Blog Posts Archive | Teamalytics

Shaping Cultures Where Women Thrive

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:34:00 GMT

Inclusive Cultures. Unstoppable Leaders.

If there’s one truth I’ve witnessed time and again in my years of coaching executives and leading people strategies across industries, it’s this: thriving women shape thriving cultures.

I once coached a senior leader, we’ll call her ‘Naomi,’ who had been quietly driving performance in her division for years. She was highly respected by her team, but she often stayed in the background in executive meetings. When I asked her why, she said, “I’ve learned to speak when spoken to.” It was a survival tactic in an environment that unintentionally rewarded the loudest voice in the room.

Through our work together, Naomi began to reframe her leadership presence. She started leaning into her own strengths by listening deeply, making data-backed points, and connecting and building relationships across the organization. Twelve months later, she was promoted to a role where her influence now shapes company-wide strategy.

But here’s the most powerful part: Naomi’s promotion didn’t just change her career trajectory; it shifted the culture. Other women in the organization began to see the possibility. Her authenticity opened a door for others to step into leadership without shedding who they were.

Belonging & Inclusion Fuels Dynamic Leadership

At Teamalytics, we’ve coached leaders to tweak their behaviors to become the best versions of themselves. When women leaders feel empowered, included, and have a strong sense of belonging, their performance and decision-making improve significantly. For women, belonging and inclusion are more than just a seat at the table—it’s being heard, valued, and supported in a way that encourages them to bring their full selves to work.

A culture where women thrive is not built on isolated diversity initiatives. It’s embedded into the daily rhythms of leadership. It’s how meetings are run, how opportunities are assigned, and how performance is evaluated, promoted, and celebrated.

Leadership Has No Gender—Impact Does

The organizations that succeed in building sustainable leadership pipelines understand that leadership excellence is not a ‘male’ or ‘female’ trait. Empathy, vision, strategic thinking, and decisiveness are human traits. The question is whether your culture makes space for every leader to exercise them fully.

I’ve spent my career in senior HR roles aligning talent strategies with business objectives. In every industry—from entertainment to technology to education—the pattern is clear: when women rise, the organization benefits. Employee engagement scores climb, innovation accelerates, and decision-making becomes more balanced and forward-looking.

Three Ways to Build a Culture Where Women Thrive

Audit Opportunity Pathways
Look at your succession plans, high-potential programs, and project assignments. Are women represented proportionately in stretch opportunities? If not, you don’t just have a representation gap, you have a pipeline problem.
Invest in Leadership Development that Values Different Leadership Styles
Not every leader needs to fit the mold of the ‘charismatic extrovert.’ Offer coaching and tools that help leaders harness their natural style and still drive results.
Make Inclusion a Leadership Metric
Hold leaders accountable for building inclusive teams. Measure it, discuss it in performance reviews, and reward it in promotions.

The ROI of Thriving Women

Investing in women is not a ‘feel-good’ initiative; it’s a business strategy. Organizations with gender-diverse leadership teams are more profitable, more innovative, and more resilient.

Perhaps the most compelling reason is that when women thrive, they model for the next generation what’s possible. They normalize diverse leadership, making it easier for those who come after them to lead with confidence and authenticity.

Naomi’s story isn’t unique, but it should be common. The shift happens when leaders at all levels commit to shaping cultures where women thrive.

Your Call to Action:

If you are a leader, take a hard look at your culture this week and ask:

Who’s speaking in meetings, and who’s holding back?

Who’s consistently getting the high-visibility projects?

Who’s being developed and invested in for leadership roles, and who’s being overlooked?

Then, take one tangible step to close the gap.

When we invest in women, we’re not just shaping individual careers; we’re shaping cultures that can thrive for decades to come.

The post Shaping Cultures Where Women Thrive appeared first on Teamalytics .

Optimize Your Team: Ketty Russeva & Nicolina Marzicola

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:47:00 GMT

In this episode, host Rohan Paul sits down with Nicolina Marzicola, CPO at Nielsen, and Ketty Russeva, Talent Development at Elliott Investment, for a candid conversation on the vital role of trust and authentic communication between private equity operating teams and their portfolio company leaders. Together, they explore how strong, transparent relationships drive performance and alignment, especially in high-stakes environments.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

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Developing a Pipeline of Women Leaders

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 04:58:00 GMT

I’d played in thousands of basketball games, and this one felt no different, until everything changed.

I was a point guard in the WNBA at the time, and I found myself in a situation I’d been in countless times before. I was the last line of defense on a fast break as the opposing team’s player dribbled to the other end of the floor. The only thing between her and the basket was me as I backpedaled at full speed.

Then I heard a loud pop. In that moment, I didn’t realize it would be the last time I’d step on the court as a player. The knee injury ended my career.

Just like that, my team was forced to pivot and step into new roles. Fortunately, we had depth. Talent had been developed, and the bench was ready to step up.

In sports, championship teams don’t just rely on their starting five; they invest heavily in their bench. The strength of a team isn’t just measured by who’s on the court today, but by who’s developing on the bench, who’s being prepared to lead in the future, and how intentionally that talent is cultivated over time.

Those same lessons apply in business.

If we want more women in leadership roles, we can’t wait for a vacancy to start developing them or sit back and hope they find their way there. We have to be intentional, strategic, and bold in building the path forward.

Developing a Pipeline of Women Leaders That Are Ready to Lead

Track Talent Like a Leader Tracks Performance Metrics
Utilize data to understand who’s rising, where women are getting stuck, and where to focus development. This includes developing clear metrics that measure specific goals, productivity, quality of work, 360-degree feedback, and progress in skill development.
Opportunity First: Empower Women to Lead Before the Pressure Hits
Don’t wait until someone’s in a leadership role to give them leadership opportunities and responsibilities.
Assign women to high-stakes projects, invite them into strategic conversations, and help them practice skills to lead under pressure. Look for ways to set women in your organization up to win this week. Experience builds readiness.
Be a Strategic Sponsor, Not Just a Supporter
Women need leaders who sponsor them. These are people in the room who will advocate for them when decisions are being made. Someone who says, “She’s ready, put her in.”
While women supporting one another is essential to advancing gender equity in leadership, it’s equally important for male allies to actively use their influence to open doors, advocate for opportunities, and help shift systems that have historically overlooked women.
Normalize Developmental Conversations Early and Often
Leaders should have regular career conversations with women on their teams. This includes conversations not just on performance, but about aspirations. Don’t wait until annual performance reviews. Instead, engage in discussions about goals and long-term potential as a part of regular conversations. This will inform development plans that help women build the skills and confidence needed to take the next step when the opportunity comes. Feedback is a gift and fuels growth. Don’t wait to give it.

