Committed Teams: Three Steps to Inspiring Passion and Performance

14th June 2016

Posted In: WMB Recommends

Title: Committed Teams: Three Steps to Inspiring Passion and Performance 

Synopsis: Arianna Huffington explains how only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives.

Authors: Mario Moussa, Madeline Boyer, Derek Newberry

Published by: Wiley

Available: Most bookshops and online

Based on research from Wharton’s Executive Development Program (EDP), Committed Teams is a practical guide that shows how to break through the common barriers to collaboration and create a high-performing team. The book draws its insights from the EDP’s living lab: an intensive two-week simulation during which executive-level participants run complex and highly realistic global businesses.

Dr. Moussa, Boyer and Dr. Newberry have observed over 100 teams collaborating and competing for over 100 combined simulation years in this intense environment. It led to fundamental insights about teamwork — what usually goes wrong, what frequently goes right, and the methods and techniques that will help anyone access a team’s full potential. These insights have been distilled into a simple, repeatable process that can be applied immediately.

“It’s not enough to simply commit to roles, goals, and norms and move on,” says Boyer. “Truly top performers are committed to maintaining high levels of situational awareness to check in on progress and tweak their approach over time. The same that’s true for top executives, athletes, inventors, comedians, and authors is true for anyone working on a team. The 3×3 Framework creates a process by which teams can continually improve and close the gap between potential and actual results.”

Committed Teams uses engaging stories and examples from the worlds of business, entertainment, sports, the arts and non-profits to illustrate ways to:

– Align every member of your team behind a motivating vision

– Make team meetings efficient and productive

– Create an engaging and energising work environment

– Stimulate creativity in group discussions

– Manage virtual collaboration

 

“Our teamwork philosophy is easy to describe,” explains Dr. Newberry. “You get organised, schedule regular times to check on your progress, and make adjustments when necessary. Three steps, each simple. The hard part is actually following these steps during your typical workday when you are crunched for time, stressed and in the middle of chaos. Most teams have to deliver results under these difficult conditions. We wrote this book for them.”