Extraordinary Groups: How Ordinary Teams Achieve Amazing Results

Summary

Why are some teams described in such exceptional terms, while most are not? Bellman and Ryan argue that people instinctively sense when a group experience is something special, something different from the ordinary, something that surpasses their expectations in a positive, remarkable, and hard-to-describe way. These extraordinary groups achieve outstanding results and their members--individually or collectively--experience a profound shift in how they see their world. They are transformed. However large or small, visible or intangible, such transformative shifts happen because the group experience satisfies core needs that members intuitively bring to any group they join. Bellman and Ryan's study suggests there are six needs, forming three pairs related to one's self, the group, and the world in which the group exists. These six elements combine in what the authors describe as the Group Needs model: Acceptance of self while moving toward one's Potential A Bond with others that grows while pursuing a common Purpose Understanding the Reality of the world while collectively making an Impact Whether at work, at home, or in the community, when a group experience meets two or more of these needs, it will stand out for the members of the team. Based on extensive research and filled with examples from amazing groups, Extraordinary Groups presents the Group Needs Model to help anyone nurture extraordinary experiences in their groups and achieve outstanding results. This book is a timely resource for anyone who leads groups including HR and OD professionals, managers, executives, nonprofit managers and directors, virtual teams leaders, and trainers.