How should organizations develop talent pipelines for women compared to men?

At its core, developing talent should follow the same leadership principles. The goal isn’t to lower the bar or create two separate tracks, but to ensure that everyone has equal access to what they need to succeed.

However, the approach may differ when developing women, not because their capability is different, but because their access often is. Leaders shouldn’t lower expectations for women, but instead, they should remove the barriers that prevent them from meeting those expectations on an equal playing field. Leaders can achieve this by ensuring women have intentional access to opportunities, addressing bias in evaluations, and recognizing the diverse workplace experiences of their employees.

At Teamalytics, we guide leaders in moving beyond empty platitudes, driving intentional strategies that empower women to lead with impact and unlock their full potential within the organization.

Just like my team’s months of preparation made all the difference when I got injured, the work you do to prepare and elevate women leaders will shape the opportunities they have in the future.

What will you do today to start building a pipeline of women leaders?

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Redefining Partnership: Supporting Women Leaders at Work and Home

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 04:59:00 GMT

Recently, several phenomenal female coaches at Teamalytics have shared powerful insights in a series on women in leadership. Their words challenged me to reflect deeply on my own views and experiences around balancing leadership and family.

I have the privilege of working with exceptional female leaders, both within our client

organizations and at Teamalytics itself. My boss, Susan, is one of the best leaders I’ve ever encountered—a phenomenal CEO who, alongside managing a thriving organization and active community involvement, invests deeply in relationships, including with my children, who affectionately see her as a bonus grandparent.

I’ve long believed myself free of stereotypical assumptions about gender roles in work and family life. Yet, a recent experience profoundly reshaped my understanding.

When my wife, Sharon, spent two months leading her film production team on location in Pittsburgh, the usual routines at home shifted dramatically. I was typically the one traveling for work while Sharon primarily worked from home. Now, the responsibility of being the primary caregiver fell squarely on my shoulders for the first time. The intensity of managing daily life—meals, entertainment, childcare, and more—revealed just how much Sharon had intuitively handled, even while growing her career and building her company.

This role reversal opened my eyes to the hidden burdens many women carry, often without recognition. My appreciation for single parents skyrocketed, and my empathy deepened for the pressure women experience when navigating demanding careers and family responsibilities simultaneously.

The lesson was clear: even partnerships rooted in equality can unintentionally become imbalanced. True partnership requires ongoing intention and mutual support. Recognizing this, I have a renewed respect for the resilience, determination, and intentionality shown especially by the women leaders I work with every day.

This experience strengthened my commitment to actively supporting Sharon in balancing our partnership at home and advocating for supportive environments for women leaders everywhere. It’s crucial that we all—men and women alike—challenge the false perception that women must choose between career and family. There is a middle ground, achievable through active, engaged partnership from spouses, extended families, and communities.

Let’s collectively rethink how we define partnership and support, enabling more women to thrive both in their roles at home and in leadership.

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Breaking Barriers: Building Bold, Resilient Women Leaders

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 13:17:00 GMT

Confident Women. Confident Teams.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
– Maya Angelou

In today’s workplace, women continue to lead in remarkable ways — often balancing results with relationships, pressure with grace, and expectations with their own authentic standards. And yet, despite increased representation in leadership roles, many women still carry an invisible weight: the expectation to lead boldly, but never too boldly. To be direct, but not too critical. To show confidence, but still seek buy-in.

This tension is exactly what Breaking Barriers is designed to address.

At Teamalytics, we believe there is no one-size-fits-all mold for leadership, and the same goes for women leaders. The leadership journey isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about aligning behaviors with goals, removing unnecessary constraints, and amplifying the natural strengths that already exist.

We use behavioral data not to label leaders, but to liberate them.

Many women score high in self-critical or need for encouragement, not because they aren’t competent, but because they’ve been conditioned to overanalyze, over-prepare, and internalize feedback more deeply. Others might have a lower dominance or urgency , not because they lack direction, but because they lead with collaboration and relational depth rather than sheer pace or force.

And that’s not a weakness — it’s an opportunity.

When women begin to see that every behavioral trait has both strengths and risks, it unlocks something powerful: self-permission. They no longer feel pressure to fix who they are — they learn to refine how they show up.

Here’s what we often find in the data:

High- nurturing leaders are great at building connections but may struggle with candor or setting boundaries.

High criticality can drive standards but may lead to perfectionism or reduced trust.

Low need for change might offer stability, but could stifle innovation or bold thinking.

Strong self-confidence creates presence, but without self-awareness, it can unintentionally shut down dialogue.

These are not flaws. These are adjustable levers — and with coaching, they become fuel for bold, authentic leadership.

Breaking Barriers is more than a coaching program — it’s a behavioral realignment. It’s a space where women examine their tendencies, challenge limiting beliefs, and build the muscle to lead with presence, decisiveness, and voice.

Because here’s what we know:

Confident women speak up more in meetings.

They negotiate more often.

They challenge outdated systems, inspire cultural shifts, and elevate everyone around them.

And yet, many still hold back — not because they aren’t capable, but because they’ve never had space to practice boldness in a psychologically safe way. This is that space.

With the support of Teamalytics tools, we’re not simply empowering women to perform better — we’re helping them feel safer in their own leadership skin . They gain clarity, confidence, and the behavioral awareness to lead with both empathy and effectiveness.

And when women lead like that?

They don’t just break barriers.
They remove them for everyone else.

Let’s build confident women.
Let’s build confident teams.

Let’s keep building workplaces where leadership isn’t about fitting a mold — it’s about living into your full behavioral potential.

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Representation Matters: Unlocking the Power of Diverse Leadership

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:17:00 GMT

This week, we discuss how diverse perspectives within executive leadership teams will drive maximum results. I sit down with three experts (Deondra Donald, Shalee Lehning, and Missy Forlani) who have collectively spent decades leading, coaching, and consulting across various organizational levels. All three strongly believe that diverse leadership is not just an ideal but a powerful catalyst for success . Their lived experience and professional insight as a Teamalytics Coaching Consultant set the stage for a deeper look into the data and the real-world impact of dynamic leadership.

