Leading Self-Directed Work Teams

Rating:
Summary: All MILITARY Leaders Need This Book
Review: ***The second industrial revolution is definitely in full swing. As we progress from the traditional style organizational leadership and head towards team-building and progressive leadership, this book illuminates what will work. So many leaders in the military have failed to adapt to the cultural changes of the new millenium, and thus the failure to retain Officers and Enlisted alike. All military leaders must accept that fact that EMPOWERMENT is the key to organizational success. This book defines what empowerment is and how to effectively implement the "Self-Directed Work Teams." Covers what a true leader is how "barking direct orders" is not effective as empowering others to perform. Set boundaries instead of rules. I am a military Officer and have seen many times the follies that many Officers make when making leadership decisions. This book not only shows you what is wrong with the traditional systems, but also how to implement effective leadership.

*******A MUST READ FOR ALL MILITARY LEADERS AND CIVILIAN MANAGERS*** DEFINETLY A GREAT BOOK!!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ALL AS A GROWING TOOL. READ IT, LEARN IT, USE IT!

Rating:
Summary: All MILITARY Leaders Need This Book
Review: ***The second industrial revolution is definitely in full swing. As we progress from the traditional style organizational leadership and head towards team-building and progressive leadership, this book illuminates what will work. So many leaders in the military have failed to adapt to the cultural changes of the new millenium, and thus the failure to retain Officers and Enlisted alike. All military leaders must accept that fact that EMPOWERMENT is the key to organizational success. This book defines what empowerment is and how to effectively implement the "Self-Directed Work Teams." Covers what a true leader is how "barking direct orders" is not effective as empowering others to perform. Set boundaries instead of rules. I am a military Officer and have seen many times the follies that many Officers make when making leadership decisions. This book not only shows you what is wrong with the traditional systems, but also how to implement effective leadership.

*******A MUST READ FOR ALL MILITARY LEADERS AND CIVILIAN MANAGERS*** DEFINETLY A GREAT BOOK!!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ALL AS A GROWING TOOL. READ IT, LEARN IT, USE IT!

Rating:
Summary: Lessons from an Experienced Practitioner
Review:

This book is a solid how-to manual for leading self-directed work teams. Kimball does a great job of explaining what self-directed teams are all about and how to lead them.

Leading self-directed team may sound like paradox, but these teams need a special type of leadership. This book goes beyond theory to explain the realities of making these teams really work. Easy-to-read with plenty of examples.

* Mark Kelly, coauthor of MASTERING TEAM LEADERSHIP: 7 ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS

Rating:
Summary: Lessons from an Experienced Practitioner
Review:

This book is a solid how-to manual for leading self-directed work teams. Kimball does a great job of explaining what self-directed teams are all about and how to lead them.

Leading self-directed team may sound like paradox, but these teams need a special type of leadership. This book goes beyond theory to explain the realities of making these teams really work. Easy-to-read with plenty of examples.

• Mark Kelly, coauthor of MASTERING TEAM LEADERSHIP: 7 ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS

Rating:
Summary: Excellent blueprint for a transitional leader.
Review: After a thorough discussion of what a Self Directed Work Teams the author slides into a step-by-step description of how a supervisor/manager can transisiton to a team leader. I found the numerous tables and checklists to be understandable and complete. This book will make an excellent reference.

Rating:
Summary: Very good book for those addressing teamwork issues
Review: It's always a pleasure to read a book written by someone who both understands his topic and has lived it. Kimball Fischer succeeds on both counts, and anyone charged with implementing self directed work teams would benefit from this work. When consulting with organizations on their process improvement efforts, reorganization and teamwork often become issues. This book is one of several that have helped me to assist my clients in addressing those issues. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me - [e-mail].

Rating:
Summary: Very good book for those addressing teamwork issues
Review: It's always a pleasure to read a book written by someone who both understands his topic and has lived it. Kimball Fischer succeeds on both counts, and anyone charged with implementing self directed work teams would benefit from this work. When consulting with organizations on their process improvement efforts, reorganization and teamwork often become issues. This book is one of several that have helped me to assist my clients in addressing those issues. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me - [e-mail].

Rating:
Summary: Insightful!
Review: Kimball Fisher provides a revised, updated look at the techniques for successfully leading self-directed work teams (SDWTs). He draws on basic principles described in his earlier book of the same name. SDWTs are effective, and growing in popularity. Fisher focuses on how leaders must adapt to make them work. He emphasizes the need to truly empower and support workers. He underscores the importance of making the team adaptable to the work itself, rather than clinging to a particular structure. Fisher combines principles with examples and how-to tips that you can apply in your own organization. He provides good summaries of each chapter's highlights. We [...] recommend this well-organized, clearly written book. While some of its contents are similar to recent books on creating teams, empowering employees and using a better management style, it is an excellent recap and a good guide for anyone new to team-building methods.


Rating:
Summary: The Heart of Modern Management
Review: Kimball Fisher writes about the heart of modern management, the need to develop employees at all-levels and tap latent organizational resources through the emphasis of employee involvement in team-based programs.

Fisher makes many of his points through analogies, which makes his work a delight to read, and easy to remember. Two of his analogies have taken a firm hold in my mind. The first is about the difference between the Shephard and the Sheep herder, and the second about not "eating the sausage." Both analogies describe the need for management to support workers, so as to create quality and efficiency in the absence of rigid oversight.

The book is well-written and easy to read, with information compartimantalized in understandable "sound-bites." The book is packed with models and concepts which promote the use of team based programs, and descibe the proper roles of team members and management.

Rating:
Summary: If teams are the Religion, then this is the Bible!
Review: This book is our standard as we begin to build the team concept. The quote, "If teams are the Religion, then this is the Bible" comes from a senior manager in our company who has PASSION for the team concept. I am an internal OD consultant and I have a healthy background in the development of self directed teams. I used to consider "Self Directed Work Teams, the New American Challenge" by Orsburn, Moran, Musselwhite and Zenger to be the standard. Since then I have read a lot of works on the concept of self directed teams, and this Fisher book is a great book, at the top of the heap. Reason? Because as a practitioner you can USE it.