It is common for many organizations and individuals to try to avoid conflict.  In effect, it is treated as the culture equivalent of a four-letter word! By doing so, they’re missing out on the kind of passionate debates that are…

B W  Tuckman, as a professor at Ohio State University, conducted research about group dynamics.  This research led to the publishing of his Teamwork Theory , which identified a 4-stage process in team development.  This theory has become the most…

Why is building teams so important?  Look what teams in a business environment are & can do: They: Are the collection of the organization’s knowledge, experiences & talents Can challenge each other’s thinking Can generate a wider range of ideas…

As leaders we sometimes miss the signs that our team is not functioning at an optimal level.  Although the causes of this vary from team to team, there are some common characteristics that you can look for. The five characteristics…

There are a number of parallels between coaching a sports team and leading a business team. The late John Wooden is considered by many to be the most successful sports coach of all time. His UCLA basketball team won 10…

Part 1 on this subject talked about some of the causes of conflict and the potentially damaging consequences of unresolved conflicts in the work place. The good news is that by resolving conflict successfully, you can solve many of the…

Have you ever worked within an organization where there was never any conflict? None of us has! That’s because for an organization to be conflict-free it would have to be made up of perfect people. Given that none of us…

A team is not a bunch of people merely tied together organizationally. Instead, it is a group of individuals working together purposely as a result of motivation and mutually beneficial goals. One of the best views of teams comes from…