Book Description

The move to teams has largely failed, say Harvey Robbins and Michael Finley, mainly because teams themselves are failing to think through the human implications of teaming. The NEW Why Teams Dont Work is a handbook for team members and team leaders to maintain the highest possible level of team intelligencethe skills, attitudes, and emotional flexibility to get the most out of a teams inherent differences.

Describing what teams are really like, not how they ought to be, the book teaches people how to work together to make decisions, stay in budget, and achieve team goals. Robbins and Finley show, for instance, how to get hidden agendas on the table, clarify individual roles, learn what team members expect and want from each other, choose the right decision-making process, and much more.

Updated throughout, the book includes completely new material on team intelligence, team technology, collaboration vs. teamwork, team balance, teams at the top, the team of one, plus all new and updated examples. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Making Teams Work Right
I was first introduced to Robbins & Finley, when I purchased a copy of the audiotape version of the original Why Teams Don't Work a couple of years ago (the book itself was out of print at the time). Like many others, I found the title compelling. Among the endless list of books touting teams as the pancea for all organizational problems, here was a book that provided a fresh, honest look at teams and their all-too-human members.

For those who have never been exposed to the original book, you are in for a real treat! In this new version, Robbins & Finley present the real-life lessons of teamwork that most of us have learned the hard way with all the wit and social satire of a Mark Twain novel. For those that have experienced the original book, you will find all of the wit and wisdom of the original plus some delightful new insights into human behavior in teams. The section on team myths alone is worth purchasing the new book.

I highly recommend the book to team members everywhere who struggle in the trenches to get their teams on track while juggling the performance demands of today's fast moving organizations. As Robbins and Finley point out, teams are a natural vehicle for human accomplishment but effective teams don't happen by accident. Or, as Forrest Gump might say, "Bubba told me a lot about teamwork, but you know what I learned, teamwork is hard."

The book may not turn your current team around, but it will certainly give you the insight to understand what went wrong and how to make it right next time.

Witty and Intelligent!
Robbins and Finley are highly witty and intelligent. They know their subjects and address them well. This is the first business book that has made me laugh out loud. Having experience as a team leader, I know these truths of which they speak. They offer very real solutions to very real problems.

Great read for teams and team leaders!

This is not a happy talk book about teams.
Read Chapter 5 on "misplaced goals, confused objectives," and you'll start getting a good handle on where most team problems lie. How many of us really understand what Demming meant when he stated that a good goal is not a number? The authors do. They know that a good goal is something that brings out passion. A good goal gives people something to respond to, buy into, claim ownership over. This is not a happy talk book about teams. With all the things that can go wrong with teams, and do, it's surprising they work at all. "Teams are trouble." Having this book available on your reference shelf will help you handle and minimize the inevitable missteps the next time you're asked to serve on a team, or lead it.

A Good Read!
Of teams and families it might be said, "Each is dysfunctional in its own special way." Today's corporate litany states that to succeed we must learn to cooperate more closely. The testing ground for this idea becomes trendy "cross-functional teams" or task forces. Here, antisocial tendencies and hidden agendas are sprinkled across meeting-room tables like dragon's teeth, springing up to mortally wound the best interests of your organization. The good news is that you can do something to help your organization's teams operate more effectively. Robbins and Finley are a couple of skilled veterans who say that "trust is the blood of teams." If you believe better teamwork is critical to your company's future, we think you will find the lessons in this book absolutely essential - whether you're a member of a team or the leader who serves them.

How to work with others to make decisions
In The New Why Teams Don't Work: What Goes Wrong And How To Make It Right, Harvey Robbins and Michael Finley effectively collaborate to explain how to work with others to make decisions, stay in budget, and achieve team goals. They also reveal how to get hidden agendas on the table, clarify individual roles, learn what team members expect and want form each other, and to choose the right decision-making process for the task at hand. This updated and revised edition of The New Why Teams Don't Work features a new section on team leadership which explores the necessary qualities and skills a leader must have; new concepts for addressing team problems such a boundary management; an in depth examination of "team of one" mentality and how to eliminate it; an expanded definition of teams that sees teams and their problems everywhere; the myths of teams and why a sports team is a fitting metaphor or template for like a business team. The New Why Teams Don't Work is very highly recommended and informative reading for anyone charged with the responsibility of team leadership, membership, or management. ... Read more

Book Description

The workplace team has become one of the most crucial components of many organizations. But the kind of teamworking that organizations need has evolved, with the emergence of temporary and virtual teams and a greater need for flexibility.

