There is a lot more going on in any organization than you are going to find out about by reading the Employee Handbook. For example: “What’s the culture really like?” “What are do’s and don’ts around the Big Bosses?” “What do I need to do to get promoted?” These are the kinds of questions that a good mentor can help you answer. Unfortunately, mentoring is a huge … [Read more...] about Make Mentoring Part of Your Culture
Culture
Is Your Team Overwhelmed?
Even the best teams get overwhelmed. In fact, high performing teams are subject to overwhelm even more than an “average” team since they have such high aspirations. Even the best teams need to pace themselves. Overwhelm can sneak up on us and be hidden. One team member who was interviewed for a recent article in Harvard Business Review said: “I was holding it … [Read more...] about Is Your Team Overwhelmed?
Is Your Team Too Collegial?
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?
Celebrate Your Wins
Learning from failure is great and I am all about continuous improvement. However, many of us do not take enough time to celebrate and savor our wins. A recent article in Harvard Business Review points out the downsides of moving on too quickly to the “next goal.” We miss out on three critical benefits: 1. Refuel Motivation: Celebrating an achievement provides a … [Read more...] about Celebrate Your Wins
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