I Miss My Colleagues and the Room Where it Happens
Lamenting this past weekend, I took liberties with Aaron Burr’s line in Hamilton and thought, “I...
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Category: Teamwork
7 Ways to Share the Love on Valentines Day
Valentine’s Day is devoted to expressing love, appreciation and affection for others. Those ‘others’ do not have to be limited to romantic partners. Valentine’s Day can be a fun opportunity to express your appreciation for those...
Read MoreBruce Springsteen on teams and the ties that bind
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band provided the soundtrack of my youth. There was something magical about the chemistry and charisma of that ensemble. I felt they were a tribe of brothers whose bond seemed unbreakable. In...
Read More60 points in under 30 minutes – Teamwork in Action
33 shots in 29 minutes. 45 assists and 54 fields goals. 60 points in under 30 minutes makes history for Golden State Warrior, Klay Thompson. Recently waiting for a business meeting to begin, a couple of colleagues and I were...
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Are you a Decathlete or Specialist at Work?
At work, do you do one thing really well or have you developed the ability to do many things with a high level of proficiency?
I look forward to watching the Olympics every four years – not only to watch the amazing athletes who have trained so hard to get to this point – but to also observe how the athletes manage the pressures and intensity of the competition. How they express “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”. While locked in battle, how well do they work together and demonstrate respect?
This past week I was glued to the track contests and noticed the difference between what I would call the specialists (athletes who train solely in one sport) and the decathletes (who are required to master 10 different sports).
Read MoreConduct Team Meetings like a Yogi
We all attend more meetings than we would like. Some are more effective than others. Many are status updates or reporting forums while others are brainstorming or idea-generation sessions. It is rare, however, to find a team...
Read MoreLeadership Lessons from the Boy Scout Handbook
Sometimes what is old is new again. The Boy Scout Handbook was first published in 1910 and it has recently been used to turn around a troubled school and transform boys into men.
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In a recent episode of 60 Minutes that aired on March 20th, St. Benedicts Prep School in Newark, New Jersey was featured. The school, once a mostly white, prestigious prep school had fallen on hard times. Today the all-boys school is 50% African American and a third Hispanic – with the remainder white. The majority of the student population live in poverty and gangs, violence and drugs rule their neighborhoods. The odds are against these kids.
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The Dugout Dynamics That Create a Winning Team
When you attempt to dissect the winning formula for great teams it usually doesn’t come down to having big talents or experts. More often you find it is the intangibles – the communication, the chemistry, the camaraderie, and the coaching.
Read MoreTeamwork: 3 keys to keep arms locked in battle
As I watch my NCAA men’s basketball brackets fall apart as the tournament winds down (or winds up depending on your team’s good fortune), I have noticed an interesting body language phenomenon. I watch the guys on the bench. In these super competitive games, the players on the huddle together, with arms locked in solidarity as their teammates battle it out on the court. It is such a powerful demonstration of unity and fraternity. It says, ‘We are here, cheering you on. We believe in you.’
Read MoreHoop Dreams – Revisiting the essence of teamwork, one basket at at time
I hadn’t spoken to Loretta in what felt like ten years. I hadn’t played basketball with her…well let’s just say, in a very, very long time. So, when she called out of the blue and asked me to join a new women’s basketball league at a local park district in Chicago, I responded with a stammering “ok” that likely communicated equal amounts of excitement and terror.
Read MoreWhat Wooden’s words communicate
Former UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden died at age 99 on June 4, 2010. His legacy as a coach will live on and even in retirement – through speeches and books – he translated the lessons he shared with his championship teams to business professionals and anyone who wanted to discover the champion within themselves.
Read MoreFast, Intimate, Team Feedback
As a leader, you are always looking for new ways to engage and enlist your team. The following is an opportunity to consider.
With a mature and seasoned team, one of the most powerful and fast, exercises you can take your team through is one where the feedback your team hears is from each other – not you, their leader.
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