IoH Youth Council Vice-Chair, Lizzie Grundy AIH’s insights of ‘The Triumphant team: 40 dynamic practices to transform any team’ by Dr Declan Woods mark this book as an essential read.
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Dr Declan Woods’ ‘The Triumphant team: 40 dynamic practices to transform any team’ is an extensive and detailed dive into the stages of team development.
Through the 40 practices Woods constructs his own comprehensive framework, bringing up to date Tuckman’s 1960’s theory of ‘forming, storming, norming, performing’ of how to actively develop a successful team. With specific and practical activities in this ‘how to’ style guide, the book enables readers to dip in and out of relevant stages of team development. Allowing them to recognise the stage at which their team is in, the challenges it faces and then take away workable practices to create solutions.
Woods breaks down the 40 practices into six stages of developing a team, highlighting the importance of all stages, from the initial orientating stage to the end re-orienting stage. The orientating stage focuses on the forming and setting up the team, clarifying its purpose. A standout practice within this stage is practice six, which tackles psychological safety, calling attention to the importance of setting ground rules and boundaries in a team to ensure all members feel comfortable and therefore able to perform at their best within team. This new perspective, taking in to account peoples emotional wellbeing and wider needs when formulating a team structure is refreshing and more relevant than we have previously understood.
The following four stages cover a variety of challenges, such as conflict, decision making, team dynamics and preventing burnout.
Finally ending with the re-orientating stage, which can often be forgotten, where a team can evaluate performance and effectiveness, coming back from setbacks and have a productive closure.
While this framework lends itself to a corporate setting, there are key take aways which would serve teams in all industries, contexts, and environments. In hospitality, teams come in different forms, shapes, and sizes, as an example these practices would effectively assist in the collaboration of heads of department and senior leadership teams.
This modern view on team structure and development humanises traditional team theories, homing in on the human aspect of team dynamics. By acknowledging the modern stresses of work and how to collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds, these practices really are enlightening. When quite often professionals must take a step into leadership without a comprehensive tool kit, lacking the experience of how to develop a successful team, Woods’ relatable and detailed practices provide simple and logical solutions to new managers.
Lizzie would recommend this book to anyone stepping into a leadership position, or in fact anyone who is facing challenges with their teams. It is an eye-opening guide to the obstacles faced when leading teams in modern organisations and provides useful tools which leaders can adapt and implement, to create success.
This review and rating is the opinion of the reviewer.
5 stars = Exceptional not to be missed | 4.5 stars = Essential read | 4 stars =Very good | 3 stars = Good | 2 stars = Poor | 1 star = Very poor
Suitability: This book is suitable for any professional, regardless of industry, where teams are prevalent. Specifically at mid to senior management level where there is responsibility for teams performance.
This book fits into the Team pillar under the IoH’s Five Pillars of Learning, a new approach to continuing professional development based on the five core areas of hospitality management.
Record your CPD Hours: This book forms part of a member’s CPD hours. You can log your CPD hours here.
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