Now trainers, managers, and team leaders have the help they need! Packed with exercises, The Ultimate Team-Building Toolkit addresses essential issues like:

* The role of the team leader in building team identity * The need for "alignment" as groups become committed to a common goal * Team culture as a competitive advantage

Perfect for "just-in-time" situations, the book contains commentary on each exercise, as well as suggestions on how to use them to build the ultimate team! ... Read more

Book Description

Draws on the latest research to show how groups can function more effectively to achieve the full potential of group work. For leaders and group supervisors as well as members of teams, boards, task forces, and other groups. Offers a clear vision of what makes groups work.

This recently revised edition of the classic 1982 work focuses on the business priorities of the '90s to offer a clear vision of what makes groups work. Draws on the latest research to show leaders, group supervisor and team members how groups should function in order to reach their full potential.

... Read more

Book Description

This book shows you:How to manage the self in a team How to create working partnershipsHow to recognize potential for the 'surprise' fit How to encourage interdependence between members of a team How the team should fit into the organization 'A team is not a bunch of people with job titles, but a congregation of individuals, each of whom has a role which is understood by other members. Members of a team seek out certain roles and they perform most effectively in the ones that are most natural to them.' ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A great practical book to back up work with teams
Belbin has become one of the world experts on teams, and written a number of books on team work, and has a web site devoted to his consulting business on teams. You can get profiles done on line etc. Whilst I don't think his work is leading edge on group dynamics and the complexity of human teams, he offers a great practical methodology for working with people on teams. I have used this material with real success with real managers and real people in the work place, and it has been a useful catalyst for improving peoples understanding of different styles and roles, and how to work to peoples natural strengths.

Identify eight prototypes of team roles
The MECE of the eight roles are doubtful, making the analysis on team strengths difficult to be brought into practice.

It is a nice try to do a MECE classification on team roles, but there are still room for improvements in this book.

Invaluable handbook for better performing teams
This is the authorative update on the English team guru's work on high performing teams. Less academic than his earlier seminal work, really focussed on the team at work. There's plenty of new stuff as well: Belbin's thoughts on the evolution of HR strategies, team leaders and the eligibilty versus suitabilty issue are all well explored.

Managers needs this to learn how their teams tick. Trainers need it to facilitate learning. Individuals need it to understand their own roles and to be comfortable with them. ... Read more

Book Description

Are the people who report to you giving you their best? Is each individual on your team performing to his or her fullest potential?

For more than thirty years, renowned business consultant and bestselling author Ken Blanchard and legendary NFL coach Don Shula have motivated teams to peak performances. In their classic, authoritative work on coaching, Everyone's a Coach, they distilled their rich collective experience down to its key elements and shared their secrets for inspiring others to greatness.

Now, by popular demand, Blanchard and Shula have created The Little Book of Coaching, capturing the essence of their classic in this indispensable motivational gem--a gift to their readers and fans.

At the heart of this book is a simple acronym that describes the qualities of an effective leader:

Conviction-driven--Never compromise your beliefs

Overlearning--Practice until it's perfect

Audible-ready--Know when to change

Consistency--Respond predictably to performance

Honesty-based--Walk your talk

Using a highly effective "tag-team" approach, Blanchard and Shula impart the five leadership secrets behind this acronym. Shula tells you how each coaching concept worked on the field, and then Blanchard explains how you can apply each strategy in a leadership situation.

Instructive and inspirational, The Little Book of Coaching is the essential handbook that will teach you how to unleash excellence in anyone.

Reviews (8)

Four Stars
I bought this book for a college class. Excellent ideas on how to coach or lead in a business.

Double Benefits
Life, no matter personal or bisiness, is so much like the game (such as NFL).

How to make yourself stay competitive and strong is as important as how to motivate people surrounded you to spearhead to victory.

Business guru Kenneth Blanchard and NFL coach Don Shula share with us their perspectives on coaching and leadership with different methods but same objective. So you can have a better view of how to improve your own coaching skill.

