30+mba-第31部分

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the　principles　of　the　project　itself；　and　to　their　team。　
Pu。。ing　people　with　disparate　cultures　into　teams　because　of　their　particular　
professional　or　job　skills　may　not　be　effective。　If　the　team　is　to　function　
effectively；　the　balance　of　behavioural　styles　has　to　mesh　too。　These　are　the　
Organizational　Behaviour　129　
key　roles　identified　by　Meredith　Belbin　while　a　Research　Fellow　at　Cranfield　
（belbin）；　which　need　to　be　taken　if　a　team　is　to　work　effectively　
（there　are　other　methods　of　categorizing　team　roles）：　
。　Chairman/team　leader。　Stable；　dominant；　extrovert。　Concentrates　on　
objectives。　Does　not　originate　ideas。　Focuses　people　on　what　they　do　
best。　
。　Plant。　Dominant；　high　IQ；　introvert。　A　‘　sca。。erer　of　seeds’　who　originates　
ideas。　Misses　out　on　detail。　Thrustful　but　easily　offended。　
。　Resource　investigator。　Stable；　dominant；　extrovert　and　sociable。　Lots　
of　contacts　with　the　outside　word。　Strong　on　networks。　Salesperson/　
diplomat/liaison　officer。　Not　an　original　thinker。　
。　Shaper。　Anxious；　dominant；　extrovert。　Emotional　and　impulsive。　Quick　
to　challenge　and　to　respond　to　a　challenge。　Unites　ideas；　objectives　and　
possibilities。　petitive。　Intolerant　of　woolliness　and　vagueness。　
。　pany　worker。　Stable；　controlled。　A　practical　organizer。　Can　be　
inflexible　but　likely　to　adapt　to　established　systems。　Not　an　innovator。　
。　Monitor　evaluator。　High　IQ；　stable；　introvert。　Goes　in　for　measured　
analysis；　not　innovation。　Unambiguous　and　o。。en　lacking　enthusiasm。　
But　solid　and　dependable。　
。　Team　worker。　Stable；　extrovert；　but　not　really　dominant。　Much　concerned　
with　individuals’　needs。　Builds　on　others’　ideas。　Cools　things　
down　when　tempers　fray。　
。　Finisher。　Anxious　introvert。　Worries　over　what　could　go　wrong。　Permanent　
sense　of　urgency。　Preoccupied　with　order。　Concerned　with　
‘following　through’。　
BUILDING　AND　RUNNING　A　TEAM　
These　are　the　five　essential　elements　to　establishing　and　running　effective　
teams。　
Balanced　team　roles　
You　have　to　start　building　a　team　by　recognizing　that　people　are　different。　
Every　team　member　must　not　only　have　their　‘technical’　skills　such　as　being　
an　accountant　or　salesperson。　They　must　also　have　a　valuable　team　role。　
Experts　in　team　behaviour　have　identified　the　key　team　profiles　that　are　
essential　if　a　team　is　to　function　well。　Any　one　person　may　perform　more　
than　one　of　these　roles。　But　if　too　many　people　are　peting　to　perform　
one　of　the　roles；　or　one　or　more　of　these　roles　are　neglected；　the　team　will　be　
unbalanced。　They　will　perform　in　much　the　same　way　as　a　car　does　when　
a　cylinder　misfires。
130　The　Thirty…Day　MBA　
Shared　vision　and　goal　
It　is　essential　that　the　team　has　ownership　of　its　own　measurable　and　clearly　
defined　goals。　This　means　involving　the　team　in　business　planning。　It　also　
means　keeping　the　munications　channels　open　as　the　business　grows。　
The　founding　team　knew　clearly　what　they　were　trying　to　achieve　and　as　
they　probably　shared　an　office　they　shared　information　as　they　worked。　
But　as　the　group　gets　larger　and　new　people　join；　it　will　bee　necessary　
to　help　the　informal　munication　systems　to　work　be。。er。　Briefing　meetings；　
social　events　and　bulletin　boards　are　all　ways　to　get　teams　together　
and　keep　them　facing　the　right　way。　
Have　a　shared　language　
To　be　a　member　of　a　business　team；　people　have　to　have　a　reasonable　grasp　
