'A remarkable and important book . . . a highly accessible, timely and invaluable guide to anybody working in groups.' Prof Paul Gilbert OBE
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How many people does the ideal team contain? How do groups bond, earn trust and forge shared identities? How can leaders build environments adaptable enough to respond to shocks and still enable people to thrive together? How can you feel close to people if your only point of contact is a phone or a computer?
In The Social Brain leading experts from the worlds of evolutionary psychology and business management come together to offer a primer on great team working. They explain what size groups work and how to shape them according to the nature of the task at hand. They offer practical hints on how to diffuse tensions and encourage cooperation. And they demonstrate the vital importance of balancing unity and the need for different views and outlooks. By explaining precisely how the 'social brain' works, they show how human groups function and how to create great, high-performing teams.
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'This wonderful book reminds us that businesses are also biological and social . . . It could not be more timely, wise and useful.' Margaret Heffernan, author of Wilful Blindness
'Buy it for yourself and your colleagues. Essential reading.' Mark Earls, author of HERD
Experts in psychology and organisational development reveal how to create teams that really work. How many people does the ideal team contain? How do groups bond, earn trust and forge shared identities? How can leaders build environments adaptable enough to respond to shocks and still enable people to thrive together? How can you feel close to people if your only point of contact is a phone or a computer? The principal reason that so many organisations struggle is that they fail to understand the human factor- they make assumptions about how people tick that wholly ignore the 200,000 years of evolutionary design that went into producing them. So it's no surprise that the end result all too often is inefficiency, lack of imagination and low morale. In The Social Brain, Oxford anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, and organisational development experts Tracey Camilleri and Sam Rockey, explain how human brains and human networks really work. They show how to make the best use of them. And they dissect the science and art of leadership, providing insights into how to create organisations in which people can learn, develop and thrive, and be resilient in the face of change and disruption --