The evidence is overwhelmingly clear: companies with greater gender diversity on executive teams are 39% more likely to outperform their profitability goals (McKinsey), and gender-diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time (Harvard Business Review). Furthermore, diverse leadership drives 19% more innovation revenue (Boston Consulting Group). Despite these compelling statistics—which present a clear business case—many organizations still struggle to advance women into leadership roles.

Shalee, Deondra, and Missy share their perspective on how to unlock the power of diverse leadership teams. They are committed to changing this by helping organizations leverage the full potential of their talent, ensuring that representation is recognized not as symbolic but as truly strategic and effective.

Missy Forlani

Having served as a woman in Senior HR Executive and Executive Coaching roles, I’ve spent decades helping leaders grow into their potential, and I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of diverse leadership. The evidence is clear: when women are at the table, businesses thrive.

Companies with women in leadership roles don’t just perform—they outperform. The se stats above aren’t just statistics—they’re a business case. Innovation, smarter decisions, stronger financial outcomes: these are the direct results of having varied perspectives at the table. And yet, many organizations still struggle to reflect this diversity in their leadership ranks.

The issue isn’t a lack of qualified women. It’s often a lack of intentional systems to develop and elevate them. High-potential women are still too often overlooked for stretch roles or receive feedback that lacks clarity. Leadership models still too frequently reward traits that exclude the power of collaboration, empathy, and balanced decision-making—qualities many women leaders excel in.

At Teamalytics, we’re committed to changing that. We help organizations build leadership pipelines that reflect the full potential of their talent by making leadership behaviors visible, measurable, and coachable.

Representation isn’t just about equity—it’s about effectiveness. When leadership reflects the diversity of the world we live in, everyone wins.

Deondra Donald

As a Black woman in leadership who has coached and consulted across corporate boardrooms, schools, and executive teams, I have seen firsthand that presence, performance, and potential do not always equal promotion. For many women, especially women of color, the path to leadership is not a straight line. It is a layered journey that requires not just skill but resilience, strategic relationships, and clarity in the face of inconsistent feedback.

What I have learned, both through my own rise and in coaching others, is this: high performance alone is not enough. Visibility, voice, and value must work together . I have watched brilliant women shrink to fit the rooms they have earned a seat in, not because they lack confidence, but because they were never coached on how to own their impact in ways that align with their authentic selves.

That is why I am passionate about measurable behavioral coaching. Tools like Teamalytics do not just give you a leadership scorecard; they offer a mirror. They help women stop internalizing vague critiques like “you are too much” or “not quite ready” and start getting language around their leadership wiring, communication style, and blind spots. When women are equipped with that kind of clarity, they do not just take up space; they reshape it.

Representation is not symbolic. It is strategic. When diverse women lead, they shift team dynamics, influence culture, and model what courageous leadership looks like. My role and our mission at Teamalytics is to help unlock that leadership voice and ensure it is heard, respected, and retained.

Shalee Lehning

As a woman who has had the privilege of leading, competing, and now coaching leaders at every level, I strongly believe this conversation matters. The gap in women’s representation in leadership roles isn’t about a shortage of capable women; it’s about a system that hasn’t fully evolved to recognize, develop, and advance them.

But even with the data, many companies are still struggling to advance more women into leadership roles. And from what I’ve seen — both in my own experiences and in coaching leaders inside companies — it’s rarely about a lack of capability. Instead, there are often subtle barriers that make the path harder to navigate:

Sometimes, women don’t have access to high-visibility assignments or sponsorship relationships that build readiness for the next level.

Many receive feedback that’s more vague than actionable, leaving them unsure of what to adjust to keep growing.

Often, leadership models still reward one narrow style, one that doesn’t always recognize the value of collaboration, emotional intelligence, or balanced risk-taking that many women naturally bring.

These aren’t unsolvable challenges. But they require more than just good intentions or diversity targets. They require intentional development and clarity around behaviors that build leadership presence, influence, and impact.

That’s the work we care deeply about at Teamalytics. Our focus is on helping leaders see what it feels like to be led by them and identifying the specific behaviors that they can refine to grow into the leaders their organizations need.

Representation isn’t just about fairness. It’s about fully unlocking the potential that’s already in the room. It’s time to move from intention to action – by developing, promoting, and equipping diverse leaders, we build stronger teams, smarter strategies, and more successful organizations.

Take a closer look at your team and begin building a stronger, more diverse, high-performing organization. Start by completing the Team Assessment — click the link to begin your team transformation.

Author Bios:

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Optimize Your Team: Jeff Schloesser

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 13:03:00 GMT

In the latest episode of the “Optimize Your Team ” podcast, host Rohan Paul has an insightful conversation with Jeff Schloesser, Executive Vice President at Bell Flight and retired Major General with a distinguished military career , including Commanding the 101st Airborne Division and Regional Command-East in Afghanistan . The show explores how to lead effectively in high-pressure, chaotic, and uncertain environments and break down silos to drive collaboration in large, complex organizations . Rohan and Jeff discuss critical leadership skills, including decision-making under uncertainty, purposeful delegation, and fostering cooperation and collaboration … T he podcast aims to help senior executives and leaders- of- leaders grow their teams and enhance their understanding of key leadership concepts.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

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Is Self-Help Really That Helpful? 4 Dangers to Avoid

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:52:00 GMT

The term “self-help” has baggage with a lot of people—even me! It can connotate an unhealthy obsession with toiling to be different. Or it can represent a sincere desire to be better. However you see the term self-help, I suspect you would agree there are some dangers that should be avoided in your personal growth journey. Here are four in particular to be careful of:

Focusing only on what’s wrong (aka not embracing your strengths!)
It may seem efficient to focus solely on what you can improve on, but it is still misguided to ignore your strengths. I tell my clients all the time to celebrate, utilize fully, and reflect on their strengths! It’s a huge—and healthy—part of anyone’s growth journey!

