The too hard basket story: You and a friend are having a picnic by the side of a river. Suddenly you hear a shout from the direction of the water - a child is drowning. Without thinking, you both dive in, grab the child and swim to shore. Before you can recover, you hear another child cry for help. You and your friend jump back in the river to rescue her as well. Then another struggling child … [Read more...]
Working from home – What did we learn?
Remember lockdown? With just 2 days to prepare, many of us were suddenly working from home. New words entered our vocabulary like 'Blursday' because we had no idea what day it was and 'quaranteams' for online teams created during lockdown. We quickly learnt new skills. Like remembering to tick 'un-mute' before speaking in online meetings, or turning the camera off when still in pj's. Some of us … [Read more...]
Death by Meeting
Ever leave a team meeting ready to rip your hair out? It happened to me last week. It was a meeting that I attend regularly, with the same group of people who have known each other for some time. We're familiar with each other, know what our roles are and what to expect of each other. Our meetings are usually constructive and respectful. But at the meeting last week two guests were invited. … [Read more...]
Movie or Meeting?
Movie or meeting? What would you rather do? Go to a movie or attend your weekly team meeting? Most people would prefer their weekly team meeting. (Only joking). You won’t be surprised to learn that when I ask that question in training workshops, the consistent reply is that most people would rather watch a movie. Why? Because meetings are boring and movies aren’t. And yet, the decisions you … [Read more...]
It's time to replace the 'sink or swim' strategy for our new leaders
In one of the biggest ironies on the planet, we tell people "You’re so good at your job that we’re now going to give you another role (where you don’t do the stuff you’re really good at anymore). "Instead, we're going to promote you to a role where you teach others how to do your job." But here’s the catch. "Even though you may have spent years learning your trade or profession, we’re just going … [Read more...]
Team Diversity & The Power of a Question
‘Diversity in business teams’ has become a catch-cry. Whether it is gender, ethnicity, age or ability, the inference is that great teams need diversity amongst its membership. But what value does diversity bring to the team? For good teams to become great, they need to share a common vision, and ownership in the creation of goals and strategies to achieve that vision. Teams that are harmonious … [Read more...]
Don’t leave them guessing – tips for giving feedback
There’s a saying that ‘the culture of an organisation is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate' And let’s face it, most leaders would rather clean the bathroom than give constructive feedback. However, feedback, when delivered well, builds culture and performance within your team. People need to know how they’re doing and feedback gives people direction on the … [Read more...]
Walking the Tightrope
What would you do? Here's the scenario: A customer rings up and you take the call. The customer is calling to complain about a report they received from your company. They complain that the report is poorly written and contains a number of factual errors. You check the report and see that it's written by your manager. What do you do? 'Saving face' - it's a concept that we usually associate … [Read more...]
'Mood based’ working areas which eliminate a designated desk and chair, an emphasis on wellness and healthy working environments, blurred boundaries between home and work are all characteristics of the future of our working environment. Gone are the days of arriving at your office desk at 8am to start work, morning tea in the staff tea room at 10am, lunch at 12 and home at 5pm. Skype conversations … [Read more...]
Language Matters
There's a part of me that dies inside when I hear cliches. Business ideas described as a 'gap in the market' (seriously?), managers who talk about 'going forward' (it's quite difficult to go backwards), or 'blue skies thinking' (translated = I have no idea how to solve this problem). Cliches are overused expressions which lack originality of thought and clarity of intent. I'd rather spend time … [Read more...]