Eclectic Change

Team Climate – Are you running hot or cold?

First let's be clear that we are talking about a team climate not culture. ?? We do discuss values when the team is establishing their Team Charter, but in realistic terms, we are identifying the behaviors under which the team chooses to operate.  A long standing, homogenized and non virtual team may have its own mini culture but given the virtual nature and speed of team formation, I think that focusing on the team climate is much better than navel gazing about team culture.  The key he...

Team Task Skills: Learning how to be the best at your game

Teams need specific skills as well as process skills.  (The latter will be discuss in a future post.) They need to be able to: set the priorities within their authority plan and manage projects develop problem solving tools determine appropriate ways to make decisions risk assessment and contingency planning track and measure results Probably the best resources that I have found for teams tools is: The Memory Jogger (Guide of Tools for Continuous Improvement and Effect...

Encouraging Differences Starts at Home

Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are.  Mothers are great for that.  While they have high hopes for us, the bottom line is that mothers want us to be happy.  Mothers also quickly learn how their children are similar and how they are are different from them.  The good mothers foster and encourage those differences.  I had a mother like, that even though she worried all the time about me. My mother tried hard to manage me . . . she figured out pretty quickly that I wasn't at all like h...

Team Commitment – Creating trust and confidence amongst team members

In my previous post, I discussed the importance of a Team Charter. Through the development of a Team Charter, members have the opportunity and responsibility to craft a shared purpose and vision for themselves  It doesn't have to be grandiose but something that engages them so each person feels a part of the whole.  This is the beginning of the possibility of commitment to the team.  But something even more powerful has to be present.  Team members will only be committed to the team as much as t...

Who Needs a Team Charter? (Clarity of Purpose)

Perhaps it seems a little time consuming or old fashion but I still find it useful for groups to develop a Team Charter.  Before explaining why, let's begin by defining the term. A Team Charter has the following components: a written document defines the mission or purpose of the team states the performance goals and the end products may include a brief background as to why the team was formed most teams include the ground rules once they have been agreed to by the members may also...

Creating Healthy and Productive Teams

In my previous post, I explained that you need to be a real team not just a group of people in order to develop high performing teams.  Next, I want to list the 5 pieces of the puzzle.  Subsequent posts will go into each one in greater depth . . . well a little more depth as these post are meant to give a high level overview about teams an working with teams. The five key elements to achieve high performing teams: Clarity of Purpose (e.g. team charter) Commitment (e.g. trust) Team...

Team Building? You don’t even have a group!

This is the first in a short series that looks at what are the key components that make up a fit and healthy team.  I work with a lot of teams and I often ask my clients if they are sure that they have a "real" team.  Unfortunately, it is much harder to great any team unless certain conditions exist.  Just having people report to the same person is not one of the conditions. What is a team? A team is a high performing on-going or temporary task group whose members are actively interdependent...

How toxic before you amputate?

Last September, France Télécom SA announced it would train all of its 22,000 managers to identify staffers showing signs of depression or erratic behavior after unions blamed a recent spate of suicides among workers on the company's recent restructuring efforts.  By October, the situation had worsened and a France Télécom executive resigned after the employee suicide tally had risen to 24.  One resignation?  A good analysis can be found by Gill Corkindale on the HBR Blog at that same time:  Why...

Staying open – the danger of assumption; the possibility of creation

“There are only 3 colors, 10 digits, and 7 notes; its what we do with them that’s important.” (Jim Rohn) This is an unbelievably profound statement and each time I ponder it, I am amazed at all the beauty and art that is created as a result of these three simple facts.  Now it is true that we have splintered and sliced and diced colors, digits and notes but it leads me to truly accept that there is "nothing new under the sun".  I have never been "accused" of being particularly artistic but I do...

OD Interventions – Future Search

What is Future Search? Future search is a PLANNING MEETING that helps people transform their capability for action very quickly. The meeting is task-focused. It brings together 60 to 80 people in one room or hundreds in parallel rooms. Future search brings people from all walks of life into the same conversation - those with resources, expertise, formal authority and need. They meet for 16 hours spread across three days. People tell stories about their past, present and desired future. Thr...