One Small Thing You Do that Makes Your Team Think You’re a Bully Boss

Her team members were seen crying in the bathroom. They wrote a letter of demands, like hostages, to the VP of Human Resources. And she had no idea that she was the problem.

This was 20 years ago and the first time I was asked to tell a Bully Boss that enough was enough.

When I talked to her team, it turned out, as is often the case, that they liked her in general. But it was just one… Read the full article >

Why Elite Teams Reject Team Building But Are Its Best Candidates

Conventional wisdom holds that weak teams are the ideal candidates for team building exercises and programs. But paradoxically, it is actually exceptional teams that benefit the most from this. How can that be?

Think of two groups of golfers. One is composed of beginners and the other of experts. They each get a training session. The former will learn some of the basics but the latter have the real opportunity to achieve a real breakthrough. They don’t have to dwell on the basics. The best players are focused on small… Read the full article >

Anonymous Employee Tip Lines are the Sign of a Broken Culture

Having a place for employees to call when they have problems at home or are struggling with addiction is one thing. But when a company puts into place an employee anonymous tip line – to report abusive managers – things have gone too far.

I was quite surprised when I saw it first hand – an unhappy employee calls the tip line and reports a manager who is abusive. Just one anonymous call and the manager’s reputation is destroyed…. Read the full article >

The Magic Of Painful Meetings

You just led a meeting and you feel pretty good. Tasks were checked off, progress appears to be made and everyone seemed pretty happy at the end. Guess what – it was a waste of time. Odds are you missed an opportunity to raise the bar.

The whole point of bringing people together is collaborate. Collaborate means to work together, to labor together, to create something together. How can you create something of value if everyone is happy and calm?… Read the full article >

When To Shut Up and When To Yell “Bingo”

As the NY Times cited this weekend, a new study at M.I.T. last month confirmed that many of you reading this need to just shut up.

I agree. In my experience working with top teams, many executives are talkers, to the detriment of team performance. These talkers are often articulate and captivating, which makes it seem like they are adding value when they speak. But over time, when they open their mouth, others just check out of the… Read the full article >