Describes differences between total quality management and self-directed teams in terms of job design, decision making, flexibility, supervision, labor relations, quality, customers, and training. Offers suggestions for which method to choose when. (SK)

The 11th annual survey of employer-provided training includes "The Budget Blahs" (Lee); "What Employers Teach" (Filipczak); and "Work Teams: How Far Have They Come?" (Gordon). (SK)

Japan Air Lines has developed a training technique called "unprogramed instruction" in which the trainees set up the schedule and training objectives with the instructor. Advantages and limitations of the self-directing method are presented. (MW)

Self-directed work teams need coaches, not managers. The process of turning middle managers into coaches involves sensitivity, negotiation, and training in adjusting to the new role. (SK)

Self-directed teams, in which the people who do the work are responsible for managing it, are changing the practices and structures of many organizations. Self-managing teams are based on trust and empowerment, on treating workers as responsible adults. (SK)