Blog

An Exercise to Expose Team Dysfunction in One Meeting

by Liane Davey | Apr 21, 2019 | About teams, Be a better team leader, Be a better team member, Communicate, Exercises, How to fix teams

What role are you playing in your own story of team dysfunction? Use this quick exercise to create personal accountability and get your team on the right track.

The First Steps to Create a Productive Conflict Habit

by Liane Davey | Mar 10, 2019 | About teams, Announcements, Be a better team leader, Be a better team member, conflict, Exercises, Right Words to Say

Building a productive conflict habit is critical to having a high performing team. But don’t go from 0 to 60 overnight. Use these 9 techniques to introduce low impact conflict on your team.

What teams can learn from Valentine’s Day

by Liane Davey | Feb 17, 2019 | About teams, Be a better team leader, Be a better team member, Communicate, How to fix teams

People are often disappointed on Valentine’s Day because they have grand visions of what would make them feel loved but the fail to share them. The same thing happens on teams: we know what we want, but we don’t communicate it and, instead, set colleagues up to disappoint us. Here’s an alternative to falling victim to the Valentine’s Day Effect.

Exercise: Fostering a Culture of Productive Conflict

by Liane Davey | Feb 10, 2019 | Be a better team leader, conflict, Exercises, How to fix teams

Too many leaders give their team permission to give feedback, to disagree, or to challenge one another’s ideas. Permission won’t drive action. If you want more healthy conflict on your team, stop giving people permission and start helping them appreciate their obligation.

10 Tips to Prevent Misalignment from Destroying Trust

by Liane Davey | Feb 3, 2019 | About teams, Be a better team leader, Communicate, Exercises, How to fix teams, Right Words to Say

Lack of trust is a common problem on teams and can lead to severe team dysfunction. Most trust issues can be avoided if you use these 10 techniques to get your team off on the right foot.

Are you too busy to be curious?

by Liane Davey | Jan 27, 2019 | About teams, Be a better team leader, Be a better team member, Contribute, Strategy & Planning

If you want to be strategic, you need to be curious, but execution mode reduces creativity. Here’s how to get into the right mode to be strategic and innovative.

What’s Wrong with Encouraging Failure

by Liane Davey | Jan 20, 2019 | Be a better team leader, Communicate, Right Words to Say, Strategy & Planning

The term “fail fast” is in fashion now thanks to design thinking. Unfortunately, most leaders aren’t clear on what types of failures they’re looking for and what types should be avoided at all costs. This article outlines the difference.

How to Manage Conflict in Virtual Teams

by Liane Davey | Jan 13, 2019 | About teams, Be a better team member, Communicate, conflict, How to fix teams, Right Words to Say, Virtual Teams

Virtual teams are hard on relationships and they’re particularly challenging for productive conflict. But avoiding conflict on a remote team is just as harmful to both your business and your relationship as it is on a normal team. These tips will help you work through conflict with a remote colleague so you can get back to business.

How to Deal with a Person Who is Easily Offended

by Liane Davey | Dec 16, 2018 | Be a better team member, Communicate, Right Words to Say

People get offended so easily these days. The trick is not to own their offence. Instead, use these techniques to engage them in a meaningful conversation where you both might learn something.

Passing on Feedback for Someone Else

by Liane Davey | Dec 9, 2018 | Be a better team leader, Communicate, conflict, Personal Development, Right Words to Say

Don’t get in the middle of feedback between your team. If someone comes to you, encourage them to share the feedback directly. Doing otherwise encourages passive-aggressiveness and reduces the value of feedback. Here are the steps to build that muscle in your team members.

Everyone is Pitching Something. Including You.

by Liane Davey | Dec 2, 2018 | Communicate, Horror Stories, Right Words to Say

Everyone is selling something these days, often themselves. The gig economy has us relying on friends to like, share, and refer and it can become too much sometimes. Tips and techniques to limit the damage self-promotion does to your life and your relationships.

When Your Teammate Needs to Vent

by Liane Davey | Nov 25, 2018 | Be a better team member, Communicate, Horror Stories, Right Words to Say

Work is hard. Sometimes your teammates just need a safe place to vent. As long as it’s just venting, it’s not a problem. Learn the difference between venting, gossiping, commiserating, and wallowing and how to redirect a colleague if their venting turns into something more insidious.