Nine Habits
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 […]
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 […]
— Howard Behar
How to re-instill belief and trust
Change can be experienced as either loss or opportunity. Sometimes change can result in a loss of belief or trust within the team. When that happens, it’s the responsibility of the manager to re-instill both. Inspired by some sage advice from this Dennis Reina article on Switch and Shift, we recommend these three actions: • […]
How lukewarm duos can get you into hot water
Here’s a quick quiz. Think about your relationship with each person on your team, and note whether any of them match the following description: You know some basics about each other but not much more. Your conversations are cordial and generally stay on the surface. You only really interact when the work requires it. There’s […]
A daily ritual to remember what matters
We’re a fan of team rituals, especially ones that help reinforce Teamworks habits like Purpose. Naomi Simon, founder of the online gift retailer RedBalloon, shares a great one. Every morning, over their first cups of coffee, Naomi and her partner take a few minutes to reflect on their work. They ask themselves: • What is […]