Book Description

Is it possible to complete projects on-time and on-budget using geographically distributed "virtual" teams?

Yes! Here’s the book that shows you how. Packed with practical tools and proven techniques for managing virtual teams for optimum performance, this expert author uses real-world examples and specific guidelines to show you how distributed work groups can be even more productive, effective and flexible than traditional co-located teams.

Supported by extensive research, the book addresses the most commonly identified managerial concerns such as communication, control, monitoring, team building, cultural differences, and legal and process issues. You’re provided with a framework of principles and best practices for dealing with these concerns, plus step-by-step procedures for "transitioning teams," and tips on using high-speed networks and groupware as tools for solving problems. What’s more, you learn how to...

>Reduce costs and time to market with round-the-world, round-the-clock work flow

>Integrate remotely located technical experts into a team and take advantage of remotely located corporate resources

>Build stronger products and markets with partnerships and joint ventures

Managing Virtual Teams, contains communication principles and management practices that won’t become outdated with the next release of a software program. The author outlines the benefits of concentrating first on the investment that needs to be made in people, planning, processes, and training, not on technology alone. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great Management Perspective
I have really looked a long time to find a book that has a practical management perspective. Most of the books I've read on virtual teams either focus on bits and bytes (which I don't need since I'm an IT Director) or high level organizational theory. This book had some really practical suggestions that I could implement to improve communication and control for my team.

Very practical and useful
If you are managing geographically distributed teams this is a "save your life" kind of book. Short and to the point with techniques based on actual research instead of myths or stories. I found the 4 key principles for effective distance communication very helpful. I saw immediate improvement in my team's communications once we began using the ideas.

Skimpy, pedantic and superficial
I rarely write reviews, and as an author myself I'm loath to criticize another's work. But this one I couldn't let go by...

At 147 pages (main text) there was nowhere near enough "meat" to justify ...[the price tag.]

The writing style was boring and pedantic.

Most of the chapters just skimmed the surface and lacked
substance; the topics are covered much more thoroughly by other
authors.

Chapter 6, Networking Technology, at 12 pages, was much too
"thin" and already out of date; less than 2 full pages
were devoted to the 'section' on securing the network -- a
major concern these days.

Highly recommended
I recently reviewed a number of books on distance work for a current project at a research center (...)and found Haywood's to be the best in its class. Haywood does a great job of describing the problems of distance work from different perspectives (manager, employee), and she gives sound advice on how to address these problems. Her prescribed solutions are balanced, and include some new technologies (e.g. personal web pages), but mostly she gives good advice on raising awareness of problems and setting reasonable policies for use of communications.

Haywood's book has more analysis and fewer case studies than others in this genre, which is what I was looking for. She does include plenty of vignettes, but they are short and to the point.

Haywood is my hero!
This highly organized, "how-to" book is best in class. From its pragmatic examples to its in depth understanding of
"real" work processes, this book examines all of the aspects of v-teams and is fairly objective in its recommendations. While not giving "deification" to I.T., it DOES break down the elements of IT necessary for success. GREAT BOOK for managers of projects which span geographies ... Read more

Book Description

Building a team is similar to building a house--you have to start from the ground up. A team is made up of individuals with different talents, skills, and personal working styles. Learning to work together as a group can be as challenging as it is rewarding. Team Building, one of Crisp's most popular Fifty-Minute Books, is a primer on how to formulate strong teams through a climate of open communication, trust, and accountability. Like building a house, the fourth edition takes readers step by step through the process from creative ways to encourage teamwork to tips for handling conflicts effectively. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Definite overview
This book probably delivers what it offers: teambuilding in less than an hour. I had the distinct feeling I was flipping through a seminar workbook. If you give team building seminars and can add substance to the text, this may be a book for you. I guess this could be helpful if you're need to brush up on teams.

If you're looking for in-depth reading and research on teams and team-building, this isn't the book for you.

Excellent fast reading
Gives an accurate overview of what it takes to get teams to cooperate. And it does this within 50 minutes.

