Who's Got the Ball? (and Other Nagging Questions About Team Life)

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, interdependent 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.