Prescribed and Transparent Goals
Prescribed and transparent goals are necessary in organisations. Therefore, teams without organisational involvement and teams in organisations differ significantly (For this reason alone, the frequent comparisons between works and sports teams can sometimes be very inappropriate). How these prescribed goals affect teams depends upon several factors, on both, the side of the goal setting instance and the side of the team.
• On the side of the organisation, important differences arise through the form in which this goal setting is undertaken. This can happen, in principal, through persuasion, blunt instructions, enticements and rewards or threats.
• What impact these forms have, also depends upon the kudos the organisational representative has within the team. The less authority is attributed to the goals, the less existence of leadership there is and the less power is available, the harder it will be for the organisation to exercise influence.
• On the side of the team, the reaction to goal setting from outside depends strongly on its own interaction patterns. Principally, there are three main variants: The team decides to want what the organisation wants. Or the team splits into those who are for and those who are against. Finally, the team can be completely opposed and fight against the demands.
These strategies on the sides of the organisation and the teams are circular in nature. Threats encourage rebellion, rebelliousness encourages threat. For team development, it is important to keep this interactive relationship in focus if, as consultant, one does not wish to be unfavourably biased. Team leaders, too, would do well not to take sides with their own boss or with the team.