Ron Friedman’s
new book, Superteams, is the best book about teams and team building
that I have ever read and have reviewed on my blog. It’s all about what the
best teams do differently.
It’s packed
with counterintuitive insights, surprising science, and real-world lessons "from
the most comprehensive study of elite groups ever conducted" reports Friedman. Read through it
once and then keep it handy to refer to repeatedly. The 50-plus strategies for how
a team does its best work are invaluable.
Friedman
surveyed thousands of teams and pinpointed the precise habits that separate the
best from the rest. He reports that “the results upend everything we think we
know about teamwork. It turns out that the most successful teams aren't the
ones that collaborate most, get along best, or put in the longest hours.”
What really
sets them apart, according to Friedman, is the way they:
- Manage their
energy and attention.
- Bring out the
best in one another.
- Keep
improving over time.
In addition,
Friedman states that to have a Superteam it is essential to have:
A shared
goal – Teamwork begins with a goal everyone cares about. “That sounds
simple,” says Friedman, “but in many places, shared goals are surprisingly hard
to identify.”
Role clarity
– Where everyone knows what they’re responsible for, and what their teammates
are handling. Where everyone knows who owns what and how the pieces fit
together.
Interdependence
– The belief that you need your teammates to succeed. The more you see your
success as tied to your colleagues, the more committed you become to the team.
And within a
Superteam, the best teammates are those who are:
Knowledgeable
– they spot problems early, share shortcuts, and often serve as informal
coaches for the team.
Dependable
– they are reliable and they deliver and that reliability creates momentum for the
team.
Good
Communicators – they keep other teammates in the loop, author emails
everyone can understand and give feedback with clarity and tact.
As you read the
book, you will learn:
- A simple rule
that instantly cuts meeting time in half.
- How the best
teams make focus easier, not harder.
- The one
question that makes team decisions up to 30% smarter.
- The only office
perk that improves performance (spoiler: it's not coffee).
- How personal
productivity hacks make teamwork harder.
- How to use
downtime to boost results.
- Why feeling
like the smartest person in the room is a red flag.
- Why top
performers care more about disappointing their peers than their boss.
- How the best
teams avoid burnout without working fewer hours.
- The science of
truly restorative breaks, evenings, and vacations.
- How to build a
team that keeps getting better (even when you're not in charge).
- Why viewing
disagreements lead to better decisions. And how to disagree without getting
personal.
- How to address
tension proactively.
Be sure to read
the Action Items for Leaders section at the end of each book chapter.
Also, take the three-minute Superteam Quiz via a QR code in the book to
help you pinpoint the single change most likely to improve how your team works.
The quiz helps you to:
- See where your
team’s biggest opportunity lies.
- Reduce
guesswork about what to work on next.
- Focus your
effort where it’s most likely to pay off.
“Great teams
don’t just collaborate. They make each other better. By challenging and
supporting one another, they raise the bar and make excellence the norm.
Superteams don’t just tap into talent, they multiply it,” says Friedman.
Smart, game-changing, insightful, and incredibly practical, this book is your definitive resource for how to turn your team into a Superteam.
___
Friedman, PhD,
is an award-winning psychologist who helps leaders build high-performing teams.
He is the
bestselling author of The Best Place to Work and Decoding Greatness,
and the founder of Superteams, Inc., where he delivers keynotes, workshops, and
executive advisory to senior leaders around the world.
Thank you to
the book’s publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.
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