Why groups? -- Effective organizational support for teams -- From groups to teams : the stages of group development -- Effective team members -- Effective team leadership -- Navigating stage 1 -- Surviving stage 2 -- Reorganizing at stage 3 -- Sustaining high performance -- Virtual teams -- Recent research.

A practical guide for building and sustaining top-performing teams. Susan A. Wheelan covers in depth the four stages of a team—forming, storming, norming, and performing—clearly illustrating the developmental nature of teams and describing what happens in each stage. Separate chapters are devoted to the responsibilities of team leaders and team members. Problems that occur frequently in groups are highlighted, followed by what-you-can-do sections that offer specific advice. Real-life examples and questionnaires are used throughout the book, giving readers the opportunity for self-evaluation.