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What's New?                      

Here you will find:

1. Publications. The latest news about our books and other publications

2. Consulting. A brief description of some of our more interesting consulting assignments of late.

3. Presentations. Descriptions of presentations I give at various conferences and corporate meetings.

4. Book Recommendations. And finally, a new feature, my recommendations for books about teamwork that you may find useful and, perhaps, surprising. 

 . . . And just for laughs, Team Building

at Kinko's:  watch?v=ZHEbB7qh72M

 

Publications

• NEW! Team Players and Teamwork. Our very first book, published way back in 1990, issued in paperback in 1996, has just been published as a new hard cover book by Wiley (2008).  This is the book that first introduced the four Team Player Styles and contained the first edition of what is now known as the Parker Team Player Survey. While the basic concepts of effective teamwork and team players has changed very little, the environment and context of teams includes many new dimensions.  Therefore, this completely revised and updated edition of the book includes more on the nature of global teams, geographically-dispersed (virtual) teams along with the impact of communications technology, building trust and cross-cultural communication. 

• We're also excited by the positive response to our recent book, co-authored by Bob Hoffman, Organization Development Director at Novartis Oncology, Meeting Excellence: 33 Tools To Lead Meetings That Get Reults, The tools, based on our experience working with Novartis teams, are organized around the three phases of a meeting: (1) Preparing for the Meeting, (2) Facilitating the Meeting and (3) Closing and Following up the Meeting. Included are tools that tell you how to facilitate a teleconference, a video conference, a multi-cultural meeting and, in those meetings, make a decision, deliver a presentation, manage your time, stay on track, and even have fun! There are also tools to close and evaluate your meeting, create a record of key outcomes, get action on action items and communicate with key stakeholders. All of the tools are brief, and include lists of practical ideas, examples drawn from our experience, real-time samples and easily adaptable templates. The book, published by Jossey-Bass/Wiley, hit the market January, 2006. For purchase information, see: productCd-0787982814 

         . . . A very nice review of the Meeting Excellence appeared in the October,

               2006 issue of HR Magazine, the journal of the Society for Human Resources

               Management.

         . . . Meeting Excellence was also published in Korean by Keorum Publishing with

               some wonderful and often humorous illustrations.  While most of the site                is in the Korean language, you can get more information at:

               www.keorum.com.  Our book is currently featured as new publication on

               their home page.

• Better Questions, Better Meetings is the title of an article in the July, 2006 issue of Harvard Management Update. The article is an based on one of the tools in our recent book, Meeting Excellence. The article outlines, describes and provided specific example of the various types of questioning techniques that can be used by a facilitator to achieve effective participation by meeting participants. Go to Articles to view the article.
• What Makes a Team Effective or Ineffective is a chapter in a new book, Organization Development: A Jossey-Bass Reader, edited by Joan V. Gallos. The book, running more than 1,000 pages, is a comprehensive examination of OD by some of the legends of the field: Warner Burke, Dick Beckard, Edgar Schein, Peter Senge, John Kotter, Peter Drucker, Peter Block, Marv Weisbord, Jim Kouzes, Ed Lawler and Chris Argyris, among many others. So, what am I doing in there, you might ask? Not sure, but I am glad to be in such good company. The book would also make a great text book for a course on OD---there's a instructor's guide that's also available. For more information, go to: http://www.wiley.com/ and type "organization development" in the search box.

• Teamwork and Teamplay Now Available in Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. The best-selling book of exercises and games co-authored with Sivasailam (Thiagi) Thiagarajan has been translated and published in Mexico, Brazil and China. For ordering information in these countries, click on the book title above and scroll down the bottom of the page.

