How many teams are there in your organisation? Or any organisation?
Does anyone know?
Does anyone count?
There are organisational teams, the ones shown in the org chart, that two-dimensional representation that many mistake for being the organisation.
But there are many others.
There are programme teams and project teams.
There are teams that oversee processes.
There are teams, often called committees, that are responsible for reviewing and approving things.
There are ad hoc teams, put together to meet a short term objective, like attending trade show.
There are teams that just come together because someone shows the initiative to make it happen and make everyone’s life a bit easier and more pleasant.
Then there are teams for non-work purposes. Football and netball teams, coffee clubs, quiz teams.
And the ones that gather just to be with like-minds.
And the smokers and the pub-goers and the gig-goers.
Teams are where the life of the organisation occurs. Where the work gets done. Where the ideas get generated. Where the relationships are built. Where the fun and laughter happens. Where the culture is lived.
Teams are the most important part of the organisation. Yet hardly any attention is paid to them.
Paradoxical, huh?