Book: Teams That Work by Scott Tannenbaum and Eduardo Salas

Teams That Work: The Seven Drivers of Team Effectiveness by Scott Tannenbaum and Eduardo Salas

In Teams That Work: The Seven Drivers of Team Effectiveness, Scott Tannenbaum and Eduardo Salas present a comprehensive guide to building and sustaining high-performing teams. Drawing from extensive research and practical experience, the authors identify seven key drivers that consistently influence team success: Capability, Cooperation, Coordination, Communication, Cognition, Coaching, and Conditions. Each driver is explored in depth, providing practical recommendations and strategies for leaders and team members to enhance performance, foster resilience, and maintain vitality within their teams. The book dispels common myths about teamwork and offers evidence-based recommendations applicable across various industries and team structures.

Scott Tannenbaum is the President of the Group for Organizational Effectiveness, Inc., and Eduardo Salas serves as a professor and department chair at Rice University’s Department of Psychological Sciences. Together, they have collaborated for over 30 years, supporting more than 600 organizations globally, including over one-third of the Fortune 100. Their work spans diverse settings, from corporate leadership teams to military units and healthcare teams. Collectively, they have published over 600 articles and book chapters, with their research being cited more than 100,000 times. Both have been recognized as Fellows in several prestigious psychological societies, underscoring their significant contributions to the field of team and organizational effectiveness.

For workplace learning professionals, Teams That Work offers a wealth of actionable strategies to enhance team dynamics and performance. By understanding and applying the seven drivers of team effectiveness, practitioners can design targeted interventions that address specific team challenges, promote effective collaboration, and create conditions conducive to continuous learning and development. The evidence-based insights provided in this book serve as a valuable resource for those aiming to cultivate high-performing teams within their organizations.