World Class Teams: Working Across Borders (Hardcover)

by Lynda C. McDermott (Author), William W. Waite (Author), Nolan Brawley (Author) "A critical factor in the success of companies competing in the global marketplace is their ability to develop innovate products and services and get them..." (more)
Key Phrases: team launch meeting, stakeholder pyramid, border management issues, Latin America, Driving Goal, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
From a leading authority in the field, a groundbreaking look at harnessing the power of cross-functional global teams

"World Class Teams is an invaluable resource for any company executive looking to break through functional and cultural walls to compete effectively in the global marketplace." —Vic Micati, Executive Vice President, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group

"As a global company, we know what it takes to compete in the international marketplace. This book offers valuable answers and practical strategies for doing just that. World Class Teams is in a class by itself." —Cathie Black, President, Hearst Magazines

"A well-focused book with immediate practical application for global businesses. The toolkits will help avoid reinventing best practice and enable teams to get off to a running start. Everyone is setting up teams but hardly anyone is setting them up well—this book will help you do that." —Andy Owen-Jones, General Manager, Information Services, Virgin Atlantic

"While there are many books written about 'teams,' World Class Teams is the best book I have read recently. It provides practical insights for creating and leading teams that are highly diverse and, perhaps, geographically dispersed. A must read!"— Julie O'Mara, O'Mara & Associates; Past President, American Society for Training and Development

"Terrific! World Class Teams is user friendly, practical, experience-based and comprehensive . . . [it is] a veritable toolkit for both team leaders and consultants." —Donna McNamara, Director, Global Education & Training, Colgate-Palmolive Company

To compete successfully in today's global marketplace, companies have to be lean, flexible, and responsive to their customers. They must also be creative, quick, and customized so they can adapt to new market opportunities. To achieve this, more and more organizations are rejecting their hierarchical, functionally driven pyramid structures in favor of a flatter, team-based approach that brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds and specializations who can pool their expertise. As many in the business arena are realizing, the concept of teamwork is quickly becoming a key global competitive strategy for developing and delivering innovative products and services in a faster, more efficient manner.

In World Class Teams, Lynda McDermott and her coauthors draw heavily from their experience with such international firms as Pfizer, Colgate, AT&T, Coopers & Lybrand, and Motorola to give managers, executive training organizations, team leaders, and HR and OD specialists a hands-on guide that will help them develop, launch, lead, and evaluate world class teams. An ASTD award winner for her work in the field, McDermott addresses the major issues surrounding the creation and management of cross-functional global teams.

Although organizations are rushing to form teams, few invest the time and resources necessary to help lay the groundwork for productive cross-functional/cross-cultural team success. Offering real-world answers and practical strategies, this broad-based fieldbook provides specific guidelines on how teams can become "world class" performers. Each topically organized chapter answers a wide range of key issues, including:

• Selecting and developing world class team leaders
• Methods for measuring and rewarding performance
• Team-based goal setting
• Leveraging today's technology for maximum team performance
• Managing the functional and cultural borders of world class teams

Written in accessible terms, World Class Teams can help anybody involved with team building manage such essentials as internal team processes, competition among teams for resources and recognition, individuals who don't want to function as interdependent team members, and compensation systems that reward teams as opposed to solo performances.

Packed with individual and team exercises, as well as useful toolkits filled with techniques, models, and sample documents, this is must reading for anyone looking to build and maintain a strong world class team.

From the Publisher
Companies who want to compete successfully in the global marketplace must be able to develop innovative products and services that will have healthy markets throughout the world. To meet these demands, companies are relying on teams made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds who pool their expertise in order to complete specific projects. World Class Teams addresses the issues which surround the task of creating and managing successful global teams. It is a practical guide that will appeal to managers, executive training organizations, team leaders, and HR and OD specialists. Lynda McDermott, an acknowledged expert in the area of global teams, draws heavily on her expertise with such international firms as Pfizer, Compaq, AT&T, Coca-Cola, and Motorola to offer the most current and complete information on global teams available.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471292656
• ISBN-13: 978-0471292654
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #859,551 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, June 1, 2001

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Lynda C. McDermott, Nolan Brawley and William W. Waite present an excellent guide to creating effective cross-functional teams that operate across international boundaries. This hands-on book is directed to those involved in setting up, leading or coaching teams. While the authors include some intriguing examples of successful teams, this is more of a workbook that describes the procedures for setting up teams and measuring their performance. Practical executives will find lists of questions to ask and steps to take in this well-organized description of the managerial process, from setting up teams to rewarding successful efforts. The book is clearly written, despite some long, unwieldy sentences. We [...] recommend this solid book to managers and executives, team leaders, human resource and organizational development professionals, and other participants who contribute to or benefit from the work of international teams.