Insights
The Power of a Spotter in Team Meetings
By appointing a “spotter” in your team meetings—someone whose sole responsibility is to observe body language and verbal cues—you can ensure that these often-overlooked signals are captured and addressed in real-time. This role can help unearth key insights and balance the extrovert/introvert equation, ensuring everyone's perspectives are considered.i
Harnessing the Power of Competition in Team Building
In every team, competition inevitably emerges. Individuals often compete for the best idea, attention, or simply to satisfy their ego. This competitive spirit can be harnessed positively, transforming it into a driving force for innovation and problem-solving. The key lies in how we frame competition within the team dynamic.
The Human Communication System in Teams
Using this as a mental model makes it easy to see why and how communication breakdowns happen, especially in teams.
For this post, I'll dig specifically into the system itself, applying the 5 stages of a communication system to people, and then extract how this impacts people and teams in various scenarios. Once you see how the system is easily applied, you'll be able to deconstruct communication challenges in a new and simpler way.
Hierarchy of Communication Challenges: Unveiling the Layers
Effective communication is often cited as the cornerstone of successful organizations. However, communication issues are typically symptoms of deeper, underlying challenges. By understanding these layers hierarchically, companies can pinpoint where true communication challenges lie and address them more effectively. Let's explore this hierarchy and uncover the root causes of communication breakdowns.
Defining Objectives for Team Off Site Meetings
Coming up with an objective is the most difficult part of what we do. This was true when I ran workshops and off-sites internally and continues in my client work today. Here is a tip - Use a pre-mortem approach when thinking about the outcomes. Imagine your offsite/workshop is over, and it was a grand success! What does it feel like? What are people saying? How does work change moving forward?
Three Types of Team Workstyles: Baseball, Football, and Basketball (Copy)
Should 'baseball' teams be remote, 'football' teams hybrid, and 'basketball' teams in the office? The key here is understanding how work is done in teams to realize the impact of where people work and the policies and tools needed to support them.
Building Connection: The Secret Sauce in How to Improve Team Performance
Improving team performance isn't solely about refining processes or integrating new tools. Sometimes, the answer lies in revisiting our human roots—by building and nurturing connections. In the grand scheme of how to improve team performance, fostering genuine relationships and understanding within the team could be the most potent strategy of all.
Boost Team Morale: Increase Autonomy to Give People Agency
The quest on how to improve team performance is multifaceted. While numerous strategies can be employed, emphasizing autonomy stands out as a potent tool in the modern workplace. It's about trust, empowerment, and enabling growth. When teams feel autonomous, they're not just satisfied—they're motivated, innovative, and consistently deliver peak performance.
How to Improve Team Performance: The Power of Reciprocity in Organizations
Dive deep into the principle of reciprocity to unlock the secrets of optimal team performance across every organizational level. Discover strategies and insights to harness this power for productivity and collaboration.
Listen with Curiosity to Uncover Team Tension Points
To truly uncover what might be affecting employee morale, approach conversations with genuine curiosity. Here are three approaches that will help you understand what is truly getting in the way of your team’s success.
Using Fridays as a Leverage Point: Celebrate, Punctuate, and Connect
Fridays are not just the bridge to the weekend. They can be the cornerstone of a productive, positive, and connected organizational culture. By making small shifts in how we perceive and use this day, businesses can create ripple effects that impact the entire working week. So, next Friday, remember to celebrate, punctuate, and connect. The weekend will feel even sweeter after!
Communication: The Heartbeat of High Performing Teams
When we speak of organizational development and success, communication consistently emerges as the cornerstone. The mission to build high performing teams hinges profoundly on effective, transparent communication.