Task forces and training in participative management

The leaders of almost every kind of institution — business, government, church, professional body, university, school, even the family — are learning that there must be more effective involvement by the members of the institution if it is to remain a cohesive unit. But in some cases, the attempts now being made to give people more involvement in the making of decisions that affect them may fail because they offer involvement without influence. The Task Force concept assumes that a good manager is innately a problem‐solver and that to restrict his involvement in the real problems which affect him is to deny him the fulfilment of a fundamental human need. This team approach has proved to be a practical way of meeting a real need by offering involvement with influence. In this way, the Task Force, particularly in the context of management by objectives, has proved instrumental in improving the effective use of that most scarce and poorly used resource — management talent.