In any area of management, you will hear phrases like being “on team” and “singing from the same hymn sheet” practically every day. The concept is simple and logical enough – managers and their reports are, or at least should be, working toward common goals and with...
Last time, we summarised the three major sources of team conflict identified by leadership expert Annie McKee (insecurity, desire for power and habitual victimhood). I’d like to explore what can be done to prevent these patterns from undermining and sabotaging the...
Here are some key tips I’ve come to consider core features of effective team coaching, a process that I believe should never be confused with advising and directing. 1. Dodge the bullet. The “bullet” comes in the form of an implicit supplication: “Solve our...
One of the characteristics of complex organisations is that they rely on different forms of expertise to function. However, problems arise when the experts are siloed in their own teams or departments, perhaps exchanging a few friendly words with colleagues from other...
Effective facilitation isn’t simply a matter of getting people together in a room. The facilitator needs to demonstrate some core competencies – subtly, but authentically. Participants should feel the presence of these competencies even if they aren’t fully aware of...
Let’s begin with a bad question: “What are the ingredients of a good question?” What’s bad about that? Actually, the second question is slightly better than the first because it focuses on specifics. The first question is just too wide (and too boring) to elicit any...
