Living in Michigan, I don’t get goose bumps when it’s cold out anymore. I do get bumps when I hear really good music and when I get to thinking, talking and consulting in Team Based Management- sick, but true. The reason for the bumps is that I cannot think of any other single change that has the transformative potential of TBM. I've witnessed TBM transform businesses and perhaps more importantly, contributors at all levels.

Why is TBM so powerful?

• Based on Sound Beliefs & Values. A central principle of TBM is to aggressively tap into and cultivate the talents and skills of contributors at the point of execution. TBM means believing; 1) That the people who do the work are the experts. 2) That by putting into action the values of participation, inclusiveness, collaboration and involvement, people in teams will take ownership of jobs / goals and feel more fulfillment at work. 3) Ownership of jobs and goals leads to significant improvements in performance.

• Power of Adaptive Systems. The capability to rapidly learn and make connections is what makes teams such powerful adaptive systems. This is one reason why TBM has a difficult time thriving as a pilot project or when implemented in a limited way. The “host” organization of the pilot / limited implementation simply cannot keep up; the teams peter out, run out of runway or end in a flop of frustration. To take advantage of the adaptive power of TBM, teaming must be across-the-board and up-and-down. The quality of teaming is critical at every level, especially at the top.

• Enduring Value. TBM creates many natural opportunities for real-time, work focused learning and development. While the value of learning and development can be hard to quantify, there is value there and it’s hard to argue against the importance. Also, most organizations naturally recognize the value of teamwork in response to crisis; self inflicted or externally caused. How is it so easy and natural to tap into the value of teamwork during a crisis? For many, it feels better not to be alone in a crisis and teamwork creates opportunities for dynamic and diverse support. A crisis often demands a comprehensive view and a well functioning team can ward off myopia and bring much needed perspective. A crisis often requires quick action and not only can teams learn and make connections at a rapid rate, but “many hands make light work”.

“Crisis-response” teamwork has only temporary value. Imagine the value that could be tapped into if teamwork were more the rule rather than the exception?

TBM and transforming toward a Team Based Organization should be a strategic decision and not entered into lightly. TBM is a big change. A big change in corporate values, culture, systems, structure, leadership, etc. With the right strategic challenges, TBM may provide you with the speed, processing power and rate of learning required achieve a distinct competitive advantage.

What experience do you have of TBM? What do you feel are the determining factors of success?