Don't rock the boat. Don't make waves. Don't offend anyone. There's a palpable feeling that clouds many team meetings and keeps them from being productive: over-politeness. And while the conflict that naturally exists in most organizations hasn't gone away, it manifests itself in passive aggression, mediocrity, and a molasses-like inability to get anything done. "Nice Teams Finish Last" provides the antidote to this all too common tendency, giving managers, team leaders and members, and facilitators the practical exercises and assessment tools they need to battle 'the nice trap' and start getting results! The book helps readers encourage skills such as constructive criticism, honest communication, and the kind of conflict that drives innovation and quality. From giving clear, sharp feedback, to effectively challenging others, this book provides the eye-opening tools teams need to achieve very nice results!
Nice Teams Finish Last
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One of CEO Refresher.com’s The Best Books of 2010.
"...book is as much ‘how-to’ achieve this difficult goal as it is ‘what-to-do.’…an excellent road map to achieve effective team collaboration and results.”-- Inland Empire Business Journal
“…ideal team book explains how teams in the workplace can achieve incredible results by balancing compassion and courage. —New Equipment Digest
“…encapsulates healthy team approaches in an easy-to-read format..excellent work on which to initiate a team or hold a team retreat.” –The School Administrator
“…good overview of how all team members interact related to their roles in a team…Anyone…seeking a more productive results from his/her…team’s work will benefit…”-- AORN Journal
Book Description
Don’t rock the boat. Don’t make waves. Don’t offend anyone. There’s a palpable feeling that clouds many team meetings and keeps them from being productive: over-politeness. And while the conflict that naturally exists in most organizations hasn’t gone away, it manifests itself in passive-aggression, mediocrity, and a molasses-like inability to get anything done.
Nice Teams Finish Last provides the antidote to this all-too-common tendency, giving managers, team leaders and members, and facilitators the practical support they need to battle “the nice trap” and start getting results! The book helps readers encourage skills such as constructive criticism, honest communication, and the kind of conflict that drives innovation and quality without hurting feelings or creating enemies. From giving clear, sharp feedback, to effectively challenging others, this book provides the eye-opening tools teams need to achieve very nice results!
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More About the Author
Brian Cole Miller (Dublin, OH) is the principal of Working Solutions, Inc., a management training and consulting firm whose clients include FranklinCovey, Nationwide Insurance, and the UPS Store. He is the author of the best-selling Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy Managers (978-0-8144-7201-9) as well as More Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy Managers (978-0-8144-7378-8), and Keeping Employees Accountable for Results (978-0-8144-7320-7).
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A unique approach to a common theme of team dynamics,
By
This review is from: Nice Teams Finish Last: The Secret to Unleashing Your Team's Maximum Potential (Paperback)
Interesting book, great insights. Miller suggests that too many teams are too nice to each other, and I must agree. I've seen it happen, but in this book, I learned why. Partly because of the various typical types of personalities on a team (he describes 9), and partly from myths that many people have about what teamwork is supposed to be (like being a team player means being agreeable to anything--not true!). I suspect on the surface most teams think they are good, but if you look, you'll find they are being too nice by not giving honest feedback, or by creating work processes that go around someone or something rather than resolve it.
After describing what nice teams are, and how the opposite is just as bad, he says that there's a middle place (he calls it "bold") where the good from both extremes is brought into balance for a healthy and effective team. Then he describes 4 principles on how to get to that balancing point. The last few chapters are explanations of how to apply those general principles into real team settings. The last chapter was a bit of a surprise. The book has quite a few exercises and activities and examples (so it's very hands-on, how-to, and a pretty easy read), but in the last chapter there are very specific, concrete ideas for how to start practicing this stuff. Everything from baby step exercises to those that are would be a real stretch for most the teams that I've been a part of. I really liked this. Be warned, though...if your team problems are not about being too nice, this book may not be for you. He goes after nice teams. Before you dismiss it, check it out, though. Many teams fool themselves into thinking they are all direct and upfront but in reality, they are sidestepping issues and whitewashing conflict. Speaking of that, this is not a book on how to handle conflict either, so don't buy it for that (try "getting to Yes") either. This is more about working on a team so you can avoid some of the nasty conflict that blows up when teams are too nice. Definitely worth a read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Read,
By G. M. Cope (Ridgefield, WA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Nice Teams Finish Last: The Secret to Unleashing Your Team's Maximum Potential (Paperback)
I cannot say enough good about this book and the principles it teaches, from the first page to the last. Brian Cole Miller has a voice which speaks directly to me and my team. He writes clearly with descriptive language that makes its point over and over again throughout his book. I quickly "bought into" the author's premise of NICE and FIERCE teams and could clearly identify the problems associated with each of these teams and their members (9 personality types, which the author describes for each of the three teams he writes about). The descriptors raised my awareness of myself and the members of my own team, which is NICE. I was fascinated to compare the 9 types of a NICE team to the BOLD team and determine how much more effective we could be if we would shift our attitudes to BOLDness. Miller states: "BOLD teams realize that it's not just what they do that's important: It's how they do it too. The what and how are interdependent." He then proceeds to explain just how BOLD teams manage to be so effective.
I particularly liked the last chapter. It summarized all the concepts taught about the BOLD teams through demonstrating how to move your team to become a BOLD team. I appreciated the systematic instructions on how to move the team from either end of the spectrum to BOLD without it being formula-matic. All the activities and discussion questions are suggestions and examples which can help lead a team to success. There is lots of room for the team leader or the group as a whole to determine what to do and how to go about practicing the new skills. The premise of taking on small chunks at a time is so critical for success, and Miller emphasizes that repeatedly. If you try to do too much too fast, it will be overwhelming and you will give up. This book is a must-read for all team players who are searching for the skills to increase productivity, collaboration, and effectiveness. So if you are looking for a way to help your team be more effective and successful, not just for the time being, but for the future, this is the book to give you the insights and direction in assisting the team to make the needed changes.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very insightful and helped us tremendously!,
This review is from: Nice Teams Finish Last: The Secret to Unleashing Your Team's Maximum Potential (Paperback)
Just like his other books, Miller has hit the head on the nail again! This book has helped me and my team deal with issues that would get in the way of building a cohesive group. In fact, it seemed like we were dysfunctional and were doing tasks that could have been addressed easier and better if we had started to read the book first. Our company bought this book for everyone in our team and we seemed to have a better understanding of each other and team-building. Also, the book is VERY easy to read and practical. That's why I give it 5 stars!
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