Customer Reviews

Cross- Functional Teams: Working with Allies, Enemies, and Other Strangers (Jossey-Bass Business & Management)

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This book provides practical and helpful approaches to establishing cross-functional teams. The information provided by the author, Glenn Parker, is very useful for teams comprised of any discipline and in any industry. I have utilized many of the techniques and have seen results! I was able to get my teams up and running more quickly, we achieved results, and people seemed to have more fun because we functioned well together. I strongly recommend this book for team leaders and team members.

Cross-functional teams by Glenn Parker is a well-written book on this subject and perhaps the only book on this subject. However, the book didn't give me the extra-insight that I hoped it would give me, leaving me slightly disappointed.

The first two chapters introduce the concept of cross-functional teams and explain the benefits and provide a lot of evidence and research about how well they have worked in the different contexts. The third chapter discusses the different obstacles which are likely to happen when using cross-functional teams. The next two chapters discuss about empowering and the team leaders role in all of this. The team leaders role is still somewhat conservative though, which surprised me (well, it's not a book on self-directed teams). Chapter 6 talks about setting goals and chapter 7 on managing the team boundaries. On this subject, I'd recommend the X-teams book, which is more thorough. The next 2 chapters discuss performance evaluations and pay based on teamwork. Chapter 10 discusses learning in cross-functional teams. I expected a lot about that chapter, but was disappointed when it was a lot about the training that needs to be given for the team rather than creating an culture of learning within the team. Chapter 11 is about team size, which I think could have been just a paragraph, not a chapter. The rest talks about the team working together (too much focus on meetings) and managements role in the chapter. The book ends with 4 case studies (which I didn't find very interesting).

The authors writing style is easy and clear. Though, there was a lot of repetition which could have been removed. The book could have been at least a 100 pages shorter.

In conclusion, the book is worth reading. Though it didn't have the extra insight that I expect when reading a book (since it takes lots of time to read a book). If you're new on the subject of teams, it might be worth reading. If you're not, maybe another book is better.

Glenn Parker's book is a must-read for individuals and organizations that have cross-functional teams or are considering implementing them. Practical advice and actual examples of successful cross-functional teams make this book an easy and enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book to those who are looking to improve organizational effectiveness through cross-functional teams.

G. Parker knows all about developing workplace team work. Not only is he a team work consultant, he is very familar with the literature and research on team work. As most of us know, many consultants do not bother to read the literature on the topic they profess to be an expert on. Cross Functional Teams is informative and constructive, largely because of Parker's knowledge of the field. Parker's concept of Cross Functional Teasm, or teams link people from different parts of an organization, distinquishes the book from the other books on team work.