One book, one price for two professional and treasurable insights. It's obviously a best buy!

Simple and Powerful
Ken Blanchard's wisdom and Don Shula's coaching experience come together in this easy-to-read book. The simple truths expressed by these two gurus are very applicable in both your professional and personal lives. This book is appropriate for all levels in an organization and is a "must read" for any leader or coach.

Don Shula on Coaching
Great book for leaders and coaches in any sport or business!

In Praise of Pursuing Perfection!
Seldom has a book fallen so far short of the philosophy it espouses. Save your time and your money by reading another book on coaching.

"C.O.A.C.H." is the acronym that encompasses this book's brief content (probably less than 15,000 words):

C is for conviction ("Have a common vision and everyone will begin to move in the same direction." "Beliefs come true." " . . . a good coach provides the direction and concentration for performers' energies . . . ." "If you don't seek perfection, you can never reach excellence." "Lacking something to uplift their hearts when difficulties arise, their minds will not be equal to the task.")

O is for overlearning (" . . . get overprepared and help your people do the same." "Perfection happens only when the mechanics are automatic." "People generally respond well to leaders who have high expectations and genuine confidence in them.").

A is for audible-ready ("Prepare well with a plan -- then expect the unexpected and be ready to change that plan." "Audibles are . . . strategies your team knows about and has practiced thoroughly . . . .").

C is for consistency ("Respond predictably to performance." " . . . use redirect and praising more." "Mistakes cannot be tolerated.").

H is for honesty ("unquestionable integrity" "genuine and sincere" "Never ask your people to do more than you are willing to do." " . . . genuine faith [in God] is eminently practical.").

As a summary: "Who believed in you?" "How do you create that spark of self-recognition in others?" "It's about your believing in someone." "And then doing whatever it takes to help that person to his or her very best.")

The book itself offers little more than aphorisms. There are a few football examples. There are even fewer business examples. Examples from other contexts are almost nonexistent. This book would have been better with exercises for readers, questions to answer, and more relevant examples.

Personally, I disagree with the point that perfection should be the vision. Perfection could be a useful goal for an empowering vision, such as the one that the Salvation Army has.

The main benefit I got from the book was thinking through the way that companies fail to prepare for predictable alterations in circumstances, in the way that football teams do with audibles. Using scenarios to think through the future is relatively new to all but a few organizations. Clearly, this major lack will continue to harm organizations in the increasingly volatile social and economic climate of today.

If you have read The One Minute Manager and have seen and heard a top coach in action, you can skip this book.

Provide an example that others can easily understand and follow!

... Read more

Book Description

Emphasizing teamwork, leadership and technology, this text distinguishes itself in two major ways: its emphasis on teamwork and leadership skills and its integration of ethics and diversity throughout. This text is especially timely because of the recent attention given to teams in business and industry, the examination of technology's role in small group communication, and the growing awareness that colleges should be challenging students to examine their own leadership competence and understand the ethical and social implications of the groups in which they participate. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Buyer Beware!!!!
I have not read this book yet. But I want to save everyone the surprise I received when I opened the package. This book appears to be out of print. It seems that as a result Amazon does not show the book's list price. I had heard good things about this book and thinking that the used price "must" be less then the list price I ordered a used one at $75. I received a copy of the book directly from the author herself. Much to my surprise and dismay the list price on the inside cover was $22.

Terrific book
This book that discusses characteristics of high impact teams, and what you can do to build a high impact team. Rachael and Cynder show how you can turn a team into a high impact team with specific examples and explanations. The book is fabulous in discussing the benefits of coaching and how you yourself can help coach your team to improve themselves. The book neatly ties together many themes of teams, coaching, and leadership, and points you to many helpful tools that can help build a high impact team. This is a book that you will continually want to reread and reference.

Great template for managers!
This is much more than an academic look at team-building. The authors have created a template that managers and team leaders in any organization would find practical and useful.

Practical, real-life team leadership in a book!
This book really delivers. Many books of this type offer general guidelines without easy-to-use, practical examples and tools. This book bridges the gap between concept and practice. The examples are inspiring AND illustrative. I have been building and leading teams for over 25 years, and there resounding truths from the trenches in the pages of this book, but there is more--this book brings new applications of sound ideas, and innovative ways to see, hear, and empower any team you'd like to turn into a high-impact team. Worth every penny and every minute; I return to its very well-organized pages again and again for ideas and inspiration.

