Some time ago we conducted a
teambuilding program for a team with a representation of diverse nationalities.
The engaging, interactive, discordant challenges the participants faced made individuals
respond to challenges from their basic belief systems, cultural defaults and ethical
paradigms. While unfamiliar challenges naturally draw out varied responses in
each individual, we noticed that groups within each team with similar
background and working relationship responded in “unison”. These groups
responded according to their basic ethical frames of operation. People from one
nationality, responded in the same way while groups form one department acted
out an obviously agreed coded response. Those of similar cultural exposure also
demonstrated a distinct ethical behavior.
The ethical challenge in Leadership
is not the development of corporate culture, it is the ethical code by which
individuals and groups operate within the corporate environment. During the
team building program we noticed that while some teams were open to and enjoyed
“bending the rules”, other groups were horrified by such behavior and
threatened to withdraw from the teambuilding process. While one group emphasized
“winning at all costs and by all means”, another group within the team is
willing to “play fair and lose”.
Leading teams without well
developed ethical frames, and advanced culture creates operational, implementation
and leadership problems on corporate organizations before they even begin to
operate. Leaders must be aware of the distinct ethical disciplines housed in organizations
before they can develop effective teamwork and leadership approaches that are
acceptable, implementable and profitable within the corporation.
NGCL Team
No comments:
Post a Comment