>My name is Ken Brown and I work for Lucent Technologies (formerly AT&T)
>and have been functioning on a Self-Managed Team for about a year but not
>a pure self managed team. We are told that we are going to a 100%
>Self-Managed Team for 1997 including evaluations of each other and pay
>treatment (optional). I am interested in information, insights as we move
>into this "new world"
Dear Ken,
My name is Steven Cabana and I am writing a book for the Free Press with
Drs. Ron Purser and help from Dr. Fred Emery who did the original work on
self-managing teams with Eric Trist in the 1950's. If you send me your
snail mail address I would be happy to send you (and others on the list
who live in the United States or Canada) an article by Dr. Emery and one I
have written on this subject articulating Emery's insights from forty
years of dedication to team based organizations. The evolution of the team
concept in the United States has been a bit confusing leading to a lot of
false starts and reversion back to use of supervisors and bureaucracy in
many organizations.
You may also find it helpful to contact The Center For The Study of Work
Teams at the University of North Texas (817-565-4806). They have a lot of
conferences, tapes, studies and reports on the subject. I particulary
recommend the tape from the Wednesday session of their recent September 18
-20 conference. The tape is entitled: The Fastest, Most Effective Way to
Produce Team-Based Organizations. It is a case presentation by the
management teams of two organizations which have used Dr. Emery's redesign
of the current approach to producing team based organizations. I think you
will find it intriguing.
Hope this helps. All the best.
Steven Cabana
Whole System Associates
P.O. Box 254
Lincoln, MA. 01773
(508) 466-6884
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