The Work of Teams (Harvard Business Review)
If you"re struggling to boost teamwork at your company, put Jon R. Katzenbach on your side. In The Work of Teams, Katzenbach features 14 inspiring essays on the topic from the Harvard Business Review. Some of the nation"s leading business-school professors and management pros offer cogent and valuable advice on how companies and their employees can excel by learning how to work together. A noted business strategist, Katzenbach coauthors a piece that recommends some precise steps for getting teams to achieve more and produce superior products. He warns, for example, that teams often fail unless they stick to specific performance standards and set goals. When groups are aiming for certain results, choices can be difficult. In another essay, "The Parable of the Sadhu," retired Morgan Stanley director Bowen H. McCoy writes that he and other hikers were so intent on reaching the next Himalayan peak that they left an Indian holy man possibly to die. He writes, "We cannot quit our jobs over every ethical dilemma, but if we continually ignore our sense of values, who do we become?" Perhaps the book"s best criticism comes from Bechtel scientist Genevieve Segol, who dissects a business team plagued by vague goals and weak leadership. This collection is for top managers, students, or anyone working for a company that values people skilled at working effectively with others. --Dan Ring