Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders

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 sectors, Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders describes why teams are important, how they function, and what makes them productive. Susan A. Wheelan covers in depth the four stages of a team—forming, storming, norming, and performing—clearly illustrating the developmental nature of teams and describing 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.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Why Groups? Groups Have a Long History of Success We Need Groups Every Day Groups Increase Our Knowledge Base When Teams Are Good, They're Very, Very Good Creating Effective Teams How to Use This Book Chapter 2: Effective Organizational Support for Teams Plant Groups in a Favorable Organizational Climate Give Groups What They Need to Do Their Best Pick Members Based on Their Ability to Do the Task and Their Ability to Contribute to Group Success Educate People for Group Participation Competence Avoid Unsubstantiated Team Development and Consultation Strategies Avoid Helping Groups Too Much Make Sure That Each Group Has Enough Autonomy to Do Its Work but Remains Connected With the Rest of the Organization Conduct Organizational Support Reviews Regularly The Organizational Support Checklist Chapter 3: From Groups to Teams: The Stages of Group Development Stage 1: Dependency and Inclusion Stage 2: Counterdependency and Fighting Stage 3: Trust and Structure Stage 4: Work Surviving Group Development Chapter 4: How Do High Performance Teams Function? The Characteristics of High Performance Teams 10 Keys to Productivity Goals Roles Interdependence Leadership Communication and Feedback Discussion, Decision Making, and Planningication Implementation and Evaluation Norms and Individual Differences Structure Cooperation and Conflict Management Team Performance Checklist Chapter 5: Effective Team Members Don’t Blame Others for Group Problems Encourage the Process of Goal, Role, and Task Clarification Encourage the Adoption of an Open Communication Structure in Which All Member Input and Feedback Is Heard Promote an Appropriate Ratio of Task and Supportive Communications Promote the Use of Effective Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Procedures Encourage the Establishment of Norms That Support Productivity, Innovation, and Freedom of Expression Go Along With Norms That Promote Group Effectiveness and Productivity Promote Group Cohesion and Cooperation Effective Member Checklist Chapter 6: Effective Team Leadership Don’t Take On Every Leadership Assignment You Are Offered Adjust Your Leadership Style to Meet the Developmental Needs of the Group at a Particular Time Leadership at Stage 1: Be a Directive and Confident Leader Leadership at Stage 2: When Members Begin to Demand More Participation in Running the Group, Slowly Begin to Empower Them Leadership at Stage 3: Involve Members in the Leadership Function Leadership at Stage 4: Participate as an Expert Member of Your Team Effective Leader Checklist Chapter 7: Navigating Stage 1 Goals of Stage 1 Concerns About Safety and Inclusion Dependency on the Designated Leader A Wish for Order and Structure Chapter 8: Surviving Stage 2 Goals of Stage 2 Create a Unified Group Culture Create a Unified and Effective Group Structure Chapter 9: Reorganizing at Stage 3 Goals of Stage 3 Fine-Tuning Roles, Organization, and Procedures Solidifying Positive Relationships Chapter 10: Sustaining High Performance Goals of Stage 4 Getting the Work Done Well Making Decisions Cohesion and Conflict Maintaining High Performance Chapter 11: Virtual Teams Video Conferences LinkedIn Skype Blogging Virtual GDQ Online Scoring Systems Star Trek Changed The World Chapter 12: Recent Research On Average, How Long Does The Development Process Take? Does Group Size Affect Group Productivity? Does Group Age In Months Affect Group Productivity? How Do Work Groups, In Different Sectors Function? Do Leadership Teams Or Membership Work Teams Function More Effectively? A Final Thought

About the Author :
Susan Wheelan was president of GDQ Associates, Inc. Until 2001, she was a professor of psychological studies and faculty director of the Training and Development Center at Temple University. Dr. Wheelan received Temple University’s Great Teacher Award in 1992. She also worked as a psychologist in a number of hospital and clinical settings. Dr. Wheelan is the author of Facilitating Training Groups; Group Processes: A Developmental Perspective; Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders; and Faculty Groups: From Frustration to Collaboration. She is editor of the Handbook of Group Research and Practice and co-editor of The Lewin Legacy: Field Theory in Current Practice and Advances in Field Theory. She has also written 66 research articles for publication.