Team harmony is good, right? Maybe not. We often view team harmony as the ultimate goal. We celebrate a lack of ego and a culture of collaboration. Yet many professional groups fall into a subtle but dangerous trap: they mistake collegiality for alignment. When respect and trust are replaced by a mere avoidance of conflict, the result isn't a better team—it's delayed … [Read more...] about Is Your Team Too Collegial?
Boards
Dialogue in the Workplace
In the public square, we don’t see much dialogue these days. It seems like it is mostly people yelling at one another. In the business-organization world, we can’t waste time yelling at one another. The collective needs to forge a path forward. But how do you do that when sides are taken and the differences are significant? The answer is: Dialogue. Let’s consider this … [Read more...] about Dialogue in the Workplace
Shape Your Workplace Culture
Tons of research demonstrates that a healthy culture is important for high performance in a team and an organization. Following are ideas you can use to influence your team or organization culture to make it more productive. These are based on a recent article in Harvard Business Review. When we talk about the “culture” of your team, we are talking about “the way we do … [Read more...] about Shape Your Workplace Culture
Escape from Meeting Hangover
We have all survived terrible meetings. You know that feeling you have after a bad meeting where you are exhausted and unmotivated? It turns out that there is a term for it: Meeting Hangover. A recent article in Harvard Business Review reports a survey that shows 90% of workers have experienced this at least occasionally. Research also finds these root causes of bad … [Read more...] about Escape from Meeting Hangover
Developing Your Board for Greatness
As a Nonprofit CEO, I knew that our Board would be vital for our success. Here is a glimpse of the journey we took to build greatness in our board, starting eleven years ago when I stepped up to lead Higher Achievement. 1- Fearless Prioritization: To serve on Higher Achievement’s board of directors, we are fearless in requiring FULL commitment. Serving this mission must be … [Read more...] about Developing Your Board for Greatness