Unity, cohesion, and oneness are often ranked in the workplace right up there with rainbows and unicorns. They make pretty posters but are seldom if ever seen. Yet of all the fundamental qualities of successful teams they are truly the bedrocks upon which winning is constructed. As outlined in my prior column, mutual trust creates an unstoppable dynamic when a business creates an atmosphere where unity and cohesion can thrive. A unified, motivated team will prevail … [Read more...] about Heat vs Harmony
Trust But Clarify
Perhaps nothing else has the potential to insure and improve the effectiveness of a commercial venture than creating and maintaining a culture of mutual trust. With it the wheels of success can become greasy smooth, but without it, well, I bet you've already experienced just how toxic that environment can be. “Mutual trust is the internal harmony that converts a mob into a team”, so says Col. John Boyd acolyte Chet Richards. And unless one is constantly vigilant, “trust” can … [Read more...] about Trust But Clarify
It Takes Two To Tangle
Conflict and confrontation are just facts of life. To one degree or another we all face situations where two wills clash or the needs of one are in conflict with the needs of another. Some of us are more comfortable dealing with conflict than others, and while some of us avoid it at all costs, others seem to relish it and, in a way, go looking for it. Interpersonal conflict is becoming even more common as our society grows not only in population but becomes more culturally … [Read more...] about It Takes Two To Tangle
To Lead Is To Love
The focus on leadership in business circles is a fairly recent development, and for decades the accepted wisdom was “leaders are born, not made”. However, once social scientists got serious about it, leadership has been studied to the nth degree while looking at how people become leaders, how they get people to follow them, and what effects they have on organizations. Most people at some time in their lives are put into positions of leadership, but being in a position of leadership doesn't … [Read more...] about To Lead Is To Love
Cooler Heads Will Prevail
All our lives we've probably heard the expression “cooler heads will prevail” and given it mental assent, meaning we acknowledge it but really haven't made much progress in allowing the truth of it to change our behavior. Preachers and managers know all about mental assent. They can inspire and motivate a group who on Monday morning start their week like a house afire, but by Wednesday can't remember the details of what was said in last week's meeting. We can hear, acknowledge, … [Read more...] about Cooler Heads Will Prevail
What You Hear Is What You Get
When it comes to interpersonal relationships, customer service, and conflict management the single most valuable skill we can develop is our ability to effectively listen. There is a difference been the ability to listen and the ability to effectively listen, and the difference is crucial. It's been said that the definition of conversation in America is a competitive exercise in which the first person to take a breath becomes the loser. Funny, but how true! It's easy to just “listen” but to … [Read more...] about What You Hear Is What You Get
