Team Management and Development in Montserrat and Anguilla

The British constitutional and political traditions of the Crown Colonies of Montserrat and Anguilla have been modified by their unique histories, particularly in a common commitment to team management. Some senior public servants in Montserrat are reluctant to acknowledge the virtues of a team approach, but their more junior colleagues have been given training in team techniques which has laid a firm foundation for team work and collective management. Professional effectiveness and job satisfaction have increased. The principles of team management are reciprocity, disposition for agreement, fairness, honesty, mutual trust and confidentiality. However the reluctant leadership of some Permanent Secretaries produces frustration and problems of morale. The Permanent Secretary level is the last to be impregnated with the team administration philosophy in Anguilla, too. But team management is recognized as necessary for building consensus and for the smooth running of a small public service. Subordinates employing team techniques have been assessed by their superiors as more successful in staff‐management relations, policymaking and productivity than traditional, hierarchical managers. Team techniques have been carried over into a number of small businesses on the island. This phenomenon is unique among the United Kingdom's West Indian colonies. The problems of team management include time and accountability.