How a Dynamic Balance Between Structure & Process Creates Effective Teams
Effective Work Teams & Organizations have a “dynamic balance” between Structure and Process
IF there is a “dynamic balancing” of structure and process within a team or organization, then the work is accomplished with quality and the team members feel satisfaction, cohesion and motivation to accomplish more projects together.
IF there is not such a “dynamic balancing” of structure and process, then the work quality will be hindered and the team members will engage either in conflicts and power struggles, or avoidance of conflicts due to lack of trust and other factors.
“Structure” formalizes, organizes and channels individual human behavior to serve a larger purpose of the group or organization.
“Just enough” structure gets things humming like a well-choreographed dance. It cools down the potential volatility of individual personalities to serve the whole and makes people feel supported together in a positive manner. It can lessen or prevent non-productive conflicts.
Too much structure kills initiative, creativity and the human spirit.
Too little structure promotes chaos, confusion, dominance by egos, and non-productive conflicts.
“Process” humanizes an organization by taking time to listen to each other, to respond to real needs of individuals and to needs of working groups who are in service to the whole.
“Just enough” process ensures the organization stays on the right track. It slows down the automaticity of too much structure which can lead to bad decisions, and it warms up the chill of too much organizational rigidity or narrow-mindedness. It serves higher-quality decision-making and long-term vision.
Too much process bogs down the operation, prevents goal accomplishment and progress, and makes people feel exhausted, frustrated and then resent meeting with each other.
Too little process makes people feel disconnected from each other and from the team/organization’s purpose. In time, this disconnection can undermine quality and eventually bring down the team or organization.