• Discount on Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer/Wiley Books! Clients and colleagues can now receive a 15% percent discount on all my books published by Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer/Wiley. See the description of each book in the Products section for the link and the Promotion Code that must be used when ordering. The 15% discount is only available when you order on-line.
• Cross-Functional Teams. Available now is a complete revision and update of this best seller that was first published in 1994. Much has changed since that time but much has remained the same. Updates include examples garnered from new interviews with team leaders and managers from large corporations such as IBM, Xerox, Pfizer and Boeing as well as smaller companies and government organizations. More emphasis is given to global teams and virtual teams. In addition, in a teaching resources section, there are four major case studies of real organizations and their struggles to implement cross-functional teams. There is also a discussion guide at the end of each chapter and each case study. In his review of the manuscript Peter Corr, Senior Vice President of Science and Technology at Pfizer said the book “provides a very real perspective and actual implementable solutions for teams.”
• Team Depot: A Warehouse Of 585 Tools to Reassess, Rejuvenate, and Rehabilitate Your Team. Yes, there are 585 . . . bits of advice, training tips, assessment instruments, energizing activities, motivational stories, case studies, proven examples, team exercises, sample tools and inspirational quotations organized into 20 “aisles” focusing on such areas as goals, roles, meetings, climate, rewards, communication and celebrations. There is a CD-ROM Tool Shed in the back that contains 20 reproducible team building exercises. Available now from Pfeiffer.
• Team Workout: 50 Interactive Activities. Co-authored with Dick Kropp, this new handbook builds on the successful format of our best-seller, 50 Activities for Team Building. First published in 1992, this handbook for team building facilitators was selected as one of the Top 10 New Training Tools by Human Resource Executive Magazine. Team Workout includes more than 20 completely new exercises and substantial updates of classic activities with such things as new handouts, lecture notes, debriefing questions and planning guides.It is fully reproducible for education and training programs.Published by HRD Press in a loose leaf binder and available from http://www.hrdpress.com/, by calling 800-822-2801 or sending a fax to 413-253-3490.
• Team Workout: A Trainer's Sourcebook of 50 Team Building Games and Activities. Published by AMACOM, the publishing arm of the American Management Association (AMA) this is a paper bound edition of the same book published by HRD Press in 2000. We made a few changes in the manuscript based on additional feedback received following the initial publication.
• Trabalhando em Equipe Jogando em Equipe. The facilitator handbook, Teamwork and Teamplay, co-authored with Sivasailam "Thiagi" Thiagarajan has been published in Portuguese by the publisher, Quality Mark Editora Ltda. They are located in Rio de Janeiro and may be contacted at quality@qualitymark.com.br

Recognition

• The Guru Guide - My work was mentioned prominently in a recent book called The Guru Guide: The Best Ideas of the Top Management Thinkers by Joseph and Jimmie Boyett. The book is “a digest of the key ideas from 79 of the world's most influential experts.” A chapter on Teamwork mentions and quotes from my book, Cross-Functional Teams: Working With Allies, Enemies and Other Strangers.

Presentations

• Collaboration and Innovation 2008.  Now located at Purdue University but still the baby of Michael Beyerlein who created the Center for the Study of Work Teams (later renamed the Center for Collaborative Organizations) at the University of North Texas, this conference will bring together a variety of people who work in, work with and in other ways support collaborative organizatiions. The Conference will be held September 15-17, 2008. I will present several workshops and concurrent sessions dealing with teams and team building.  For information about the Conference go to:www.cci.purdue.edu

• Developing Effective Teams and Team Players.  This is a half day workshop I did for the Northern New Jersey ASTD Chapter on Friday, July 18, 2008.  I demonstrated how to use the Parker Team Player Survey in team building with intact teams and team training sessions.  Participants will received a copy of the Survey, completed and scored it, viewed the Team Building II: What Makes a Good Team Player CRM video and then experienced a series of typical exercises using the results.  They also received a copy of the recently published Team Players and Teamwork (completely updated and revised second edition).  For more information about the chapter: www.nnjastd.org.
• They Loved it! . . . .But are They Using it?  A Level 3 Evaluation. My colleague at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Diane Babicz, and I presented a work in progress that described our approach to conducting an evaluation of the extent to which training program participants are using the skills and tools, taught in class, back on the job. In Kirkpatrick's model, this is Level 3, Behavior. We talked about our process, the results and lessons learned. The session was sponsored by the ASTD Mid-New Jersey Chapter.

