Synopses & Reviews
Project teams are the rule rather than the exception in today's organizations. But thanks to the pressure of performance goals, conflicting agendas, and political jockeying, few teams make superior decisions consistently. Instead, team members communicate poorly or not at all, avoid provocative discussion, occasionally stab each other in the back, or in many other ways forget that their job is to make decisions that lead the company forward. Jana Kemp, an authority on team decision making, saves the day by offering tested methods and tools team members and their leaders can use to ratchet up the performance level. That not only makes team projects more successful--it makes work fun. Kemp argues that the way to make good decisions is to have an expansive group conversation that leads to sound decisions and swift execution. Sounds simple, but in most organizations, making a decision and seeing it through can become an exercise in frustration for managers and employees alike. At one end of the spectrum are command-and-control decisions, proclaimed from on-high and implemented through the ranks. Without input or buy-in from those affected by the decision, this approach can lead to resentment and backlash. At the other end are purely collaborative, consensus decisions that often lead to inoffensive, weak choices and sub-par results. As Jana Kemp shows in Moving Out of the Box, there's a time for consensus, and a time for command and control--and a time to integrate both approaches. Her practical tools, honed through application in groups of all types and sizes, ensure that team members have the know-how to make effective decisions that have an impact on an organization's results. Providingexamples of successes and failures, as well as interactive and diagnostic exercises, she identifies five decision-making profiles, and shows how to steer your group into the most effective one. The five profiles: *Anti-survival. The naysayers have control. Surprisingly, sometimes they should be listened to. *Boxed-in. When no one can come up with fresh ideas, it's time to think out of the box. *Neutral. Nobody terribly excited or negative? Don't worry, sometimes this isn't a bad place to be to make a good decision. *Engaged enthusiasm. If you can get the team into this attitude, chances are that a good decision will result and follow-through will occur. *Extreme excitement. Most teams leaders think this is where the team needs to be to make a good decision. It's nice, but not required. Each profile or group dynamic is well defined and includes scenarios, exercises, quizzes, sample questions, and other conversation starters. The book ends with a blueprint for putting decisions into action. All in all, this handbook will help improve group and individual communication, problem solving, decision making, and execution, regardless of the task at hand.
Review
"We've all been in that place where the deliberative process grinds to a halt, decisions can't get made personalities usually supplant process, and frustration feeds a downward spiral. In Moving Out of the Box, Jana M. Kemp sheds new light on these dynamics and cleverly arms you with an array of useful tools and perspectives to combat them. These are important tactics at any level, and this book is fun to read."Gregory Casey, President and CEO, Business-Industry Political Action Committee
Review
"Whether you are inexperienced at attending and running meetings or have been around the block hundreds of timesJana M. Kemp's book will be a wonderful and useful addition to your toolbox. It clearly explains underlying theory and concepts, while providing powerful and practical suggestions for successful and committed decision making."Jamie and Maren Showkeir, coauthors,Authentic Conversations: Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment
Review
"A must read for any leader or team that's trying to make the right decisions! Jana M. Kemp's insightful and thought-provoking book provides an excellent roadmap for reaching the right destination through collaborative effort."Richard Chang, CEO, Richard Chang Associates, Inc. and author of The Passion Plan and Performance Scorecards
Synopsis
A veteran author and consultant shows how teams and team leaders can improve communication, make better decisions, and reach goals more effectively, quickly, and productively.
Synopsis
Project teams are the rule, rather than the exception, in today's organizations. But, thanks to the pressure of performance goals, conflicting agendas, and political jockeying, few teams make consistently superior decisions. In
Moving Out of the Box: Tools for Team Decision Making author Jana M. Kemp, an authority on team decision making, saves the day by offering tested methods and tools that teams and leaders can use to ratchet up their performance level.
The book argues that making good decisions involves expansive group conversation that leads to sound conclusions and swift execution. This sounds simple, but in many organizations, making a decision and seeing it through can become an exercise in frustration for managers and employees alike. At one end of the spectrum are "command-and-control" decisions, proclaimed from on-high and implemented through the ranks without input or buy-in from those affected by the decision. This approach can lead to resentment and backlash. At the other end are purely collaborative, consensus-driven decisions that often lead to inoffensive, weak choices and sub-par results.
Moving Out of the Box shows that there is a time for consensus, a time for command-and-control, and a time to integrate both approaches. Providing examples of successes and failures, the text identifies five decision-making profilesantisurvival, boxed-in, neutral, engaged enthusiasm, extreme excitementto help you position yourself in relation to your teammates, facilitate discussion, and steer your group toward the most effective end point. The text includes scenarios, exercises, quizzes, sample questions, and other conversation starters. And, the book ends with a blueprint for putting decisions into action.
About the Author
Jana M. Kemp, Founder and Principal of Meeting and Management Essentials, is a management trainer, facilitator, and speaker, specializing in improving individual and organizational productivity and performance. She is the author of Moving Meetings (1994) and No! How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life (2005). She is coauthor of Building Community in Buildings (2007).