Rol Fessenden may be correct about the dearth of useful literature.
I have recently acquired a copy of the "Team Memory Jogger", a
Goal/QPC-Joiner publication (1 800 643-4316, FAX 508 685 6151). In the
same spiral 5.5" x 3.5" format, this thick little book is a smaller
brother, in my opinion, to the extremely useful Memory Jogger II. The
latter contains the how-to for useful problem-solving and analytical tools
most often used in business environments. I think the Team Jogger is
somewhat lacking.
My opinion is based upon facilitation training which I do at my company.
I can heartily recommend two books about team work:
The Team Handbook: How to Use Teams to I Improve Quality, by Peter
Scholtes et alia
Rapid Team Deployment: Building High-Performance Project Teams, by Sandy
Pokras, Crisp Publications, Menlo Park, CA.
I have others in my "portfolio" if anyone is interested.
Beyond book titles, which are all well and good in their own right, what
is needed is mutual learning/societal learning. Now this idea continues
to be approached from various angles, on and off, by correspondents to
this list. One of the more fascinating tacks was story-telling in
organizations/societies/cultures. I think that notion is very high on the
ladder of abstraction as I have just typed it.
But way down on that ladder of abstraction, down where "it counts", as
business people are wont to say, there is the story-telling of proven
activities. As far a I know, business meetings, conferences of
practitioners, manufacturers' organizations with their rump groups focused
on specifics--these are where the best information is still communicated.
As an example, I cite the Conference Board's annual quality Conference in
NYC. Not only does a participant hear useful, practical and applicable
information, the format is excellent in the large group meetings where
questions can be asked of panel members.
Quality-conscious organizations such as the Center for Quality of
Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are incredibly strong believers in
"societal learning". For this organization, to which my company belongs
and contributes intelligence and experience for the sake of all its
members, "societal learning" is learning from the network of companies,
customers, suppliers, and others who are trying to improve their quality
practices. This learning actually surrounds, supports and informs the
three other#004##004# parts of TQ: continuous improvement, total
participation, and focus on customers.
Best regards,
-- Barry Mallis bmallis@markem.com