Comprehensive and Practical
This is fantastic reading with invaluable insight for executive managers committed to generating results on their teams. Amidst the mirad of advice out there--this should be required reading for team members and executives leading teams. Top 10 High Impact Team Practices, team phase development and weathering storms are among the most practical "how to" examples in the book. There are sectors of information---"distinctions" and "inquiries" that are perfect to use in team meetings as catalysts for problem solving/solution creation. Brilliantly done, wonderfully concise and easily implementable. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must for organizations making the transition to team-based
Dr Ray takes you on a step-by-step journey towards a successful transition to Self-Directed teams. Everything from Whats to Whys, Designing a system for success, etc. There are alot of good illustrations of potential issues and tangible benefits of a team-based culture.

I have purchased this book for my staff to be used as a reference text while making this journey. ... Read more

Book Description

Learn skills for working in groups

Throughout Life, everyone has opportunity to belong to groups, starting with families, schools, community orgainzations, recreation groups, sports organizations and, finally, in business.

A must-have book to help you become a more effective group member and stimulate your meetings with energy needed for achieving your goals.

You'll learn the skills for participating in groups as an individual member, make groups as a whole more effective, and make group meetings more enjoyable through tapping the synergy available in groups.

Discusses the essence of what makes groups work, then applies the principle of Zen to helping them function better.

The toolkit includes techniques and exercises on generating ideas, defining priorities, creative thinking, expressing feelings, energizing the group, team-building, conflict-resolution, plus, beginning and ending a group. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Attention Managers
The Zen of Groups is a useful, informative and easy to read book designed to help the modern day manager deal with the stresses of their workplaces. The book applies the ancient Chinese principles of Zen, or synergy, to the effective management of groups. This book is enjoyable enough to read on your day off or vacation. I would not recommend this book for anyone other than managers or the leaders of groups, as it does not explain better listening techniques or give any useful hints for other members.
This book is clear in its commitment to the Zen theory of groups. The book begins by defining Zen, and some of its historical meaning. The whole premise for the Zen theory is that Zen is the practice of being fully awake and in action moment by moment, and if applied to groups and their leaders, it will produce better, more effective group results and task completion. The book seemed to be geared for the manager of the group and not the specific members.
The first nine chapters are theories of groups. More specifically, groups nature, issues, development and guidelines. The role of group facilitator was really stressed as being the most important.
The authors describe the facilitator role as a manager or leader of the group. The facilitator is the one who can help the group achieve Zen, or synergy.
The authors did not cover many different types of groups or members. It also failed to cover leadership styles, which is important to know. The book did, however, stay focused on the theme of the Zen theory more than anything, and achieving synergy or balance in a group.
The whole second half of the book is a toolkit for facilitators. This toolkit contains different exercises and techniques the facilitator may use with their groups. Not all of the exercises seem appropriate, and most of them downright ridiculous. Some of the exercises include feet washing and massaging each others back with oil as a way to build group intimacy. The exercises definitely need to be fitted for your particular group.
Overall I see this book as light reading for management or management trainees due to its focus on leadership.

Facilitation - Working with People
This group puts together a wonderful message of how to manage group meetings with heart. They give clear examples of activities that can be used to defuse conflict, enhance team effectiveness, and methods to monitor yourself and your team for leaving your baggage behind and achieving group synergy. If yours is a consensus-oriented organization, or you'd like to begin using consensus-based decision making, this is a great book. See also their book specifically for meeting facilitation, "The Art of Facilitation".

A hand book for mastering the dynamics of groups.
The Zen of Groups is a handbook for effective group participation. It achieves this through distinguishing the elements of group dynamics.

The Zen of Groups is written in simple language and makes complex and subtile issues clear and easy to understand. This gives both the beginner and advanced facilitator or group participant alike access to understanding and making a useful difference in the dynamics of any group.

The Zen of Groups also has a section of tools and processes which can be applied to assist groups which are stuck or not acheveing their purpose to move forward.