Pop quiz: Do you read your Strengths section every time you look at your Traction Plan? I hope you said yes!
Over-comparing yourself to others
You’ve probably heard it said that comparison is the thief of joy. It’s true! There can certainly be healthy comparisons, but it’s easy to push this too far. Make sure your growth is focused on simply being better and not endlessly comparing yourself to someone else.
Not celebrating who you are (aka losing your uniqueness!)
I tell teams frequently that we need to celebrate behavioral diversity. Maybe you see things differently or have a different style than the norm. If so, good! I have to remind myself of this fairly often—I don’t always fit the mold either. This reality leads me to a choice: 1. Feel guilty and isolate myself, or 2. Choose to smile about the ways I am wired. I’ll try to keep picking #2!
Using guilt as a motivator
Let me be blunt: I do not like guilt and shame! No exceptions, nope, just don’t do it. Strive to be better, yes. Live in the past and pile negative emotions onto ourselves, no!

I would love to see more people redeem the self-help term and ensure that we are doing the good version of it, not the dangerous one.

Dr. Chris J White is the Chief Science Officer at Teamalytics. In each edition of the Teamalytics Blog, he will leverage his coaching experience with over 15,000 leaders and his PhD in Statistics to bring you actionable insights that help address the people challenges in your workplace and life. Bio Here

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Leading Through Uncertain Times

Wed, 28 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

If you had to pick one adjective to describe all that is happening in the world right now, there is a strong chance – if not a high certainty – that you would pick the word uncertainty . The stock market is volatile and, as a result, is uncertain . Restructuring at many companies is causing employees to look at their future with a sense of uncertainty. The anxiety people are feeling about the rising cost of food, goods, and services is uncertain . Governmental guidelines are changing, and the businesses that need to adapt and redirect processes are causing uncertainty .

Uncertainty itself leads to an entirely new series of adjectives describing various situations and emotions, but all of those reactions stem from the fact that there are so many things around us that are simply, well, uncertain.

So, how is one to lead through such uncertain times? What should a leader do to alleviate the stress that is typically associated with uncertainty? How should a leader behave in order to bring their team through this crisis, or any crisis for that matter, successfully?

First of all, it is important to understand that stress, uncertainty, and crisis do not create leaders.

Stress, uncertainty, and crisis reveal leaders.

They reveal our true selves.

And they reveal the true leaders.

And strong leaders know which two mistakes leaders must avoid during times of crisis.

Do you?

Leadership is undoubtedly and ultimately about behaviors. Leaders who successfully bring those they lead through difficult, challenging, and uncertain times have learned, and continue to learn, how to be behave as authentic leaders. Although admittedly imperfect, those who effectively lead in times such as these behave in a manner that demonstrates a wise balance of thinking and acting, while simultaneously exhibiting collaborative innovation.

In other words, they avoid these two critical leadership mistakes.

Reacting rather than leading.
Presuming that what worked in a previous crisis will work in the current crisis.

These two key truths are critical to leading effectively through uncertain times. These are lessons that have been observed time and again throughout history by watching leaders who avoided these two critical mistakes … as well as by observing those leaders who have not followed them and failed. To word these two lessons from a positive perspective:

Successful leaders do not react; rather, they thoughtfully and proactively lead.
Successful leaders understand that what worked in the past may not work now, and therefore, they need to explore new and innovative solutions.

Leadership is not about being perfect. Even Moses, who effectively led the Israelites out of captivity, made these two mistakes while at the waters of Meribah. Part of leadership is, however, about learning from the past.

As you lead through these uncertain times, remember:

Thoughtfully and intentionally lead! Do not simply react to the crisis at hand.
Thoughtfully and intentionally learn! Do not presume that what worked in the past will work now.

Go lead!

Dr. Tim Gardner is the SVP of Coaching and Team Solutions at Teamalytics. Dr. Gardner is passionate about helping people live their best lives in every area of their lives. Bio Here

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Optimize Your Team: Scott Rauer

Tue, 20 May 2025 19:57:00 GMT

In this episode, host Rohan Paul interviews Scott Rauer, President of Akima’s Facilities Solutions Group and a 22-year Army veteran. They discuss how Scott’s leadership style evolved from leading military units to leading a large, globally dispersed corporate team. Scott describes his leadership style as collaborative, a facilitator with a low “freakout factor”. He notes the transition back to civilian life wasn’t natural, requiring intentional communication and trusting remote managers. Scott highlights key hiring traits: intelligence, transparency, and humility, advising veterans to humble themselves when transitioning. Scott sees himself as a “soldier for life,” applying his unique skill set to benefit the company’s shareholders.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

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https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/7Mld1h51wTb

OOPS – 2 Phrases That Accidentally Sound Defensive!

Tue, 13 May 2025 17:34:00 GMT

OOPS—2 PHRASES THAT ACCIDENTALLY SOUND DEFENSIVE!

What if I told you that I saw someone in the grocery store who had multiple better options but knowingly chose to get in the longest line (by far) at the checkout? Crazy, right?

What if I told you this person was you?

The reality is, when we get defensive, it’s like choosing to get in the long, slow line of personal growth. It’s like signing our name next to the statement “Thanks, but I’ll just learn more the hard way!” By the way, I’ve signed my name there many times!

First, let’s be clear about what defensiveness is and isn’t. Defensiveness isn’t disagreeing with feedback or correction you receive (this may be necessary), and defensiveness isn’t choosing not to act on input we receive (also necessary at times).

My definition of defensiveness is this: Attaching excess emotion to feedback we receive.

With that in mind, here are two phrases that can make you accidentally sound defensive:

1. “But here’s an example of when I did do….!”

I did a workshop for a team recently, and in the evaluations at the end, one participant said, “Chris, could you slow down more, especially on key points?” My immediate reaction in my head was that I did slow down countless times when I wanted an insight to really stick. So, who is right—me or them? The answer is definitely…both!

The participant is simply reminding me of something I’ve been intentional about and that I need to still keep on the radar. They didn’t say that I never slowed down; they just said I could still slow down more, and to that, I should simply agree and take the comment as a great reminder!

2. “But you’ve done the same thing…!”

This one hardly needs explanation, and yet I still hear it all the time! And of course I’ve said it or at least thought it many times. Here’s what it boils down to: It doesn’t matter! Can someone who has a struggle still effectively call out someone with the same struggle? Can we learn from imperfect teachers? Yes and yes!

Don’t let your mind chase thoughts like this and end up wasting mental energy and possibly missing out on some needed feedback.

As we all strive to avoid defensiveness, I’ll see you in the express checkout line!

*These two phrases are a sample of some of the content covered in the Teamalytics “Defensiveness” workshop module offered to teams.

