Embracing the Counterintuitive Side of Collaboration
Think of your to-do list at work. Chances are the most important tasks require you to work with others-and the success of those endeavors depends on the effectiveness of your collaboration.
According to management expert Leigh Thompson, collaboration that is conscious, planned, and focused on generating new ideas builds excitement and produces what she calls a "creative conspiracy." Teams that conspire to organize themselves, motivate one another, and combine their talents to meet creative challenges are the hallmark of the most successful organizations.
In this book, Thompson reveals the keys to the kind of collaboration that allows teams to reach their full creative potential and maximize their results. She also reveals a host of surprising findings; for example:
• Left to their own devices, teams are less creative than individuals • Providing "rules" to teams actually increases inventiveness • Striving for quality results in less creativity than striving for quantity • Fluctuating membership enhances a team's innovation • Most leaders cannot articulate the four basic rules of brainstorming
Thompson combines broad-ranging research with real-life examples to offer strategies and practices designed to help teams and their leaders capitalize on what actually works when it comes to creative collaboration. Creative Conspiracy challenges managers to adopt an unconventional approach to leading teams that, done right, will lead to the creative success of every team-and every organization.
"This is a useful book for leadership teams that want to refresh their practices. It will certainly provoke lively dialogue."
School Administrator magazine (AASA)
"This is a great book on teamwork in business and other types of organizations. Leigh Thompson, with her knowledge, teaching and many years of experience, has made a valuable contribution with it to help teams formulate goals and achieve them."
BIZ INDIA
"Thompson shows that by devising rules and sticking to them and by carefully crafting the make-up of a group, they can become a source for creative collaboration. Her advice is practical and is applicable to everything from start-up teams trying to come up with new ideas to musicians working together, to advertising executives and creative directors developing pitches....[and] could save thousands