I highly recomend this book to anyone wanting to develop a greater understanding of the the dynamics of groups. I use it all the time as a resource in my practice as a professional facilitator. ... Read more

Book Description

Strengthen team bonds with friAndly competition

Take your team to a higher level of performance with a healthy dose of competition. These stimulating activities provide lessons in determination, teamwork, and planning-all critical elements in achieving high performance.

Each game includes everything you need to conduct the activity, including instructions, materials required, time required, and reproducible worksheets or material templates. Each is categorized into one of these topics: change, communication, conflict resolution, data analysis, decision making, leadership, perception, problem solving, strategic planning, and time pressure.

These simple games will help you:

• Encourage members to cooperate and use all members' abilities
• Motivate individuals to maximize their contribution
• Demonstrate the benefits of cooperative competition
• Prepare your team to meet future challenges
• Emphasize teamwork as a means to a solution over winning

Use these games to enhance cooperation, resourcefulness, decision making, efficiency, and initiative in your team today!

Start your training on the right track and keep it there!

... Read more

Book Description

Help work teams achieve new levels of trust, camaraderie, and productivity!

Improve teamwork through trust building!The Power of Team Building supports trainers, consultants, and business leaders in leading experiential ropes techniques.

Finally, a comprehensive, well-researched and carefully documented guide to one of the most misunderstood and underutilized tools in the training industry.
--Larry Wilson, CEO, Pecos River Learning Centers

Many techniques can be used indoors or outdoors! The facilitation skills and group problem-solving activities, known as initiatives,detailed in this book give you a solid template to conduct activities. Dramatically improve teamwork and communication skills with each session. Major organizations?DuPont, Exxon, General Motors, and government agencies?use these programs to maximize team effectiveness. Now you can too!

... Read more

Book Description

Teams have been hailed as the workplace revolution of the decade. But what happens when the team's ``honeymoon'' ends? When troubles arise and interest wanes? Never fear, says teamwork troubleshooter and motivational speaker Ron Archer. In this book, Archer compiles the team remedies he has prescribed to the City of Coral Springs (Florida), Hillside Rehabilitation Hospitals, CHI Heist Corporation, and NFL football players to lead their faltering teams to success. On Teams features: several quick, easy-to-digest guidelines for improving teams, including the six-step empowerment initiative, the three phases of team implementation, and more; ways to successfully coach not manage a team to its highest potential; expert advice on avoiding team failure. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This is not your average Flavor-of-the-Month "how-to" book
Ron Archer is a true believer, and it shows. For all the hucksters peddling their own versions of convivial redemption in the workplace, occasionally the real McCoy comes along.

Mr. Archer lays out the challenges awaiting team-directed managers with evangelistic fervor and delphic clarity.It's the next best thing to sitting around the author's den. ... Read more

Book Description

In industry after industry, workplace teams have proven their value in achieving both quality and productivity goals. But for teams to succeed, management must lay the groundwork. Managing Teams provides methods and checklists to determine if teams are right for your business; improvements you should expect--and not expect--from teams; and more. Interviews with HR professionals who have successfully instituted teams give you real stories from the front lines. Managing Teams will provide the support and confidence you need to initiate and manage workplace teams, evaluate the success of those teams, and get your employees working in a coordinated, disciplined manner. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Outstanding all in one team training and handling guidelines
This is the first book on work team or any kind of teams that acknowledges how difficult and trying team work and team management can be. It's full of useful suggestions and insightful thinking. It's well written and not a checklist type of book but one which really explores things like conflict and the key kinds of things teams come up against. As a manager who workes with teams all the time, I highly recommend it. I am buying one for all my supervisors and all my teams. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Companies that value human capital have a competive edge
SUCCESS SECRETS FROM SILICON VALLEYis a thoroughly enjoyable book that takes a look at why Silicon Valley companies are so successful.

James' point-of-view is that these companies are able to win because they valuetheir human capital and create jobs that provide scope for human ambitionand expression for human creativity.They manage by lending support, notby imposing control, and they treat employees as peers, not children. Instead of asking "How can we get everyone to march in step?" they ask, "Dowe have sufficient diversity to approach this market?"

