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How can I resolve a conflict?
When you’re in a conflict or confrontation it can be hard to think straight, making it hard to resolve the situation appropriately. Here’s a quick easy acronym to help: LEAF (Listen, Empathize, Action plan, Follow through) ListenA simple and perhaps obvious, but often...
Employee Involvement, What I Wish I Knew 20 Years Ago (Part III)
In my previous two articles, I related some of the key learning points that have been pivotal to my understanding and application of employee involvement and teambuilding concepts. These are the basics that, to me, make it work. I would like to continue this...
Appreciative Team Building: Creating a Climate for Great
Collaborationby Jay K. Cherney, Ph.D.(Published April 2, 2003) SummaryUsing Appreciative Inquiry with teams creates a climate that sustains synergy and collaboration. The principles and steps of appreciative inquiry are presented and compared with traditional...
Team Building Through Bike Building: A Perfect Gift For the Holidays
by Dolores Woodington I recently attended a team building program in Chicago. 130 participants from a major financial lending institution came together to take part in a team building activity to help build teamwork, relieve stress, and give back to the community. I...
When Brainstorming Ends Too Early
We’ve all sat through brainstorming sessions, and I bet this situation sounds familiar: Someone poses the question or problem and people throw out ideas for a couple minutes. Someone writes them down on a list or flipchart. This continues until a really popular idea...
Brainstorming 101 – How to Stretch Your Team’s Capacity for Innovation
by Peter B. Grazier Editor’s Note: Through the years we have had the opportunity to work with teams and other groups needing to find new solutions to problems or innovative approaches to their work. We are always impressed with the results. We have also been surprised...
Functional Silos and What to do About Them
A recent American Management Association (AMA) survey revealed that 83 percent of executives said that silos exist in their companies. 97 percent think they have a negative effect and 31 percent believe that silos have extensive destructive consequences. Silos are...
Celebrations and Events to Build the Team
by Peter Grazier Originally appeared in EI Network July, 1998 Through the years that I have been working with organizations, I have always been fascinated by the power of events and celebrations to pull people together. Since we spend our days working together and...
Coaching as a Competency
by Stew Bolno, MBA, EdM In sports, teams have coaches. They recognize the importance of the role and working with individuals in order to improve performance. It is presumed that the professional coach knows more about the subject matter under discussion, than the...