Leaders Make Sure Results Match the Mission

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, the need for vulnerability-based trust is considered foundational for any team to be successful. When this trust is developed, we can have healthy conflict. Once healthy conflict occurs, even when there’s disagreement, team members are more likely to show commitment to group decisions. Then, because … Read more

Strong Team Members Hold Each Other Accountable

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, the need for vulnerability-based trust is considered foundational for any team to be successful. When this trust is developed, we can have healthy conflict. Once healthy conflict occurs, even when there’s disagreement, team members are more likely to show commitment to group decisions. Then, because … Read more

Healthy Conflict Leads to Commitment

Are individual team members slow to execute tasks which they may not be in agreement with? Does the team lack passion for their goals? If so, there may be an issue with commitment. In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, the need for vulnerability-based trust is considered foundational for any team to … Read more

Leaders Enable Healthy Conflict

When you hear “conflict,” do you a) think of healthy and open conversations around ideas, issues, and concepts? or b) recall disputes between and about people? Do you have a) interesting meetings where big tactical and strategic issues get disagreed about, but resolved? or b) meetings loaded with artificial harmony, followed by “meetings after the meeting”? If … Read more

Leaders Develop Trust

Do you have “meetings after the meetings?” Can you see people holding back their true thoughts the first time around? Would you face resistance if you asked people to be open and vulnerable with one another? In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, the need for vulnerability-based trust is considered foundational for any team … Read more

Leaders Know The Two Kinds Of Naysayers

I confess to a pet peeve – I cringe when people say some version of this: “If you’re just going to complain, you’d better have a solution. Otherwise you’re wasting my time.” If you say this, you may be ignoring the fact that there are two kinds of naysayers: Type 1: The ones who never … Read more

A Laundry List of “Level Two” Clues

In previous posts about the Four Levels of Maturity, we’ve explored the notion that Level 2 (Independent) is the most dangerous. At Level 2, people are generally: This is a dangerous place for a team member to be, because they’re not really working to be in sync with others. They tend to find reasons to … Read more

Leaders Know The Difference Between “Direct” And “Brutal”

Sometimes when leaders are urged to be more “clear” and “direct” with people, they make a clumsy attempt to do so, and end up accidentally being “brutal”. Brutality leads to shame, and diminished engagement. Directness leads to clarity, and improved relationships because of less guesswork and more actual work. Four habits to help you avoid crossing the line … Read more

Leaders Anticipate and Defuse Excuses

Aren’t excuses so predictable? You almost hold back from asking “Hey, Bill, have you got your TPS report ready?” because you know you’ll hear “I would, but I’m still waiting for Hillary to get the cover page ready.” If you know you’re going to hear an excuse about someone else not delivering, why not head it off at the … Read more