Leading Teams
Leading Teams Course Module in Organizational Behavior Course Modules help instructors select and sequence material for use as part of a course. Each module represents the thinking of subject matter experts about the best materials to assign and how to organize them to facilitate learning. Each module recommends four to six items. Whenever possible at least one alternative item for each main recommendation is included, as well as suggested supplemental readings that may provide a broader conceptual context. Cases form the core of many modules but we also include readings from Harvard Business Review, background notes, and other course materials. 1. Overview of suggested content (HBS case unless otherwise noted) Title
Author
1. Introduction Organizational Bernstein Behavior Reading: Leading Teams 2. Modern Teams Opening the Valve: Bernstein From Software to Hardware The Weather Gilleran Company: Creating Consumer Apps that Leverage its Big Data Babson Case Beyond the Bernstein Holacracy Hype Harvard Business Review Article 3. What Do Effective Teams Look Like? Lotus F1 Team Thomke RL Wolfe: Garvin Implementing SelfDirected Teams HBS Brief Case
Product Number
Publication Year
Pages
Teaching Note
8306
2016
40
Yes
415015
2014/15
16
Yes
BAB168
2015
14
Yes
R1607B
2016
13
616055 4063
2016/17 2009
23 11
Yes
The Secrets of Haas Great Teamwork Harvard Business Review Article Teamwork on the Edmondson Fly Harvard Business Review Article 4. Paths to Team Failure (Re)Building a Neeley Global Team: Tariq Khan at TEK Internal Padhmanabhan Competition – A Curse for Team Performance Ivey Case Why Teams Don’t Hackman Work Harvard Business Review Article 5. Process Management of Teams Teaming at Disney Edmondson Animation Integrated Project Edmondson Delivery at Autodesk Embracing Agile Rigby Harvard Business Review Article 6. Team Culture Man Jit Singh at Hill Sony Entertainment Television Johannes Linden: Hill Managing the Global Executive Committee HBP Brief Case Be Clear About How Hill Your Team Works Harvard Business Review Press chapter
R1606E
2016
8
R1204D
2012
10
414059
2013/15
9
Yes
W12003
2012
5
Yes
R0905H
2009
10
615023
2014/15
20
610016
2009/2011
23
R1605B
2016
10
414028
2013/2014
26
913509
2012
13
7323BC
2011
28
TN
TN
Section 1 introduces the topic of leading teams with the Core Curriculum reading “Leading Teams” by
Professor Ethan Bernstein from Harvard Business School. This rest of this module explores the topic of leading times by following the sub-topics outlined in that reading.
Section 2 examines new kinds of teams that have emerged in recent years. As organizations become flatter and more widely dispersed, the structure and processes of teams must adapt. The shift from stable, bounded traditional teams toward the more fluid and unbounded nature of collaboration creates new, significant leadership challenges.
Section 3 offers some examples of effective teams. An effective team, according to Professor Amy Edmondson, “requires everyone to remain vigilantly aware of others’ needs, roles, and perspectives. This entails learning to relate to others better and learning to make decisions based on the integration of different perspectives.”
Section 4 opens the topic of team failure. The featured case’s protagonist is faced with the problem of reviving a failing team whose previous manager has left the company in disrepute. In addition to diagnosing the problems of the team, the case also explores the challenges of leading a large (68 members), diverse and globally distributed team.
Section 5 looks at the challenging task of process management of teams. Process management is important because most teams’ internal dynamics coalesce quickly and change infrequently. If these dynamics threaten the effectiveness of the team and the attainment of its goals, process management represents most of the impact a leader can have at this point.
Section 6 contains materials covering the topic of team culture. The topic comes at the end of this module because culture is best understood as an output rather than an input. Team design, launch, and process management are the levers that leaders can pull to improve the team’s operating system and set the conditions for great team performance. A healthy culture then serves two functions: It acts like glue to keep the pieces in place, and it serves as an amplifier for how the team has performed so far. The culture that is created from team processes can either be a great asset, accelerating the team’s trajectory of effectiveness over time, or a great liability, locking in a trajectory of deteriorating performance.
Author
1. Introduction Organizational Bernstein Behavior Reading: Leading Teams 2. Modern Teams Opening the Valve: Bernstein From Software to Hardware The Weather Gilleran Company: Creating Consumer Apps that Leverage its Big Data Babson Case Beyond the Bernstein Holacracy Hype Harvard Business Review Article 3. What Do Effective Teams Look Like? Lotus F1 Team Thomke RL Wolfe: Garvin Implementing SelfDirected Teams HBS Brief Case
Product Number
Publication Year
Pages
Teaching Note
8306
2016
40
Yes
415015
2014/15
16
Yes
BAB168
2015
14
Yes
R1607B
2016
13
616055 4063
2016/17 2009
23 11
Yes
The Secrets of Haas Great Teamwork Harvard Business Review Article Teamwork on the Edmondson Fly Harvard Business Review Article 4. Paths to Team Failure (Re)Building a Neeley Global Team: Tariq Khan at TEK Internal Padhmanabhan Competition – A Curse for Team Performance Ivey Case Why Teams Don’t Hackman Work Harvard Business Review Article 5. Process Management of Teams Teaming at Disney Edmondson Animation Integrated Project Edmondson Delivery at Autodesk Embracing Agile Rigby Harvard Business Review Article 6. Team Culture Man Jit Singh at Hill Sony Entertainment Television Johannes Linden: Hill Managing the Global Executive Committee HBP Brief Case Be Clear About How Hill Your Team Works Harvard Business Review Press chapter
R1606E
2016
8
R1204D
2012
10
414059
2013/15
9
Yes
W12003
2012
5
Yes
R0905H
2009
10
615023
2014/15
20
610016
2009/2011
23
R1605B
2016
10
414028
2013/2014
26
913509
2012
13
7323BC
2011
28
TN
TN
Section 1 introduces the topic of leading teams with the Core Curriculum reading “Leading Teams” by
Professor Ethan Bernstein from Harvard Business School. This rest of this module explores the topic of leading times by following the sub-topics outlined in that reading.
Section 2 examines new kinds of teams that have emerged in recent years. As organizations become flatter and more widely dispersed, the structure and processes of teams must adapt. The shift from stable, bounded traditional teams toward the more fluid and unbounded nature of collaboration creates new, significant leadership challenges.
Section 3 offers some examples of effective teams. An effective team, according to Professor Amy Edmondson, “requires everyone to remain vigilantly aware of others’ needs, roles, and perspectives. This entails learning to relate to others better and learning to make decisions based on the integration of different perspectives.”
Section 4 opens the topic of team failure. The featured case’s protagonist is faced with the problem of reviving a failing team whose previous manager has left the company in disrepute. In addition to diagnosing the problems of the team, the case also explores the challenges of leading a large (68 members), diverse and globally distributed team.
Section 5 looks at the challenging task of process management of teams. Process management is important because most teams’ internal dynamics coalesce quickly and change infrequently. If these dynamics threaten the effectiveness of the team and the attainment of its goals, process management represents most of the impact a leader can have at this point.
Section 6 contains materials covering the topic of team culture. The topic comes at the end of this module because culture is best understood as an output rather than an input. Team design, launch, and process management are the levers that leaders can pull to improve the team’s operating system and set the conditions for great team performance. A healthy culture then serves two functions: It acts like glue to keep the pieces in place, and it serves as an amplifier for how the team has performed so far. The culture that is created from team processes can either be a great asset, accelerating the team’s trajectory of effectiveness over time, or a great liability, locking in a trajectory of deteriorating performance.
