Archive April 2014
Synching up the team’s working styles: Part I
Note: This is part one of a two-part series on Working Styles, a Teamworks tool that helps teams better understand and play to each person’s strengths. If you’re a manager who would like your team to take the Working Styles diagnostic, you can sign up for a free two-week trial at Teamworks.is. Does your team have a hard […]
A way to boost creative problem-solving
Sometimes we’re stuck with circumstances outside our control. A vendor doesn’t come through, so we’re stuck with materials that are less-than-ideal. A budget shortfall causes constraints. Your brand’s story or goals have changed, but the old ones remain in public consciousness. But necessity can spark creativity if you examine what’s frustrating or hard about the […]
Want to get and stay inspired? Build a wall of quotes
Every time Howard Behar, former Starbucks executive and author of It’s Not About the Coffee, heard or read an insight he didn’t want to forget, he wrote it down. His office walls were covered with these quotes — which he used as both guidance system and launching pad for conversations with the Starbucks team. “Making these lessons […]
Books We Love: It’s Not About the Coffee
It’s Not About the Coffee is the story of the world’s most well-known coffee shop, told by former Starbucks executive Howard Behar. We were fortunate enough to meet Behar through SYPartners’ consulting business — and he introduced us to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who was looking to reinvent the iconic brand at a time when he […]
Check the team’s actions against purpose
When we talk about the team’s purpose, it tends to be abstract and aspirational. But, when it comes down to making the gritty, day-to-day choices, it’s easy to get pulled in the opposite direction. You want to reach for the stars; gravity keeps grounding you. Create a simple, gut-check question to ask in important moments, […]
Great ways to keep communication flowing
Whether you’re in leadership mode or management mode, the team needs to believe in you and your ability to guide them — and that makes trust and communication vital. Here are a three ideas to help make sure that you and the team are approaching challenges as one unit, united in understanding and purpose. • […]