In an ideal world, every leader would be able to choose only the best people who were best suited for specific tasks and who always interacted well with their teammates. But most leaders do not live in an ideal world… Leaders in the real world do not always get to choose the seeds that they […]
Category Archives: Educators Teambuilding
Steve Jobs, in a 1995 interview, was discussing the importance and impact of teamwork, and it was during that discussion that he shared a short parable of rocks and how they polish each other: “When I was a young kid there was a widowed man that lived up the street. He was in his eighties. He was […]
Everyone, at some point, has dealt with difficult teammates who seem to hold onto damaging beliefs or continually sabotage team progress with negative behaviors… For those individuals that you would like to help change, there are three powerful “F” words that you will find useful in future conversations. And, yes, all three of them are […]
Everyone is aware of the term “herd mentality,” and has likely seen instances where individuals adopt a very different behavior or attitude to crash through distractions as part of a larger group. Whether it is a herd of buffalo, cattle, antelope, or reindeer, we have heard of how animals congregate and findstrength and comfort in […]
Do you know what it means to truly be outstanding? Those who seek to be part of an outstanding team must go into the experience with open eyes, knowing that there will be great promise but also many issues that they will encounter as well. Outstanding teams are by their definition teams who STAND OUT. […]
One of the most important skills to be a good teammate and improve mental toughness involves the decision to set high expectations and never make or accept excuses. Winners are both intentional and accountable. Whatever your goal and whoever is on your team, your success will be determined by how willing you are to say […]
When people face adversity, when things don’t go exactly as planned, or when success does not come as easily as we feel it should, the first question many teammates will begin to hear, from friends or family or others outside their organization, is “what is the problem?” This is a very important question to consider, […]
A Style of Influence personality profile can improve your team communication and provide a deeper understanding of yourself and others. No group ever complained that their team communication was too good! In fact, most of the workplace interpersonal conflicts you may have seen or been part of are likely the results of relationships between people […]
Becoming a Team Player is not always an easy or quick transformation. It often requires a significant personal paradigm shift for an individual to move up through the four stages. Our culture has not always emphasized the value of teamwork. Heroes such as Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, and even James Bond seem to be icons […]
There is a very simple but effective activity that I occasionally incorporate into my team building presentations to illustrate the impact of competition vs. collaboration and which one inspires better team performance. The activity may sound familiar – it is called “arm wrestling.” I choose a fun way to get participants into pairs and have […]