I have just published my book, ‘Getting Teamwork Right – the key to happy, successful and resilient teams’. Why did I do it? There is an element of just wanting to publish ‘a’ book, and partly because writing runs in the genes. I follow in the footsteps of my great grandfather, mother, brother, uncle and cousin who are all published authors, of novels, books on financial spread betting and the history of the apartheid movement in the UK. Never let it be said that we as a family are one dimensional writers!

But why this book in particular? I would like to share an excerpt from the book which answers this question:

“I became a parent for the first time in 2014. Any parent will tell you that it is a life-changing experience. You are suddenly responsible for a new, tiny and perfect human being. I have two children now and I feel the strong protective instincts towards both of them that all parents feel. You desperately want them to be safe and happy and you want to provide them with the best possible start in life.

I found myself thinking about the world that my wife and I have brought them into. What sort of a world will it be when they are adults? What sort of a world will it be when I am gone? What will it be like for my grandchildren? You would be forgiven for thinking it could be a bit of a mess on current evidence. I’ll admit to feelings of fear and worry for my children’s future. Their world could be a difficult place to be, and I feel the urge to do what I can to help prevent them from having to struggle and fight for a happy existence, or even for survival.

I firmly believe that if human beings are going to have any chance of making it through the next 100 years, they need to be able to work together in teams. Also, fixing what’s broken, solving some of the global challenges facing humanity and prevent­ing further damage to the fabric of our existence is not going to be the preserve of scientists and politicians – it is going to be up to all of us to be better at working together. Collaboration, commu­nication, leadership, self-sacrifice, empathy and social intelligence are going to be key to helping the human race survive and thrive long into the twenty-first century and beyond.

So, what could I do to help make this earth a better place for my kids to grow up and live in?

I have spent many years helping teams to work more effectively together. I have witnessed all that is good and bad about how teams work, what they get right, and what they get wrong. I have researched the topic of teamwork, written and spoken about it, trained, taught and coached the skills of teamwork to hundreds of teams made up of people from all over the world.

In that time, I have worked out the key behaviours and practices necessary for any team to succeed and enjoy the experience along the way. My answer to a better future has been to put all my knowledge and experience about how to get team­work right into this book, for you to benefit from the lessons I have learnt throughout my career to date. I can’t change the world overnight, but every jour­ney starts with a single step, and I can start with this book”.

‘Getting Teamwork Right’ is available to purchase on Amazon.