Fairly useless if you want your teams to be self directed.
This is a fairly weak recapitulation of shibboleths found in other texts and utter useless if you want to train teams to be self directed. The author thinks teams are groups of people in the workplace to achieve goals set for them from "above." The time for that kind of thinking is long past ... Read more

Book Description

TeamNets are tomorrow's answer, here today, to the organizational quagmire of succeeding with fewer resources, less people and intense competition. Demonstrates how to create sustainable competitive advantage while generating boundary-crossing relationships with other companies, competitors, suppliers, customers, regional business networks and international partners. Provides practical, proven insights on how to get a quick start with TeamNets, the best methods to select TeamNet partners, effectively use the TeamNet toolbox and sustain successful TeamNets over time. ... Read more

Book Description

Maximize team performance through solid leadership!Start bydefining the team leader's role and behaviors that benefit.Utilizeproven team-leading methods, including involving members ingoal-setting, building trust and communication among individuals,dealing with confrontations and coaching people through mistakes.Seehow the art of compromise can create supportive team members. ... Read more

Book Description

Let's get real. All of the touchy-feely leadership stuff of the last decade has not really served you nor many others in management very well. Now that downsizing has taken its toll, reality is setting in. Fortunately, you lived through downsizing, but now that it's hopefully over, and you're one of the survivors, you're expected to do more with less. It's called productivity, and while there's no doubt increased productivity will beat the competition, touchy-feeling is definitely not the way to get it.

This book will make the goal of increased productivity possible. Yet it doesn't suggest returning to the old dictatorial style of management. It's all about process based leadership. Process based leadership makes sure you don't subconsciously play favorites. Process based leadership insures that everyone accepts accountability, and that each person on your team pulls his or her own weight. Because empowered team leaders like you can end up doing all the team's work if you don't have a process like this one in place.

Buried Alive! explains a new management system the authors call process based leadership (PBL), which relies on non-negotiable processes to drive focus, urgency and accountability throughout an organization. These non-negotiable processes lead empowered team leaders out of their personal "management dumpsters" and provide them with tangible and auditable systems to insure ongoing business success.

Establishing non-negotiables is step number one. Once these clear ground rules are laid, a leader can build the steps needed to climb out of the dumpster. The first step is communication, which must be face to face. People need to know what's going on and putting it in an e-mail or memo simply won't do. Next is an auditable business focus process using "business scorecards.î These scorecards create urgency, focus and accountability among team members because they are reviewed monthly. The third step is to get everyone to accept accountability. Managers often are at a loss to find a way to do this. But with PBL, it's part of the process. What we called "action registers" are used that go into a team workbook. These record decisions made, who is to take action, and when the action is to be completed. They have the effect of lighting a fire under folks. Fifth is to establish and elevate everyone's expectations. Leaders must tell their empowered team what's expected of them. The team needs to say what they expect of the leader, and of one another. These expectations must be brought out into the open and written down. They become the team's ground rules.

Process based leadership as revealed in this book is a proven system already at work in a number of very successful organizations. Harley-Davidson, Michelin, Boeing, General Mills, O'Hare Airport, and the Department of Defense are just a few. So why wait? Order a copy today and start your climb out of that management dumpster. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fun, interesting to read
This was the most fun book to read regarding on how to be a good manager! It has a no nonsense look on how to improve your organizational skills. I highly recommend this book to read.

So Simple- so perfect, why isn't everyone doing this?
I was blown away. This easy-to-read book is a salvation and a demonstration that complicated problems sometimes only require simple answers. The concepts that are described reaffirm your intuition and gently challenge your comfort zone as a manager. I think that if you're willing to be open to change, the changes that are laid out within Buried Alive! are impactful and will achieve nearly immediate results. Outstanding concepts, simple to understand, easy to implement. I'm very impressed and will recommend the book to anyone who wants to improve their organization from top down or bottom up. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Practical and easy to use with solid information.
I appreciated having this easy to read, straight forward message to share with coaches I coach. Thanks. ... Read more

Book Description

In the bestselling tradition of Who Moved My Cheese? and The One Minute Manager, this smart little book, written as a business parable, tells the story of a young man who is sent from the corporate ladder to the football field to learn a lesson in team playing from one person who knows how to win - a college football coach.

"The best guidelines I've seen to help you unleash your power and reach your maximum potential." (Ken Blanchard, bestselling author of The One Minute Manager)

"You can't be a star player on your team if you don't have winning ways. This smart, sensible book shows how to develop them. (Tom Muccio, Vice-President, Proctor & Gamble)

"The best book ever written about how to work well with others. All new employees should receive a copy the first day on the job. (Art Bauer, President and CEO, American Media, Inc.) ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A phenomenal book destined to be a classic.
Winning Ways is one of those truly unique books that grabs you and won't let you go. It's one of the few books I've ever read where I actually remembered the lessons the next day.

