Team-Building

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.

Groups wield power at Whole Foods

February 20, 2014
For decades, management experts have praised Jack Welch as a model leader. The former CEO of General Electric was famous for firing the lowest-rated performers every year, causing employees to compete with each other to retain their jobs. John Mackey, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, rejects that approach.

Funny or not, Lorne Michaels leads

February 11, 2014
For many leaders, motivation means pumping people up to achieve a big goal within a tight time frame. Lorne Michaels, creator of “Saturday Night Live,” and his team face a hard deadline every six days.