Page 321 - leadership-experience-2008

CikguOnline
CikguOnline
302 PART 4: THE LEADER AS A RELATIONSHIP BUILDER

Sequential interdependence
Sequential interdependence Sequential interdependence is a serial form wherein the output of one team mem-
serial form of interdependence
serial form of interdependence ber becomes the input to another team member. One member must perform well
in which the output of one team
in which the output of one team
member becomes the input to
member becomes the input to in order for the next member to perform well, and so on. Because team members
another team member have to exchange information and resources and rely upon one another, this is a
another team member
higher level of interdependence. An example might be an engine assembly team in
an automobile plant. Each team member performs a separate task, but his work
depends on the satisfactory completion of work by other team members. Regular
communication and coordination is required to keep work running smoothly.
The highest level of interdependence, reciprocal interdependence,
Action Memo

exists when team members influence and affect one another in
reciprocal fashion. The output of team member A is the input to
As a leader, you can improve team
team member B, and the output of team member B is the input back
again to team member A. Reciprocal interdependence characterizes
effectiveness by paying attention to the size,
most teams performing knowledge-based work. Writing a technical
diversity, and interdependence of your team.
When interdependence among members
manual, for example, rarely moves forward in a logical, step-by-step
is high, empower team members to make
fashion. It is more like “an open-ended series of to-and-fro collabora-
decisions and initiate action together.
tions, iterations, and reiterations” among team members. On recipro-
33
cal teams, each individual member makes a contribution, but only the
team as a whole “performs.” The team that developed the Ford Escape
Reciprocal interdependence
Reciprocal interdependence
highest form of team
highest form of team Hybrid SUV provides an example of reciprocal interdependence.
interdependence; members
interdependence; members
uence and affect one another
infl
infl uence and affect one another
IN THE LEAD When Ford Motor Company vowed to be the fi rst auto manufacturer to come out
in reciprocal fashion
in reciprocal fashion Ford Motor Company’s Escape Hybrid SUV
with a hybrid SUV, managers knew they needed a new approach to product de-
velopment to do it. The vehicle was a dramatically different vehicle for Ford and
the most technically advanced model the company had ever made, involving the
development of nine new technologies.
Researchers and engineers hadn’t worked closely together at Ford—in fact,
they were located in different buildings a half a mile apart. Work was organized se-
quentially, with one department passing work on to the next. Meeting the demand-
ing schedule for the Escape Hybrid, however, called for a new approach—a team of
research scientists and product engineers working side by side, creating and build-
ing hardware and software together and then working with production personnel
to bring their creation to life. Whereas in the past, problems were “tossed over the
wall,” they were now ironed out collaboratively within the team.
To support the high level of interdependence in the Escape Hybrid team, mem-
bers were all located on the same floor at headquarters. Problems were often solved

in hallway chats or over lunch in the nearby cafeteria. Top managers gave the team
nearly complete autonomy so that decisions could be made fast. Getting the Escape
Hybrid SUV right required hundreds of back-and-forth discussions and thousands of
adjustments to the hardware, software, and wiring of the vehicle.
As Mary Ann Wright, who led the team through the launch phase, told team
members: “If one person is struggling, we’re all struggling.” That’s why the team met
34
the demanding schedule and introduced the Escape Hybrid SUV right on time.
Leaders are responsible for facilitating the degree of coordination and com-
munication needed among team members, depending on the level of team inter-
dependence. Top executives at Ford created the conditions to support a high level
of interdependence for the team developing the Escape Hybrid SUV, enabling
members to complete an extraordinarily complex project on a tight time schedule.
Although Ford is currently struggling, the vehicle was a resounding success when