Team Leaders, try this with your team: have everyone read the content above and discuss:

1.  What statement above are you most likely to accidentally say?

2. What can you say instead?

Dr. Chris J White is the Chief Science Officer at Teamalytics. In each edition of Teamalytics Blog, he will leverage his coaching of over 15,000 leaders and his PhD in Statistics to bring you actionable insights to help with the people challenges in your workplace and life. Bio Here

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Conflict Danger Ahead! Are You Ready to Pounce?

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:08:00 GMT

When forced to deal with someone else’s shortcomings, especially if that someone is a repeat offender, it’s easy to become like a cornered animal: senses on overload, ready to pounce on the next offense.

I was trying to think of an example of this with my wife yesterday, and I reminded her about when she packed up our car the previous Saturday after one of our kids’ football games and then couldn’t find her keys.

“They have to be here somewhere,” she said as she kept checking the same pockets over and over. My mom and stepdad were visiting that day, but their presence didn’t prevent me from being noticeably annoyed.

“Ugh, babe,” I growled while begrudgingly helping her search, “why don’t you put them in the same place so we don’t have to look for them?” To which I got a “Babe!” response right back. I clearly wasn’t helping the situation—or my marriage!

The key hunt seems to be a weekly occurrence, but I remember one time in particular that I ended up being the one to find her keys…in the pocket of one of my pants. Oops! Anyways, back to her issues.

Being ready to pounce doesn’t help your sanity, your perceived humility, or your ability to address the other person’s issues. It certainly doesn’t help the other person hear you when you are on edge, and isn’t one of our goals to be heard?

Think about someone you work with or live with that this could apply to, and own the fact that being ready to pounce isn’t helpful. Choose to lengthen your fuse.

This struggle reminds me of one of my leadership one-liners that I posted on Instagram (@drchrisjwhite):

“We get very annoyed with people who repeatedly offend in different ways than we do.”

Don’t let being ready to pounce add to the conflict in your life—there are enough challenges to deal with already!

*This is a sample of some of the content covered in the Teamalytics “Conflict Tools” workshops.

Team Leaders, try this with your team! Have everyone read the content above and discuss:

What is one pet peeve that causes your emotions to escalate?
Who could benefit from your choosing to lengthen your fuse?

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Optimize Your Team: Paul Zak

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:36:00 GMT

How can leaders build unshakeable trust within their teams? What does it truly mean to thrive at work and in life?

Join host Rohan Paul as he speaks with Dr. Paul Zak, a leading neuroscience researcher, professor, and author, about the crucial role of trust in organizations and his groundbreaking research on high-value moments. Discover practical insights on fostering psychological safety, the power of in-person connections, and how to cultivate an environment where employees can truly flourish.

Plus, learn about Dr. Zakl’s free 6S app, designed to help you build emotional resilience. Don’t miss this insightful conversation packed with actionable takeaways for better leadership and a more fulfilling life!

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

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1 Difference That Leads to Conflict… But shouldn’t! —Part 2

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Here’s a reality—with a big problem: In many relationships, at home and at work, opposites attract. But here’s the problem: Soon, they start doing opposite things! While people initially complement each other and bring out positive aspects of the other person, their differences almost inevitably lead to conflict.

One behavior in which a lot of duos differ is Self-Critical tendencies, which we measure with our Self-Critical rating in our Teamalytics* assessment. And to be clear, when I use the term self-critical, I’m not as much referring to people who desire to excel as much as people who can beat themselves up internally and whose self-talk can go negative more quickly.

Differences on this can lead to big conflict, with a more self-critical person feeling wounded by comments from a less sensitive type. On the other hand, the less self-critical person can become frustrated that any imperfectly worded comment ends up leading to hurt feelings or tiresome apologies.

Questions for those of you who are “Lower Self-Critical” People:

How well do you see that higher Self-Critical people are beneficial in that they possess strengths such as: Sensitive, Accommodating, Humble?

How well do you see the risks of your lower Self-Critical tendency such as: Deflecting input or blame, Not self-reflecting enough, Intimidating certain people?

Questions for those of you who are “Higher Self-Critical” People:

How well do you see that lower Self-Critical people are beneficial in that they possess strengths such as resilience, self-reliance, more comfortable taking risks, and less bothered by self-doubt?

How well do you see the risks of your higher Self-Critical tendency such as: holding onto mistakes, more self-doubt, taking input personally, avoiding conflict/tension?

The reality is that both groups can be incredibly complementary and can foster growth in the other extreme…if we’ll let them.

*This is a sample of some content covered in the Teamalytics Initial Team Workshop.

Team Leaders, try this with your team!

Have everyone read the content above and discuss the following:

Would you say you lean toward being more Self-Critical; in what way?
Who is someone different from you in this area who can be a good balance for you?

Dr. Chris J White is the Chief Science Officer at Teamalytics. In each edition of Teamalytics Blog, he will leverage his coaching of over 15,000 executives and his PhD in Statistics to bring you actionable insights to help with the people challenges in your workplace and life. Bio Here

The post 1 Difference That Leads to Conflict… But shouldn’t! —Part 2 appeared first on Teamalytics .

1 Difference That Leads to Conflict… But shouldn’t! —Part 1

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 04:41:31 GMT

Here’s a reality—with a big problem: In many relationships, at home and at work, opposites attract. But here’s the problem: Soon, they start doing opposite things! While people initially complement each other and bring out positive aspects of the other person, their differences almost inevitably lead to conflict.

One behavior that a lot of duos differ is in regard to detail-orientation and tidiness, which we call Need for Order in our Teamalytics* assessment. I’m very organized and methodical and my wife is…well, not! She’s amazing, but her strength isn’t meticulousness, and she has been known to misplace things.

The interesting thing is that our wiring on this trait has been incredibly consistent for over two decades of marriage, and yet our conflict has lessened significantly. So, if our behavior hasn’t changed, our attitudes must have. Here are questions for both ends of the spectrum to help gauge your attitude:

Questions for those who may have a “Lower Need for Order”:

How well do you see that higher Need for Order people are beneficial in that they possess strengths such as: Organized, Thorough, Structured, Planful, and Precise?
How well do you see the risks of your lower Need for Order tendency such as: Being less organized, Difficulty tracking details, Being less list-oriented or system-focused?

Questions for those who may have a “Higher Need for Order”:

How well do you see that lower Need for Order people are beneficial in that they possess strengths such as: Comfortable in undefined situations, can spin multiple plates, Adaptable?
How well do you see the risks of your higher Need for Order tendency, such as: lacking spontaneity, being overly tactical versus strategic, and slowing things down when caught up in details?

