Recently, I’ve stressed how important engagement is as a team competency and discussed how this competency can be developed. Equally important is not to behave in a way which destroys engagement — something leaders do all to often. Interestingly, the source of these damaging behaviors comes from a leading expert in marriage therapy rather than…
I’m preparing to meet with the sponsor team for one of my clients later today. On the team are two senior executives and my client’s HR business partner. We already completed personality assessments, 360s and feedback. We’ve also prepared draft development goals to be addressed in coaching. Today’s main agenda is to have the goals…
Engagement is one of the six core team competencies. When a team is engaged, team members have open group discussions where they can build on each others’ ideas, innovate and create value. They are able leverage rich diversity of thought. This stands in sharp contrast to teams which work in highly structured meetings making presentations…
We spend so much time focusing on individual competencies — leadership competencies, core competencies and job-related competencies — that the concept of team competencies hardly gets considered. Yet, most important work is done by teams, and without the six core team competencies, the team will under perform. Let’s review these competencies, identify the team behaviors…
Lately, I’ve been blogging on ways to improve team performance, including team coaching. This blog piece discusses the actual process of team coaching, as distinguished from preparation, scheduling, sponsorship and measurement, which I have discussed previously. It focuses on the actual coaching actions and conversations that take place during active team coaching. Our team coaching…
We are regularly asked to conduct team building sessions, usually for senior leadership teams, many of which are global. My first response to these requests is generally “what are you trying to accomplish?” Once we get this answer, we are able to develop the right approach for the specific team. Team building can range from…
Team coaching is becoming recognized as the best way to create high performing teams, beginning with the senior leadership team. Well coached teams learn to exhibit real teaming behaviors: ·Group discussion vs. individual presentations ·Collaborative behaviors vs. siloed behaviors ·Open discussions vs. tightly structured format ·Building on ideas vs. reporting on activities ·Growth mindset vs.…
What keeps Millennials engaged and productive? The opportunity to develop capabilities that employers will value in the future. The requirements of this new generation of knowledge workers are clear: develop me or lose me. A recent HBR blog piece, If You’re Not Helping People Develop, You’re Not Management Material, makes this point most persuasively without…
Studies show that companies with effective boards are significantly more successful. A recent HBR blog piece, The Key to a Better Board: Team Dynamics, really brought this home, stating that boards “that are able to function effectively as a team have an 800% greater impact on firm profitability than any one well-qualified board director.” The…
Data now show what we’ve know for a long time. When it comes to hiring senior leaders, fit trumps skills match by a mile. A recent HBR blog post, For Senior Leaders, Fit Matters More than Skill, makes this case convincingly in pointing out that “of the 40% of leaders who are hired from outside…