I used to be the admin for an IT Department based at a New York City non-profit. Most of the department had been with the organization for well over ten years when I joined in 2010. The department had a great dynamic because most of its members had known one another for so long. There were even members who were brought into the organization by a friend or an associate. Together, the department created a team. The Lesson 6 Module explains that “a team has a mission or goal to achieve, and all members of the team are involved in the process of achieving that goal,” and that could not have been truer for the IT team (2020). We all worked individually and together to achieve the organization’s goals and the goals of our department. Everyone understood what was expected of them and completed the tasks and assignments of their role. As the Lesson 6 Module states, “teamwork is the process of achieving the team’s mission,” and the department consistently demonstrated its success with teamwork (2020).
Our team had synergy. Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014) define synergy as “a cooperative or combined action, and occurs when diverse or disparate individuals or groups collaborate for a common cause” (p. 266). The IT team was diverse because it included people of different genders, cultures, races, ages, attitudes, and beliefs. The team managed to have both surface-level and deep-level diversity within its ranks. The team also collaborated frequently on projects, tasks, and assignments that advanced the team’s mission and corresponded to the organization’s mission. The team’s dynamic was great because the group had cohesion and regularly exceeded the outlined goals. However, the team’s synergy came to a sudden halt when it was announced that certain IT support aspects were transferred to an outsourcing vendor.
The initial announcement that the IT team was going to be divided was not met with full support. Not only was the team going to have to incorporate new members, but those members were also going to be located overseas. Additionally, some current members would be transitioned to new roles at the organization. Although Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014) explain that “the differences in the world’s people can lead to mutual growth and accomplishment that is more than the single contribution of each party,” it was hard to understand how the team was going to reach new achievements when it had been split apart and given new group members (p. 266). The Lesson 6 Module describes that “typically when we work with someone new we get frustrated, not because that person doesn’t know the job, but because that person isn’t a true member of the team yet,” and that is how the IT team felt about the four new support staff members (2020).
Luckily, all was not disoriented with the changes within the IT Team. Management knew that the new team needed to be just as successful as the previous team. Therefore, they quickly began getting the team together, virtually to rebuild the group’s synergy. One of the first group activities we did together was a half-day workshop where we got to learn and relearn about one another and our experiences. Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014) state “the sharing of dissimilar perceptions and cultural backgrounds can be used to enhance problem-solving and improve decision-making,” and by participating in these activities and others, the new IT team began to understand and familiarize themselves with the new team members (p. 266).
Overall, the workshops, training classes, and regular status meetings slowly recreated the team’s dynamics once grown accustomed to. The Lesson 6 Module explains that new members will “become familiar with everyone else’s tendencies and end up fitting into the team and being able to contribute to the synergy” (2020). This tactic went both ways as the outsource team, and the New York City team built synergy together to achieve its goals once again. Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014) state that “team interaction is an energy exchange,” and that was true for the new global IT team (p. 271). We energized each other by working together, valuing our differences, and finding common ground to achieve the department’s goals.
References:
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences. Abingdon: Routledge.
Pennsylvania State University (2020). Lesson 06: Cultural Synergy. OLEAD 410: Leadership in Global Context. Retrieved from
https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2075490/modules/items/29697171
I enjoyed your post and the examples that you shared. Excellent incorporation of the lesson material as well as readings from Moran & Abramson. Although Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014) explain that “the differences in the world’s people can lead to mutual growth and accomplishment that is more than the single contribution of each party,” it was hard to understand how the team was going to reach new achievements when it had been split apart and given new group members (p. 266). I believe this is an example of differences between groups being less than differences among. As a cohesive group the team was concerned that the integration of new members from oversees would take away from the benefits of the diversity, yet as time went on their perceptions of what may happen turned out to be less of an issue than they initially thought.
As you share the end result was a great example of our tendencies and those of groups. The Lesson 6 Module explains that new members will “become familiar with everyone else’s tendencies and end up fitting into the team and being able to contribute to the synergy” (2020).
I had a similar experience in that one division of my previous company (the home loan area) decided to outsource the servicing area of the mortgage loans after servicing them i=within the US for many years. The initially reaction from advisers was not good, there were concerns that the language difference may create problems for their clients as well as other bias concerns. I believe although no one stated it out right that there was racial bias and stereotyping that was influencing some advisers concerns. As the lesson also shared, these bias are often wrong and the stereotyping of a group is very dangerous and leads to incorrect assumptions. The end result was service was much more efficient, the long wait times were eliminated and the service level provided was absolutely first-class. Thank you for sharing your example and tying it so well to the lesson.
This is an awesome post! Organization’s synergy is extremely important for a positive and cohesive work environment. You used a good definition from lesson 6. Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014) define synergy as “a cooperative or combined action that occurs when diverse or disparate individuals or groups collaborate for a common cause” (p. 266). What disrupts this synergy like you said are new coming individuals. This changes an already synergetic environment because it brings a new personality and energy. Something your IT team did that was good was the half-day workshop where you learned more about each other and your cultural back grounds. It showed that you and your managers took the right approach to rebuilding synergy by incorporating plenty of meetings and communicative situations to prevent any type of segregation between new coming employees and one that have already been there. Once everyone values each other’s differences and realizes that’s where creativity comes then your organization will be successful, but cohesion has to eventually be formed.
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences. Abingdon: Routledge.
Pennsylvania State University (2020). Lesson 06: Cultural Synergy. OLEAD 410: Leadership in Global Context. Retrieved from
Great post! Outsourcing is certainly one of the fastest ways to disrupt a team’s or organization’s synergy. As you mentioned, and as mentioned in the lesson’s chapter 6 module: “when we work with someone new we get frustrated, not because that person doesn’t know the job, but because that person isn’t a true member of the team yet.” (Pennsylvania State University, 2020). This is absolutely true, especially when, such as in your situation, there are cultural differences that must be navigated simultaneously. I think that the workshop your team had was the best first step you could have taken, where everyone took the time to get to know and to understand one another. Taking the time to get to know someone personally is the best way to get started in the right direction, recognizing that every member of the team is in it for success together.
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences. Abingdon: Routledge.