Teams who talk about communication are more successful
3 Reasons to talk about communication Did you know that communication, or the lack of it, is listed as the most common cause of conflict? It’s also a large contributor to performance issues. You can get ahead of those problems by openly discussing communication as a team. There are many benefits to having open conversations […]
Continue reading5 Behaviors of a Cohesive Team – it starts with Trust
I had a blast facilitating ‘The 5 Behaviors of a Cohesive Team’ workshop recently. I worked with a lively group of sales people who are committed to improving how each person contributes to building trust in the team. According to Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, having trust in a team […]
Continue readingThe Answer Isn’t Always Training
“We need training.” This statement is a common knee-jerk reaction to address things like employee engagement, performance and turnover. However, there are many things that could be part of a solution, in addition to or instead of training. This article will get you thinking about all the possibilities. When a client requests training, I resist […]
Continue readingInterviewing for Best Fit
I was recently asked to coach a team of managers to make better hiring decisions. This group was fairly new to management and the company was growing fast. Here are some suggestions I gave… Hiring managers need to thoroughly understand what they are looking for. This doesn’t stop at the list of ‘technical’ skills required to […]
Continue reading4 Ways to Make Teambuilding Count
Teambuilding is more than bowling outings and falling backward with a blindfold on. Building an affective team takes conscious effort, and that could mean taking time away from the office to have ‘open’ dialogue about how the team is performing. Note the special emphasis on ‘open’. One of the reasons teambuilding has gotten a bad […]
Continue readingHow to Hire the Right People
Are you getting ready to hire your first employee? Or maybe you have employees already, but have never had any formal training in recruiting, interviewing and hiring staff. Either way, these 9 steps will help you increase your chances of hiring the right person. Be very clear about what the business needs. Take some time […]
Continue readingEver been hijacked?!
Have you ever been so mad, scared or frustrated that you might even have called yourself “out of control”? If so, you may have very well been experiencing an ‘emotional hijack’. Let me explain. When we are feeling attacked, the brain kicks in to protect us. Physically. There is an almond-shaped piece of the brain […]
Continue readingAssessing a Team’s Effectiveness
Unfortunately, some companies have had an experience where they’ve hired someone to do conduct a team-building session and it turned out to be a fun activity but did not impact the team’s performance. How can you be sure this doesn’t happen to you? First, make sure the consultant you’re working with understands your team issues, […]
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