In this case the lessons are four incredibly powerful "secrets" anyone can use to be more effective in their dealings with other people. The lessons are presented in the form of a very entertaining parable with characters we can all relate to. The simplicity, combined with the power, of this book's message make it one everyone should read.

After reading it, I put it down for a moment, and said "Wow." Not only can I use these ideas, but if I do and others do as well, the world will be a much better place. Then I immediately thought of three friends I couldn't wait to share it with. Thanks, Dick Lyles, for giving us such a powerful message in such an entertaining way.

Entertaining
"Winning Ways" by Richard I. Lyles is about a recent computer science graduate who is having people problems with his coworkers. His manager introduces him to a football coach who claims to know the "Winning Ways" -- the secrets of getting along with other people. Over the course of several meetings, the coach teaches our hero four principals of working well with others: Making others feel stronger, collaborating with others, avoiding two-valued thinking, and influencing for the future.

The book is easy reading, however, I recommend you check the book out of your local library before purchasing it. It's useful for recent college grads who are having problems dealing with other people.

Exception to the Blanchard team¿s typical excellence
A simple, easy to follow book about building teamwork and advancing your career through 'soft' skills. However, I thought the book fell far short of the quality and rigor Blanchard's more popular works on management and team building. While Lyles' ideas work on some level, they seem to fall short when looked at analytically through tested and effective management models.

For example, "Make people feel good about themselves" sounds good on the surface. But what if someone is engaging in unacceptable behavior at work? The assertion "Make people feel good about themselves" is a weakened version of the very effective advice offered in the 'One Minute Manager:' "Be tough on the problem, easy on the people."

What about the advice to 'build camels,' with consensus ideas being better than individual ideas? In my experience, a team's ideas are often better than an individual's. But, think of pork-barreled legislation, and camels seem less appealing; there is a little known clause in the Homeland Security Act that absolves drug companies currently producing the MMR vaccines, linked to childhood autism, from lawsuits springing from its faulty product. So, to vote against the bill because of this clause would make a senator seem un-American, even if it were a vote against pork-barreled protection for unethical drug companies.

I have loved Blanchard's ideas for years, and this one a rare exception to the team's typical excellence. For a better treatment of teamwork, pick up"Gung-Ho,"another book from the Blanchard management training mill.

One of tools to Win
Summary

The story is about the brilliant Albert graduated from the University of Northeastern Michigan (UNM) and he was hired by UGAT (United Global Advance Technologies) quickly because of his intelligent. Albert is very efficient, however, he had poor interpersonal skills and had a problem to work with other people in ¡§Tiger Team¡¨. He believed working alone is better. He felt intellectually superior and rejected others ideas. Therefore, he asked his boss, Megan, let him not work with ¡§Tiger Team¡¨.

His boss sent Albert introduced the famous football coach who set the best record in the history of all of college football and knew the secrets of his winning ways in UNM to him and asked him to learn about the things her taught his team. Over the course of several meetings, the coach taught our hero four principals of working well with others:

1. Making others feel stronger, rather than weaker: give power away to people, the more you give, the more you get

2. Camels are okay: collaborating with others, leveraging their unique talents through others, combining the strengths and vision of everyone on the team to create something everyone can get behind and support

3. Avoiding two-valued thinking: everything is neither good nor bad, nor is one better than the others

4. Influencing for the future: blaming for the future is usefulness for solving problems but need to learn from the past experience as it always is the best teacher to your life

Comments

Easy to read and understand

It is written as context of story as the theory from the coach are given in a story format People can easy to understand what are going on and it is similar to their real life as many people may have the same problem as Albert that can¡¦t work well in a team with other teammates. Feeling own self as the top of people is always the problem of the people who can¡¦t work well with people in a team.

Entertaining

Besides mentioning the four secrets of winning ways, the story finally ended with a marriage of Albert and his teammate Jennifer who had conflicts with Albert before. It is not dry as other book that just mentioning the theory.

The book has good ideas in theory, however, the usefulness and possibility of the four secrets of Winning Ways is uncertain. It is unrealistic to have a good interpersonal skill and good relationship by just using this Winning Ways. Learning about people shouldn¡¦t be seen skimming through a book. People keep changing and also their mind. Moreover, I think working well with people is not just the four secrets in the book. Love, passion, honesty etc there are many elements to build up a good relationship with people. Changing the value and ways of thinking of people may have a higher priority to use this winning ways.

