Ch 29: Smells like Team Spirit

One of the concepts used at Oxford and other MBA programs is the work group. And I say group and not team for a reason. Groups are generally made up of individuals who seek individual goals and subsequent rewards- Teams on the other hand are individuals who come together for a common cause and work toward common goals. Not all groups become teams.

Fortunately for me I was able to find myself in a team that worked out quite well. One of the key skills of being a 21st century manager is the ability to work effectively with people who have a different understanding of the world then you. This is becoming quite the common challenge at many multi-national firms- I definitely experienced this throughout my past in consulting and later on within Marketing.

So here's to my Michaelmas-term (Posh speak for fall quarter) team 29. Hailing from different cultures/nations (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, and America) we successfully went through the stages of team development (storming, norming, formning, performing) and now we are at the last (adjourning). It has been a pleasure.