We are striving for Self Managed Work Teams and making great progress. The only set back is how do we deal with the constant change in our business and change in team membership. Where can I learn more?

The Team Doc Says…

Change really is the only constant in business these days. No business can afford to get stagnant and lag behind. That means every team member needs to be ready to move in a different direction on a moments notice. There are no “good old days” anymore. These are the good old days.

The best way for team members to deal with constant business change is to embrace it as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Focus on what “we can do” with the new situation rather than the normal what “we can’t do.” It will take your team much further and make you stars in the eyes of leadership.

For changing team membership, you have another, bigger issue on your hands. Each time a team changes membership it drives the team back into the beginning team stage of Forming. How quickly you move out of that depends on the maturity of your team. The best way to recover quickly is to have in place team roles and responsibilities and team operating guidelines so you can bring the new team members on board with little disruption to the team. Also helpful is to have a team member mentoring process to speed it along.

Best regards,

Denise O’Berry
aka ‘Team Doc’

P.S. You may want to take a look at my Special Report #4 — How To Keep Your Team From Drowning During Business and Organizational Change. It can help you tackle some of the tough issues.

More Posts On This Topic:

1. How To Make New Team Members Feel Welcome
2. Your Team Can “Manage Up”
3. What To Do With Remaining Team Members When A Team Breaks Up
4. Team Building News — Managing the Change Factor
5. How To Work In A Team Where Everyone Wants To Be The “Big Chief”