2.1 What is happening with Teams right now?

Teams Are in the Midst of Major Transformation

We’ve just come through a period in which many companies underwent significant restructuring, expecting to have returned to calmer waters by now. But that hasn’t happened. Change is here to stay. Across nearly all areas of business, we’re seeing one program after another aimed at adapting to shifting economic, ecological, and other external conditions.

In my opinion, the solution doesn’t lie in change programs with a clear beginning and end, but rather in teams that learn to integrate change into their everyday work — teams that make change a natural part of how they operate and, as a result, continue to evolve rather than stand still.

This approach makes teams incredibly resilient, because nothing can truly throw them off course anymore.

The fear of change is replaced by the confidence to navigate it.

What Do We See in the Image?

Let’s start at the bottom.

Team

Most teams already have more than enough on their plates with their so-called "day-to-day business" (a strange phrase we should probably avoid, since it conveniently sidesteps actually describing what people do).
When was the last time you saw a team that was bored?

Depending on the company’s economic situation, teams often have to deal with constant change — new people joining all the time or others leaving — yet the workload stays the same (or even increases).

The rise of home office setups has forced many teams to operate without clearly defined roles and responsibilities. In doing so, they’ve learned just how essential it is to have 100% clarity about who does what and what is expected from whom.

And of course, from time to time, there’s a new boss who wants to make their mark — which usually shakes up the team’s familiar routines.

So, boring? Not at all on the team level.
But that’s only the beginning — there are still two more layers to come 😉

Company

A lot is happening at the company level too. The folks at the top have realized that the world is changing — and that this demands significant change from both them and their organizations. So, a wide range of initiatives are being launched. For example:

• New Operating Models
  Some companies — like Bayer in Berlin — have decided to eliminate two layers of hierarchy in order to become more agile. Others, like Beiersdorf, are working to create stronger connections between different business units — which has tangible effects on every single team within the company.

• Better Products
  To stay competitive and ensure long-term success, many companies are improving their existing products. This often requires teams responsible for those products to adapt their workflows and approaches.

• Customer Centricity
  One major insight: companies perform better when they align with customer needs. Putting the customer at the center of all activities sounds simple but can be quite a shift — especially for companies that haven’t worked that way before. Many are now rolling out this or similar strategies company-wide, which, of course, affects how every team operates.

• Mergers & Acquisitions
  Companies merge with or acquire others — or are acquired themselves. This means teams have to merge, work closely with new colleagues, or in some cases, disband or fight to justify their continued existence.

• Task Forces
  A common first step when tackling a new topic — like AI, sustainability, or efficiency issues — is to form a task force. This typically brings together people from different departments under a new leader, who must first figure out who everyone is, and then guide the team toward achieving a purpose (hopefully one that has been clearly defined).
  A unique challenge: the members of the task force aren’t available full-time — they already have “homes” in other teams.

But that’s still not all …

Because there’s also:

The World

Now, I don’t want to go too far off track … but out there, things are happening that companies didn’t choose — and yet they have to (or want to, or should) respond to them.

Everything I write here might be outdated in five minutes, but just to give you an idea of what I mean:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

• Wars and conflicts

• Sustainability regulations

• Global political shifts

• New research findings

• ... and so on.

These external forces shape the playing field — whether we like it or not.

Links:

• Youtube/ "Business Spagat": https://youtu.be/N_7dsVf8BdI

• Youtube/ "Constant Change": https://youtu.be/jR2CCBlqMto

• Youtube/ "Conversation: Neue Orga ausrollen": https://youtu.be/LUiZxO8bc0g

• Blog/ "Balancing Day-to-Day Operations and Innovation": https://teamdecoder.tawk.help/article/zwischen-tagesgesch%C3%A4ft-und-innovation

• Blog/ "Unlocking Capacity: How to Make More Time for What Will Matter" : https://teamdecoder.tawk.help/article/unlocking-capacity-how-to-make-more-time-for-what-will-matter

• Blog/ "Do we really need another level in the hierarchy?": https://teamdecoder.tawk.help/article/do-we-really-need-another-level-in-the-hierarchy