Team-Building

Ignite debate by teaming up rivals

January 23, 2015
Kevin Reddy, chairman and CEO of Noodles & Co., took a calculated risk in 2009 by hiring a senior executive who had a bitter history with one of Reddy’s top lieutenants. He figured that if they fought before, they’d fight again. And that’s exactly what he wanted.

Groups call the shots at W.L. Gore

December 30, 2014
To foster teamwork, give employees a voice. Let them work together to make decisions and they’ll collaborate more freely.

Put a lid on verbal free-for-alls

October 9, 2014
Because introverts and extroverts learn differently, customize your training strategy. A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works for everyone.

‘Yes, and’ works better than ‘No, but’

September 11, 2014
At first glance, you might not think im­­provisational comedy and organizational teamwork share much in common. But they do.

Leading a leadership team

August 29, 2014
Two critical functions must be fulfilled to make a senior leadership team work.

Pull your team in the same direction

August 27, 2014
Team-building exercises seem to be falling out of favor, yet several college basketball programs have turned to Navy SEAL-inspired regimens they hope will steel players for a run at the Final Four.

An easy way to gain compliance

July 17, 2014

Years ago, Steve McClatchy worked at a company that put him in charge of getting everyone to show up on time for a weekly meeting. His job was to set the agenda, lead the meeting and assign project teams. But there was one problem: Few treated the meetings seriously …

At GE, small groups run a big plant

June 2, 2014

In most manufacturing plants, a supervisor oversees the work of a few dozen people. But at General Electric’s jet engine facility in Durham, N.C., more than 300 employees report to the plant manager. These 300+ people thrive in self-directed work teams.

Pair up to foster more learning

March 6, 2014
Groups collaborate more effectively when individuals learn from each other. Give them a chance to pair up—so that they share their expertise—and you’ll build a stronger team.

LinkedIn CEO ready for ‘next play’

February 27, 2014
Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, frequently borrows a phrase from legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, who likes to say “next play” after every sequence on the basketball court. It’s a way to focus players on what they need to do to succeed.