The key to competing successfully in the knowledge‐based economy of the twenty‐first century is to learn to develop in groups or teams comprising both internal and external stakeholders of an organization. This Team Metrics' compilation (Resource) provides a set of practical tools and approaches that can be used in “workshop” settings.
The authors are two of the best‐known writers in the field of management and organization development. They have worked together for 30 years and have provided consultancy services to multinational companies, international agencies, armed forces, national and local governments, educational establishments, etc. They have published around 33 books and collections of human resource development materials and many of them have been translated and published around the world.
Resource comprises six parts: the “Introduction” and five sections dealing with 27 items comprising metrics for audits, questionnaires, and surveys. First, a brief review of the development of team building as we know today is given followed by a brief discussion of the pros and cons of team working. Next the team metrics and the role of a facilitator are considered.
Each of the 27 items is considered in turn in the next five sections, grouped based on the purposes for which they are used. The authors rightly point out in the Introduction that the Resource does not offer a complete set of instruments to assess teams. The items are first introduced, then, their objectives are clearly stated. This is followed by a brief description of the situations in which the tools could be used, the methods to be employed and the time required for the task.
Section 1 comprises five metrics for auditing generic team effectiveness. These are team effectiveness audit, team effectiveness index, team blockage questionnaire, high energy teamwork assessment and team roles audit. These instruments comprise questionnaires or assessment sheets, scoring sheets, exercises or action plans.
Section 2 contains only three metrics for assessing team leadership skills, process manager's skills audit, and team management roles.
Section 3 is fairly long with nine instruments for assessing team strengths and blockages. Two instruments deal with team values. The item on team meeting effectiveness index includes facilitator's notes. The next four tools are respectively for assessing team development, team motivation, team problem‐solving skills, and a review of team decision making. There are two items for auditing inter‐team issues: skills and communication.
Three metrics for assessing top team performance are included in Section 4. These metrics are used for conducting an audit of top team roles, top team audit, and auditing head quarters/divisional team relationship.
The final section comprises seven metrics for facilitators. Team‐building readiness survey is for assessing whether a team is ready for team‐building activities. The next tool is for assessing facilitators' own competence and then plan a personal development plan to improve their effectiveness. The next two tools are useful for assessing whether to use an external facilitator and, if so, to decide on where to find external facilitator and how to select the right one. The fifth instrument provides a structured approach to how each member of a team is perceived by other members of the team. The penultimate instrument is for use by facilitators dealing with “real” teams to collect information about the effectiveness, efficiency and communication within teams, so as to develop plans for team‐building workshops. The final metric is for assessing the effectiveness of a specific autonomous workgroup.
Resource is of benefit to facilitators of workshops as well as academic tutors setting assessments involving teamwork, who can also gain from a study and application of some of the tools included. The CD supplied with the manual provides PowerPoint slide presentation for each of the 27 metrics.
