Effective Teamwork
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"The book provides an in-depth examination of the range ofpositive and negative factors which can affect teamfunctioning. The ethics and values in team performance areconsidered and form a fundamental part within each section." (The British Psychological Society, 1 September2012) Imagine seven billion individuals on earth ... most of whomat some time experience life as members of teams, especially atwork but elsewhere as well ... and imagine the incalculablecombinations of people and situations that make for teams. Wherecan we possibly look for advice on how to get so many differentteams to be effective? Look first to Michael West's new book. It maintains alaser focus on what it really means for a team to be effective. Itembraces the complexity of things that matter - leadership,goals, support, technology to name just a few - and itconsistently delivers evidence-based advice on the surest ways ofmaking teamwork effective. --Rick Guzzo, Principal and WorldwidePartner, Mercer Human Resources Consulting Yet again, in the 4th edition of this deservedlypopular pocket book, Michael West has produced a masterly digest ofknowledge from a sprawling literature on this vitally importanttopic. Insights, examples and learning points emerge from firstpage to last, including, new to this edition, the very latestresearch on virtual and top management teams. It is unusual forbooks to successfully bridge the academic and practical divide, butthis one has equal appeal for scholars wanting the lowdown on thestate of the field, and for practicing managers trying to figureout what goes right and what goes wrong with teams in theirorganisations. You will not find a finer, more concise,authoritative and clearer assembly of available knowledge on teamsanywhere. --Nigel Nicholson, Professor ofOrganisational Behavior, London Business School, UK; author ofManaging the Human Animal and Family Wars This new edition of Michael West's book helps usunderstand what a team is and what we can do to improve teams'functioning. The book covers the most important factors impactingon teams' operation and outcomes. It is based on solidscientific knowledge and the author's extensive appliedexperience in the field. It provides readers with useful tools thatcan be implemented to help managers lead and develop their teams.Based on my own experience as director of a university service, Ican tell that these tools, and the knowledge on which they arebased, really work. --Vicente González-Romá, Director of theObservatory of Job Insertion and Occupational Guidance, Universityof Valencia, Spain; Editor of the European Journal of Work &Organizational Psychology Once again Michael has brought together the great management andleadership concepts of this decade to provide a practical, wellevidenced contribution to leading successful organisations. With aclear and insightful understanding of organisation realities,Michael's understanding of team work, staff engagement and heathand well being are combined to provide an extremely helpfulpractitioner and leadership guide supported by all the research,evidence and exercise material we've come to expect. In a worldwhere the focus of personal and organisational psychology is oftenremedial, this books engages us in using positive psychology toenhance the quality of life for staff through the achievement ofshared goals. --Dean Royles, Director, NHS Employers,UKMore details
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Content
Acknowledgements xi
Part 1 Team Effectiveness 1
1 Creating Effective Teams 3
Task and Social Elements of Team Functioning 6
Team Effectiveness 7
Key Revision Points 12
Further Reading 12
Web Resources 12
2 Real Teams Work 13
Why Work in Teams? 17
Barriers to Effective Teamwork 21
What is a Team? 27
What do Teams do? 29
How can we build Effective Teams? 31
Conclusions 35
Key Revision Points 37
Further Reading 37
Web Resources 38
Part 2 Developing Teams 39
3 Creating Teams 41
Personality and Ability 43
Teamwork Skills 49
Diversity of Team Members 52
Benefiting from Team Diversity 57
Implications of Diversity 58
Key Revision Points 59
Further Reading 59
Web Resources 59
4 Leading Teams 60
The Three Team Leadership Tasks 61
The Three Elements of Leading Teams 63
Tripwires for Team Leaders 77
Developing Team Leadership Skills 79
Self-managing or Shared Leadership Work Teams 84
Key Revision Points 85
Further Reading 85
Web Resources 86
5 Team Training 87
The Stages of Team Development 89
Types of Team Training Interventions 91
Conclusions 101
Key Revision Points 102
Further Reading 102
Web Resources 102
Part 3 Team Working 105
6 Setting Team Direction 107
Team Objectives 107
The Elements of Team Vision 113
Strategy for Teams 115
Key Revision Points 117
Further Reading 117
Web Resources 118
7 Team Playing 119
Interaction 120
Information Sharing 124
Influencing and Decision Making 125
Creating Safety in Teams 131
Key Revision Points 133
Further Reading 134
Web Resources 134
8 Team Quality Management 135
Groupthink 136
Team Pressures to Conform 138
Obedience to Authority 139
Team Defence Mechanisms 139
Commitment to Quality 141
Task Focus/Constructive Controversy 142
Encouraging Constructive Controversy in Teams 143
Conclusion 151
Key Revision Points 152
Further Reading 153
Web Resources 153
9 Creative Team Problem Solving 155
Team Innovation 156
Creative Problem Solving in Teams 160
Techniques for Promoting Creativity within a Team 162
Using Creativity Techniques in Team Meetings 166
Other Influences on Team Innovation 167
Key Revision Points 170
Further Reading 170
Web Resources 171
10 Team Support 172
The Emotional Life of Teams 174
Social Support 176
Support for Team Member Growth and Development 182
Balance between Home and Work Life 184
Social Climate 184
Conclusions 186
Key Revision Points 187
Further Reading 187
Web Resources 187
11 Conflict in Teams 188
Team Conflicts 188
Types of Team Conflict 189
Resolving Team Conflicts 189
Organizational Causes of Conflict 191
Interpersonal Conflicts 193
Difficult Team Members 195
Key Revision Points 198
Further Reading 198
Web Resources 198
Part 4 Teams in Organizations 199
12 Teams in Organizations 201
Introducing Team-based Working (TBW) 202
The Relationship between Teams and their Organizations 205
What do Teams need from their Organizations? 207
The Role of Human Resource Management (HRM) 209
What do Organizations require from Teams? 213
Bridging across Teams 216
Conclusions 219
Key Revision Points 219
Further Reading 220
Web Resources 220
13 Virtual Team Working 221
What is Virtual Team Working? 225
Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Teams 227
How to Develop Effective Virtual Team Working 228
Lifecycle of Virtual Teams 235
Conclusion 238
Key Revision Points 239
Further Reading 239
Web Resources 240
14 Top Management Teams 241
Task Design 243
Team Effort and Skills 245
Organizational Supports 248
Top Management Team Processes 251
Top Team Participation 254
Corporate Social Responsibility 255
Top Team Meetings 257
Conflict 262
CEO Leadership 263
Conclusions 266
Key Revision Points 268
Further Reading 268
Web Resources 268
References 269
Author Index 286
Subject Index 292
