Organizational guru Ken Blanchard has long had a knack for writing management books that are easy and fun to read (The One Minute Manager, plus 11 other bestsellers). Now, in his latest, he becomes (with the help of three coauthors) something of a novelist, relating the saga of the Riverbend Warriors, a come-from-behind boys' hockey team, to teach a broader lesson about the importance of, and the key dynamics behind, good teamwork in organizations of every sort.

High Five! starts with otherwise exemplary exec Alan Foster losing his job because--you guessed it--he isn't a team player. Unemployed, bored, and demoralized, he decides to coach his fifth-grade son's failing hockey team into better shape. But it's not until he enlists the help of Miss Weatherby, an aging African-American retired teacher and champion girls' basketball coach that things really start to turn around. As we follow the struggle of the increasingly well-oiled Warriors machine as they drill, strategize, and bond their way through the season, we learn some of the fundamental lessons of what makes good teams--and good team-building by coaches and managers. Among them are "repeated reward and repetition," the guiding notion that "none of us is as smart as all of us," and four key traits that shall here remain undisclosed (hint: their acronym spells PUCK).

As fiction goes, don't expect high literature here. But to its credit, the book's ending isn't 100 percent happy, either. If you worry that the aged but whip-smart Weatherby might die at the end, don't--instead, she becomes perhaps the world's first octogenarian, black female management consultant. As books on teamwork go, Blanchard's latest is on the lighter side, but it still packs a fair share of commonsense wisdom when it comes to putting together, motivating, and sustaining work teams worthy of the Stanley Cup. And it may even have inaugurated a new fiction genre: the organizational tearjerker. --Timothy Murphy


From Library Journal
Two best-selling business authors on teamwork. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.



"I predict High Five! will be a classic. Blanchard and Bowles have done it again. Ignore at your peril."


Book Description
High Five! combines the spellbinding charm of a timeless parable with cutting-edge information about why teams are important and what individuals and organizations can do to build successful ones.Through the story of Alan Foster, a workplace one-man band, High Five! identifies the four key ingredients of winning teams. Although Alan is an effective producer, he is unwilling to share the spotlight by partnering on projects and is fired because, as his boss puts it, "Alan, we need good producers who are good team players, too." It is a bitter pill for him to swallow.While mulling over his disappointment, he takes his son to his grade-five hockey practice, where it is clear that his son's team, the Riverbend Warriors, knows nothing about teamwork, either. When the team's two overworked coaches learn of Alan's plight, they persuade him to join their ranks, and he finds himself charged with teaching himself and the players the meaning of teamwork. With the help of a woman friend-a former girls' basketball coach who has "won more high school basketball championships than anyone"-Alan and the Warriors learn the magic of teamwork and that "none of us is as smart as all of us."With its simple style and easy-to-follow techniques, High Five! is a must-read for anyone seeking to learn the value and power of teamwork.


Book Info
Ken Blanchard's parable about how to create a good team and be a good team leader. The parable conveys the author's timeless principles for teamwork, through the story of Alan Foster, a man who teaches himself, and a junior hockey team, the meaning of teamwork. Hardcover, compact disk and audiocassette are also available. DLC: Teams in the workplace.


About the Author
Ken Blanchard lives in San Diego, California, and is the Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies.He is the coauthor of The One Minute Manager and eleven other bestselling books.His books have combined sales of more than twelve million copies in more than twenty-five languages.Blanchard was recently seen in the PBS special Gung Ho! Succedding in a Changing World.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles -- the bestselling authors of Raving Fans and Gung Ho! -- return with a timely parable about the importance of teamwork. By drawing analogies between team building in the workplace and on the playing field, the authors make their points in an accessible and friendly manner that will appeal to the many readers who enjoyed their earlier books.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

These cutting-edge executives present the essential tools to turn any group of employees, from a small unit to a large corporation, into a winning team. With its simple style and easy-to-follow advice, this new audio in the Blanchard & Bowles Business Library is a mist-listen for ambitious individuals eager to rise within an organization, as well as for top managers who want to grow their business in today's ever-changing marketplace.

About the Authors:
Ken Blanchard lives in San Diego, CA.

Sheldon Bowles lives in Winnipeg, Canada.

Don Carew & Eunice Parisi-Carew live in Amherst, MA and San Diego, CA, respectively.

SYNOPSIS

From The New York Times bestselling authors of Gung Ho! and Raving Fans

Through the story of Alan Foster, High Five! offers a timeless parable with cutting edge information as to why teams are important and what individuals and organizations can do to build successful teams. Although Alan is an effective employee, he is unwilling to share the spotlight and is fired because, as his boss puts it, "Alan, we need good producers who are good team players, too."

While dwelling on his disappointment, Alan takes his son to hockey practice where it is clear that his son's team doesn't work well together either. joining the two overworked coaches, Alan teaches himself and the players the true meaning of teamwork.

Wrapped in a delightful and charming story, High Five! delivers a powerful message on teambuilding and why ten simple words, "None of us is as smart as all of us" can work magic for any organization.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal