Teams of Distinction do not sit around waiting for orders at every turn. They develop a mind of their own; a mind that serves as a compass for what to do as they encounter unforeseen opportunities and challenges. Some people call this an “innovative” team, others an “empowered” team. We call it an accountable team.
Many teams aren’t accountable because team members don’t feel compelled to be accountable. This might be due to a lack of alignment. Other times, it… Read the full article >
Winning teams do not think of their work as work. They view what they do as a mission. The difference is profound. Think of the NASA teams who put people and shuttles into space. They weren’t working for the agency – they were committed to the country, to science, to the mission of exploring new frontiers. If you think that’s the private reserve of space travel or the search for a cancer cure, look at the teams constantly driving… Read the full article >
Unfortunately, many leaders still use old and outdated meeting-management techniques that fail to create effective meetings. Even with a solid agenda and strong task leadership, one huge problem continues to get in the way: people!
Distractions, groupthink, lack of comfort with conflict, overly quiet or talkative people, and other aspects of human nature get in the way of making team meetings productive.
Here are 5 techniques that tap into people’s best sides. They get team members to be enthusiastic… Read the full article >
Functional teams – or those with mediocre leaders – are generally focused on performing a set of carefully proscribed functions and getting compensated for doing so. Teams of distinction are those that are energized to move forward by aspirational goals and have a determination to prevail over all expectations. How can a team make the leap from the former to latter?
Ask your team this one question:
“What one thing can we do, that if… Read the full article >
A complaint we hear when the economy is booming is, “We attract great people. But our best and brightest become disillusioned and eventually go off in search of other opportunities.” All too often, leaders don’t leverage the talent they have in their teams. These teams operate at a deficit—equal to or less than the sum of its parts. As a result, the best people leave.
Here are… Read the full article >
