Value Teamwork
Nova's episode this past week was titled "The Spy Factory". It wasn't quite what I expected, but it was fascinating.
Basically, it was about the NSA and how it was tracking Al Qaeda members and their movements (in the US), long before the September 11th attacks. It also touched on the CIA and how they also tracked Al Qaeda movements into the US. The CIA approached the NSA to share information (since they couldn't legally conduct a domestic investigation on these potential terrorists) but the NSA refused to share any information. Once Al Qaeda activity came stateside, it seems neither agency alerted the FBI. It all seems so foolish. All of these agencies are supposed to work together for our common safety. Was their unwillingness to work together driven by ego, politics, the desire to be national heroes, any or all of the above?
Obviously, this sort of behavior is not limited to government offices. I've seen this same behavior on teams and in organizations I worked in and with. It's a shame. The teams are not as productive as they should be. The organization suffers and - worst of all - the people we are supposed to be serving suffer.
Again and again, I question the motives behind this behavior. What have we been trained or taught that routinely leads to the choice to chase individual recognition rather than group success for the greater good?
Individual honors and being an "all star" routinely take the place of learning to work together. The emphasis to stand out and get recognized is viewed as the way to get ahead in life.
The mirror of this point of view is a communal based system, where pay and status are determined by longevity, rather than performance. I know some people who work in systems like this and it seems at some point, these people lose the desire to excel - the desire to over deliver. I don't think this is the answer either.
Where is the middle ground? How can team successes be rewarded without sacrificing the ingenuity and innovation spurred on and championed by individuals?
Basically, it was about the NSA and how it was tracking Al Qaeda members and their movements (in the US), long before the September 11th attacks. It also touched on the CIA and how they also tracked Al Qaeda movements into the US. The CIA approached the NSA to share information (since they couldn't legally conduct a domestic investigation on these potential terrorists) but the NSA refused to share any information. Once Al Qaeda activity came stateside, it seems neither agency alerted the FBI. It all seems so foolish. All of these agencies are supposed to work together for our common safety. Was their unwillingness to work together driven by ego, politics, the desire to be national heroes, any or all of the above?
Obviously, this sort of behavior is not limited to government offices. I've seen this same behavior on teams and in organizations I worked in and with. It's a shame. The teams are not as productive as they should be. The organization suffers and - worst of all - the people we are supposed to be serving suffer.
Again and again, I question the motives behind this behavior. What have we been trained or taught that routinely leads to the choice to chase individual recognition rather than group success for the greater good?
Individual honors and being an "all star" routinely take the place of learning to work together. The emphasis to stand out and get recognized is viewed as the way to get ahead in life.
The mirror of this point of view is a communal based system, where pay and status are determined by longevity, rather than performance. I know some people who work in systems like this and it seems at some point, these people lose the desire to excel - the desire to over deliver. I don't think this is the answer either.
Where is the middle ground? How can team successes be rewarded without sacrificing the ingenuity and innovation spurred on and championed by individuals?
Comments
Agree to your frustration that individuals do not contribute to teams success in most of the cases, am dismayed, since i have experienced this situation.
Call it a lack of coordination or lack will to succeed or work for personal interest, it does have a negative impact.
For instance the attacks in Mumbai on 26th November 2008, the terrorists came through the sea route, the Indian intelligence provided the information to the Navy, but no action was taken since the Navys jurisdiction was in deep sea, that balme came to the coast guards that man the 50 kilometers of shore.
Lack of co ordination compromised the security of a nation and after a disaster the nation becomes one to fight against terrorism. I simply do not understand why do we have to wait for a disaster to happen to work together.
Whatever is the case, i am saddened but the personal interest of opportunistic individuals.
~Vinayak Gupta
http://openjavafaq.blogspot.com/
http://punewiki.blogspot.com/