Is Your Organization Engaged in Self-Sabotage?

Productivity is becoming more important every day. Fundamentally, it means doing much more with much less. And to be sure, there is scope for making, not only workers, but also the environment in which they work more efficient. You’ve probably noticed, for example, just how many organizations in both the public and private sectors waste…

Details

Matrix Organization: At Best, a One-Off

Whenever volatility occurs in the market, companies start thinking about how to reorganize themselves so that they can cope with those changes effectively. But since they’re trapped by traditional thinking, they tend to recycle old models rather than to create new ones. One such model is matrix; and like so many that have gone before…

Details

Entrepreneurs, turn on your leadership signal

The 2008 economic crisis was terrifying times, to say the least. Millions of jobs were lost and many people faced difficulty trying to obtain a new line of work. As a result, many struck out on their own, not by first choice, but really out of necessity. I applaud those individuals who took that route.…

Details

Criticism: Behind Closed Doors or in Plain Sight?

Nearly every company revolves around the central idea of team performance.  The synergy created by having multiple personalities and motivations can help any project be completed with efficiency and with quality results.  Naturally, there are some times when things may not go as smoothly as planned.  Indeed, if every effort always resulted in superior results,…

Details

120 Proven Ways to Improve Teamwork

In my teambuilding workshops, one of the exercises I often do is to ask the participants the following questions, “What does good teamwork look like?” and  “What do I need from my co-workers?; What do I need in terms of personal satisfaction?; and What do I need in reference to worthy work in order to…

Details

Roadmap for Designing High-Performing Organizations

Companies are frequently facing the need to restructure their organizations.  Changes in leadership, a shift in strategy, or changing factors within an organization often create the need for reorganizing. Organization design is one of the most powerful tools available to senior managers for shaping the direction of their organizations. “Organization design” is often used incorrectly…

Details

3 Questions You Must Ask to Build a More Positive, Productive, Profitable and Joyful Organization

One of the key ingredients necessary to build stronger customer and workplace relationships involves keeping your employees engaged, motivated and happy. If your employees aren’t happy; employee engagement, productivity, and customer satisfaction will be diminished. In my teambuilding workshops one of the first things we do is to find out what employees want. Below is…

Details

The Best Teams Communicate in 3 Critical Ways

Research reported by Alex Pentland in the April issue of Harvard Business Review has revealed some interesting new information on effective teams. He and his group deployed “sociometric badges” in teams in 21 organizations. These devices are able to monitor on individual team members’ tone of voice, body language, frequency of initiating and responding, plus…

Details

7 Ways to Boost Team Performance

During a recent teambuilding and communication workshop I delivered one of my clients stated, “50% of all our obstacles to success center around team dynamics. Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” In other words you can have the best plans, strategies and initiatives, however if everyone is not team oriented, working well together and getting along,…

Details

Allow Team Members to Find Their Place

Edgar Schein, a titan of the field of organizational development, says in his recent book, Helping, that there are four questions on the minds of new members of any team. While these concerns operate at a subconscious level, nevertheless, any team member must become comfortable with the answers before he or she can relax and…

Details

Don’t Clone Yourself

A boss of mine early on in my career had a tough, almost bulldog, style. He was a pragmatic, no nonsense guy. He didn’t have a wide vocabulary and didn’t spend a lot of time talking about concepts. He was super loyal to the company and even more so to the branch of which he…

Details

Tap into your Team’s Natural Leadership: Here’s How

Have you ever watched a highly functioning department accomplish a goal or objective?   The secret ingredient I have noticed is that “natural leadership” is encouraged from every team member or participant. Within groups, each participant brings a unique combination of skills, talent or style to the discussion.  Great groups take advantage of this uniqueness.…

Details

Trust the Process

Years ago when I was taking courses from University Associates around how to facilitate groups, a wise instructor, Larry Porter, said these three words: trust the process. I have never forgotten them. They have been my anchor at critical times when in a team building session the conversation seems about to get out of hand.…

Details