Customer Reviews:
 Excellent guidebook for managers and team members.... June 20, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
"A camel is a horse designed by a committee," is one popular business quip. Insert the word "team" for "committee" and you have the attitude that many business people harbor about such groupings. This book, however, suggests that there are five common dysfunctions of teams and offers specific ways to attach each pitfall.
The author presents the lesson in a business fable, using a fictional Silicon Valley company that is struggling. The book closes with some specific prescriptions for overcoming each of the five dysfunctions.
At first, glancing at the book title, I thought it was an indictment of teams.
I was wrong. Rather, it indicts dysfunctional teams and is very BIG on teams as a way to get business done. Teams are "in" in modern business thought, like it or not. Anyone in a work setting who is part of a team (just about anyone, huh?) might benefit from reading his. One caveat is the sheer amount of time consumed by the process. Though we are assured that the time "investment" in team-building will pay off with later gains, it will still be a powerful temptation for harried managers to wonder how they are ever going to get the rest of their :"real work" done while they are stuck hour upon hour in the team meeting process.
Lencioni is not suggesting that everyone sit in a circle, hold hands and sing "Kumbaya." Nor does he endorse other vogue-ish practices such as Outward Bound or falling blindfolded into the arms of waiting teammates to develop trust. Rather, he offers practical ideas to cement effective teams.
I'd love to comment further, but I'm overdue for another ... team meeting!
Excellent resource but don't ignore your gut feelings June 12, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I can't say anything new that hasn't already been covered here. This is an excellent book, particularly for the business owner, manager, or empowered supervisor. If you hold these positions and follow the guidelines of this book you will have a more responsive workforce. If you are an employee working for a employer who follows the advice in the book, you will gain much insight and useful information as well. However, if you are an employee in a bad group situation, many suggestions covered in this book are merely bandaids for problems that may be unsolvable. If you're working for a person who is authoritarian or insecure there is little in this book that will help you change their approach to management. Perhaps you should focus an equal amount of time in considering a job change. Life is too short to work for team leaders who won't use the good advice in the book.
 Great Book! June 8, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had to read this book for a class of mine and fortunately I loved it. The lessons are told through fictional characters; however, it's easy to see how the dysfunctions can apply towards your own teams.
 Fable or Research? Which Should Be the Basis For Your Management Decisions? May 28, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Although this book contains some good ideas, it is not based on research on teams. Some of its suggestions have even been proven wrong. Instead of this book, I highly recommend Richard Hackman's "Leading Teams," which is based on decades of research, is very readable (no academic jargon), immensely practical (especially if you use some of the free tools he offers on his website), and won the best book of the year award from the Academy of Management.
Solid. May 27, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Easy read. Points made in book are easily transferable to your team. Drives home the importance of a functional team.
|
