Managing complex team interventions

摘要

Purpose - To provide readers with a better understanding of the organizational conditions that lead to complexity in team structure, operation, and dynamics, and introduce guidelines for facilitating complex team interventions. Design/methodology/approach - This article is based on the author's 20 years' experience as an internal OD executive, external consultant, and associate professor in the areas of organizational change and team building. Findings - The article concludes that team-building failures frequently occur when facilitators operate from team archetypes that are radically outmoded, and severely underestimate the complexity of certain team-building issues. Readers are introduced to six guidelines for managing complex team interventions. Practical implications - This article is designed to help OD practitioners plan extremely complex and difficult team-building interventions. The article should serve as a useful tool to experienced OD consultants who are attempting to tackle more advanced team-building interventions. An organizational example is provided to illustrate key concepts. Originality/value - The author believes that this article provides a unique perspective, by examining issues of organizational complexity that must be faced by experienced team facilitators.