Have you heard the buzz about employee engagement? It seems to be everywhere. It’s such a hot topic because study after study shows that engaged employees are more likely to stay with the team, they are more innovative, and they go the extra mile. Bottom line – “engagement” is good for the bottom line. But engagement is not just good …
GUEST BLOGGER: Jinnie Lee Schmid, Performance Improvement Specialist Here’s a team activity that is pretty targeted in it’s purpose – to help team members recognize and reward each other – but ticks all these other marks, too: easy, inexpensive, short, creative, tactile, interactive, and possibly physical. I’ve used this successfully with both intact, internal teams, and teams of seasoned external consultants. …
This energizing teamwork skills activity is useful in a meeting or training where you want participants to have an opportunity to brainstorm or list ideas about a topic and then narrow down the most liked responses. Some benefits of this activity are that it gets everyone up moving around the room, talking in pairs, learning new ideas and networking in …
GUEST BLOGGER: Gerri Vereen, Executive & Team Coach Are you afraid your team will implode if you go on Vacation? Have you ever planned a vacation and then became so stressed out about leaving work behind, you wished you had never planned it? Several years ago, my husband and I planned a 10-day Alaskan cruise, which took several months to …
A team’s willingness to be vulnerable usually begins with the leader. The behaviors of the leader encourage or discourage vulnerability. When trust is high, team members are more willing to be authentic and vulnerability because they feel safe. Here are some observable ways vulnerability shows up in teams: Team members are willing to take thoughtful risks without fearing the repercussions …
The forced choice activity can be facilitated during training and working meetings to better understand the viewpoints of your group about a particular topic. I learned this engagement from Mark Smith*, CEO of Leadership Resource Institute and author of The Distinctive Leader, when we co-facilitated his Distinctive Leadership course. Mark and I used the activity to drive home the importance …
The truth is: Belonging starts with self-acceptance. Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance, because believing that you’re enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic, vulnerable and imperfect. Brene Brown It is rare that I meet a leader that doesn’t self-identify as an achiever. If you are reading this, …
In a recent Better Teams survey 38% of respondents cited trust as their biggest team related challenge. Building and maintaining trust is one of the most prevalent challenges for leaders. Without psychological safety teams struggle with the work as well as interpersonally. Why is trust such a sticking point for teams? Perhaps it is the fundamental need we have to …
People Mapping is a fun, energizing icebreaker that can be used to emphasize the value of having different perspectives on a team. In this 5-minute activity, the room you are in becomes a metaphorical map and participants move to the place on the map that represents where they live. I experienced this activity first hand when Steve Bush*, Managing Director …
Do you know the five things that will increase your team’s motivation and commitment to the work? David Rock’s SCARF Model describes the five domains that ignite threats or rewards. These five areas are critical to consider when leading others. Leaders need to be mindful that all five domains are important to motivate and influence others. When teams believe they …
