There is no escaping the political climate in America these days. Though it certainly has become a reality TV show, we should all realize that there are some lessons we can take away from it.Especially for those who manage teams, it can provide insights into what not to do as well as how we can become better team leaders. It's not just the words.If you have something important to communicate, Read More
Boost Team Performance and Morale- in Minutes
Remember this simple tip and make a big impact. I had a boss that used to talk about the importance of “Psychic Income.” This is the simple act of recognizing people’s contributions. Unfortunately, many team leaders fail to recognize its incredible impact. There tends to be more focus on what needs fixing, what went wrong, how we can improve. But we need to remember and publicly acknowledge Read More
Talk Like Spock– to improve your communication skills
When you “talk like Spock,” the iconic character from Star Trek, you are: Taking emotion out of the conversation. Listening carefully and analytically to what others have to say—with an open mind. Stating facts, not feelings. Realizing that conflict can spur growth. Coming to reasonable conclusions that are supported by facts. Agreeing to work together to solve problems. Read More
The Good and Bad about Escape Rooms– the hot trend in team building
If you have not experienced an Escape Room, it’s a new form of entertainment for small groups, dates, or a family outing. It entails going to a facility that is built out to support an entertaining theme (Pirates, Zombies, Sherlock Holmes, Time Traveling, Break out of Jail, etc.). The premise is that your group (of up to 10 people) needs to figure out how to “escape” the room(s) in one hour or Read More
Foster a TEAM Attitude and Culture
What happens when you are part of a team, but are excluded from giving input or receiving information? The team ultimately fails. It is not that easy to foster a team culture- and sadly, human nature is at the heart of the problem. We all have opinions on how things should be done and what we should do to succeed. Those who are like-minded tend to bond together; it is very satisfying to have Read More
Experiential Learning = Real Team Building
There is a very wide range of activities that people refer to as “team building” these days. Nearly everything that is done in a group is referred to as team building—even things like going to a ball game together. However, this is incorrect. And because so many things are categorized as such, you’ll see some people push back and question the need or relevance of “team building.” First, Read More