I think I might print this article and give it to my wife…I just hope she doesn’t misplace it!

*This is a sample of some of the content covered in the Teamalytics Initial Team Workshop.

Team Leaders, try this with your team: have everyone read the content above and discuss the following:

Are you higher or more moderate/lower on Need for Order?
Who is someone different from you in this area whom you can be too quick to judge?

Dr. Chris J White is the Chief Science Officer at Teamalytics, and in each edition of Growth Guide, he will leverage his coaching of over 15,000 executives and his PhD in Statistics to bring you actionable insights to help with the people challenges in your workplace and life. Bio Here

Optimize Your Team: Rod Smith

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:08:00 GMT

Ready to build strong teams for a complex world ? In this month’s “Optimize Your Team” episode, host Rohan Paul speaks with Rod Smith, Former Air Force Academy leadership instructor, AK Rice Institute, and Adaptive Leadership Network board member.

Join Rohan’s insightful conversation with Rod as they dive into foundational leadership concepts. You might be surprised where the conversation goes – exploring themes like creating protect ive space s for teams, the importance of values, and even the role of love as ‘the joining of the separated’ in leadership …

Get ready for a thought-provoking discussion that goes beyond the surface of traditional leadership advice. Discover practical takeaways you can apply today to navigate the increasing complexity of our world…

Key Takeaways:

Starting with the end in mind and focusing on the impact

Creating a values-based space for team engagement

Understanding and addressing separations within teams and between individuals

Discovering the unexpected power of hope, trust, integrity, and forgiveness in building stronger teams

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

The post Optimize Your Team: Rod Smith appeared first on Teamalytics .

Lead your team through change with confidence

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 07:22:03 GMT

Emerging leaders sometimes struggle to embrace change. Just when they feel like they’ve established a routine and some semblance of authority, an organizational change or problem arises that rocks the boat.

But you don’t have to fumble through changes as a leader without a framework. There are best practices when it comes to change management, and they fall under three categories: preparation, implementation, and analysis.

Preparation

The first question to ask yourself when preparing for change as a leader is whether the change is adaptive or transformational. According to Harvard Business School Online , adaptive changes are small and gradual while transformational changes are large and sometimes sudden.

Adaptive changes typically arise in response to a problem, but don’t require largescale cultural or organizational change. Adaptive changes may be driven by team members in a grassroots effort to improve the workplace incrementally over time, or they can come from leadership. An example would be shifting the time your team has an all-staff meeting in response to workflow issues.

Transformational change, in contrast, is typically a top-down decision that will have major effects on the entire team or organization. This refers to company-wide policy changes like remote work requirements, scope changes related to products and locations, or culture changes as a result of organizational restructuring or mergers.

Once you know whether the change is adaptive or transformational, you can begin preparing your team. In general, transformational changes will be more difficult to navigate. Host listening sessions with your team to get a sense of how the change is perceived. Communicate openly about the rationale for the change, and be honest if the decision is not up for debate. Withholding information or implying something is not final when it actually is will build ill will in the long run.

Implementation

When a change rolls out or goes live, the implementation phase begins. As a leader during this stage, your main job is to shepherd your team through any unforeseen issues that arise.

Trust is crucial to team success , so look at a change as your opportunity to demonstrate your trustworthiness through transparency, reliability, and flexibility. If your team is staying late for a few days, stay late with them to cheer them on. If they have concerns, be their advocate to your own leadership and elevate their questions.

The main thing to remember about the implementation phase is: it’s temporary. Remind your team of this fact if they start to seem overwhelmed or discouraged. It may also help morale to gather team input for a future review session during which the change will be analyzed and evaluated by leaders.

Analysis

Whether you’re implementing an adaptive change for your own team or spearheading a company-wide transformational change, feedback and analysis should always be part of the change management process.

Schedule an analysis session from the earliest stages of planning a change. If it’s something simple like moving a meeting time, this could be as easy as scheduling a survey to go out two weeks after the change to gather team feedback. If it’s a bigger or more nebulous change, organize meetings among leaders during which team feedback will be reviewed in depth.

One important thing to note is that even if everything didn’t go perfectly (pro tip: it never will), that doesn’t mean the change was wrong or unnecessary. As a leader, it is your job to assess all the relevant data and then move forward with the decision that is best overall for the team, company, and shareholders, even in the face of some resistance.

An analysis session, therefore, doesn’t necessarily mean you will go back on your decisions. But it should include team feedback and a willingness to tweak or pivot where necessary for the good of the team. The knowledge that this type of session exists will do a lot for team member buy-in to a change.

Don’t go it alone

If change management still seems overwhelming, consider getting some help from your peers and an expert coach. Here at Teamalytics, we’ve distilled three decades of experience working with top-tier leaders into an eight-session, asynchronous online program that is designed to educate emerging leaders at any level.

Session topics include effective communication, role clarity, and yes, change management. Not only will you go more in depth on best practices, you will also get to practice real world scenarios in a cohort of your peers with the assistance of a coach.

Stop going it alone as a leader today. Sign up for Team Leader Foundations instead.

Root Out 3 Root Causes of Workplace Conflict

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 07:28:59 GMT

Emerging leaders tend to struggle when it comes to conflict mediation. Whether you were promoted from within an organization or hired from the outside, demonstrating your ability to navigate conflict as a leader is critical to gaining the respect and trust of your team.

A conflict resolution skill set begins with the ability to see past the surface and identify the root causes of many common conflicts in the workplace: generational differences, poor communication, and organizational change.

Generational differences

Today’s workforce is made up of five distinct generations , encompassing the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Just hearing those titles likely brought negative stereotypes to mind, so the first step is to notice that tendency within yourself.

Next, it is important to take your team’s generational breadth into consideration when addressing conflict. Often team members from different generations have the same ultimate goal–team success–but disagree when it comes to the prioritization of different aspects of a project or the way in which a task should be accomplished.

As a leader, if you can see past the minutiae and remind the team that everyone is working toward a common goal, you’ll start from a place of connection rather than isolation. Then, you can help each party see ways in which they might adapt to one another’s preferences while still achieving group success.

Poor communication

There’s a reason every business publication seems to talk about communication ad nauseam: poor communication is the root cause of many workplace problems. As the leader, it’s your responsibility to communicate expectations in a clear manner and to draw boundaries around appropriate workplace behavior.

