Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders

A practical guide for building and sustaining top-performing teams   Based on the authors′ 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 successful. The texts covers the four stages of team development —forming, storming, norming, and performing— to help readers effectively navigate these different phases. Separate chapters are devoted to the responsibilities of team leaders and team members. Susan A. Wheelan, Maria Akerlund, and Christian Jacobsson highlight common problems that occur frequently in groups as well as provide practical tips, real-life examples, and questionnaires to help address those problems.

Table of Contents:
Preface About the Authors 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 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: Dependence and Inclusion Stage 2: Counterdependence and Fighting Stage 3: Trust and Structure Stage 4: Work and Productivity Surviving Group Development Chapter 4 • How Do High Performance Teams Function? The Characteristics of High Performance Teams Ten Keys to Productivity 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 Are 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 Dependence 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 • Changes in Team Functioning Fluid Teams Self-Managed Teams Agile Teams Virtual Teams Multicultural Teams Chapter 12 • Research on the Integrated Model of Group Development Does the Model Describe What Really Happens in Groups? How Are Groups Distributed Across the Four Stages? On Average, How Long Does the Development Process Take? Does Team Building Have Any Effect? Does Group Size Affect Group Maturity? How Do Work Groups in Different Sectors Function? A Final Thought Bibliography Index

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 was 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 was editor of the Handbook of Group Research and Practice and coeditor of The Lewin Legacy: Field Theory in Current Practice and Advances in Field Theory. She wrote 66 research articles for publication.   Maria Åkerlund is CEO of GDQ Associates AB, the current owner of the Group Development Questionnaire created by Susan Wheelan. She is a licensed psychologist and has worked as an industrial and organizational psychologist for 30 years, consulting with leaders, managers, employees, and teams in private companies as well as organizations in the public sector in Sweden. She is one of the authors of the books Teamutveckling  i Teori  och Praktik (Team Development  in Theory  and Practice) and Teams in the Spotlight. Christian Jacobsson is head of research at GDQ Associates AB and associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. He is a licensed psychologist and has worked as an industrial and organizational psychologist for about 35 years and been involved in many large-scale team development projects as a project leader. Christian mainly conducts research on leadership and team development and has published about 60 articles, conference proceedings, or books on these topics. He is one of the authors of the books Teamutveckling i Teori och Praktik (Team Development in Theory and Practice) and Teams in the Spotlight.