Governments that hold themselves accountable through performance measures are finding they must involve employees at all levels to expect any degree of success. Teams have proven themselves capable of making tremendous contributions over the long haul. To be sure, private industry has a long history of teams, with some of the finest examples since 1990, found in Industry Week Magazine's annual America's Best Plants Award. But, as the focus is turned onto the public sector, the playing field becomes less populated. Self-directed work teams are starting to enjoy some successes at the local, state, and federal levels.
Real teams take risks involving conflict, trust, interdependence and hard work.
The dynamics of the culture and environment of government organizations can offer some interesting and difficult challenges which differ from the private sector. Anyone who thinks the team concept can be plucked from the private sector and simply implemented in the public sector is in for some rude awakenings. Many people sincerely believe that government should be run like a business. What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It . The purpose of this article then is not to rehash Wilson's book, but rather to look at some specific differences of team dynamics in the public and private sectors.