Based on 20 years of research, this dynamic book combines the study of teamwork and the latest applications.

Why do some teams thrive, while others struggle? In the modern workplace, employees collaborate. Managers are expected to be effective team leaders and employees are expected to be valued teammates. But many teams struggle. Being part of a struggling team can be unpleasant, but it can also hurt your career and waste company resources. In Teams That Work, Scott Tannenbaum and Eduardo Salas present the seven drivers of team effectiveness and the clearest recommendations on what really makes teams great. Applying the lessons they've learned from working with high-stakes, high-risk team situations to any kind of organization, they will dispel some of the most enduring myths (e.g., can you be both a star and a great team player?), feature the most useful psychological research, and share real-world illustrations of effective teams in action. Readers will find actionable, evidence-based tips for being an effective team leader, a great team member, a supportive senior leader, or an impactful consultant.

What are the secrets of successful teams? Why do some teams achieve remarkable success while others fail or are consigned to mediocrity? To find the answers, Carl E. Larson and Frank M.J. LaFasto conducted a three-year study of teams and team achievement. Interviewing a wide range of teams, including the space shuttle Challenger investigation team, executive management teams and a championship football team, Larson and LaFasto discovered a surprising consistency in the characteristics of effective teams. In Teamwork, they explore the eight properties of successful teams: a clear, elevating goal; a results-driven structure; competent team members; unified commitment; collaborative climate; standards of excellence; external support and recognition; and principled leadership. A final chapter examines the priority of the steps that lead to the building of a high performance team. The authors strive to make the concepts concrete, coupling solid theory with straightforward, practical advice on how to apply it and with lively, fascinating anecdotes. The volume will appeal to practitioners, scholars, and advanced students in the areas of organization studies and management, as well as interpersonal communication.

The authors argue that the move to teams has failed because teams themselves are unaware of their own needs, conflicts, and peculiarities. This text is a handbook for team members and leaders to succeed, through recognizing what teams are really like, not what they ought to be.

Stories from The Boeing Company, Loews Corporation, Michigan State University, Cornell University's Hotel School and alumni, Bank of Hawaii, HR Spinner, the NCAA, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles illustrate how effective teams drive progress in business, associations and education. The six key characteristics of successful teams, as described by the Partners of the Effectiveness Institute, provide the framework for an enlightening discussion of what it takes for a team to produce great results.

This guide to teams working across cultures explains how culture and language affect the ways we think and respond

One in a series of guides offering expert advice for managers, this book looks at the subject of teamworking from the inside. It shows how to make a more positive and effective contribution to ensure teams work together and achieve together.

Virtual Teams That Work offers a much-needed, comprehensive guidebook for business leaders and managers who want to create the organizational conditions that will help virtual teams thrive. Each chapter in this important book focuses on best practices and includes case studies and illustrative examples from a wide variety of companies, including British Petroleum, Lucent Technologies, Ramtech, SoftCo, and Whirlpool Corporation. These real-life examples demonstrate how the principles identified in the book play out within virtual teams. Virtual Teams That Work shows how organizations can put in place the structure to help team members who speak different languages and have different cultural values develop effective ways of communicating when there is little opportunity for the members to meet face-to-face. The authors also reveal how organizations can implement performance management and reward systems that will motivate team members to cooperate across multiple boundaries. And they offer the information to determine which technologies best fit a variety of virtual-team tasks and the level of information technology support needed.

"Project and team leaders, do yourself a favor and make this book required reading by each member of your team!" —HR Professionals Magazine Collaborative strategies work when they're designed by teams—where each person is heard, valued, and held accountable. This book is a practical guide for project team leaders and individual contributors who want their teams to play by a better set of rules. Today's teams want more alignment among their members, better decision-making processes, and a greater sense of ownership over their work. This can be easy, even fun, if you have the right rituals. Rituals are group activities during which people go through a series of behaviors in a specific order. They give teams the ability to create a collective point of view and reshape the processes that affect their day-to-day work. In Turning People into Teams, you'll find dozens of practical rituals for finding a common purpose at the beginning of a project, getting unstuck when you hit bottlenecks or brick walls, and wrapping things up at the end and moving on to new teams. Customizable for any industry, work situation, or organizational philosophy, these rituals have been used internationally by many for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. By implementing just a few of these rituals, a team can capture the strengths of each individual for incredible results, making choices together that matter.

The modern workplace is built on teamwork, but for many workers this structure feels like a necessary evil—an impediment rather than a perpetuator of success and fulfillment. The traditional approach to teamwork often pits individuals against one another with a “me-first” mentality, leading to dysfunctional teams that fail to accomplish their purpose. Fortunately, there is a better way to work. In this salient book, Russ Sarratt and Rusty Chadwick provide a framework for a different kind of team—one where personal excellence and sacrificial service at the individual level changes the narrative of the larger group. No matter the industry or profession, the success of a team and the fulfillment of its members depend on each individual’s ability and desire to contribute. Team Work introduces 13 timeless principles of teamsmanship—simple but transformative values that are revolutionizing the way teams function. Whether at work, at home, on the athletic field, or in the community, the principles of Team Work will help you develop a clear understanding of how to move your team forward and thrive in the process.