any and all information available to employees, introducing new and difficult tasks, and allowing employees to become experts in what they choose. All in all, moving from a traditional hierarchical business structure to a SDWT structure is not easy. Effective leadership, education and organizational leadership are necessary to develop successful Self-Directed Work Teams.

References

1) Franz, N. K. (2004). Self-Directed Work Teams: The Antidote for “Heroic Suicide. Journal of Extension, 42, Number 2, Retrieved November 6, 2007 from http://www.joe.org/joe/2004april/tt1.shtml
2) Richard, W.S. (1991). Empowered Teams: Creating Self-Directed Work Groups That Improve Quality, Productivity, and Participation. Jossey-Bass, Inc., Retrieved November 6, 2007 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/
3) Grazier, P.B. (1999) Living with a Self-Directed Work Team & Why Self-Direction Works: A review of Herzberg’s Concepts. El Network. Retrieved November 6, 2007 from http://www.teambuildinginc.com
4) Simkovits, H. (2007) Self-directed or Mis-directed Work Teams? Business Wisdom. Retrieved November 6, 2007 from http://www.business-wisdom.com/articles/ArtclSelf-Directed.html.
5) Developing Self-Directed Work Teams. Alliance Training and Consulting, Inc. Retrieved November 6, 2007 from http://www.alliancetac.com/?PAGE_ID=219