A Loan Officer from North Carolina
I found this book to be very informative. It definitely makes you think about how to win people over. It not only tells you how to win them but it points out things you shouldn't do. The 4 secrets for getting great results by working well with people has already helped me increase my business.

Big things do come in small packages. This is a quick read book but it is packed with lots of good information.

Thanks Dick Lyles, great book. ... Read more

Book Description

The Truth About Teams

"If you're considering self-managing teams for your own business, Business Without Bossesshould be on your reading list." —Managing Office Technology

"Anyone who wants to become or stay a manager needs to master this book's practical and philosophical lessons." —Allan R. Cohen Vice President, Academic Affairs, Babson College and author, The Portable MBA in Management and Influence without Authority

"The 'real-world' case studies will appeal to executives who need answers, not theory, about self-managed teams." —William Band Vice President, Rath & Strong, Inc., management consultants and the author of Creating Value for Customers and Touchstones

This insider's tour shows you how organizations including Texas Instruments, IDS Financial Services, and W. L. Gore & Associates have discarded the old concept of "boss" and flourished with a new and effective team management style. Charles C. Manz, Ph.D. and Henry P. Sims, Jr., Ph.D., the authors of SuperLeadership, use real-world examples of success and failure to guide you through the intricacies of teamwork in a variety of service and manufacturing settings and in all stages of development. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Readable and thought-provoking case studies
This book describes eight case studies of companies that have used self-managing teams. Each is different; most are fairly successful, but all are illuminating. The book is written well enough that it is a much more engaging read than most business books.

I was particularly interested by their study of W.L.Gore, which has perhaps the most remarkable structure (or lack of it) of any company in America. They provide enough detail to get a sense of a really remarkable company; most of the other case studies, which involve providing autonomy to small groups rather than completely demolishing the traditional company hierarchy, are both less impressive in their achievements and easier to implement.

The book does a good job of making the case for autonomy, and the authors include the necessary caveat that you can only build a crack team out of good quality employees. The fundamental argument is that people work better and harder when they're given autonomy, and that companies can therefore reap big rewards from doing so.

Readers interested in this area might also like to look at Ackoff's "The Democratic Corporation". Both books, however, in reviewing how to improve a company's performance by changing its internal structure, don't address the ownership issue at all--i.e. whether employee ownership is a necessary or at least valuable part of the mix in creating the right incentives for employees to "behave like owners". That aside, however, I can strongly recommend this book: it's a fascinating survey of some unusual but very powerful management strategies. ... Read more

Book Description

"In his motivational and easy-to-read style, Pat Williams once again articulates the universal lessons to be learned from the world of sports. As an 'old QB,' I was reminded of my won experiences and the valuable lessons on the 'fields of friendly strife.' Anyone committed to being a part of a team or building a team must read The Magic of Teamwork." Jack Kemp, Vice President Candidate 1996 and Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great ideas to share for anyone who mentors others
Pat Williams lays the foundation for developing a great team in any area of life. The chapters are well organized and you will find him easy to read.

As someone who works closely with college aged youth this book offered me tangible lessons to building a productive and successful team. Using his own experiences as a model, (Pat and his wife have over 20 children adopted and otherwise) you know his principles are tried and true on his family, let alone with the Orlando Magic.

Have a pen ready when you read this work as you will find yourself taking notes from almost every page and you will rewarded for your efforts as a team attitude oozes into your personality. This ranks up there on my list of must reads with books on leadership by John Maxwell and business by Harvey Mackay.

I loved this book and I'm a critical self help book junkie
It's hard to believe that a guy who has 18 kids would have time to write a book like this, let alone, something interesting and motivating. It is quite practical and you don't have to run a team or be a professional athlete to enjoy this. I saw Pat on CNBC and that's what led me to this reading. It's enjoyable while teaching you something. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fast and Fact Filled
First, I cannot believe I am the first person to review this book!

I have been using this book for three years and it is so full of common-sense solutions and thought-starters that it gives me an advantage I would not want to be without on the job. Each chapter begins with a 2-3 page introduction on the lists which follow. Most lists contain at least 10 entries with supporting statements after each, which circumscribe the issue. A quick read through the list generates focus. Then, you can home in on the solution by using the list items that are best suited to you.

