Team Benefit during ‘Non-Locality‘
During which decision-making situations can teams be of particular benefit for organisations? Decision-making theory can identify five particularly important ones. Here is one of the five:
The increase in and the necessity for virtual teams is indisputable. This is not always congruent with non-local problems. The latter are characterised by the fact that the entire process is enabled by partial solutions, whose protagonists cannot (so easily) make physical contact with each other. For this one requires virtual teams (see here). These must enable the developing of reciprocal empathy for the respective concerns of the others. Often, however, the focus lies in the accomplishment of non-local tasks, in a rather centralised steering model, which follows a coordination and guidance logic. This functions poorly or not at all, because the avoidance movements in virtual teams will be perceived on a rudimentary level or perceived too late. In addition, control impulses usually tend to foster resistance.
To master these tasks, therefore, (virtual) teams are required, which do not only rely on paper and impress with useless telephone conferences. (A realistic sketch regarding this can be found at). As important as the solution of non-local problems is at the moment, little regard is usually paid to the very particular type of training and working methods virtual teams require.