"A practical guide for building and sustaining top-performing teams. Based on the author's many years of consulting experience with teams in the public and private sectors, [this] describes why teams are important, how they function, and what makes them productive ... covers in depth the four stages of a team - forming, storming, norming, and performing - clearly illustrating the developmental nature of teams and describing what happens in each stage. Separate chapters are devoted to the responsibilities of team leaders and team members. Problems that occur frequently in groups are highlighted, followed by what-you-can-do sections that offer specific advice. Real-life examples and questionnaires are used throughout the book, giving readers the opportunity for self-evaluation"--Publisher's description.

Why groups? -- Effective organizational support for teams -- From groups to teams : the stages of group development -- How do high performance teams function? -- Effective team members -- Effective team leadership -- Navigating stage 1 -- Surviving stage 2 -- Reorganizing at stage 3 -- Sustaining high performance -- Virtual teams -- Recent research.