Top Teams and Interaction Patterns
The interaction patterns in teams, which often have many members whom one likes to describe metaphorically as alpha animals, (unfortunately) easily fall into dysfunctional forms. One requires a conscious counter-measure with regard to this problematical pattern:
• The team members leave each other ‘in peace’. Thus, all synergy effects, the necessary complexity accomplishments in the team, as well as a joint action in the organisation, are impossible.
• The team members compete directly and openly. Added to the points mentioned above are unfavourable position disputes, losses due to irritation, observed and unobserved areas, as well as decision-making blocks.
• The team members compete indirectly and covertly. In this case patterns often develop, which are marked by distrust and defensiveness against intrigue by means of superficial friendliness. As a result, the relationships with regard to the shared directing of the organisation usually become disastrous. Everyone, including those who report directly, are rather occupied with their own survival.
Frequently, members in top teams, who usually arrived there because of their assertiveness strengths, must now learn, sometimes laboriously, how to develop interaction patterns with each other, which are not only about asserting oneself, but also contain the opposite poles of cooperation, open criticism and tension regulation which is favourable to decision-making.