Team leaders and members need a clear understanding of what style best fits different situations. Most problems in today's environment are too complex for any individual to solve alone. Therefore teams need to know how to apply empirical tools and work together to solve them collectively. In team-based organizations the role of the manager changes significantly. Moving from controller and inspector to mentor, educator, coordinator, and boundary manager presents some special challenges to many individuals.
Continuous improvement is a way of life.
As teams learn they will discover disparities in their existing system and their vision of the future. It is helpful to see how the team process has been successfully implemented in other companies. Each company is unique but lessons can be learned from the experience of others. Many of the skills and tools of this book have application on an individual level with families and relationships outside of the workplace. This chapter is offered as food for thought for these other applications.