Managing in a Team Environment

Designed to be a practical guide for managers, this book gives the reader a comprehensive overview of the practice, culture, and methods for functioning in a team environment. Most managers are accustomed to the premise that they are to plan, organize, lead, and control. They are now being asked to facilitate their people in teams that plan, organize, control, and often lead. To be prepared for the new workplace realities, managers will need to be familiar with a whole new set of methods for leadership. This book helps engender the necessary knowledge and skills to make the transition to leading teams. It also makes clear the distinction between hierarchical and team environments.

Tools for team-centered planning, work control, meetings, and decision making are presented in detail. Ample examples, academic resources, and specific recommended actions are provided to help the manager understand, utilize, and thrive in the new workplace. Issues that will challenge front line supervisors who are becoming team leaders are addressed, and issues that will impact middle managers who discover that they now manage a collection of teams are also examined. This book is a unique combination of field research, academic studies, case study data, and practices from one of America’s best companies.

JOHN ROBERT DEW is Director for Continuous Improvement for the University of Alabama./e Prior to joining academia, he served as Manager for Mission Success at Lockheed Martin’s production facility, Paducah, KY working on joint union and management team initiatives.