The book couldserve as a mandate for change management. It recounts numerous examplesof companies given a run for their money by small start-ups.For instance,take IBM.In 1984, IBM completely dominated the computer industry.It hadfanatically loyal customers, great management, and an enviable image.Ithad an enormous was chest with which to capture any market.And, it hadjust invented the personal computer.So how did an 18 year old freshman, akid probably wondering what to do on Saturday night, in just thirteenyears, grow a company to 8,000 people and end up selling more personalcomputers than the inventor?Michael Dell had no revenues, no customers,no capital, no experience, no image and no product to call his own.How hewon is the story of how management vision and corporate culture has tochange to stay competitive in the 21st century.

It does not matter thatthe examples come from Silicon Valley; the book could serve as an abridgedchange management manual for any company desiring to replicate the successculture of these upstarts.Size isn't the issue.Culture is.If, attimes, James's points seem self-evident and appear to be the exaltation ofcommon sense, then tell me, where is Digital Equipment Corporation today? Anybody ever hear of Wang?According to James, a company doesn't have tobe small to organize into teams and autonomous workgroups. He makes thepoint that the PC was created within a huge corporation - but as far awayfrom headquarters as possible.Unfortunately, after Don Estridge, the"father" of the IBM PC, was killed in a plane crash, IBM's bureaucratsdescended on the PC division "like a plague of blue-suited locusts".Theytried to implement strategies that had made sense in the past but werehopelessly outdated in the world where "quick to market" is key.

"SuccessSecrets" devotes a chapter to each of eight main change points: Business isan ecosystem, not a battlefield;Corporations are communities, notmachines; Management is service, not control; Employees are peers, notchildren; Motivate with vision, not fear; Change is growth, not pain;Computers are servants, not masters; Work is play, not toil.

Each chapteris organized in an easy to follow format :Silicon Valley mindset;traditional mindset; a case study; strategies; quiz (to determine "gaps" inan organization) and points to ponder which serve as good change managementpoints to consider when we are with clients.

The book is entertaining inpresenting computer history mingled with the "new" corporate thinking -thinking that began in 1939 (yes, that long ago) with Hewlett Packard andcame to fruition with Microsoft, Dell, Compaq and Sun.

Why Silicon Valley companies are different!
This book captures the essential elements of the overall organizational strategy developed and applied in Silicon Valley over the past decades. The author captures and illustrates many of the sub-strategies that were originally used by many of the founders of Silicon Valley, such as David Packard (see: "The HP Way"). One of the primary benefits of the present book is the classification of these strategies in an easy-to-understand, numeric order, accompanied by excellent examples and quotes from people using these strategies. In addition, the inclusion of "quizes" and "points to ponder" at the end of each chapter help the reader to ascertain where their present organization is in relationship to the Silicon Valley high-growth company model. While the average Silicon Valley company is living the ecosystem described, the greatest value of the book may be its use as a teaching tool for the extension of a Valley company's culture to team members in non-Valley locations or subsidiaries, or as a teaching mechanism for other companies desiring to replicate the results achieved by Valley companies. ... Read more

Book Description

In today's superheated business climate, executives and managers are under increasing pressure to squeeze every last drop of productivity out of their people. Built around inspiring stories from both the military and business worlds, Leadership Lessons of the Navy SEALS outlines a step-by-step approach to boosting morale and increasing productivity in any business organization.

Book Description

Is it time to drive performance in your call center?

Inspiring Call Center Performance is a terrific book to teach managers the principles of creating dynamite results in the call center.

It was written for managers, executives, supervisors and trainers who manage call center, inside sales and customer care departments.

This audio book focuses on the skill sets to manage people and operations.Topics include:

-Building a performance based culture
-Understanding the key elements of call center management
-Having a daily game plan
-Developing training programs to impact performance
-Using communication channels to motivate employees
-Exploring how agents see the call center
-Tips and Ideas to inspire call center staff

Designing a complete call center program is the key for management to build results in their call center.This audio book provides a taste of how managers can do better to supervise, motivate and inspire call center performance. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Perfect for call center management
It's very motivational and also provided several strategies to help our call center perform better. We have retention and hiring issues. We also have difficulty with consistency in our center. This book gave our supervisors great ideas! The consistent theme we all agreed after listening to this book was "People Matter"!