of　the　language　of　business。　It’s　not　much　use　extolling　people　to　improve　
return　on　capital　employed　or　reduce　debtor　days　if　they　have　only　the　
haziest　notion　of　what　those　terms　mean；　why　they　ma。。er　or　how　they　can　
influence　the　results。　So　you　need　to　develop　rounded　business　skills　across　
all　the　core　team　members　through　continuous　training；　development　and　
coaching。　
patible　personalities　
While　having　different　Belbin　team　profiles　is　important；　it　is　equally　vital　
to　have　a　team　who　can　get　on　with　one　another。　They　have　to　be　able　to　
listen　to　and　respect　other　people’s　ideas　and　views。　They　need　to　support　
and　trust　one　another。　They　need　to　be　able　to　accept　conflict　as　a　healthy　
reality　and　work　through　it　to　a　successful　oute。　
Good　leadership　
First…class　leadership　is　perhaps　the　most　important　characteristic　that　distinguishes　
winning　teams　from　the　also…rans。　However　good　the　constituent　
parts；　without　leadership　a　team　rapidly　disintegrates　into　a　rabble　bound　
by　li。。le　but　a　pay　cheque。　（See　later　in　this　chapter　for　more　on　leadership。）　
THE　BOARD　OF　DIRECTORS　
One　team　stands　apart　from　all　the　others　within　an　organization　–　the　
board　of　directors；　usually　reduced　to　the　title　‘the　board’。　Directors　in　
major　or　public　panies　have　a　role　outside　of　that　of　simply　heading　
up　a　function　such　as　production；　sales　or　marketing；　though　they　may　
Organizational　Behaviour　131　
perform　one　of　those　functions　too。　There　is　o。。en　confusion　as　to　where　the　
ultimate　power　rests　in　a　pany；　with　the　directors　or　the　shareholders。　
In　private　panies　they　are　o。。en　one　and　the　same　body　but　in　public　
panies；　even　where　family　ties　remain；　they　are　distinct　and　separate。　
In　law　a　pany　is　an　entity　separate　from　both　its　shareholders　and　
directors。　According　to　a　pany’s　articles　of　association；　some　powers　
are　exercised　by　directors；　while　certain　other　powers　may　be　reserved　
for　the　shareholders　and　exercised　at　a　general　meeting。　If　the　powers　
of　management　are　vested　in　the　directors；　then　they　and　they　alone　can　
exercise　these　powers。　The　only　way　in　which　shareholders　can　control　the　
exercise　of　powers　by　directors　is　by　altering　the　articles；　or　by　refusing　to　
re…elect　the　directors　of　whose　actions　they　disapprove。　Some　of　a　director’s　
duties；　responsibilities；　and　potential　liabilities　are：　
。　To　act　in　good　faith　in　the　interests　of　the　pany；　this　includes　
carrying　out　duties　diligently　and　honestly。　
。　Not　to　carry　on　the　business　of　the　pany　with　intent　to　defraud　
creditors　or　for　any　fraudulent　purpose。　
。　Not　knowingly　to　allow　the　pany　to　trade　while　insolvent；　directors　
who　do　so　may　have　to　pay　for　the　debts　incurred　by　the　pany　
while　insolvent。　
。　Not　to　deceive　shareholders　and　to　appoint　auditors　to　oversee　the　
accounting　records。　
。　To　have　regard　for　the　interests　of　employees　in　general。　
。　To　ply　with　the　requirements　of　the　panies　Acts；　such　as　providing　
what　is　needed　in　accounting　records　or　filing　accounts。　
position　of　the　board　
The　board　is　made　up　of　two　types　of　directors；　internal　and　external；　and　
typically　the　board　would　exercise　major　decisions　through　a　number　of　
mi。。ees：　
。　Internal　directors：　Usually　headed　up　by　a　chairman　who　runs　board　
meetings；　a　CEO　（chief　executive　officer）　or　managing　director　who　
