Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results

by Charlie Gilkey

DISCOVER SMALL, TEAM-BASED CHANGES THAT HAVE COMPANY-WIDE RESULTS.

The teams we work in amplify our individual efforts, yet we constantly struggle to accomplish what is possible. You can see all the problems in a typical weekly meeting. No planning. Missing goals. Muddled communication. We think just bringing our personal hopes and desires will be enough. It’s not.

The groups we work in need collective habits as much as individuals need better personal habits. Determining team habits for things like planning, decision-making, and prioritization produce reliability and ease for everyone. Team habits create better work and let people work better together.
In Team Habits, Charlie Gilkey explains how the revolution in personal habits has an even greater potential when applied to teams. With practical exercises, a Team Habits Quiz to evaluate areas for improvement, and a guide to create a team habits roadmap, Team Habits will help you transform your group so team members can flourish and thrive. If changing the smallest habit can yield powerful results for an individual, then just imagine what it can do for your team.  

Genres: Leadership, Management, Nonfiction, Business, Professional Development, Communication

288 pages, Hardcover

Published August 29, 2023

About the author

Charlie Gilkey helps people start finishing the stuff that matters. He's the founder of Productive Flourishing, author of the forthcoming Start Finishing and The Small Business Lifecycle, and host of the Productive Flourishing podcast. Prior to starting Productive Flourishing, Charlie was a Joint Force Military Logistics Coordinator while simultaneously pursuing a PhD in Philosophy. He lives with his wife, Angela, in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Sergio Tenorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó este libro!!

Lo encontré de casualidad en una librería en Seattle, no tenía demasiados reviews pero el contenido ha sido mega útil, siento que no solo te da pautas muy claras para manejar a un equipo, sino que además te ayuda a validar ciertas rutinas correctas para el buen funcionamiento de una empresa.

Hace tiempo no subrayaba tanto, muy recomendado

[Ana Ávila l Tudo Sob Linhas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐️
Opinião completa em vídeo em https://youtu.be/51msZnh0wSE?si=u-Z4x...

[Scott Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this book as soon as I saw Gilkey’s citation of Amabile’s and Kramer’s book, The Progress Principle—a must read for any manager or leader. Of course, this book’s title “Team Habits” is also attractive since so much of business and organization life is conducted through habits (see The Power of Habits by Duhigg). We make a decision “once” and stick with it until there’s a disruption to our processes, policies, strategies, etc. Leaders and teams operate the same way. We conduct ourselves through routines that are hard to change, just like any habit. Gilkey’s book helps disrupt those “trances” by providing takeaways at the end of each chapter and, more importantly, practice ideas to implement and start creating new habits. A leader will do well to reinforce new behaviors and find ways to put obstacles in the path to “the way we used to do it” (ala the fable of Cortez burning his ships or sending them back to Spain, so that his conquistadors were forced to march forward and no chance to quit). For anyone who’s tried to create change in organizations, this is important and Gilkey provides a service to us all with his book.

Since decision-making is one of those habits that interferes with team performance/excellence and overall motivation (see Kohn’s Punished by Rewards in which he shows giving employees choice is important, and its iteration in Daniel Pink’s Drive), the author’s broad treatment of how teams and leaders make decisions is vital. I once had a CEO ask me how he could get his staff to be more empowered. I advised that his staff would continue to be “disempowered” as long as he continued to behave (i.e. handle decision-making) as he always has. The team would continue to defer to his judgment and look for his approval of ideas. He needed to decline attendance at meetings. If he did attend, he needed to put on his best “poker face”: no non-verbal cues as to his interest or dislike in any of the proposals, no raised eyebrows, frowns, sighs, smiles, drumming fingers, sitting back/forward, etc. Until he changed the decision-making process, the team was going to be stuck. Gilkey would teach this CEO about which decisions he needed to retain, which ones he should seek input before deciding and which ones the staff could decide. (What I have learned and taught as discerning when to tell, sell, consult and join your team in the decision-making. The differences are determined by urgency, responsibility and how much team ownership in the decision is evident or desired.) Gilkey’s material would also coach that team in how to make and implement decisions.

