Rating: 
Summary: A clear start in understanding groups and team building
Review: The "One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams" delivers key concepts and strategies regarding group dynamics and team building in a quick-to-read, clear and concise form. In this respect the book is a cleverly crafted publication. If this was the aim of the authors (and I suspect it was) then it should be awarded 5 points. From my own point of view I'm left feeling that the analysis oversimplifies the processes of group dynamics and team building, and that in applying the analysis and strategies suggested my resulting awareness would leave me asking more questions that this text could answer. Of course in doing this, it would have made a great start!Group dynamics, teamwork and leadership styles are complex interacting areas; but this book, purposely and successfully written as a quick-reader for all team members conveys the current thinking of these best-selling authors in an easily understandable and applicable form. Blanchard et al. mange to reduce the complexities to key points and make them relevant most directly, to business contexts. The conversational style of the book is written with regard to business projects and the key points and informative charts (though drawn from right to left, which seems rather odd for a mainly Western audience) convey the message well for such contexts. The success of the book rests a good deal on its simplification of the subject matter, and omission of relevant concerns. The most notable to me was the exclusion of issues concerning influences of other 'roles' in group situations, aside from group leader. This topic was only briefly touched upon in relation to the stage of 'dissatisfaction' and the negative roles that are often developed. It would have been interesting to acknowledge the effect of various group-member roles at each of the four stages of group dynamics, and consider the position of group leader in relation to these. Another area of further interest again reflects on the mainly Western audience. The issue of how people who have been taught to value individualism, self achievement, and personal self esteem, often to a greater extent than team-work, adapt to the values of working as a key member of a high performing team, is of much interest here. The skills and values developed in individualism are not necessarily the antithesis of those required for team building, as this text indicates; but the utilization and adaptation of such skills is certainly of relevance to building high performance teams. In summary, this book is a great read if you need a quick overview of current thinking regarding the practicalities of teamwork and groups. If you want to understand more about such processes and practices, you'll only be starting here.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This book gives a great overview of team stages and the simple idea of situational management based on team progress. Excellent!
Rating:
Summary: Just in time
Review: This book has come to my aid at the most appropriate time. I am in the midst of an exercise, as a leader of an internal task force entrusted with the responsibility of recommending a solution in a short time. This group is heterogeneous, drawn from different departments with a common problem on hand. The four stages of group behavior (orientation, dissatisfaction, integration, and production) as described in this book, and the different styles of leadership appropriate at each stage is very essential understanding for any manager. More than this it is important to diagnose the stage at which the group is in and what action the leader needs to take to lead the team quickly to the Production stage. This is a must read for all managers who wish to understand group behavior - for achieving optimal output.
Rating:
Summary: Solid principles and reminders, though a little overcooked
Review: This book, like its predecessors, is written in a story format. The basic storyline is Dan Brockway's series of visits with the One Minute Manager, in which he learns about team building and the "situational leadership" that team building requires. The One Minute Manager has him visit a team in each of four stages: Orientation, Dissatisfaction, Production, and Integration. The visits provide information about the unique characteristics of each stage, and the book provides discussion of these characteristics by a series of dialogues between Dan and the One Minute Manager. After the visits have concluded, some discussion of how to lead a team depending on its stage occurs. This book reinforces the important concepts and major characteristics of each stage by including charts and outlines for each stage of team development, as well as reiterating key points throughout the book. The section on situational leadership is valuable also, and the book seeks to answer potential questions from real readers by having the characters ask them during the course of the sessions with the One Minute Manager. Overall, this book is very insightful, and its tenets are presented in a very creative, though occasionally corny, manner. (It contains frequent subliminal messages: "Let's make an appointment for next week to talk this over" said Dan. "No," said the One Minute Manager, "let's do it right now.") The charts and diagrams are the real treasures in the book, and in spite of its brevity, the book manages to be a fairly good primer on the subject.
Rating:
Summary: Solid principles and reminders, though a little overcooked
Review: This book, like its predecessors, is written in a story format. The basic storyline is Dan Brockway's series of visits with the One Minute Manager, in which he learns about team building and the "situational leadership" that team building requires. The One Minute Manager has him visit a team in each of four stages: Orientation, Dissatisfaction, Production, and Integration. The visits provide information about the unique characteristics of each stage, and the book provides discussion of these characteristics by a series of dialogues between Dan and the One Minute Manager. After the visits have concluded, some discussion of how to lead a team depending on its stage occurs. This book reinforces the important concepts and major characteristics of each stage by including charts and outlines for each stage of team development, as well as reiterating key points throughout the book. The section on situational leadership is valuable also, and the book seeks to answer potential questions from real readers by having the characters ask them during the course of the sessions with the One Minute Manager. Overall, this book is very insightful, and its tenets are presented in a very creative, though occasionally corny, manner. (It contains frequent subliminal messages: "Let's make an appointment for next week to talk this over" said Dan. "No," said the One Minute Manager, "let's do it right now.") The charts and diagrams are the real treasures in the book, and in spite of its brevity, the book manages to be a fairly good primer on the subject.
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