Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 3.6
Skills-based and triage-based organization of fi nishing teams. In skills-based organization,
(top) jobs are assigned according to skill level and are not passed between fi nishers at different levels.
In triage-based (bottom) organization, jobs can move vertically between skill levels according to triage
assessments. (Rosenberg, “Managing a data analysis production line.” Copyright Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. Reproduced with permission.)
to “hand off” their work to their more senior colleagues if they could
not complete the task, triage promoted communication and knowledge
sharing among all fi nishers. When fi nishing had been a small-group ac-
tivity, Rosenberg realized, “its self-image tended to refl ect the dedication
and individuality of its members,” who often worked nights and week-
ends to complete tasks. But such individual “heroics” were inappro-
priate and even counterproductive for a large production-line environ-
ment: “The organization was simply too large for its members to learn