Every organization must contribute in some way to a better world for some group of people, because if it doesn’t, it will, and should, go out of business.
Why matrix organizational structures became so popular I’m not really sure. There is certainly an element of flexibility and collaboration suggested by them, but in reality they are forums for confusi...
When it comes to establishing a norm for a team, a measure of judgment is required of a leader. While there is no doubt that the person in charge must set the tone based on a personal belief about wha...
What is the single most important behavioral characteristic or quality demonstrated by this person that can sometimes derail the team?
To tear down silos, leaders must go beyond behaviors and address the contextual issues at the heart of departmental separation and politics. The purpose of this book is to present a simple, powerful t...
These are the six questions: 1. Why do we exist? 2. How do we behave? 3. What do we do? 4. How will we succeed? 5. What is most important, right now? 6. Who must do what?
There is always that little voice in your head saying, What about me? Sometimes that little voice drowns out the cry of the team, and the collective results of the group get left behind.
The only way for people to embrace a message is to hear it over a period of time, in a variety of different situations, and preferably from different people. That’s why great leaders see themselves as...
The most well-intentioned, well-designed departmental communication program will not tear down silos unless the people who created those silos want them torn down.
Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think.
On a cohesive team, leaders are not there simply to represent the departments that they lead and manage but rather to solve problems that stand in the way of achieving success for the whole organizati...
Most people are generally reasonable and can rally around an idea that wasn’t their own as long as they know they’ve had a chance to weigh in.
Members of teams that tend to avoid conflict must occasionally assume the role of a miner of conflict—someone who extracts buried disagreements within the team and sheds the light of day on them. They...
Let me assure you that from now on, every staff meeting we have will be loaded with conflict. And they won’t be boring. And if there is nothing worth debating, then we won’t have a meeting. The
Keep in mind that a real team should be spending considerable time together in meetings and working sessions. In fact, it is not uncommon that as much as 20 percent of each team member’s time is spent...
It was astounding how much more comfortable I felt just being honest. So I kept going.
I knew that these people were not idiots, so the only thing I could attribute their insane response to was a profound lack of courage and intellectual integrity.
Hiring without clear and strict criteria for cultural fit greatly hampers the potential for success of any organization.
Good leaders drive commitment among the team by first extracting every possible idea, opinion, and perspective from the team. Then, comfortable that nothing has been left off the table, they must have...
During the Weekly Tactical, there are two overriding goals: resolution of issues and reinforcement of clarity. Obstacles need to be identified and removed, and everyone needs to be on the same page.