• Center for Collaborative Organizations, 17th International Conference, Denton, Texas, September, 25-27, 2006. I conducted two "Featured Author" concurrent sessions on Meeting Excellence: Tools to Increase the Effectiveness of Your Next Team Meeting.
• Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Oncology Business Unit, Town Meeting, Florham Park, NJ. I gave an interative talk (photo below) for several hundred employees entitled "Meeting Excellence" that presented 12 Best Practices for ensuring effective team meetings. The talk also highlighted tools that we prepared for the Oncology Portal of the internal corporate web site. See Consulting below for a description of the Meeting Excellence project.

• Connecticut ASTD Chapter. I conducted a three-hour workshop entitled "Effective Teams and Team Players" in celebration of the the Chapter's 50th Anniversary (photo below). Approximately 20 people attended the session. All participants received a copy of my book, Team Players and Teamwork and the Parker Team Player Survey. In addition, there was a celebratory dinner in the evening at a nearby restaurant. Kudos to Nanette Miner and her team of volunteers for doing a great job on the event.

• ProjectWorld DC. I conducted a concurrent session/presentation for some 150 people entitled, "Teaming with Strangers: Success Strategies for Cross-Functional Teams" in the People Side of Project Management Track. The participants enjoyed the interactive activities and giveaways that made this late afternoon session lively and fun.
• New Jersey Human Resources Planning Group. This professional society concentrates its efforts on just a few high level meetings each year. This meeting drew some 200 participants primarily from major New Jersey corporations. I spoke on cross-functional teams and did a book signing.

• United States Postal Service, Supply Management Conference. I was a featured speaker on how cross-functional teams can support supply mangement and process improvements as key components of the Postmaster General's initiative of saving $220 million a year through this process. My interactive and participative speaking format engergized this group of some 200 people. Every person received a copy of my book, Cross-Functional Teams:Working with Allies, Enemies and Other Strangers.
• 10th Industrial Congress, sponsored by Technologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico. I was the keynote speaker at a conference that drew some 1,500 people in systems engineering and related technical fields. Monterrey Tech, as the University is known, is the premier institution in Latin America for business and technical education. Conference sponsors included Texas Instruments, Toshiba, TelMex and Cablevision, among others. Several hundred copies of my book on cross-functional teams were sold at a conference book sale and book signing.

• High Performing Teams. An innovative, live, one hour radio show that was webcast via the web site, www.voiceamerica.com. I was interviewed by the show's hosts, Janel Maffei and Joanne Spigner who devoted the entire hour to the subject of High Performing Teams. You may easily access an archive tape of the show at High Performing Teams Web Radio Show

• Pfizer Global Research and Development. A talk to some 400 people in Ann Arbor, Michigan that focused on increasing the effectiveness of cross-functional project teams in the drug development area. This organization, formerly known as Parke-Davis, has been using the ideas from my book, Cross-Functional Teams, for many years as a blueprint for the development of their teams.
• Pfizer Global Research and Development. I was the keynote speaker at the grand opening of the new Learning Exchange in Groton, Connecticut, the world wide headquarters of this pharmaceutical company's research facility. Several hundred people attended this event where I discussed project teams and working in a matrix organization. The senior manager who coordinated the event said, “your work and words hit the mark at the Learning Exchange opening. I appreciated the time and effort you dedicated to preparing and delivering a superb presentation.”

  

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of America. I was the closing speaker at a national conference of some 200 internal audit and special investigations personnel from across the country. I discussed teamwork and collaboration including partnering with clients. The response to my humorous and interactive presentation was very positive.

Consulting

• Level 3 Evaluation. We all distribute feedback forms at the end of a course to collect the reactions (Level 1) of class participants, rarely administer pre and post tests to measure knowledge (Level 2) gained during a course but allmost never try to determine if participants change their behavior (Level 3) back on the job or measure the impact (Level 4) of the training on organizational success. So, I was very excited to have the opportunity to design and implement a Level 3 evaluation for Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Working in close collaboration with my internal client and colleague, Diane Babicz, I

                1. Interviewed a random sample of people who hadcompleted two courses to determine if they were using any of the specific skills in their daily work life.

                2. Interviewed a sample of their managers to see if the       manager had observed any changes in their on-the-job performance in the skill areas covered in the courses.

