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| Vignette. I wonder . . .Design: Frode Inge Helland, 1978. |
THINGS
I WONDER ABOUT…..
How
often are we really working in teams – and how it that going?
Sometimes just through the use of the word team, our minds immediately picture a
small to medium-sized group of people sitting around a table or gathered in clusters, meeting on some
project or task. Just Google the word team and you will discover that these are
the most common images that arise.
But today I just viewed a video sent to me by my best friend and fellow animal lover – which at first seemed unrelated to anything remotely connected to work – when it hit me that we often find ourselves working in ever-changing “teams” as we navigate through our daily routines. And this seems to most often take the shape of getting with just one other person at a time for this, that and the other thing.
And
it got me to wondering….
But today I just viewed a video sent to me by my best friend and fellow animal lover – which at first seemed unrelated to anything remotely connected to work – when it hit me that we often find ourselves working in ever-changing “teams” as we navigate through our daily routines. And this seems to most often take the shape of getting with just one other person at a time for this, that and the other thing.
What might the implications be of such 2-member teams (or
interactions) taking shape and occurring at break-net speed throughout an
organization, over and over again, on a daily basis? How might our present understanding of dyadic
communication, network theory and even relationship theories help us in our
understanding of how differences of ideas and opinions come into play and
impact on an organization’s ability to change, develop and transform?
These questions and others of course, seem extremely
important and perhaps even daunting on some level, in the overwhelming
complexity they reveal as it relates to exploring, identifying and
understanding on a deeper level what factors contribute to organizational
effectiveness and performance.
But putting aside if only for a moment, what might seem
to be complex research questions more appropriate for the serious student or academic
world, at the very least I believe the best place to start off any search for
new learning is with the simplest of clues available. And so it is in this spirit
of keeping things simple that I
share forward the video that was shared with me and which got me a-wondering in
the first place!
I think it can trigger key insights into 2-way
communications (along with some hearty laughter), by showing us how several “couples”
with seemingly disparate backgrounds go about tackling a common disagreement in
a host of different and creative ways.
As you watch, you might also consider – or wonder about
-- the following questions:
- What ways do you yourself commonly use to settle a difference of viewpoint when trying to work towards an agreed-upon direction or solution for a particularly challenging task?
- How do most of your 2-way didactic interactions with other team members and stakeholders end up?
If the video playback is less than ideal when viewing
from this blog, here is the direct link:
Sharing forward what hopefully will be a few chuckles and some reflection-provoking vibes...
Anna
Caring for Our CultureAnna
edtec central Founder
