As a political junkie, I’ve been watching political coverage on news outlets lately. There are three words/phrases I’ve heard repetatively that I worry might creep into workplace discussions. They are: Let me be clear Look Listen All three of these words/phrases are time killers, a way to hold their place “in line” before getting interrupted … Read more
We exceed service expectations. Each of our values needs to make us somehow distinctive, and it needs to have behaviors that we use internally, as well as with clients and partners. I had an internal debate on this one. It seems that quality customer service is a basic expectation. Making it a core value was … Read more
We obsessively over-communicate. Each of our values needs to make us distinctive, and it needs to have behaviors that we use internally, as well as with clients and partners. Let’s talk about one-word emails. A one-word email to avoid: “Thanks.” In a world of too many emails, this one-word response simply adds to the pile … Read more
We are accountable, responsive, and timely. Each of our values needs to make us somehow distinctive, and it needs to have behaviors that we use internally, as well as with clients and partners. One of my favorite questions to ask workplace teams is, “Around here, what is the expectation for email and voice mail response time?” … Read more
This week we begin a new, seven-part series on core values. In previous blog posts, I’ve written about the importance of core values to guide work internally and externally, but over the past nine years, I’ve held back on sharing the values of Group Dynamic. Now I’m setting them free. This week is an introduction, … Read more
Bart’s team is stuck in a conflict cycle. It’s been weeks now, and a resolution hasn’t been reached. In fact, sides have been taken and the team is split in three different ways. Janice, Becky, and Rodney think that customer support needs to be completely overhauled—new scripts, new training, new management, a whole new direction. … Read more
Let’s revisit the definition of conflict. Conflict is a difference of opinions involving strong emotions. The strong emotions part is what makes conflict so draining and uncomfortable. When people become too drained, they need time and space to recharge and reflect. One positive approach to conflict that may not seem very intuitive to some is the … Read more
Compromise is one of those things that’s easier said than done. It’s also much easier to see a compromise between people in conflict when you’re not part of the conflict. When you are, however, compromise is that elusive old friend who’s name you can never quite remember. But compromise is a powerful tool. It builds … Read more
Let’s do a hypothetical. Your team is working on developing new software for one of your top clients. They have some complicated stuff going on, and they need a better way to track what’s coming through the warehouses, what’s exiting, and where it’s going in real time. This is a big project and there’s a … Read more
This week, we’re starting a new series on productive conflict behaviors. In a previous series, we looked at unproductive behaviors. You can find the first post in that series here. Going back to DiSC, some of these behaviors will come more naturally to you than others, depending on your style. For example, if you have … Read more