Are We a Team?

CHAPTER 18 – CASE STUDY: “ARE WE A TEAM?”

1. What type of team does the new CIO have? What do you see as they key problem with the team?

2. How do you think the team evolved to this low level of cooperation and cohesiveness?

3. What suggestions do you have for the CIO to help her turn this collection of individual regional and department heads into a top-performing team? Explain.

One of the main points I took away from this case study is how there was a surprisingly consistent remark from all team members of how the previous CIO let them do what they wanted and seemed to fade into the background as if intimidated by them. Additionally, the previous CIO seemed to always agree with everyone.

Another point that stuck out to me is the lack of cohesiveness and cooperation in this team; meetings were characterized by a lack of attention (team members always checking their iPads and phones) and the body language gave away the fact that team members didn’t appreciate the meetings and would rather be doing something else.

As the case study pointed out, it was apparent that there was a “each division for itself” attitude, with members feeling territorial.

1. The new CIO has a cross-functional team, which is composed of employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different areas of expertise, and working toward a common goal. As the case study highlights, the team is composed of 14 members who are regional IT leaders / CIOs and department heads.

The key problem with the team is that there is lack of cooperation and cohesiveness. Everyone seems to be working on their own, with a territorial feeling, and there is no sense of common or shared goals.

Additionally, as the case study highlights, the remarks given by team members show a lack of trust, respect, and communication.

Managing cross-functional teams can be very challenging, as managers and leaders need to direct team members of various disciplines, areas of expertise, and...