How to Build a Team that (Actually) Embraces Inclusiveness

In my work with teams, I found that most people describe themselves as "almost always" or "always" inclusive. Yet, too often, I've seen those same people demonstrate subtle acts of exclusion and discriminatory mindsets that keep their co-workers off the dance floor. A few years ago, a young woman from South East Asia presented some promising new product research results in a department review. After the meeting, an executive intended to compliment her…

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30 August 2020

Communications / Leadership

The Cost of Leader Silence

The role of employee voice in organizations – whether in the form of work-related complaints, participating in decision making, contributing new ideas, or providing feedback – has been a topic of discussion and debate for over 200 years. The industrial revolution fueled the drive towards a greater employee voice via organized labor. The information era precipitated the rise of Organizational Behavior as a discipline, and a greater focus on encouraging employees at all…

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11 November 2018

Team Research / Virtual Teams

Too Many Cooks In Your Virtual Team’s Kitchen?

As organizations become more team-centric, and as globalization drives interaction across regions and time zones, the use of virtual teams has grown rapidly (SHRM, 2012). For organizations, the advantages of being able to leverage talent and resources across geographies and time zones can be a source of competitive advantage. For the individuals chosen to lead these virtual teams, the challenges associated with leadership are amplified by the nature of being virtual rather than…

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4 February 2018

Leadership / Team Research

Current Research: Lean Team Values and Relationships

Lean teams are the benchmark for best practices in manufacturing and field service organizations. With their emphasis on autonomy, continuous process improvement, and value creation, the appeal of lean teams has broadened to include most every function in today's flatter, leaner organizations. Yet, despite the popularity and well-documented benefits of lean teams, many fail to keep improving their work practices and value creation. Why do some lean teams meet or exceed expectations, while…

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12 November 2017

Coaching / Team Research

Current Research: Does Team Coaching Work?

The 1950's witnessed the birth of a number of seminal business ideas, including the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis; the Strategy Grid; Management by Objectives (MBO); and coaching as a managerial activity. It took another 20-plus years for coaching to move into the mainstream, though it was primarily focused on executive-level individuals. Driven by globalization, the reduction of hierarchy with a shift to team-based organizations, and the work expectations of Millennials…

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16 September 2017

Leadership / Team Research

Team Leadership Lessons from Athletes

Leadership is fundamental to performance in both business and sports. As a result, in the world of sports, most of the leadership research over the past 25 years has been focused on the appointed coach or team captain, versus athletes who demonstrate leadership qualities and actions on the playing field ("athlete-leaders"). The distinction is important because athlete-leaders improve team cohesion, athlete satisfaction, team confidence, and motivational dynamics within the team. Cotterhill and Fransen…

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9 August 2017