Leadership to Enable 21st-Century Teams to Solve Ill-Structured Problems

Abstract

Although contemporary literature overwhelmingly shows that high-performing teams are greater than the sum of their parts, the current Marine Corps manpower model systematically creates ad-hoc teams. Ad-hoc teams are temporary teams, which are formed to accomplish a specific task, in contrast to enduring, cohesive teams, which possess teamwork skills, share mental models, and have refined team processes to successfully accomplish a range of tasks. Due to the changing character of war, ad-hoc teams are tasked to operate in an increasingly complex environment. While manpower model initiatives have begun under Talent Management, the effect and timeline of these initiatives are yet to be seen. This thesis addresses current team challenges by synthesizing cross-discipline scholarly research findings into four recommendations for tactical-level Marine teams. The thesis presents a two-part, decision-forcing case study and teaching note that provides a mechanism to train teams in practical methods to improve team performance. Tactical Marine units cannot afford to wait for structural changes to address team dynamics. The tactical leader should use contemporary scholarly research findings to augment their current team practices to create an environment for high-performing teams to solve the ill-structured problems they will face.