Tallahassee Democrat Essay

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Thoughts on analyzing a case – The Tallahassee Democrat’s ELITE Team* Remember that we want to use the conceptual tools available to better understand what happened and why it happened. First I look over my “tool box” – my set of theories, frameworks, and concepts that help me see different aspects of a team. I want to have these in mind as I go through the case, even for the first time I read it. The tools that come to mind include: ▪ GRPI Model ▪ SMART Goals ▪ Vision / Mission statements ▪ Stages of group development ▪ Team leadership (leadership as a teamwork skill) ▪ Developing credibility and trust ▪ Team membership roles (task and relationship building) ▪ Meeting management techniques Next I read the case, emphasizing what I see as important “facts” – what stands out for me. I read the case first to get a feel for the story – what happened. Then I make some notes and sketch what’s salient. Often, a chronology of important events is helpful here. Next I go back and read the case again to see if I missed anything and to add perhaps some detail to my sketch. Then I write up what I’ve noticed: WHAT happened?: (Note: this is an abbreviated version of what I would typically write) This is the story of a wildly successful team that went far beyond its original charter of reducing errors in the advertising department of a major metropolitan newspaper. Its work affected the entire local newspaper and eventually influenced the development of its corporate parent, as well as the whole chain of newspapers that it owned around the country. It began with an upper-level management team that demonstrated teamwork "at the top." This laid the groundwork for the Democrat’s general manager to start a “zero defects” quality program by creating a team to ELIminate The Errors (i.e., the ELITE team). The team outperformed its
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