This book is a diamond in the rough (of business how-to books), but every list contained within is an unqualified gem. ... Read more

Book Description

Formerly entitled "Decision-Making Group Interaction," the new edition of this popular small group book features a new title that reflects the substantial and exciting revision it has undergone. Long known for its unique focus on issues of quality group interaction, Patton & Downs' book introduces the communication practices, patterns, and circumstances that promote or inhibit group performance. The Fourth Edition includes several new chapters addressing the most recent developments in the field and a wealth of new case studies, in addition to new and expanded information on a variety of issues: multiculturalism and diversity; strategic planning; conflict management; uses of technology in group contexts; ethics; benchmarking and quality assessment processes; and how to present findings of a group project or work team. For anyone interested in small group communication and/or group decision making. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Business consultants Ronald Purser and Steven Cabana argue that it's time for democracy to replace bureaucracy at work. In The Self-Managing Organization, they warn that high-tech, knowledge-based businesses perform best with the flexibility, creativity, and information sharing that come with more freedom on the job. "We need the real medicine now: democracy at work," write the authors, consultants to such companies as Motorola and Procter & Gamble.

Building on research by social scientists at the Tavistock Institute in London in the 1950s, Purser and Cabana explain the theory and provide examples of two self-managing techniques for improving work: Participative Design and the Search Conference. The Participative Design method asks workers themselves to determine what's wrong at the company and suggest solutions. And the Search Conference method has workers develop new business strategies to help the company succeed. The Self-Managing Organization thus offers provocative ideas to business managers and students.--Dan Ring ... Read more

Reviews (3)

"Two Fundamental Choices of Organizational Design"
"We soon realized that many companies which adopted such methods were caught in the middle between two competing organizational paradigms: the bureaucratic and democratic. In our analysis, these methods failed to transform the DNA, or fundamental design principle, that informs how organizations are structured and managed...When we understood that these two diamectrically opposed traditions for designing and managing organizations were competng for dominance, it became clear to us why managrs and employees were often being bombarded by mixed messages and a confusing mishmash of structures, management styles, and techniques. The bureaucratic and democratic design principles are based on different logics; each constitutes a distinct class with a specific genetic order...When these logics are mixed together in efforts to shore up the failings of bureaucracy, empowerment and reengineering efforts often fizzle because the basic tenets of a traditional hierarchy have not been uprooted...This book describes the principles and methods for designing the self-managing organization. We show how companies in any industry can change and evolve to become fully self-managing organizations"(from the Preface).

In this context, Ronald E. Purser and Steven Cabana, in Chapter 8, outline fundamental choices of two competing organizational design paradigms as following:

I- Bureaucratic Structure: Coordination and control of work tasks is done by supervisor.

1. Mind Set...*People have specialized skills and are easily replaced. *The work (technical system) is designed first. The people (social system) must adopt and fit in. *Workers are cogs in the machine of the enterprise, a commodity. *Total specialization of everything. *Within a complex organization, simple jobs are created. *Tthe building block of the organization is one person- one task. *Competitive structures, processes and reward systems are the best way to produce high performance.

2. People Act As If...*The environment our enterprise exists in is stable and unchanging. *There is little to learn at work; success comes from reacting resourcefully to problems. *Procedures are sufficient to guide behavior. Change interferes with productivity and can often be postponed. *Responsibility, and blame can be shifted to others; we are separate and therefore I can win at your expense. *We don't need to coordinate work closely with other functions. Their problems are their problems. *Unspoken assumptions need not to be explored. Simple solutions to problems are adequate.

II- Democratic Structure: Coordination and control of work is done by those doing the work.

1. Mind Set...*People possess many skill sets and can do many jobs/functions. *The needs of the work (technical system) are balanced with the needs of the doers of the work (social system). *People are learners. Machines and information systems can extend the skill set of employees to many functions. *As little as possible is specified, leaving the rest to the skill and discreation of the workers. *Complex jobs are created within a simple organizational structure. *The building block of organization is the self-managed work team. *Cooperative structures and reward systems are the best way to produce high performance.

2. People Act As If...*The environment our enterprise exists in is constantly changing. *Skepticism and doubt are valuable and enable continuous learning. *Outcomes are best reached with flexibility built into the approach. *I am fully responsible for any work I agree to perform. *Every task is part of some larger whole. I can't win at your expense. *Everyone's ideas are taken seriously. Cooperation is essential for our mutual survival. *Making our assumptions explicit and exploring them is worth the temporary discomfort.

