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Dr Susan Wheelan, scientist, author, teacher and practitioner in the field of group research and development, passed away in November of 2019. This article was written to commemorate her life and work.

While many senior executives can both afford and benefit from world class external coaching, this may not be an affordable or manageable option for many leaders in large organizations. Developing a cadre of internal coaches has the benefits of: (1) cost containment; (2) internal capacity to create a coaching culture; and (3) coaches make better managers. In a case study of a large European bank implementing a culture change the authors trained coaches how to coach using emotional intelligence and a change model called intentional change. Surveys and interviews of the leaders who were coached by internal coaches revealed five tangible results: (1) an increase in the speed of managers’ leadership growth; (2) an increase in manager loyalty to the company; (3) improved communication among people; (4) increased ability to solve conflicts; and (5) a renewed passion and awareness that part of their ability is to develop others.

• Background Links between teamwork and outcomes have been established in a number of fields. Investigations into this link in healthcare have yielded equivocal results. • Objective To examine the relationship between the level of self-identified teamwork in the intensive care unit and patients’ outcomes. • Method A total of 394 staff members of 17 intensive care units completed the Group Development Questionnaire and a demographic survey. The questionnaire is a reliable and valid measure of team development and effectiveness. Each unit’s predicted and actual mortality rates for the month in which data were collected were obtained. Pearson product moment correlations and analyses of variance were used to analyze the data. • Results Staff members of units with mortality rates that were lower than predicted perceived their teams as functioning at higher stages of group development. They perceived their team members as less dependent and more trusting than did staff members of units with mortality rates that were higher than predicted. Staff members of high-performing units also perceived their teams as more structured and organized than did staff members of lower-performing units. • Conclusions The results of this study and others establish a link between teamwork and patients’ outcomes in intensive care units. The evidence is sufficient to warrant the implementation of strategies designed to improve the level of teamwork and collaboration among staff members in intensive care units.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between the length of time that work groups had been meeting and the verbal behavior patterns and perceptions of group members about their groups. The verbal behavior patterns and perceptions of 180 members of 26 work groups were examined. Perceptions of 639 people in 88 work groups also were explored. Significant relationships and differences were noted between the length of time that work groups had been meeting and the verbal behavior patterns and perceptions of group members. Specifically, members of groups that had been meeting longer made significantly less dependency and fight statements and significantly more work statements. They also perceived their groups to be functioning at higher stages of group development. The results of this study lent further support to traditional models of group development. Verbal behavior patterns of members vary significantly in groups of different durations. Member perceptions of their group’s development also vary significantly in groups of different durations.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between teacher percep tions of faculty group effectiveness and development and actual levels of productivity in 10 elementary, middle, and high schools. The results suggest that a strong relationship exists. Faculty groups functioning at higher levels of development have students who perform better on standard achievement measures. Solutions designed to improve the nation’s schools have been suggested, mandated, and legislated by a wide variety of constituent groups. New curricula, collaboration with business and the community, new forms of teacher education and training, efforts to increase parental involvement, and decentralization of school district planning are just some of the solutions being applied. Despite these efforts, however, few successful changes have taken place (Sizer, 1992). According to Sizer (1992), one major reason for the lack of change in schools is that administrators and teachers do not respond well to change strategies designed by “distant authorities.” Teach ers and principals deal most directly with students yet have minimal input into the development of change strategies. The school structure and culture leave little opportunity to even discuss

Links between teamwork and outcomes have been established in a number of fields. Investigations into this link in healthcare have yielded equivocal results.To examine the relationship between the level of self-identified teamwork in the intensive care unit and patients' outcomes.A total of 394 staff members of 17 intensive care units completed the Group Development Questionnaire and a demographic survey. The questionnaire is a reliable and valid measure of team development and effectiveness. Each unit's predicted and actual mortality rates for the month in which data were collected were obtained. Pearson product moment correlations and analyses of variance were used to analyze the data.Staff members of units with mortality rates that were lower than predicted perceived their teams as functioning at higher stages of group development. They perceived their team members as less dependent and more trusting than did staff members of units with mortality rates that were higher than predicted. Staff members of high-performing units also perceived their teams as more structured and organized than did staff members of lower-performing units.The results of this study and other establish a link between teamwork and patients' outcomes in intensive care units. The evidence is sufficient to warrant the implementation of strategies designed to improve the level of teamwork and collaboration among staff members in intensive care units.