Quality Circles: Their Role In Continuous Improvement

Team innovation checklist

Obstacles in team building:

There are however barriers to team building which have to be recognized and avoided at any cost. The major obstacles can be classified into two areas:

1. The problem with non-conformists: Senior management may tend to encourage, support and listen to the ideas coming from the conformist members and not those who do not conform. The latter group tend to develop what has been termed as ‘natural conservatism’. They are not encouraged to express their true feelings. In many cases, the non-conformists are the more creative people in their group but their ideas are not widely welcomed by the group.

2. The problem of over-conformity: This problem has been labeled as ‘groupthink’ and has the following characteristics:

• Shared stereotypes about people or groups outside;

•  Mind guarding, or protecting the leader against information that conflicts with the group’s aims or values;
•  Belief in the inherent morality of the work of the group;
•  Illusion of invulnerability - that nothing can threaten the group;
•  Self-censorship - members hold back from saying things that might conflict with commonly held views;
•  Illusion and unanimity - a belief that everyone is in agreement;
•  Rationalizing information conflicting with group views