Many Cultures, One Team

Many Cultures, One Team is an essential aid for anyone who leads, is a member of, consults with, or supports global teams. Starting from the premise that the concept of team is culturally bound, Catherine Mercer Bing provides guidance for improving team function and performance. Drawing on her extensive experience in supporting global teams, she challenges team leaders and members to reflect on their cultural assumptions - to improve their cultural metacognition - and provides key advice concerning engagement, productivity, and human process interactions on teams. Global competition is fierce, and the timeframe within which businesses maintain their competitive advantage is now counted in months rather than years. One important source of competitive advantage is human behavior. Team leaders that manage the subtle, but powerful, forces of group dynamics and culture achieve better business outcomes. Team leaders that fail to identify and manage these subtle forces in real-time risk having their plans thwarted.