There is a lot more here than just decision-making, but I find it’s often overlooked in team-building materials. Gilkey also covers the “traditional” topics of team structure, team composition, team dynamics and so on.

Even team-building, team-leading veterans will glean something from this book.

[Alexander W. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed at the book‘s notional and many times subjective argumentation, vague analogies and instead of referencing and building on other great ideas (such as Agile for VUCA, OKR for goal setting, or ANY of the proven communication frameworks for team communication). Perhaps I had false expectations when I bought this book.

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Gilkey’s new book is a welcome elixir to the stagnation of narcissistic, egocentric motivation to succeed in the corporate pyramid. Not that works with that kind of distinctive tonality are being maligned. But in an era where narcissism statistically is at an all-time high, it’s refreshing to see a book in the Business and Leadership Advice nonfiction subgenre that focuses on achievement based on collective practices. In the pages of Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results, Gilkey celebrates this ideology and methodology with distinctive, left-brain, matter-of-fact prose. It’s something similar to other work beginning to embrace a postmodern, increasingly remote and digitized workspace. What Gilkey highlights isn’t exactly Lean System philosophy, but shares similar, altruistically pragmatic origins. In the spirit of this aforementioned trait, Gilkey is also able to adopt an affable, laid-back house style that makes the potentially overwhelming aspects of the material feel palatable. “You'll no doubt notice that I've started this book talking not about people but about broken printers and team habits. It may seem counterintuitive that a book about building better teams doesn't start with people, but it's by no means an accident,” he wisecracks in one of the book’s opening passages. “…No one wakes up in the morning and says, ‘You know what? I'm going to screw over my team today and not get anything done.’ No one except sociopaths or someone who's been pushed over an edge, that is…Teams are the fundamental value-creation unit of businesses and organizations. Individuals alone don't create value -it's the interactions of individuals with each other that create value, whether that value is results, innovation, revenue, goods, services, or experiences. The value creation of teams is what differentiates the Disney World experience from a lone busker on a street corner wearing a Mickey Mouse suit.”

He adds, “While we might not live in a truly meritocratic culture, our culture does value what works. When one team starts outshining other teams, people at all levels of the organization take notice. The team's peers notice; studies suggest that employees learn more from their fellow employees than from higher-ups or managers. And the better that team per-forms, the more likely it is that the organization's managers and leaders will start trying to figure out what's working…Organizational culture can be defined as a shared set of values, goals, attitudes, and practices that make up an organization. Team habits are the practical component of culture; while values, goals, and attitudes are important, when it comes down to it, what we do as a collective is who we are as a collective. Changing our habits can be an incredible lever for changing our organizational culture. Continuing with our existing habits reinforces our current culture. If you don't like your organization's culture, then you have to change its habits.”

It's through this kind of direct but compassionate guiding voice Gilkey succeeds in what he has set out to do. Specifically, communicate core leadership concepts in a changing vista with clarity, wit, and a sense of easily accessible empowerment for the reader.

[Coan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results by Charlie Gilkey

As an experienced manager with two decades in the field, I approached this book seeking to refine my skills, revisit forgotten concepts, and discover new techniques. However, I found it to be more of an introductory guide to fundamental team management principles.

For seasoned professionals who are current with management practices, this book may not offer significant value. Conversely, it could prove beneficial for novice managers or those with specialized leadership experience, such as project managers transitioning to service delivery team management or vice versa.

Positive aspects of the book include:
1. A logical structure that identifies problems and explores various aspects of team dynamics influencing these issues.
2. An organization that caters to busy professionals, allowing for easy reference without necessitating a complete re-read. It features a helpful glossary, concise chapter summaries, and practical exercises for immediate application of concepts.
3. An included survey with questions to pinpoint core team issues, which can be adapted for various team sizes and contexts.

