Quite often we find a team inside an organization with a certain amount of dysfunction.  People are quick to pick apart the reasons, “It’s because he does this, or she didn’t do that or……”  The blame game is very popular.  Most of the time teams are dysfunctional for a much simpler reason.

In reality most teams have a little dysfunctionality in them when they first form because people have yet to know and understand the work habits and basic behaviors of their teammates.

There is a quick and easy solution to this problem. 

First, get some basic information about each of the players.  I like to use an assessment for this that is validated not to tell us who does what better, but rather just who we are.  The assessment I use allows people to see how they behave normally, under stress and most importantly, what they need on a day to day basis.

Second,  with the group gathered I then facilitate an understanding of where we are all coming from and why people are different yet okay in what they are doing.  My groups have a lot of fun as I demonstrate our actions as just normal, yet different from one another.  We use some props and games to get ourselves to become relaxed with who we are, be open to how others are different and look at what we might need to do to be on a team together.  We don’t memorize letters or try to remember how we are supposed to treat each person, rather we learn to appreciate who each person is and respond to them as they are.

The best part of all this work is that it does work.  An assignment I did with a 7 member team in April of 2009 has netted cohesiveness, respect, calm, productivity and more fun in their work.

Check out your teams today and call me if you think a tune-up on working together might be in order.

Find me, Barbara, at 303-984-9271.

Wow!  2008 is really here!  As a manager/leader you now have the opportunity to have some fun.  You see, you can make fun out of anything, resolutions, work or what happened to me on New Year’s day……

You see my New Year started off so-o-o-o-o-o-o bad that my son commented. “Mom, you have no where to go but up.”   What happened was the septic system at my mountain cabin froze (more…)

You don’t often think about looking to Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol as a role model for your life.  But ironically he may actually have hit the nail on the head to all that is important to us.  Here is what he discovered for all of us to enjoy.

When Scrooge is taken by the Ghost of Christmas Past to see himself as a young intern in Fezziwig’s store they come upon a scene of great merriment and laughter.  It is the company Christmas party.  As everyone departs (more…)