runs　the　operating　business　and　a　number　of　other　directors。　
。　External　directors：　Known　as　non…executive　directors；　they　are　usually　
people　of　stature　and　experience　who　can　act　as　both　a　source　of　wise　
independent　advice　and　a　check　on　any　wilder　elements　on　a　board。　
Venture　Investment　Partners　Ltd　（ventureip。uk）　and　The　
Independent　Director　Initiative　（independentdirector。uk）；　
a　joint　venture　between　Ernst　&　Young　and　the　Institute　of　Directors；　
have　information　on　the　role　of　non…executive　director；　as　well　as　being　
132　The　Thirty…Day　MBA　
potential　sources　of　appointments　in　smaller　panies　that　might　
appeal　to　an　ambitious；　risk…happy　MBA。　
。　mi。。ees：　The　main　board　mi。。ees　are　those　that　oversee　remuneration　
（particularly　for　directors）；　auditing；　social　responsibility　（and　
‘green’　ma。。ers）；　mergers　and　acquisitions；　and　regulatory　affairs。　
PEOPLE　
If　structures　are　the　skeleton　of　an　organization；　people　are　its　blood　and　
guts。　Douglas　McGregor；　a　founding　faculty　member　of　MIT’s　Sloan　School　
of　Management；　began　his　management　classic　The　Human　Side　of　Enterprise；　
published　in　1960；　with　the　question：　‘What　are　your　assumptions　（implicit　
as　well　as　explicit）　about　the　most　effective　way　to　manage　people？’　This　
seemingly　simple　question　led　to　a　fundamental　revolution　in　management　
thinking。　McGregor　went　on　to　claim：　‘The　effectiveness　of　organizations　
could　be　at　least　doubled　if　managers　could　discover　how　to　tap　into　the　
unrealized　potential　present　in　their　workforces。’　
Finding　the　right　people；　keeping　them　onside；　motivating；　managing　and　
rewarding　them　are　the　defining　distinctions　between　the　most　successful　
organizations　and　the　mediocre。　Over　the　past　30　years　or　so；　organizations　
have　acquired　centralized　HR　（human　resources）　departments　whose　
purpose　is　to　facilitate　people　issues；　as　they　o。。en　quaintly　term　their　work。　
McGregor　anticipated　their　arrival　with　this　pithy　quote：　
It　is　one　of　the　favourite　pastimes　of　management　to　decide；　from　within　their　
professional　ivory　tower；　what　help　the　field　organization　needs　and　then　
to　design　and　develop　programs　for　meeting　these　needs。　Then　it　bees　
necessary　to　get　the　field　organization　to　accept　the　help　provided。　This　is　
normally　the　role　of　the　Change　Manager；　to　implement　the　change　that　noone　
asked　for　or　wants。　
None　of　this　is　to　suggest　that　HR　departments　can’t　contribute　to　helping　
with　‘people　issues’。　It’s　just　that　people　issues　are　too　important　to　exclude　
their　immediate　superiors　from。　At　the　very　least；　MBA　skills　include　
a　sound　grasp　of　the　key　tasks　that　the　HR　department　is　charged　with　
performing。　
Recruitment　and　selection　
Taking　on　new　employees　is　o。。en　a　more　expensive　exercise　than　buying　
a　major　item　of　machinery　or　a　heavy　goods　vehicle。　If　that　sounds　improbable；　
just　check　out　the　figures；　the　advertising　for　a　middle…ranking　
executive　on　a　salary　of；　say；　￡40；000　may　well　cost　￡6；000。　If　they　are　taken　
on　using　a　recruitment　consultant　you　can　expect　a　bill　of　around　a　fi。。h　of　
Organizational　Behaviour　133　
the　first　year’s　pay　（￡8；000）。　Three　days’　interviewing；　psychometric　testing；　
preparing　a　contract　of　employment；　perhaps　paying　a　share　of　the　
new　employee’s　removal　expenses　will　bring　the　total　bill　up　to　around　
￡20；000。　If　you　get　the　wrong　candidate；　and　there　is　a　good　chance　of　that　
happening　if　you　fail　with　a