Crisis-Ready Teams
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Prepare any team for peak performance when crisis comes.
Crisis-Ready Teams explains how any team, and any team leader, in any industry or sector, can prepare in advance to manage crises that suddenly pull people together to address high-magnitude events that could seriously harm their organizations. The book is based on extensive, unprecedented research on crisis team dynamics, key success behaviors, and why some teams perform so much better than others. Leading scholars Mary J. Waller and Seth A. Kaplan recorded and statistically analyzed audio and video recordings of hundreds of hours of crisis simulations involving flight crews, nuclear power plant control rooms, mine rescues, emergency room doctors and nurses, etc. Based on this empirical research, and other academic literature on how teams perform in crises, the authors show how crisis teams and leaders can cement crucial behaviors through attention to team composition and communication, especially in the first few minutes of a crisis.
The book provides a valuable framework and research data for scholars studying crises and teams in organizations. It is also appropriate for MBA or executive education instruction on crisis management and leadership.
—Laura Blackmer, President, Dealer Sales, Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, Inc.
"Given this uncertain, turbulent world of ours it is not a question of 'if' your team is going to experience a crisis but 'when' it will happen. The good news, as Mary Waller and Seth Kaplan point out, is that we need not fall prey to such circumstances. They have discovered the magic differentiators of how teams can manage these crises effectively and they tell you how. So buy the book and guarantee that you will get a good night's sleep knowing that your team is prepped for whatever might come."
—Deborah Ancona, Seley Distinguished Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management
"Crisis-Ready Teams is a must-read, important resource for executive leadership and crisis-response teams at organizations of all sizes and industries. The COVID pandemic taught us that no organization is immune to unplanned crises that evolve outside of our control. Dr. Waller and Dr. Kaplan expertly break down years of empirical research into a practical how-to reference guide for composing and training effective crisis-response teams. Crisis-Ready Teams offers a compelling, ethical argument for executive leadership to not only aspire to be crisis-prepared but to prioritize and mobilize crisis-response planning within their organizations now."
—Julie Weber, Former Vice President and Chief People Officer, Southwest Airlines
"Every organization desires to become crisis-ready, but not every organization takes the deliberate steps required to become ready for the unexpected. In these brilliant new studies, you'll learn the best—and worst—ways to prepare for the future. Waller and Kaplan do the heavy lifting for you by analyzing and synthesizing the latest, best research in the field."
—Daniel M. Gade, PhD, Twice-Wounded Combat Veteran and Public Sector Executive Leader