Excellent communication starts with you. Leaders assign roles and responsibilities to their team members, and clarity in this task is essential to ensuring all future communication is productive. Role clarity ensures that team members don’t step on each other’s toes by repeating work or overlooking certain duties.

In addition, spearheading the creation of a social contract or formal behavior standard upfront sets you up for success down the line when conflict inevitably arises. You can fall back on the expectations laid out in the document rather than come up with rationale for conflict intervention on the spot.

Organizational change

Finally, organizational change can bring out the worst in people, especially if they don’t have strong leadership. Team members may feel vulnerable and uncertain of job security during times of upheaval in the workplace, which can lead to negative behaviors .

As a leader, preparing your team for upcoming organizational changes through clear and early communication is a must. The more transparent you can be, the better, even when it means admitting that something hasn’t gone according to plan. This maintains trust with your team instead of sowing discord.

Conflict among team members can arise when expectations about how a change will play out are unmet. Sometimes leaders feel overwhelmed because they, like their team, can’t predict the future and know how everything will end up. But their job necessitates the ability to cast a hopeful vision and shepherd everyone toward it.

Your path to improvement

If you are relatively new to leadership and struggling with conflict resolution skills, our Team Leader Foundations course can help. An eight-session, online program created for leaders of any level, Team Leader Foundations will equip you with the ability to identify, navigate, and resolve conflicts among your team members.

In addition, you will be assigned a cohort of similar leaders with whom you can role play conflict mediation using real-life examples. Expert coaches will weigh in on areas in which you excel and areas of constraint that need your attention.

Inquire about the Team Leader Foundations program today to take your first step toward confidence in professional conflict resolution.

Optimize Your Team: Shalee Lehning

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:59:00 GMT

In this month’s episode of the “Optimize Your Team” podcast, host Rohan Paul speaks with Teamalytics colleague Shalee Lehning. Shalee draws on her experiences as an elite college and professional athlete, including her time as a WNBA player and team captain, as an NCAA Division I women’s basketball coach, and as a collegiate athletic academic advisor.

The podcast provides insight into how lessons from high-stakes sports can be applied to the business world to create high-performing teams. Shalee shares practical advice for leaders, including the importance of clear roles, open communication, and the need to prioritize people while still achieving business objectives. She also highlights the importance of building strong relationships and the ability to adapt to changing team dynamics.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

The post Optimize Your Team: Shalee Lehning appeared first on Teamalytics .

Let’s Clarify Role Clarity

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 05:28:38 GMT

Anyone who has worked on a team knows the feeling of frustration that arises when tasks are confusing, forgotten, or done twice thanks to lack of role clarity. While this may seem like a simple issue to correct, many teams struggle with overlapping responsibilities and “not my job” attitudes. Over time, this can break down team dynamics and lead to higher turnover and lower productivity.

One role should be clear on all teams: that of the leader. And as a leader, it is your responsibility to ensure role clarity for all members of your team.

What is role clarity?

The concept of role clarity may seem simple. Presumably, each person on your team has a title and a set of responsibilities they manage as part of their job description. But what’s true on paper doesn’t always play out as neatly in reality.

At its best, role clarity means that each individual knows not only what their responsibilities are but also what they are not. In addition, they know the general scope of others’ duties as well. This means that when uncertainties arise, it is clear with whom one needs to speak to rectify any misunderstandings.

Team members need to trust that their colleagues will reliably complete the tasks assigned to them. Without team trust, the concept of individual responsibility collapses as everyone tries to ensure that everyone else’s job is done.

How to assign roles

It falls to the leader to assign roles to each member of the team. This begins with the job description defined during the hiring process, but requires editing and discernment as the hire begins to demonstrate their strengths and constraints in their new role.

Furthermore, a leader must take into account the interplay of all of their team members. If multiple people have the same strengths or constraints, role assignment can get tricky. This is why building a winning team made up of people with diverse experience, skills, and goals is crucial to overall success.

Role assignment gets easier when a leader knows their team well. Some ways that a leader can determine the individual strengths and constraints of their team members include:

One-on-one sessions: Regular, open-ended meetings with each team member to get a better understanding of their personality, goals, and needs
Peer feedback: Anonymous or informal surveys of team dynamics or individual performances after a particular project
Investment in vetted team development programs : Formal individual and team assessments that identify strengths, constraints, and opportunities for growth

How to tell if roles are clear

Once roles have been assigned, it’s important to check back throughout the scope of a project to ensure that responsibilities are not getting muddled. At baseline, most teams have a few people who tend to overreach and encroach on others’ tasks, as well as some members who struggle to complete even their own duties.

Ideally, an active and ongoing approach to role clarity will help correct this over time. The more granular the responsibility, the clearer it is. Some important aspects of a role assignment include:

Timelines : Not only a final deadline, but also any needed check-ins along the way
Boundaries : Concrete guidance on what to do if there is disagreement over task ownership or collaboration
Outcomes : A defined, concise explanation of what a successful project will look like

Not sure where to start?

The seemingly simple concept of role clarity requires team trust, clear-eyed assessment of individual strengths and constraints, a good handle on team dynamics, and excellent communication skills. If you’re feeling daunted and don’t know where to begin, consider signing up for the Teamalytics Team Leader Foundations program.

An eight-session online learning experience, the Team Leader Foundations program walks you through the essential leadership skills needed by leaders of any level. Expert coaches and peer cohorts come together to enrich this learning through the sharing of real-life issues and exercises you can bring back to your team.

Effective Communication Matters

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 05:31:03 GMT

A leader who cannot effectively communicate with their team, their peers, and the public is on the road to isolation, unpopularity, and possibly a relinquishing of their responsibilities. Because this skill is so crucial to leadership, many people who have risen to the top of their fields think they have communication mastered.

But that’s not always the case. Communication is reciprocal and unique to each individual involved, requiring constant assessment and adjustment. Furthermore, having a position of power can cause others to refrain from asking clarifying questions, leading to misunderstandings the leader never knows about.

That’s why leaders of any level can benefit from working on message clarity, active listening, and avoiding misunderstandings.

Message clarity

The first crucial piece of effective communication as a leader is message clarity. Sometimes leaders try to take a relaxed approach to communication in an effort to come across as relatable, open-minded, and quick on their feet.

