It is the spring of 2020.

There have been too many chill rains in the Northeast where I live and too few sunny days. Despite that, I find myself yearning to be outdoors, yet we find ourselves in lock-down from an invisible enemy. We are forced with those around the world to think, work, live, and gather differently. Organizations large and small are shuttering offices and factories, requiring as much work as possible be done from peoples’ homes.

This book draws on the insights of the author's earlier book, Lessons from Mars, providing a set of the powerful tools and exercises developed within the Mars Corporation to create high performance teams. These tools have been adapted for teams suddenly forced to work apart, in many cases for the first time.

These simple secrets and tested techniques have been used by thousands of teams who know that creating a foundation of team identity and shared meaning makes them resilient, even in a time of crisis.

Centering a team around the purpose of its existence, the work that requires collaboration, with crystal clarity, intentionality, and discipline can mean the making of a high performance team. Holding the center using techniques presented in detail in this book, is the key to success. By utilizing these practical tools, the many, many teams that find themselves working apart can return to excellence before returning to the office or factory.

This book is narrated by the author, Carlos Valdes-Dapena, MFA, MSOD.