Supervisor's Survival Kit: Your First Step into Management, Ninth Edition

WHEN SHOULD THE NEW SUPERVISOR TRY OUT THE TEAM CONCEPT?

Some new supervisors will discover that they have joined an organization that promotes and supports the team approach. In these organizations, supervisors should, like Dora, make the transition as soon as it is comfortable to do so. For those supervisors who join firms that have had little or no experience with teams (as is often the case in small companies), the traditional or pyramid approach is recommended. This environment does not mean, however, that one cannot build a working and productive team within the pyramid structure. Many innovative supervisors have discovered that the difference between a department and a team is primarily the kind of leadership provided. You can be called ...