Great training for our managers and trainers!
Our company always looks for ongoing training materials for our call center management team. This audio book is exactly what we were looking for. It is divided into chapters, and we conducted a team meeting about each chapter after listening. I highly recommend this audio book for anybody who supervises a call center. It is PACKED with creative ideas - we're going to listen to Inspiring Call Center Performance, and use the information to motivate our agents. ... Read more

Book Description

"Any Six Sigma effort without Facilitative Leadership is a swing-and-a-miss. Six Sigma Team Dynamics is a thorough discussion of the roles, responsibilities, and pitfalls to avoid as a project team traverses through the DMAIC process. Touch ’em all George, you’ve hit an upper deck shot here!"
–Mike Kaupa
Senior VP, Process Management
Park Nicollet Health Services

"George makes Six Sigma simple. His solutions from real life about how to deal with individuals and teams could be applied to Six Sigma teams as well as to teams who have never heard of Six Sigma and who just want to be effective. The book is like a George Eckes session: you learned a lot, it seems so simple, and you had far more fun than you thought you would in a session about Six Sigma. George gets the people part of Six Sigma!"
–Karen Horn
Worldwide Leader
Organizational Communication
Six Sigma and Metrics
Cisco Systems

"For any Six Sigma team leader who has struggled in managing a dysfunctional team member or surviving the ‘storming’ phase of team development, Mr. Eckes offers time-tested, pragmatic approaches that work! The two chapters on ‘preventions’ and ‘interventions’ alone are worth the price of any number of facilitation training sessions by bringing together the best ideas in one place with palpable examples. Mr. Eckes’s ‘best practice’ of summarizing key learnings at the end of each chapter makes this an easy-to-use reference tool for the already overworked Six Sigma professional."
–Debbie Neuscheler-Fritsch
Senior Vice President
JPMorgan Chase ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Insightful!
This book is one of the few thorough, detailed, systematic guides to team leadership in the context of Six Sigma. Those assigned to lead or participate in Six Sigma teams will find it hands-on practical and consistently useful. To use this specific approach to team management, you need to be familiar with the Six Sigma concept and process already. Then, this straightforward, explanatory manual will take you step by step, list by list, through the task of facilitating a successful team, from establishing a plan to dealing with problem personalities. It isn't exactly juicy reading, except for the lively illustrative anecdotes, and the grammar is occasionally awkward given the jargon involved, but this focused package of instructions will help you get the job done effectively and efficiently. We recommend it enthusiastically to managers who are embarking upon, or already involved in, a Six Sigma team management process.

Great book to build great six sigma teams !
This book is a must read for everyone who works on projects...
George Eckes explains how meetings could be drastically improved, how to prepare a meeting, how a project should start, live... What are the important check-points...
I have personnaly used the methods described in this book and I'm now totally convinced that a team well driven can boost the performance a lot higher than initial assumptions...
Don't miss it, it's a great opportunity to learn more about human aspects of six sigma...

Insightful!
This book is one of the few thorough, detailed, systematic guides to team leadership in the context of Six Sigma. Those assigned to lead or participate in Six Sigma teams will find it hands-on practical and consistently useful. To use this specific approach to team management, you need to be familiar with the Six Sigma concept and process already. Then, this straightforward, explanatory manual will take you step by step, list by list, through the task of facilitating a successful team, from establishing a plan to dealing with problem personalities. It isn't exactly juicy reading, except for the lively illustrative anecdotes, and the grammar is occasionally awkward given the jargon involved, but this focused package of instructions will help you get the job done effectively and efficiently. We recommend it enthusiastically to managers who are embarking upon, or already involved in, a Six Sigma team management process.

Eckes Fills Critical Void in Six Sigma Literature
Whether new to Six Sigma or working in an established deployment, this book is for you. Until now, no books have confronted the Six Sigma Team function issue head on. Kudos to George Eckes for identifying this critical gap and plugging it!

As an established deployment leader at a large firm, I can attest to the fact that team dynamics is one of the biggest factors in success or failure of Six Sigma projects. Eckes' book is an easy read, using a fictional team throughout that keeps the reading light and interesting, while imparting valuable tools and techniques to improve your teams. From clarifying roles and responsibilities of team participants to providing specific intervention techniques for maladaptive behaviors, this book is packed with things you can use today. No matter what role you play on a Six Sigma team - Champion, Black/Green Belt, or Master Black Belt - you will find keys to better team interactions to allow you to deliver the results your company needs to succeed.

