Customer Reviews

The Team Handbook Third Edition

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

One of my colleagues has this book and since it spends more time on my desk than his, I thought I should order my own. A tremendous resource for project managers. It is primarly, though not entirely, devoted to the 'soft side' of project management. Especially useful in working with cross functional teams. You will refer to it constantly!

With all the dynamics that take place in a team based environment, this book has come to my aid on several occasions, it's the best tool I have in resolving complex team issues.

Outline for each chapter is well laid out, easy to understand, very practical and informative. Provides effective techniques and tools to solve team project problems. A good resource for team project leaders.

Easy to read, even for engineers. It is helpful for anyone in the workplace or in college or grad school that must work on team projects. My only complaint is some of the subjects are covered multiple times thoughout the various chapters

An excellent resource for project managers using cross functional teams. Provides an excellent resource for planning and implementing effective meetings, and ensuring excellent team dynamics. The book is well laid out, user friendly, and provides templates for practical application of techniques.

In 1995, I got involved in efforts of John Slater, my Managing Director to develop a culture of continuous improvement in one of the biggest coal mine in Indonesia. John brought Keith Sinclair from States with his S-I-P-O-C method to initiate this movement where I had my first encounter with this amazing book. East Borneo was witnessing the Team Handbook application, I thought it was the first one in Indonesia.

Then I went to restructure a civil engineering company in Jakarta, and its board of directors was soon jumping into the wagon when the directors received the team charter which was downloaded from the internet.They admitted openly that the board was working in a very different environment, since then.

During my last year, as a transport manager for another big copper mine in Papua, again I used all the "tricks" I learned from this book. Alas, my people liked the team approach, and I should be glad leaving the handbook for my beloved friends in Papua, on a mountain about 2000 m above the sea level.

Now, I was in charge for bringing about changes/improvements in a small company, in a village next to the Great River of Mahakam, East Borneo. And my first step for doing my tasks was - of course - to order the bible for building teams. I took the methodology in this book as gospel......

As a certified business coach, the majority of my business involves "team building" in some fashion, and about half deals directly with improving team or organizational effectiveness. I am constantly on the lookout for new resources and have developed quite a library of slightly useful references. While there are many books and other resources on "team building" and related issues on the market, including some wildly popular best-sellers, few are truly practical and fewer still offer replicable actions that work. "The Team Handbook Third Edition" is a rare exception.

Not only do the authors capture extensive best practices, including straightfoward "how to's" in terms that work for the average manager or team member, they have catalogued what I believe to be the best (most comprehensive, useful and easy-to-use) team tool on the market. I still prefer to help my clients organically build their own strategies for improvement, and recommend organizations and their leaders use outside facilitators for reasons I won't go into here. However, I use "The Team Handbook" as my own reference and reminder of best practices, processes and tools. And, so far, I have given it as a gift for a client's Customer Loyalty process improvement team to use. I plan to present it to more clients in the future.

If you are looking for a great reference on teams that will help you make a positive difference, donate your copy of "The Five Disfunctions of a Team" to the local library and get a copy of "The Team Handbook" today. [Of course, for the most value, hire a professional coach to go along with the book!]

Mark Sturgell, CBC
www.pdncoach.com

From its first edition the Team Handbook has been an effective useable resource to provide teams with the needed tools and processes so they can improve their workplace at all levels of any organisation. The third edition has a number of improvements on an already excellent resource.

You don't know what you're missing until you read this book. It contains so many valuable information that are important for team's growth and development. The book is also easy to read and understand, you just have to probably use Microsoft Word to help jot down notes. Highly recommended for leaders, supervisors, and CEOs.

I'm agree with the Book descrition about calling it "Team Bible", I have been using it since 1993, An excellent option for those who are internal or external consultants and mainly for Managers in all organizations.