Areas for improvement:

1. The content heavily favors project teams, particularly in software development and agile project management. While the author draws from military leadership experience, more examples from front-line service delivery or manufacturing sectors would have provided better balance and context.
2. Some diagrams were difficult to decipher, possibly due to print quality or design issues. (Note: This may be specific to the reviewer's copy.)
In conclusion, this book serves as a solid introduction for new managers but of minor benefit for experienced ones.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars (rounded down to 3).
 

[Saby Samar · Rating 5 out of 5]

With an enchanting fusion of philosophical and military experience, Charlie Gilkey offers a new book on building teams via habits in a never-heard way. A well-suited book for individual contributors, managers, teammates, team leaders, and business leadership. The book takes pride in fostering learning through valuable and hard won frameworks…one such good one is VUCA.

In any organization every team has work ways and environment. A team player or performer cannot go complaining about this and that all the time. Instead if small changes are brought in team’s habit–it can be a great productivity booster, improves overall ambience, and putting everything in alignment. By quoting an example of a broken printer, Gilkey brings forward the daily small misfortunes of the offices; however, in the long run that interruption causes irreparable loss. The book charts out a roadmap as how companies and many can overcome such blockades and build a team that believes in collective efforts and two-way communication.

Unlike other self-help books in the genre, this isn’t built on lofty ideas. This book rather delves deep in the habitual mechanism of the teams. The concept is simple: focus on team habits and better the output.

Spread across twelve chapters but its essence is rolled out in three parts. First part sheds overview on team habits. Second deals with category of team habits. And third part depicts tools, tips, and frameworks that work towards changing team habits. In a nutshell ‘Team Habits’ by Charlie Gilkey is a resourceful book that provides invaluable insights into making effective teams at workplaces. Charlie Gilkey’s hard won wisdom and expertise shine through as he guides readers with inspiring anecdotes, strategies, useful frameworks, and actionable steps to enhance team building skills.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

"Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results" by Charlie Gilkey is a compelling exploration of the transformative power of collective behavior in the workplace. Gilkey, with his accessible writing style and practical wisdom, invites readers into a world where the minutiae of daily team interactions become the catalyst for profound organizational change.

The book's central thesis is both simple and revolutionary: the habits we cultivate within our teams can have a ripple effect, leading to outcomes far greater than the sum of their parts. Gilkey doesn't just preach this philosophy; he provides a blueprint for implementation, complete with practical exercises, a Team Habits Quiz, and a roadmap for creating a culture of shared habits that promote reliability and ease.

What sets this book apart is its refusal to accept the status quo of dysfunctional team dynamics. Instead, it offers an "instruction manual" for identifying and altering the small, yet critical behaviors that shape our daily work lives. The author's approach is not one of top-down mandates but of grassroots transformation, empowering teams to initiate change from within.

Gilkey's expertise shines through in his use of inspiring anecdotes, strategic frameworks, and actionable steps that guide readers toward enhancing their team-building skills. His message is clear: when teams focus on refining their collective habits, they not only improve their performance but also foster a sense of belonging, morale, and engagement.

"Team Habits" is a movement towards a new paradigm of team involvement.

[Maghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you work with humans you need to read this book. If you work on a team, this book is for you. If you manage a team, also for you. Lead a team? Yup, you too!

It’s for you if you’ve been assigned to work with your team. It’s for you if your team has come together in some organic way.

Because no matter your role or the type of team you work on, you’re participating in the ways that team comes together to get things done. So why not create better team habits and make the experience more collaborative, more productive, more meaningful, more enjoyable? (Yes really!)

This book is chock full of not just practical frameworks and advice but actual practices that you can start doing TODAY.

Team Habits has the power to change how we come together and move our collective best work forward. And like the author’s last book, Start Finishing, it puts the power into your hands.

Whether you like it or not you are contributing to your team’s habits so you have the power to change them.

It’s possible to not just enjoy the work you do, but to enjoy the process of working with others to make the extraordinary happen.

