Teams That Work: The Seven Drivers of Team Effectiveness

Why do some teams thrive, while others struggle?

In the modern workplace, employees collaborate. Managers are expected to be effective team leaders and employees are expected to be valued teammates. But many teams struggle. Being part of a struggling team can be unpleasant, but it can also hurt your career and waste company resources.

In Teams That Work, Scott Tannenbaum and Eduardo Salas present the seven drivers of team effectiveness and the clearest recommendations on what really makes teams great. Applying the lessons they've learned from working with high-stakes, high-risk team situations to any kind of organization, they will dispel some of the most enduring myths (e.g., can you be both a star and a great team player?), feature the most useful psychological research, and share real-world illustrations of effective teams in action. Readers will find actionable, evidence-based tips for being an effective team leader, a great team member, a supportive senior leader, or an impactful consultant.

Scott Tannenbaum has spent over 25 years working with, providing evidence-based advice to, and conducting highly cited research on teams across a vast array of settings and challenges. As the President of the Group for Organizational Effectiveness, he has advised hundreds of organizations globally, including more than 75 Fortune and Global 1000 companies across every major business sector. He's also supported teams that work on oil rigs, parachute into fires, perform surgery, dive undersea, engage in combat, treat cancer, play rugby, and prepare for future space missions. He was named a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologists who honored him with their Distinguished Professional Contributions Award.

Eduardo Salas is the Allyn R. & Gladys M. Cline Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences at Rice University. A prolific author and active consultant, he has published over 500 articles and chapters and his work has been cited over 90,000 times. Eduardo has consulted in a wide range of manufacturing, pharmaceutical, industrial, healthcare, and governmental organizations, and has designed team training and tools for use by teams in oil and gas, aviation, military, aerospace, law enforcement, and medical environments. He is a Past President of the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology and the Human Factors & Ergonomics Society, and is a Fellow in numerous scientific societies. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Psychological Association.