Teams That Work by Tannenbaum, Scott I. & Salas, Eduardo' Summary

Teams That Work provides evidence-based strategies for building high-performing teams, focusing on seven key drivers of effectiveness: goal alignment, role clarity, communication, decision-making, conflict resolution, leadership, and adaptability. Drawing from 30+ years of research and work with organizations like NASA and Mayo Clinic, the book offers actionable frameworks for improving team dynamics in diverse settings, from corporate boards to healthcare.

This book is essential for managers, team leaders, HR professionals, and consultants seeking to optimize team performance. It’s particularly valuable for those in high-stakes environments like healthcare, aerospace, or remote teams, as it addresses challenges like virtual collaboration and sustaining long-term effectiveness.

The authors identify goal alignment, role clarity, trust-building, communication, decision-making processes, leadership behaviors, and adaptability as core drivers. These are supported by real-world examples, such as NASA’s mission teams and surgical units, demonstrating how these principles apply across industries.

The book emphasizes transformational leadership techniques for virtual settings, including setting clear objectives, fostering psychological safety, and using technology to enhance collaboration. Case studies from oil rig crews and space missions illustrate strategies for overcoming distance-related challenges.

It provides frameworks for structured communication (e.g., after-action reviews) and conflict resolution protocols, such as prioritizing issues based on impact and leveraging diverse perspectives. Examples include improving decision-making in financial teams and reducing errors in medical teams.

Unlike anecdotal approaches, this book is research-driven, with over 100,000 citations backing its claims. It uniquely blends insights from extreme environments (e.g., deep-sea diving teams) with corporate applications, offering a balance of rigor and practicality.

Some readers note its academic tone and desire more depth on niche challenges like rapid team turnover. However, its actionable frameworks and real-world case studies mitigate these concerns for most practitioners.

Yes, it dedicates sections to virtual team dynamics, including tools for maintaining trust via digital platforms and adapting communication styles. Examples include tech companies and offshore engineering teams.

The authors advocate for transformational leadership, emphasizing behaviors like coaching, feedback delivery, and fostering psychological safety. They contrast this with outdated “command-and-control” models, using examples from military and healthcare leadership teams.

Chapter 4 focuses on sustaining effectiveness through regular check-ins, adapting to member turnover, and recalibrating goals. Case studies include Fortune 100 leadership teams and NASA crews preparing for multi-year missions.

It includes examples from healthcare, aerospace, and extreme environments (e.g., smokejumpers, saturation divers), showing how core principles apply universally. The authors highlight trust-building in crisis teams and role clarity in surgical units.

Yes—its focus on adaptability, virtual collaboration, and evidence-based practices remains critical as workplaces evolve. Updated examples from tech and healthcare ensure relevance for modern team challenges.