Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders

Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders, 3rd Edition is a practical guide for building and sustaining top performing teams. Based on the author,s many years of consulting experience with teams in the public and private sector, the Third Edition describes why teams are important, how they function, and what makes them productive. The author clearly illustrates the developmental nature of teams and describes what happens in each stage. Separate chapters are devoted to the responsibilities of team leaders and team members. Problems that occur frequently in groups are highlighted, followed by what-you-can-do sections that offer specific advice. Real-life examples and questionnaires are used throughout the book, giving readers the opportunity for self-evaluation. New to the Third Edition: Discussions of diversity within teams havebeen added throughout the text, focusing on how different ethnic or cultural groups may have differing perceptions of group interactions. Also provided will be specific strategies for ensuring that groups are respectful of these different beliefs while still being as effective as possible. References to the research the text is based on will be added, giving readers the theoretical and research background for the practical, application-based material in the text. More real-life examples and problem-solving skills will be added, including step-by-step directions for becoming a high-performing team. New checklists and self-evaluations will be added, building on those currently included in the text and providing even more information on what kind of leader or team member the reader is.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments 1. Why Groups? 2. Effective Organizational Support for Teams 3. From Groups to Teams: The Stages of Group Development 4. How Do High Performance Teams Function? 5. Effective Team Members 6. Effective Team Leadership 7. Navigating Stage 1 8. Surviving Stage 2 9. Reorganizing at Stage 3 10. Sustaining High Performance References Bibliography Index About the Author

About the Author :
Susan A. Wheelan, PhD, is president of GDQ Associates, Inc. Until recently, she was professor of Psychological Studies and faculty director of the Training and Development Center at Temple University. Currently she is teaching at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. She also has worked in a number of school, hospital, and clinical settings. Dr. Wheelan received Temple University,s Great Teacher Award in 1992. She is coeditor of The Lewin Legacy: Field Theory in Current Practice and Advances in Field Theory. She coauthored How to Discipline Without Feeling Guilty. Dr. Wheelan is the author of Facilitating Training Groups, Group Processes: A Developmental Perspective, and Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders. She has written numerous articles for publication as well. Dr. Wheelan has provided consultation to a wide variety of organizations. She has led workshops and training seminars on such topics as Executive Development, The Role of the Internal Consultant, Working in Teams, Management Skills, Communica-tion Skills, Dealing With Difficult Employees, Leadership, Conflict Management, and many more. She has been an invited speaker in England, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, and throughout the United States. Topics included group and organizational develop-ment, diversity, and conflict management.

Review :
"Text's overriding lesson of how to move from 'group' to 'team' is delivered persuasively. Use of Plain English and lack of jargon are highly effective. The two-tier structure (Chs. 1-6 & Chs. 7-10) is the 'hands-on' practical application that my MBA students will need." -- James Gosline, Jr. 20110210