You have an amazing, brilliant team! How do nurture the best ideas from them? First, create a safe environment and a trusting culture for your team. Role model this by being honest and respectful. Once you have a trusting team, then you can set the norm of “constructive conflict” in which people are expected to respectfully debate ideas. These are bedrock actions … [Read more...] about Get the Best Ideas from Your Team
Teamwork
Mastering Accountability
You had a great plan, but it didn’t work. What happened? All too often it is because somewhere along the line, someone failed to do what they promised and no one called them on it. They were not held accountable. Lack of accountability is a huge problem in organizations. In fact, Patrick Lencioni names this as one of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team in his great book … [Read more...] about Mastering Accountability
Say “No” to False Urgency
Some people and organizations are addicted to “urgency” – it gives them a rush. It can be intoxicating indeed – “Hey everyone, the boss needs us in the conference room ASAP for an emergency meeting!” And there you have heated discussions why someone just complained about the color you used on a recent advertising flyer – and what to do about it. Give me a … [Read more...] about Say “No” to False Urgency
Break Out of Analysis Paralysis!
We are overloaded by too much information! And the amount of data available to us seems to be growing exponentially. It is easier than ever today to fall into the trap of Analysis Paralysis – reviewing more and more information, while delaying a decision. Here are some tips to break out of it: *How Important is the Decision? Do you need the ideal solution or is good … [Read more...] about Break Out of Analysis Paralysis!
Improving Your Team’s Performance
One of the most important responsibilities of a manager is to give your team “growth assignments.” A “growth assignment” is typically thought of as an opportunity for someone to take on a project or responsibility that they have not done before. They need to learn new information and possibly develop new skills along the way. One of the most difficult challenges for a … [Read more...] about Improving Your Team’s Performance