During the snowstorm last week, I flew from Reagan National Airport to Toronto and then on to Charlottetown (in Prince Edward Island). As the plane was being de-iced in Toronto, I kept thinking about the phenomenon, Captainitis, as explained in the Harvard Business School Management Communications Newsletter :
Captainitis gets its name from the sometimes-deadly type of passivity exhibited by crew members of multipiloted aircraft when the flight captain makes a clearly wrong-headed decision. …
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but there are limits to how far team members can take their opinions. All too often, team members forget to encourage a healthy dialogue among team members and turn the conversation into a debate of one idea versus another. Taken to the extreme, they can dominate the discussion, hoping to gain support from the majority.
In his groundbreaking book The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of …
We all know people who talk a lot…but say nothing. In a team setting, we roll our eyes as soon as the talker opens their mouth. We brace ourselves for their words, just hoping they will get to the point sooner rather than later.
To be an effective team player, be aware of the message you are trying to send as you speak clearly to your team mates. Try these techniques to enhance …
My daughter, Marina, was recently interviewed by US News & World Report…a feat her mother has yet to accomplish, but we won’t go there right now.
The article, entitled “Shooting for the Academic Stars: By picking top students and feeding their passions, a Virginia school lands on top†talks about Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a magnet school for Washington DC brainiacs. It’s essentially a high school version of …
Gorged on Thanksgiving turkey and looking for a “feel good†movie, my family and I went to see the new movie, “Enchantedâ€, an amusing collision between animated Disney classics in the real world. The premise is simple: a fairytale Snow White/Sleeping Beauty/Belle/Cinderella named “Giselle†from Andalasia, a land far, far away from Times Square in New York City. …
Most people dislike conflict. Rather than express disagreement, they will avoid the issue or withdraw from the conversation. On the other hand, some thrive on conflict and the thrill of victory, bullying their issue until they “win.â€
Conflict is a normal part of your team’s development, creativity and productivity. Managed effectively, conflict enables the team to communicate their differences, seek common goals and build a collaborative consensus or “win-win.†Managed ineffectively, conflict …
One of the best ways to educate and energize your team is to take a continuing education trip together. Not only will the team learn great new ideas, but they will also share in a powerful team building experience, if all goes well.
Unfortunately, many teams just decide to “up and go†and then return terribly disappointed. Charlene White, a Norfolk-based orthodontist consultant has some great ideas to plan a terrific continuing education trip …
Having spent the month of August on Prince Edwards Island, I was compelled to read the islands’ legendary Anne of Green Gables novels. In book 5, Anne of Ingleside, an energy vampire comes to live with Anne and her family, sucking the very lifeblood out a vivacious, loving family.
After a few months of living with the Blythe’s, Anne confides to her friend all the petty …
I grew up watching Morley Shafer on 60 Minutes and consider myself to be a “trailing boomerâ€. Last night’s segment “The Millenials are Coming†reported on the Millenials – those in their late teens to early twenties – in the workplace. Overall, a fairly balanced report and well worth watching. The last video clip emphasized the importance of “praise†– even for coming to work and doing your job. …
Want your teams to stay focused? Capture and post key information on the wall – on flipchart paper, whiteboard or the blackboard. Your team members will stay focused and on track as well as remember and …