And it’s possible you can do something about it.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

My old friend Charlie Gilkey has written what feels like the definitive book on fixing teams. He identifies the 8 habits or categories of action teams should worry about: belonging (high value), decision-making (as low in the hierarchy as possible), goal-setting and prioritization (pull rather than push with high-value goals), planning (yes), communication (proactive, pre-emptive, and brief), collaboration (it should be easy and sensible), meetings (as few as possible), and core team habits (don't overload each other -- by knowing what that looks like). Much of Charley's thinking comes from the military, and if any group has to produce consistently under enormous pressure in life or death situations, it's them.

[Matthew Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Gilkey's thinking on teams and generally how we work are always good value, so I enjoyed this read on how to tackle the habits we have as team members and how this can be improved. Is it decision-making that your team struggles with? Planning? The dreaded meetings?

Whatever it is, he has a useful chapter on each topic. The book feels like it's almost filled with too much information to take in first time round, and it's fairly opinionated about how to do things, so if I was working this through in real life, I would pick an area to work on, get everyone to identify the biggest pain point then read through the chapter on that section.

As a straight-through read, it became a bit of a slog by the end.

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off really strong, offering some good tips and theory on how teams can improve their habits to be more cohesive and productive. As the book progresses, I found the insights moved more into typical teamwork/business advice and had less and less that was new or interesting about teamwork or team building. It's not a throwaway, and certainly has good info, just less that was new to me than I expected based on the first couple of chapters. (which is not uncommon in these kinds of books - strong starts that aren't sustainable)

[Manouane Beauchamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

J'aime bien la prémisse de base de l'auteur, à l'effet qu'il est possible de changer les habitudes de travail d'une équipe mais un petit réflexe à la fois.
L'auteur découpe ces habitudes en huit grands thèmes, à savoir :
1. Belonging
2. Decision-Making
3. Goal-Setting and Priorization
4. Planning
5. Communications
6. Collaboration
7. Meetings
8. Core Team Habits

Malheureusement l'ensemble du livre est assez peu inspirant.

[Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had a couple of solid communication points that I felt like I could use to improve, but overall was way more words than ideas.

One of the initial promises was the book would help you learn to contribute no matter what run of the ladder you were in a team. I don't think it fulfilled that promise.

By the end I grew tired of the "In the Army I learned how to" anecdotes that didn't actually explain how that helped when put into use.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. I liked the rocket practice and the chapter takeaways best of the book. While this book doesn’t really account for remote or hybrid work, I found a lot of ideas and frameworks that I feel I can implement in my own team. The decision-making and planning chapters were by far my favorite and I am really looking forward to using those chapters as reference in the future.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of tips for managers looking to improve team efficiency and thus effectiveness. The meetings vs. focus blocks is a particularly useful tool that was introduced and explained. Practical advice that can be simply implemented.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been recommending and even gifting copies of this book to colleagues stepping into leadership positions. I refer back to sections often. It has been helpful to me in building a Team that works well together toward success.

[Vyara Kirilova · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of the points are pretty straightforward but easily forgotten in our busy worklife.

I got some nice ideas not only for the team but myself as well. Would definitely recommend this book for employees at all levels.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Your team at work is where you spend the majority of your time and where you can have the biggest leverage for change.

Good pointers on 8 places to start

[Jorge Marques · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book, with practical use cases, on how one can improve a team either as a team member or as a team leader.

A must read if you work as part of a team.

[Aleksandar · Rating 5 out of 5]

“3 tipa posla: strateški, rutinski/ponavljajući i hitan/vanredan. Zagušenja se dešavaju kada se sve radi u poslednji čas, a strateški ciljevi ostavljaju sa strane.”

[Ignacio Echegoyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

buenas ideas de como implementar un sistema de trabajo eficiente en equipo. Recomendado 👍

[Sarah]

I found this extremely interesting - can't wait to put some of it in to action.

[Crna Ovca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Na momente malo zbunjujuća, ali svakako knjiga za preporuku.