Who's Got the Ball? (and Other Nagging Questions About Team Life): A Player's Guide for Work Teams (Jossey Bass Business & Management Series) - Hardcover

O'Brien, Coach Maureen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0787900575 ISBN 13: 9780787900571

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 1995

Synopsis

More than a fad, teaming is proving to be a new way oforganizational life, with eight out of every ten employees nowinvolved in some kind of teamwork. But how exactly does one play ona team at work? While there are plenty of manuals, trainers, andtheories that help managers create, lead, and reward teams, actualteam members are often left struggling without a handbook or acoach.

With refreshing clarity and common sense, Maureen O'Brien, a teamexpert with more than twenty years of experience as a player,coach, and business consultant, offers one-on-one coaching tips toteam players in Who's Got the Ball? The author covers all thebases, from setting a team's goals and articulating its noblepurpose, to banishing boring meetings, deciding how to makedecisions, and even using flip charts effectively. Friendly andconversational, O'Brien offers experience-based, easy-to-implementguidelines that are eminently practical and surprisingly fun. Herconcise coaching notes, wonderfully illustrated by real-lifeorganizational situations, address every aspect of daily team life,including: creating a workable team structure * being a valuableteam member * avoiding common teamwork traps * running an effectiveteam meeting * making and implementing decisions * leading ateam.

From developing a new team and determining just what kind of gameyour team is playing--individualistic baseball, interdependentbasketball, or tightly orchestrated football--to dealing withpersonality-based conflicts, knowing when to take a time-out, andhonoring a project's most valuable player, Who's Got the Ball? isan invaluable guide to surviving--and thriving--on today's workteams.

About this title

About the Author

COACH MAUREEN O'BRIEN is president of OB Management Consultants, has toured with the Harlem Globetrotters, and "coached" the organizational development of clients including IBM and GE, helping teams succeed by giving team players the practical tools and expertise they need.

From the Back Cover

Friendly and conversational, O'Brien offers experience-based, easy-to-implement guidelines that are eminently practical and surprisingly fun. Her concise "coaching notes," wonderfully illustrated by real-life organizational situations, address every aspect of daily team life.

"Finally, a book for team members--three cheers for Coach O'Brien! Who's Got the Ball? is an easy, enjoyable, and invigorating book filled with powerful, useable, common sense coaching tips. This book should be required reading for all team members in today's workforce." --Freda M. Peters, vice president, Human Resources, Branson Ultrasonics Corporation, subsidiary of Emerson Electric Company

"Who's Got the Ball? is one of the best books on teaming that you will ever read--clear, insightful, humorous. An excellent handbook for any business or organization struggling and/or coping with breaking down barriers and building teams." --Hellene S. Runtagh, president & CEO, GE Information Services, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

More than a fad, "teaming" is proving to be a new way of organizational life, with eight out of every ten employees now involved in some kind of teamwork. But how exactly does one "play" on a team at work? While there are plenty of manuals, trainers, and theories that help managers create, lead, and reward teams, actual team members are often left struggling without a handbook or a coach.With refreshing clarity and common sense, Maureen O'Brien, a team expert with more than twenty years of experience as a player, coach, and business consultant, offers one-on-one coaching tips to team players in Who's Got the Ball? The author covers all the bases, from setting a team's goals and articulating its "noble purpose," to banishing boring meetings, deciding how to make decisions, and even using flip charts effectively. Friendly and conversational, O'Brien offers experience-based, easy-to-implement guidelines that are eminently practical and surprisingly fun. Her concise "coaching notes," wonderfully illustrated by real-life organizational situations, address every aspect of daily team life, including: creating a workable team structure * being a valuable team member * avoiding common teamwork traps * running an effective team meeting * making and implementing decisions * leading a team.From developing a new team and determining just what kind of game your team is playing--individualistic baseball, interdepAndent basketball, or tightly orchestrated football--to dealing with personality-based conflicts, knowing when to take a "time-out," and honoring a project's most valuable player, Who's Got the Ball? is an invaluable guide to surviving--and thriving--on today's work teams.

Edition details

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0787900575
• ISBN 13: 9780787900571
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208