It’s common knowledge that the synergy of collaborative effort drives businesses forward. The thing is that we may want to rethink how this synergy is achieved.

Traditionally, the driving force behind changes has been creative thinking put into operation through the work of dedicated teams. How about replacing teams with clusters? The differences between the two are quite substantial.

Check out: The Future of Talent Is in Clusters 

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Glossary

• come to the fore – to/at the front
• disband – to cease to function or cause to stop functioning, as a unit, group, etc.
• eradicate – to remove or destroy utterly
• entity – something having real or distinct existence; a thing, esp when considered as independent of other things
• remuneration – something that remunerates; reward; pay
• burden – that which is borne with difficulty; obligation; onus
• atomic – indivisible; cannot be split up
• inclined – to have a mental tendency, preference, etc.

Think about it

Based on the text answer the following questions. Leave your answers in the comments below!

• Why do businesses disband well-functioning teams even though it’s a value destroying activity?
• How do clusters differ from teams?
• What are the differences and similarities between clusters and a consulting model?
• What is the Apollo effect?
• What are the four fundamental benefits of clusters?

Practice makes perfect

In the sentences below replace the phrases in bold with the expressions from the original text. Leave your answers in the comments below!

• Many of us have been members of teams where the members complement each other [. . .]
• Many businesses aren’t good at talent management or team nurturing. 
• One in which organizations take advantage of an intrinsic value of a well-functioning team?
• While there are things closely resembling clusters in a few corners of the working world (elite military teams, medical units, and TV and film crews), this model could and should spread much further into the working world [. ..]
• To make the cluster model work well, with businesses hiring, firing, positioning and remunerating clusters as atomic units, considerable changes are needed in the macro work environment [. . .]

Fill in the blank spaces with the correct forms of the words in capital letters.

Clusters are a radical ______ ALTERNATE to our traditional notion of teams. They are formed outside a company context, but are hired and paid by companies as a unit, as a permanent part of the company. They manage, ______ GOVERNMENT and develop themselves; define their own working ______ PRACTISE and tools; and share out remuneration. Technology trends and tools like the cloud, and ______ COLLABORATE suites, are evolving to make this more and more ______ WORK.

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