Ten Culture-Embedding Mechanisms (Part 1 of 4)
Repeat after me: “My organization’s culture is an outcome of what we collectively believe about the organization and how we behave alongside each other as a result of those beliefs.” So, what do you believe about your organization? Over the course of this blog and three to follow, brief introductions to ten culture-embedding mechanisms will […]
Weathering an Organization’s Culture
“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” I grew up in northern Minnesota. I’ve lived in the upper Midwest, northern California (Sonoma County), and southern California (San Bernardino mountains). I now live in Minnesota again. I’ve tent camped at 62° below zero and 112° above. Whether it’s high-end gear from an […]
Claymation Culture
The way your organization runs is a lot like the artform of clay animation, or claymation. As a leader, this makes you an animator. Other terms for this art form are “stop-motion” or “stop-action” animation. Either term may seem counterintuitive to what is expected of a leader…to keep things moving…ideally in the most helpful direction, […]
The Double-Edged Sword of Virtual Teams
Remember when, before video conference calls were the norm, the team was in the same room and we could clearly see the eye rolls, the understanding smiles, the two people in the corner exchanging glances and the boss getting increasingly agitated? Back then there were abundant visual cues that alerted us to more going on […]
Healthy Accountability… What a “Sick” Idea!
It was not a happy place to work. The mission was clear and meaningful. The people were good-hearted and good at what they did (for the most part). The customers were loyal…except for when they were disappointed, again. Something had to change. So, as the new guy in charge of operations, programs, and services, I […]
Team Values and Behavioral Norms
“Our problem is not to find better values, but to be faithful to those we profess.” – John W. Gardner Core Values are the foundational to shaping the behaviors of an individual, a team, and an organization. They influence all our actions, relationships, and work, whether we are aware of them or not. As the […]
Scanning for Danger: Building Psychological Safety on a Team
We’ve all been on teams where we don’t feel comfortable speaking up. We keep quiet even when we know we have something helpful or of value to add. Why is that? Self-censorship often happens in teams that lack what is called psychological safety. Psychological safety is what you feel when you sense the group thinks, […]
Team Development: Pains and Gains
Remember when your team began? They were so excited. They seemed nice, fun, agreeable, and really seemed to appreciate your leadership. Things have likely changed since then. It might feel like disagreements surround almost every decision. Maybe they push back on your leadership decisions or style and sometimes it seems like you don’t quite fit […]
Team Purpose and Design
You’ve heard it before: “Form follows function”. It applies to both physical and organizational structures. It applies to systems and processes. It also applies to teams. Team Purpose A true team needs to know its purpose. Without a clear purpose, it will make up busy work or simply take up time that could be applied […]
Why Does Your Team Exist?
You’d be surprised at how few people can confidently answer that question. When contemplating “Why does your team exist” it’s valuable to think like an ant. Ants are incredible creatures. A single ant can carry 10-50 times its own body weight! But even then, it cannot accomplish the main task of the colony alone. So, […]