Hence, in order to transform an entire enterprise to self-management, they discuss these choices within the context of Participative Design method. And they argue that "Dmocratic business organizations won't solve all the world's problems, but they will be places where people can find meaning in their work. Work becomes meaningful when people have attained real membership status, when work is restored to its rightful place, which adds value to both the customer and to the worker, and when people are shapers and creators of the organization's future."

Highly recommended.

A Seminal Work on Leadership!
If you are struggling with questions related to your business strategy, how work is designed, and the way your organization ought to be managed - READ THIS BOOK. "The Self Managing Organization" (by Ronald E. Purser and Steven Cabana) explains why we have been on a merry-go-round of quick fixes and false promises, and what to do about it. The concepts and real applications in this book move everyone back to ground zero. By the time you finish reading, your thinking will have changed about what it takes to produce effective change, and how self-organization can be facilitated.

It will take a while to read the book. Take the time. The first half analyzes the key management methods of the recent past and dissects what went wrong. You'll understand the principles which facilitate organizational learning, put in place a team-based system of shared responsibility, and re-energize the workforce and management at all levels of the business. You'll also understand why we continue to make costly mistakes when we go about changing organizations and what it takes to be successful right now.

In the second half of the book, Purser and Cabana describe the "how" of moving from today's inadequate practices, to a lean, non-bureaucratic, and powerful future. You'll learn how to develop an urgency for change, get the right people involved, develop common, tangible goals and accelerate their implementation. One benefit of the approaches described is a results-oriented future built from a shared understanding of the business environment. Another is an energized leadership with a shared vision, and a workforce whose local knowledge is translated into effective work designs. Swift deployment throughout the organization occurs.

You might see alignment of the practical concepts in "The Self Managing Organization" with those of John P. Kotter. The alignment is, in fact, perfect with Kotter's Eight-Stage Process of Creating Major Change, as written in his "Leading Change" book. Kotter beautifully frames the steps that EVERY successful organization goes through when making fundamental change. What Purser and Cabana do is describe HOW to rapidly and effectively move your organization through those major changes. There are only two books on my recommended list. "The Self Managing Organization" pushed Kotter's book out of the number one slot. If you need permanent, pervasive change in your business, don't miss it!

Rob McClusky, Baldrige Manager, Picker International, Cleveland, Ohio

Insights into self-managed organizations abound in this book
This book contains a number practical nuggets for executives and middle managers who are seeking to move from a command and control management style to a style that systematically enlists the participation of employees at every level of the organization. Purser and Cabana provide insightful analyses of how some of the world's most successful organizations have initiated efforts toward higher employee participation that have resulted in superior organizational performance.

This is an easy to read book that blends practical theory with best practices. This book will satisfy the interests of bottom-line focused executives, human resource professionals, and academics who are looking for actual implementations of sound theory about self-managing organizations.

The book introduces a set of organizing principles that are valid across a variety of industries. These principles are introduced in the context of case studies of distinctly different companies such as Motorola, Microsoft, and Charles Schwab. The authors shed light on age-old management dilemmas such as, "How can I give people more autonomy, but still ensure that we have order and productivity in the organization?" and "How can I accelerate people's learning that I know will be critical to our future, but still have them accomplish their business tasks that need to be finished today?" The authors present solid self-management principles that I have seen work in small and large-sized firms, and for industries as diverse as professional services and hi tech manufacturing. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in improving organizational performance by creating opportunities for higher employee participation.

-- Tom Devane (tdevane@iex.net) ... Read more

Book Description

An excellent guide to help teams create a synergy of teamwork. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

It is not rich
I think it is not good book in this area

Valuable techniques that every team can benifit from.
"A concise and practical guide to help team leaders and members understand the dynamics of working in teams and take action to improve their effectiveness." Ron Remillard, Director of Training, Georgia-Pacific Corporatio ... Read more

Book Description

This book examines work team coaching from the point of view of the workers, who address forty-five essential dos and don'ts. Their frank views are reinforced with vivid and memorable anecdotes from the workplace. The Dos and Don'ts of Work Team Coaching is intended to make the facilitator's job easier and enhance his or her ability to lead effectively. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A very practical tool with good advice on work team coaching
This is a book you will probably want to buy in quantity. It's an affordable little 96-page compendium of the most relevant "Do's and Don'ts" of leading a group of people. What I like about this book isits simplicity. Each "Do" and each "Don't" isaccompanied by a short story from real-life situations to help clarify thesignificant points. These are the issues that tend to get leaders in a lotof trouble, and Steve Herbelin has captured them nicely in this book.

