Think of your to-do list at work. Chances are the most important activities on that list require you to work with others to accomplish. And the success of those endeavors--whether you're innovating a new product or implementing an important customer service initiative--depends on the effectiveness of your collaboration.
The fact is, collaboration that is conscious, planned, and shared with others builds excitement and produces what Leigh Thompson calls a creative conspiracy. And research shows that teams that engage in creative conspiracy are the hallmark of the most successful organizations.
In "Creative Conspiracy," Leigh Thompson reveals the keys to successful teamwork that produces results. She also reveals a host of counterintuitive findings, like:
- Left to their own devices, teams are less creative than individuals
- Teams that have "no rules" are less creative than those who have rules
- Striving for quality results in less creativity than striving for quantity
- The presence of newcomers enhances the creativity of "old-timers"
- Teams who act in a pro-self fashion are more creative than those who act in a pro-social fashion
>- Most companies routinely violate the 4 cardinal rules of brainstorming
- Most leaders cannot articulate the 4 rules of brainstorming
In the book, Thompson brings together serious research, powerful examples, and concise takeaways to reveal the core expertise required to operationalize the new mandate of successful collaboration and team effectiveness.
"Creative Conspiracy" challenges managers and leaders like yourself to adopt some unconventional, and downright blasphemous, best practices.
About the Author
Leigh Thompson is the J. Jay Gerber Distinguished Professor of Dispute Resolution and Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management. She directs the highly successful Kellogg executive course Leading High Impact Teams and the Kellogg Team and Group Research Center, and co-directs the Negotiation Strategies for Managers executive course. She has published more than 100 research articles and has authored nine books, including "The Truth about Negotiation," "Making the Team," and "The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator."
Industry Reviews
"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 of business managers, entrepreneurs, art directors and others, hours of time when coming together to generate new ideas." -- Business Day "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 "Her book provides solid guidelines for any organization that relies on teamwork to get things done." -- BizEd magazine ADVANCE PRAISE for Creative Conspiracy: Harry M. Jansen Kraemer, Jr., former Chairman and CEO, Baxter International-- "Whether you're a senior executive or a junior manager just starting your career, you'll find Leigh Thompson's ideas and advice on creativity challenging, insightful, and extremely valuable. I wish she had written this book ten years ago!" Mark A. Rittenberg, Lecturer, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley-- "Leigh Thompson tears down popular team-building myths and provides fresh solutions to common challenges in this engaging, counterintuitive book. Creative Conspiracy is a must-read for leaders of high-impact teams working to make a difference." Claudia Poccia, President and CEO, Gurwitch Products-- "Creative Conspiracy breaks traditional paradigms by emphasizing the significance of supporting individual creativity to achieve an innovative group dynamic." Pierre Casse, Professor of Leadership, Skolkovo Moscow School of Management-- "In this provocative yet practical book, Leigh Thompson provides eminently useful guidelines for effective collaboration as well as unexpected answers to critical leadership questions: Are individuals or teams the source of outstanding creativity? Where do performance, progress, and success come from? Be ready for some major surprises." Stephen M. Calk, Chairman and CEO, National Bancorp Holdings and The Federal Savings Bank-- "Professor Thompson's unique and thoughtful insight into the true drivers of creativity is required reading for any CEO interested in effective and timely return on investment. Her thorough research is a real wake-up call to leaders who want to ensure that creativity is not only fostered but embraced in both mainline and cutting-edge organizations." Karen Jehn, Professor of Management, Melbourne Business School-- "A true myth buster! Creative Conspiracy is a must-read for anyone interested in creating dynamic, high-performing teams."