Terrific bonuses include common pitfalls in team dynamics you should avoid, a list of 95 questions champions should ask their project teams and tools templates you can put to work to improve your information flow.

This book is now required reading for all our Master Black Belts and soon to be incorporated in to our Champion eduction. If you want to improve your team's results, I highly recommend this book.

A Must for the Library
I really enjoyed reading this book. It flows easy and the concepts are practical. This book makes helps put the team side of Six Sigma into focus. There are plenty of tools books, but few to help the team leader (Black Belt) deal with the facilitation side of the project. The examples and recommendations are a great help. I consider this a must for a good Six Sigma library. ... Read more

Book Description

Want to achieve spectacular success in your personal and business life? Looking for ways to mold and capture superior teamwork, cohesion, and bone-deep dedication? Put Real Dream Teams on your list of must reads.From the headlines used to describe groups such as the 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball team, to Hollywood production moguls, to attorneys clashing in major criminal cases, we have all heard the phrase "dream teams" used and misused. Real Dream Teamsis a book that focuses on extraordinary efforts by conditioned winners who have achieved outstanding results through what the authors call "synergistic group dynamics." Let Real Dream Teams point you in the direction of becoming a more effective team leader and team member. Read of team efforts and extraordinary practices and results as demonstrated by recipients of the Nobel Prize, the Medal of Honor, national championships, and best-in-industry awards. Take tips from those who have achieved their membership in Real Dream Teams: ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Where's my copy?
I would really like to leave a review on this book here. But, due to circumstances beyond my control, I simply can't do it at this time.
I'm in my sixth week of waiting for the shipment of this book with no recourse but to leave this review.
Amazon will not respond to emails, and I cannot find any other way communicate with them. This situation has forced me to buy this book twice. Once from Amazon, and once from school, at over twice the price.
So a word to the wise... BUYER BEWARE!!

Fairly Detailed (and good) Rah-Rah
I enjoyed this book for several reasons. It inspired me to hear the stories of real dream teams and their leaders. These are real dream teams - no question. And it gave a very good introduction/overview of seven practices needed to move teams to become high performing teams. I also enjoyed it because it gave real life examples for each of its practices. It covers the basics and even introduces some new basics, which really makes it valuable. The book is a lot of hype and sales pitches for teamwork, and didn't cover much detail, or the nitty gritty hard work of making teams effective, but as an introduction, I haven't seen better. I'm using it as a textbook for a class and my students LOVE it. Well worth the read.

The best "real" team-building book I've read
Real Dream Teams provides excellent insight into the underlying thread that makes teams win. The 7 practices are not only identified and articulated but related to amazing accounts of success. Truly inspiring, yet at the same time very practical. I feel more equipped to motivate and lead.

I'm convinced! Teamwork is essential and pays off!
Skeptical of why supposed "teamwork" is so great, I have to say that this book gave the "Real" information behind the reasons why true TEAMS always experience success. We've all seen "Dream Teams", and wished we could be part of one, but this book tells HOW in real-life terms. Other books on this topic have a bunch of "rah! rah!" stuff in it to get you psyched up, but don't teach you how to implement teambuilding, but this book doesn't B.S. about all that. This book is for those that are SERIOUS about experiencing SUCCESS ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Affordable Learning and Useful Ideas!
The first impression is the price of this book. I got it simply because it didn't cost me a great deal. However, under the cover... I found great reading and pages of useful ideas. Easy and enjoyable reading. Each chapter is comprehensive in the subject matter, well organised and may great sense on its own, Hoever, the chapters also flowed well together in the end, with a common goal -- better team management/building. I have been in the profession for about 2 years now, and I can really appreciate the examples and suggestions in the book. It is a great book as a general read for those who is interested in the field, and a handy reminder-book to have for those who need a breath of fresh air now and then. ... Read more

Book Description

By the author of the best-selling Mining Group Gold, Team Power offers ideas, tools and techniques for increasing team productivity in any environment: public or private sector; profit or nonprofit; service or manufacturing-based. ... Read more