Cornerstone Press signs ‘brilliantly practical guide’ to creating high-performing teams 

The Social Brain: The Psychology of Successful Groups by Tracey Camilleri, Samatha Rockey and Robin Dunbar has been signed by Cornerstone Press.

Nigel Wilcockson, associate publisher at Cornerstone, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to the book on how human groups are formed and how to get the best out of them from Donald Winchester at Watson, Little, for publication on 23rd February 2023.

The publisher’s synopsis reads: “We humans may be social creatures by nature, but place us in the average team or organisation and our ability to work and co-operate with others all too quickly comes under stress. Trust can prove elusive. Resentments build quickly. Standing out becomes more important than working towards a common goal. It doesn’t have to be that way.

“In this groundbreaking new book, world-leading experts in evolutionary psychology and strategic leadership come together to offer a primer on how to get the best out of our teams. They show how an understanding of our ’social brain’ can help us build productive, successful relationships.

“They explain how group dynamics work and what size group is most suited to the task at hand. They offer practical hints on how to diffuse tensions and encourage cohesion. And they demonstrate the vital importance of balancing a sense of unity with the need to encourage different outlooks and strengths.

“The result is both a fascinating analysis of how our brains function in group environments and a brilliantly practical guide to creating collaborative, high-performing teams."

Camilleri is an associate fellow at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and the co-founder, along with Rockey, of Thompson Harrison, an organisation and leadership development consultancy. Earlier in her career she worked in consultancy at Bain & Co, in banking, publishing and as an entrepreneur. Rockey is also an associate fellow at the Saïd Business School and was formerly the global head of leadership development at SABMiller.

Dunbar is professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford and an elected fellow of the British Academy. His books include Human Evolution (Oxford University Press), Thinking Big written with Clive Gamble and John Gowlett (Thames & Hudson) and Friends (Abacus).

The authors said: “Any business is necessarily a social environment. Understanding the processes that underpin natural human sociality will necessarily allow us to improve their effectiveness as organisations.”

Wilcockson commented: “We humans may be social creatures by nature, but our record at a team and organisational level is often shockingly poor. Here at last is a book that explains not just how our social brains tick but how to harness them to make group working both more productive and more satisfying."