Simple, direct, hits the target!
The dos and don'ts are direct, to the point and extremely practical forjust about any kind of working environment. I especially like the abundanceof true anecdotes that clarify and reinforce the points being made. Istrongly recommend this book for team leaders as well as coaches!

Big things come in small packages!
I started reading this book with a bit of skepticism. After all, it'swritten by the workers. Right from the start, though, this book makessense. Lots of sense. It presents a philosophical outlook on teamleadership that gets to the core --- interpersonal relationships ---without using superficial analogies or inventing contrived structures. Justcommon sense about how to deal with people and situations in a real,straightforward manner. Over and over again I found myself thinking thingslike, "Yes, I know that. That's true. Right on!" It's mostlythings that we already know, but maybe need a little book like this to giveus the confidence to more often do the right thing and act the right way.If everyone applied the principles outlined in "The Dos and Don'ts ofWork Team Coaching," the world would certainly be a better place inwhich to work. I'm going to keep it handy and read it again someday, andagain. ... Read more

Book Description

Internal conflict, lack of direction, unclear expectations, inadequate support--every manager knows what it's like to be part of a troubled team. Meetings are dreaded, schedules fall by the wayside, members look for excuses to jump ship. When a team is in trouble, its leaders need to act quickly to implement solutions that work.

Team Troubleshooter offers a practical, nuts-and-bolts approach to help today's teams meet performance challenges head-on, resolve problems quickly, and get back on track. With more than 40 assessment tools, techniques and strategies, exercises, charts, graphs, and more, this hands-on guide identifies the 12 most common problems that hinder success and presents a five-step plan for guiding a team through the improvement process: diagnosing the problem, exploring options, planning action, getting commitment to change, and implementing the solution.

Team Troubleshooter equips team leaders, facilitators, and members with suggestions, guidelines, and tools that can be readily applied to the problem at hand and pinpoints problem areas often overlooked by team leaders. The author's Team Health Check assessment shows how team problems relate to key performance areas covered in the book's 12 problem-solving chapters. These chapters in turn provide the strategic interventions needed to fix problems fast. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Highly Recommended!
Robert W. Barner has produced a remarkable resource. Lucid, organized, utterly practical and results-oriented, this cookbook for team builders and members belongs on every organization's bookshelf. Barner has condensed everything he has learned from two decades of consulting and team-building experience into a five-step process for improving team relationships and performance. He identifies the most common pitfalls for teams, and provides a kit of 51 tools designed for specific team-building or team-repair tasks. Neither abstract nor psychological in nature, this practical workbook describes proven techniques and strategies for quickly and effectively addressing a wide range of problems that frequently occur among teams. Bottom line: we from getAbstract consider this an essential resource for managers, team leaders and team members.

How can something complicated be delivered so simple!
I am currently conducting team building activities for different organizations and Robert Barner's framework has given me a clear idea on how to diagnose team problems---and define interventions. Complemented with other management books, this book---but then, this is more than a book---this is a tool kit--- provides enough tools yet whets your appetite to crave for more learnings. Again, this book (and toolkit), will be a valuable addition to anyone whose passion for teams is unquenchable. Every manager serious towards improving himself and his team can use this toolkit from strategy formulation to program evaluation. Encompassing every team problem, I won't be surprised if this will soon become industry standard! This will practically change the way your organization address team problems. It provides long-term solutions to long-standing team problems. ... Read more

Book Description

The Complete Guide to Teams:How to Build a Team Based Organization will benefit you no matter where you are in the team process.This guide is the only available product that will aid you through the entire team process.

The Complete Guide to Teams is based on an exhaustive search of the available materials, interviews with team-based organizations, and the unique consulting experience of Human Technology, Inc.This guide was written with several audiences in mind: senior leaders, team facilitators, and coaches.Depending on the role you play in your organization's effort to go to teams, the guide will provide you with information, best practices, tips, tools, and guidance on creating, implementing, and assessing teams. Each part of the guide is self-contained; you may use it for a beginning-to-end implementation of teams, or only use the parts applicable to your organization's needs. ... Read more