Consulting to team-based organizations: An organizational design and learning approach.

Abstract

Team-based organizations follow a different logic from traditional hierarchical organizations that rely primarily on individuals as the primary performing unit. Converting to a team-based organization, and/or strengthening the capabilities of an organization that already performs its work in teams, are depicted as organization design processes. Effective consultation to such organizations requires expertise in team-based design and designing processes, as well as considerable process and change management consultation to help organizational members go through a fundamental learning process. Effective consultation may best be carried out by teams of consultants with complementary strengths. Ideally, the design intervention is educational, establishing self-design capabilities within the organization.