Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong (SAGE Series in Interpersonal Communication) [Paperback]

Carl Larson (Author), Frank M J LaFasto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1989 | ISBN-10: 0803932901 | ISBN-13: 978-0803932906 | Edition: 1

What are the secrets of successful teams? Why do some teams achieve remarkable success while others fail or are consigned to mediocrity? To find the answers, Larson and LaFasto interviewed a wide range of teams, including the space shuttle Challenger investigation team and executive management teams, and discovered a surprising consistency in the characteristics of effective teams. The authors explore the eight properties of successful teams and examine priorities in building a high-performance team.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Team Work is one of the best and most concise handbooks on team management around. No one interested in teamwork should miss reading this guide." 

(The Learning Edge )

About the Author

Carl Larson, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of Human Communication and past dean of Social Sciences at the University of Denver. His most recent work includes When Teams Work Best (Sage 2001), Successful Communication and Negotiation, and Collaborative Leadership: How Citizens and Civic Leaders Can Make a Difference. Larson consults in both the public and private sector. He received the Driscoll Master Educator Award given by the students at the University of Denver to the university’s outstanding professor. 

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 1 edition (August 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803932901
• ISBN-13: 978-0803932906
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top-shelf book on teams. A foundation text., May 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong (SAGE Series in Interpersonal Communication) (Hardcover)

Larson and LaFasto put their outstanding research into easy-to-understand language. The book is foundation reading for executives and team members who want to understand the key variables that spell success for teams. And it's an easy-reading 138 pages presented so anyone (5th grade reading level!) can understand their findings. I know the authors, and have the utmost respect for their scientific methodology and experience. We use the matching team/ leadership assessment and training program to help client organizations plan, build, and fix their teams. Really an excellent reader, and a foundation of our consulting practice.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A enjoyable and useful book, September 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong (SAGE Series in Interpersonal Communication) (Paperback)

These authors studied all different sorts of teams (everything from a Mount Everest expedition and a Notre Dame championship football teams to the group that invented Chicken McNuggets) in order to determine what they had in common. The book is highly readable and describes eight common principles that could be implemented to improve the function of any team. It is also full of interesting comments and stories from the study. I highly recommend the book for any team member (not only managers) since the book also clearly describes how the individal can influence the success of the entire team.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rational Approach to Teamwork, December 13, 2002

By 

James J., Conley (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong (SAGE Series in Interpersonal Communication) (Paperback)

There's an enormous amount of reading material on teams and teamwork and this book is one of the best. Its highly rational approach condenses studies of high performing teams. The authors found eight common characteristics and explain in enough detail why they are important. They include excerpts from the leaders and teams they have studied. They also state that the two most common reasons for team failure are politics and personal agendas. They include a quote from Duke Drake: "The minute the politicians take over and start worrying about what's in it for me, you're dead in the water."