Archives: Starter Ideas
Discover/communicate core ideologies
Core ideologies are the “almost never changing” foundation of your organization and are made up of your core purpose and core values. A solid core ideology becomes the glue that holds the organization together and the driver of all strategy and people decisions. Core Purpose: This is the “why” of the organization, and it’s not … Continued
Embrace flexible schedules
The days of the nine-to-five husband and the stay-at-home house- wife are obviously long gone. The days of working only while we’re at the office are long gone too. Thanks to the Internet and smart- phones, we’re able to work whenever and wherever we are. This means that organizations should take advantage of flexible schedules … Continued
Encourage arguments
Does your team get along well? Do you always seem to agree with each other? Do you have trouble remembering your last major team conflict? This may seem strange, but if you answered yes to these questions, then you’ve got problems. A team needs conflict to evolve. Think of this as Darwin’s theory of evolution … Continued
Encourage more ideas from your team
Do this in the following ways: Ask for (For example, what are the five dumbest things we do? What should we do more of? What should we stop doing?) Focus on ways to reward intelligent failure rather than punish for mistakes made Conduct open-forum meetings to discuss events, ideas, and issues Follow up on suggestions … Continued
Hire for talent
Modify hiring practices to ensure a well-rounded team, not well-rounded individuals. Most leaders create a list of skills and experiences they’d like a job candidate to have—things like two years of customer service experience, intermediate Microsoft Word skills, apparel industry experience, etc. Very few leaders have a feeling for what talents are required for the … Continued
Implement consistent meeting rhythms
Most company dysfunctions sprout from a lack of communication and alignment. The problems spiral downward as leaders feel like they have less time for meetings (often said like a dirty word) because they’re putting out fires. I often hear, “We don’t need more meetings. We talk all the time.” What these leaders don’t understand is … Continued
Modify job descriptions
Most companies create standard job descriptions and expect all of their employees to fit nicely inside that mold. While there are certainly some benefits to standard job descriptions, you’ll find that some will tie your hands as you attempt to create a strengths-based team. This doesn’t mean creating unique job descriptions for each individual on … Continued
Plan events for having fun with your team
These can include the following: Social events/parties: Getting together socially and as a team for dinner, drinks, a sporting event, etc. can have an enormous bonding effect. Getting to know people personally can improve trust and make for much more effective working relationships. Community service day: Plan a day for the entire company, or a … Continued
Spend more time with your best people
Most managers spend an inordinate amount of time with the poor- est performers on the team. That might seem justified since those are the people who need our help the most. However, as counterintuitive as this seems, spending more time with your strongest performers actually provides the biggest opportunity for team growth.
Understand generational dynamics
The baby boomers think Generation Y expects everything handed to them on a silver platter and can’t understand their work ethic. Generation Y workers are incredibly tech savvy and multitask like no other generation has before. Generation X is caught in the mid- dle of baby boomers who haven’t retired yet, and don’t want to … Continued