The Performance Factor: The Stroy

This book is about leadership, teams, and life in 21st century organizations.

In large measure The Performance Factor is built around a model that describes high performance teams. The six team characteristics described in this model have proven to be exceptionally effective in designing and training teams that consistently deliver exceptional business results. It is a straightforward, easy-to-remember model that will allow readers to navigate the world of teams and teamwork with confidence.

A significant distinctive of the book is an unusual case study woven throughout: United Flight 232, the DC-10 that crashed in Sioux City in 1989. Several years ago, Pat MacMillan was at the beach reviewing a large stack of articles about teams he had collected over the years, looking for an example that would provide a great story to introduce a particular chapter. In that stack was the front page of USA Today showing the DC-10 broken apart in a cornfield, and a picture of Captain Al Haynes saying that what had brought them through the ordeal was extraordinary teamwork.

The article grabbed MacMillan, and that afternoon he tracked down Haynes by phone. He had just retired from United and agreed to an interview. After extensive preparation and research, MacMillan spent a day with Haynes and realized he had more than a chapter introduction-he had an impactful metaphor for the entire book.

In a world of change, organizations will need to engender levels of leadership and cooperation from their workforces seldom experienced in industry. Only by releasing leadership at every level in the organization and fostering the development of high performance work teams can organizations create the "empowered-involvement" necessary to achieve the quality, service, and value required to succeed, if not merely survive, in this world of tough, unrelenting global competition. Those organizations that can blend the power of team and leadership will experience exceptional results in a world that will allow nothing less.

The Performance Factor will show you how.