                3. Observed meetings facilitated by course graduates to look for examples of specific instances where the facilitator used the skills or tools taught in the class. Observaton includes listening in on teleconferences as well as on-site observation of face-to-face meetings and video conferences.

Conclusion: Although this is a work in progress, at this point I can say that the skills and tools given the most emphasis in class (such as stating the main purpose of the meeting, using active listening and summarizing decisions and action items) tend to be the ones most often implemented by course graduates after the training. 

Next Steps: Once all the data are in and summarized, Diane and I will prepare an article and do some presentations at professional meetings. If you would like more information, please contact me at: glenn@glennparker.com

• Rewards and Recognition: Developing a New Program for a Marketing Department.  Working collaboratively with an internal marketing manager at a small pharmaceutical company, I helped develop a comprehensive, multi-faceted program for the department.  Using individual interviews and focus groups in conjunction with ideas collected from research with other companies, we put together a plan with a variety of opportunities for recognizing specific, postive behaviors that supported the corporate values.  We also developed a roll-out plan to ensure employee understanding and encourage participation. 
• Meeting Excellence. In collaboration with an internal OD consultant of a major pharmaceutical company, we designed an intervention to improve the quality and effectiveness of team and other group meetings in the organization. We created a major section on the internal company web site called "Meeting Excellence" that includes a series of tools for meeting facilitators that provide tips and templates such as "How to Open a Meeting," "Staying on Track,"An Action Agenda," "Team Ground Rules," and "Teleconference Tools." The intervention also includes a Facilitation Skills Workshop, Meeting Assessment Survey/Feedback and Coaching for Meeting Leaders.

• Cross-Functional Team Building and Training. I designed and facilitated a series of two-day programs for a variety of teams in the US Coast Guard’s Deepwater Program, a major change effort that impacts most aspects of the organization’s operation. The teams are composed of representatives from various levels and functions within the Coast Guard as well as team members from contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumann. The program includes one day of team skills in such as being a team player, team decision-making, open communication and meeting management followed by a day devoted to creating a team charter, identifying roles and responsibilities, preparing a communication plan, and pinning down the authority/empowerment of the team using the team techniques learned during the first day.
• Blended Solutions. Organizations are looking for learning and development solutions that combine a variety of strategies. For example:
  1. Combining C-Learning and E-Learning. In this model live instruction (c-learning ) for team leaders is combined with our web-based e-learning course for team members. Leaders get a more intensive, hands-on workshop on leadership skills while the much larger universe of members is reached via a web-based program that can be conveniently accessed at their desktop.
  2. Same Content, Different Spin. Team leaders participate in a two-day program focusing on leadership development and leadership tools while team members attend a one-day workshop that includes the much of the same content but from the perspective of the member. For example, leaders focus on the role of a project team leader and increasing leader skills while members address the role of the team member and how to improve their performance as a team member. Follow-up sessions for the leaders include a workshop on how to facilitate an effective meeting while members will take an e-learning course that includes tools for being an effective meeting participant.
• Organizational Change. I worked with an internal employee team to create and administer an organizational assessment survey. The survey results served as a springboard for five employee-based action teams that addressed issues surfaced by the survey data. The same survey was re-administered one-year later to assess progress and create a new agenda for change. The survey data showed significant progress over the 12-month period. An employee action team used the data to examine the issues, identify problems and develop solutions to increase the effectiveness of the organization. And again in 2002 we have re-administered the survey and will establish an action planning process. We have established the idea that change is an on-going process, not a one-time event.
• Team Leader Workshop. For a client in the pharmaceutical industry, I created a two-day session on team leadership. The workshop focused on making the most of your leadership style, communicating with team members and stakeholders, minimizing groupthink and maximizing group effectiveness. Tools used in the course include the Parker Team Player Survey, customized scenarios, “Groupthink video” (CRM Learning), crossword puzzle review exercise, straw towers game and the video, Team Building II: What Makes a Good Team Player.

