University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Building Effective Teams
Book

Building Effective Teams

Leading from the Center

The Staff of Duke Corporate Education
Kaplan Publishing, 2005
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Two words – middle management – often provide the punch line for comic strips and business jokes. But many people misunderstand the role of middle managers. When they work as team leaders, middle tier executives can dramatically improve a company’s competitive performance. In clear language, this book from Duke Corporation Education outlines a solid case for using middle managers as team leaders. Its examples and formulas are straightforward, albeit a bit dry at times. getAbstract thinks that all managers, particularly those in the middle ranks, will find that this book gets straight to the point with unvarnished insights and practical guidance.

Summary

Meet the Middle Managers

Over the years, midlevel managers have been miscast as the fall guys and scapegoats for all sorts of corporate ailments, even as layoffs, outsourcing and technology have thinned their ranks. Middle managers have been accused of disrupting corporate communications and injecting bureaucratic nonsense into meetings, flow charts and water cooler chit-chat. They have faced many charges of mismanagement and ineptitude.

But such popular stereotypes are not accurate or productive in the modern workplace. Today, middle managers play a valuable role in corporate planning. In fact, “centerline” management represents a vital function in the age of technology, round-the-clock workweeks and global operations. What’s more, middle managers represent a valuable tool for coordinating the work of far-flung teams. But to take on this kind of leadership role, the midlevel executive must adjust to an altered regulatory environment, rapidly changing economic conditions and the impact of doing business globally. Ideally, middle managers serve as the hub of operations, as opposed to an excess layer around the corporate waist.

Creating Top Teams

Historically...

About the Author

Duke Corporate Education is run by Duke University, and includes a diverse team of academics and business experts.

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