Archive March 2014
Turning the critics into builders
In any decision-making discussion, it’s easy to get stuck in critic mode — picking away at every option on the table until there’s nothing left. And then you’re back to square one, which can frustrate team members and stall progress. When you notice your team stuck in critic mode, try asking questions that will get […]
How to get around decision dysfunction
Does your team have decision dysfunction? If so, you’re not alone. In our work with teams over the past 20 years, we’ve found that decision-making is one of the biggest challenges teams face. When the team’s decision-making is impaired, it can feel like a pebble in the team’s shoe — a constant irritant. Or like […]
How to buffer the work against the force of time
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the demands of time. As a manager, you want to ensure efficient progress — and that, funny enough, also includes routinely hitting the pause button to check in on the team’s progress. Here are three ideas, drawn from our own experience, to help the team […]
Getting time on your side
Time is a hot-button topic teams discuss when they’re using Teamworks to map the forces working for and against them. That’s probably because time can be a team’s secret weapon or its worst enemy. It all depends on how you approach it. Unfortunately, teams who feel most pressed for time rarely hit pause to think […]
Feeling uninspired? Pull out The Art of Possibility
Recently, we asked our colleagues at SYPartners and our Teamworks community what books are on your short list for any manager. We got so many great responses — from tried-and-true classics to new discoveries. So, we decided to create a new feature on the blog: Books We Love. Every few weeks or so, we’ll post […]
How to get around unexpected obstacles
Every project begins with a great plan, but unanticipated bumps and hurdles always pop up along the way. That’s when a reframing exercise we call “the obstacle course” comes in handy. Here’s how it works: • Grab a bunch of index cards, and on each one write down an obstacle blocking the team. • Talk about each […]