TEAM CUISINE

• Team Building Dinner. At the end of the first night of an off-site team building session with a top management team, the group worked together to prepare and cook their dinner. Following a wine tasting, all 10 members of the team, working in sub-groups of two, were assigned specific tasks such as chopping the salad, preparing the vegetables, sautéing the entrée and setting the table. Members of the conference staff supervised everything to ensure that it was a successful experience. Although the activity provided a positive experience in working together on a tangible task, it was a great alternative to the traditional team dinner and a welcome break after a day of intensive team building.
• E-Business Team Facilitation. I served as facilitator for a cross-functional team of senior executives and IT professionals who were charged by the CEO to come up with an internet strategy in 90 days. I designed and facilitated three, 2-day meetings and coached the team leader through the process. The team met the deadline and the CEO accepted their report. Unsolicited comments from team members included: “I've worked with hundreds of teams . . .and can say that as far as leaders/facilitators go, you are the TOPS! A great unassuming style . . .straight forward and productive . . . and most of all, lots of fun to work with,” and “thanks for your contribution as a facilitator. We wouldn't have made the progress we did in as short as time without you,” and “The group exhibited great energy, intellect, innovation and productive consensus . . .much due to your ability to create that team . . .we would not have successfully initiated the effort without your participation . . .it's been fun.”
• Team Leader Facilitation Skills Workshop. In conjunction with my colleague, Ira Asherman, I conducted a series of custom versions of my workshop, Building a Facilitator's Tool Kit as part of the leader development plan for a pharmaceutical company. This one-day, intensive session outlines the 15 behaviors of a successful facilitator and then gives each person an opportunity to practice the skills using company-specific scenarios. The overall rating for all workshops was 4.4 on a five-point scale with comments such as “very well done – lots of good feedback from consultants and participants,” and “great day – enjoyed it and will definitely use the techniques, “and brought up things I would have never considered . . .liked the presentation style – straight forward, non-HR language!”

University Teaching

• Rider University, Lawrenceville, New Jersey. I taught a credit course called Team Management. Most of the students are working adults from local companies. It's a great opportunity to use many of my corporate training activities and games to support the learning process. And, of course, the course text is Cross-Functional Teams: Working With Allies, Enemies and Other Strangers

Book Recommendations:

A True Teamwork Tale

It is not a typical book about teams and teamwork but it is a wonderful story that you will enjoy even if you are not a fan of American baseball. The book is The Teammates by David Halberstram (Hyperion, 2003). It is the story of four men who were teammates on the Boston Red Sox many years ago and the bonds between them that remained well after they were no longer "teammates." In a dramatic way, the story reminded me of factors I have always thought were important ingredients of successful team dynamics:

• Acceptance of Differences
• Appreciation of the Positives and Negatives in Teammates
• Genuine Caring about Teammates
• Sharing of Knowledge and Expertise
• Natural and Shared Leadership
• Importance of Divesity
• Having Fun!

Team Conflict Management: Two New History Books

In her new book, A Team of Rivals, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin explores "political genius of Abraham Lincoln." During perhaps the most turbulent times in the history of the country, Lincoln created a cabinet that consisted of the men who were his rivals for the Republican nomination. He believed that it was most important to include the best possible people on his team despite their past rivalry. He also believed that the best ideas emerged from a consideration of a variety of opinions and experiences. Lincoln's genius was his ability to manage the conflicts among the members of his team (cabinet) and thereby marshall their talents to the monumental task of preserving the Union and winning the war. He possessed an extraordinary empathic ability to understand and feel what these men were feeling, understand their goals and, perhaps most importantly, use humor to both disarm them and resolve disagreements. In addition, Lincoln had a clear vision, a speaking style that gave him the capability to communicate that vision to people in all walks of life coupled with a willingness to alter his positions on key issues.

A very good companion to the Lincoln book is The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope by Jonathan Alter, Senior Editor at Newsweek. It is interesting to compare Lincoln's cabinet with Roosevelt's so-called "Brain Trust." Both men skillfully managed advisors with different points of view to serve the best interests of the country during critical times. In addition, both men used humor, especially story-telling, to disarm and engage people. However, whereas Lincoln seemed to have a clear vision, FDR had no "grand design" for the depression but rather was willing to try this, then try that . . .essentially a series of actions to see what worked. In the end, Alter says that the New Deal was not a philosophy but a "temperment." FDR's genius was that he gave people hope.