Gourmet or family style?

Teamwork - it's a topic that inherently fits within The Journal for Quality and Participation's domain. But, it's also a topic that has been covered many times in the past. So, our editorial team asked the question, "What's new about teams?"

We asked a variety of people who are active in quality and participation, including a panel of past presidents of the Association for Quality and Participation and the American Society for Quality. There was amazing similarity in their responses.

"Nothing's new, but there's still a lot to be learned," they told us. "This isn't a field where a lot of break-through is expected. It's an area where we need to apply more effectively what we already know-both what we know about teams in particular and what we know about people in general."

So, this fall issue delves into proven principles, practices, and tools related to teams, but many of them feature a slightly different twist. For instance, Marshall Goldsmith suggests that we "Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback," and Ross Lawford tells us that power isn't a scarce commodity -it's the birthright of every person on the team, and recognition of that reality can create interconnectedness and interdependence. We've also provided information on Congress' view of teams, as described by the Teamwork for Employees and Managers (TEAM) Act.

Of course, it wasn't possible for us to cram all the proven team-related approaches into this issue, so we decided to conduct a comprehensive review of the toolbooks that are currently on the market. Christine Robinson, associate editor and regular book reviewer, evaluated more than 30 toolbooks, and her comments on each of them are included in our special article, "The Battle of the Toolbooks." Whether your primary interest in teams is as a member, leader, facilitator, or sponsor, this article will help you find the most valuable resources for your library.

Maybe you're working with a "gourmet team" that has an official charter, involves specifically assigned members, follows a structured process, and receives the support of a professional facilitator. On the other hand, your team may operate more in the "family style" with its members part of a workgroup that tackles a variety of assignments and solves problems on an ongoing basis. In either case, we hope that the "recipes for team success" covered in this issue will remind you of your favorite approaches -raised to a higher level of perfection.

Don't forget to check "This Issue in Summary" to review the key concepts and points for our special topic and general interest articles quickly. Not only will these summaries help you to prioritize your reading, but they also can help you decide which articles to pass on to other members of your organization. You'll also find information on some of AQP's readily-available resources on teams.

And, drop us a line to let us know your reaction to this issue, as well as to share your experiences in developing "new recipes for team success" in your own organization.

Deborah Hopen

Deborah Hopen

Editor

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