ABSTRACT
The existence of any organisation of a size greater than one person is proof of our persistent belief that we can achieve more by working together than we can on our own. Michael West from Aston University points out that it is our ability to work cooperatively that has enabled humans to make such remarkable progress, and that our extraordinary achievements in science or exploration have been largely made by teams. 1 Teams have conquered Everest, mapped the human genome and produced the Authorised version of the Bible. Teams have put men on the moon and split the atom. But despite all the evidence of the creative potential of teams, we keep finding organisations who begrudge the time and effort needed to develop them. In this chapter we’ll underline the importance of teams, set out the foundations of effective teamwork and look at the different ways people contribute to team success. At the end of the chapter we’ll give you a simple framework to use in reviewing your team.
