GUEST BLOGGER: Jinnie Lee Schmid, Performance Improvement Specialist One thing I learned early in my consulting career is that “right tech” is more important than “high tech.” In other words, something doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective – and in fact, sometimes simple is best. Case in point: this super-easy team building activity literally doesn’t cost a thing – no …
Taking time to reflect on shared experiences is a bonding experience for a team. At at time of transition, this process can allow for meaningful closure. Here are some times this activity would be very powerful: At an annual team meeting At the final meeting of a team before it disbands (for any reason) As the closing activity of a …
Are you planning a team building event? Perhaps you are working with a team that is struggling and needs some intervention. Or maybe a team that is already high-performing and wants to stay that way. Where do you begin? First, it’s important to identify how you can best serve them. You may be tempted to facilitate your favorite team building …
GUEST BLOGGER: Mark S. Smith, Executive Coach & Author [This is a modified excerpt from Distinctions: 52 Lessons in Leadership by Mark S. Smith] Great teams often have togetherness that shows itself in continued relationships outside of the organization. Poor teams don’t even want to get together within the organization, let alone outside of it. The leader’s role, therefore, is …
When a new leader or team member joins a team, it is important to proactively assimilate that person into the team. The quicker this happens, the less stressful it is for everyone on the team. This activity includes a list of questions that a team can use to generate a healthy dialogue. Use these questions to begin to gaining knowledge …
There is so much we don’t know about our colleagues. We often know very little about their personal lives and interests, let alone about their childhood and teenage years. When I learn something about someone’s early life it often gives me a new perspective and appreciation for who they are and what they value. The people we are closest too …
If you ask a team what their biggest challenges are, most will talk about communication issues. And, if you peel back another layer, they often talk about misunderstandings or differences in the way team members communicate with each other. I love using the DISC Communication Styles model with teams because it gets to the root of many issues team members …
GUEST BLOGGER: Stace Williams, Executive Coach & Facilitator Think-Pair-Square-Share (TPSS) is remarkably simple and is best for groups of 9 or more. Use TPSS when you want to generate ideas or get the group’s responses, and always start with a problem or goal in the form of a question. When teams are large, it can be difficult to gather and …
Part 2: Simplify Your Workload In Part 1, I shared a technique you can use to periodically de-clutter your work areas. It feels so good to work in a clean, organized and de-cluttered space. (Click here to read Part 1) In this blog, I’ll share with you some ideas to simplify your workload. If you ever feel overwhelmed with all …
Part 1: Simplify Your Work-Space Every now and then I realize that my office looks like a disaster zone. It happens gradually, until one day I look up and think – how did this happen? And, I feel cluttered and stressed and overwhelmed. At some point, I decide, today is the day and I clean, purge and organize… and wow …