While authenticity and adaptability can be assets, this does not mean a leader should speak “off the cuff” all the time. If tasked with communicating organizational changes, project specifics, or difficult news, it’s just as important that the message is clear than it is for the leader to appear warm or affable.

Social researcher Brené Brown often shares the phrase, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” If a leader withholds or downplays difficult information because they are trying to make their message more palatable, they are ultimately diminishing trust and compromising their position and the company.

Active listening

An important partner to message clarity is active listening. Your message should be clear, but then you need to actively listen to the response.

Many people think active listening means nodding your head and making eye contact while someone else is speaking. They may insert occasional sounds of assent to show they are engaged while making sure to put away their phone.

But true active listening also involves paying attention to your own and the other person’s emotions and body language. An active listener takes care to identify the emotions that are coming up and addresses them in the conversation. They are comfortable with pauses as they consider what they’ve just heard before responding.

In a large group setting, this skill gets even more advanced. Leaders must know how to read the room and address the tone of the group.

Avoiding misunderstandings

Finally, a leader must strive to avoid misunderstandings by taking into account the power imbalance implicit in most of their interactions.

If a leader takes a top-down approach to every decision without input from others, their team is unlikely to bring up valid concerns and questions due to fear of retaliation. Even if the leader asks for feedback, it may not be given honestly.

Trust is the foundation for effective leadership and team success. Trust can only be gained when leaders open themselves to feedback, admit they don’t know everything, and actually allow others’ opinions to alter some decisions.

Without this type of collaboration, misunderstandings abound and result in less long-term success. Leaders can avoid this by proactively seeking out the perspectives of others, asking questions like “Any thoughts you want to add?” or “What am I missing?” or “What is one thing you wish I knew?”

Over time, this approach will breed a culture of trust. Team members will naturally raise their concerns leading to better overall output and productivity.

Practice with your peers

These communication skills require practice, and there’s no better way to practice than in a safe and supportive environment of your peers. In the Team Leader Foundations program, leaders of all levels get to interact within a cohort to practice communication skills, improve their problem-solving abilities, and aid in conflict resolution.If you could benefit from eight online sessions meant to sharpen your leadership skills, one-on-one coaching sessions, and peer group practice, consider signing up for the Team Leader Foundations course today.

Optimize Your Team: Erik Qualman

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:17:00 GMT

On this episode of Optimize Your Team , My guest today is five-time #1 bestselling author and global keynote speaker Erik Qualman, who dives into his latest book, The Focus Project: How to Focus in an Unfocused World. As a professor of digital leadership at Northwestern University, Erik brings a wealth of knowledge and research to the table, offering practical insights and actionable strategies for tackling distractions, prioritizing what matters most, and achieving peak performance in our hyper-connected world. Together, we explore how leaders can foster a culture of focus within their teams and organizations, empowering them to accomplish more of the big things while cutting down on busy work . Don’t miss this conversation packed with expert advice to help you and your team thrive!

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

The post Optimize Your Team: Erik Qualman appeared first on Teamalytics .

The Trust Equation

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 05:32:28 GMT

Credibility

As you can see, the first element listed in the numerator section of the equation is credibility. This refers to someone’s credentials and capabilities. Credibility is factual: you either have it or you don’t. It’s not up for debate and doesn’t depend on someone’s perspective. Credentials are the most obvious part of credibility and can include things like degrees, certifications, and past experience.

Capabilities, on the other hand, may include being able to perform some of the tasks your team members do every day. While you don’t need to be able to do every job in its entirety, your team members will trust you more if you can demonstrate knowledge in the relevant areas.

On the flip side, if you don’t know how to do something, it is crucial that you are honest about it. This leads to the next element of trustworthiness: reliability.

Reliability

Reliability refers to someone’s consistency and integrity. It is able to be measured objectively. For example, if you always arrive on time to meetings over a period of several months, your team can objectively note that you are consistent.

As mentioned before, it is very important to be honest about your own knowledge gaps and constraints. This gets to the integrity question. Consistency can be positive or negative; for example, someone could be consistently slow at responding to email. Integrity, then, is the second ingredient of reliability that makes it a positive trait.

Leaders demonstrate integrity when they follow through on promises, admit when they’ve made mistakes, and keep team members’ private information confidential. This last part leads to the third element of trustworthiness: intimacy.

Intimacy

This element may not be as measurable, but it is just as important as credibility and reliability when it comes to trustworthiness. Intimacy refers to a sense of connectedness and emotional security between two parties. You are intimate with someone if they make you feel safe, seen, and secure.

While we may think we make decisions with our heads, especially in the business world, Trust Equation creator Charles Green argues that we often decide things with our heart and then justify it with our head.

As a leader, therefore, all the credibility and reliability in the world won’t matter if you don’t also have intimacy with your team. They need to know that you are emotionally intelligent, willing to be vulnerable with them, and able to endure professional setbacks without completely losing your cool and making others feel unsafe or attacked.

Self-orientation

While credibility, reliability, and intimacy are numerators in the Trust Equation, the denominator is self-orientation. This is the one element of the equation that you want to be low, not high.

Self-orientation is a bit like selfishness, but it’s more insidious than you might think. Green says a better term might be self-obsession and notes that it can refer to constantly being focused on one’s own perspective to the detriment of others.

In a professional setting, this means you are primarily oriented to how business outcomes will affect you, not the team or your clients. In an important meeting, for example, you are only worried about how you will be perceived, not about the topic at hand. On the surface you may not feel selfish, as you want to perform well so that everyone benefits. But if you’re always worried about how you will perform, you are primarily self-oriented.

As a leader, it is obvious to your team when you are mostly focused on your own image and well-being. If you want your team to trust you, you have to put yourself in their shoes and truly want the best for each of them. This needs to be demonstrated with both actions and words.

Team Leader Foundations

Trustworthiness is a critical leadership trait. That’s why it’s the focus of our second session in the Teamalytics Team Leader Foundations program .

This eight-session online program will teach you how to establish trust as the foundation for

team performance, go into more depth on the Trust Equation, and help you become more transparent, vulnerable, and honest as a leader. It includes one-on-one coaching sessions and peer group sharing to broaden your individual learning.

If you know you need to work on your trustworthiness as a leader, the Team Leader Foundations program can help. It’s self-guided, so start on the path to better leadership today .

6 Reasons Why Leaders Don’t Get Coaching

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 05:42:29 GMT

Many leaders are willing to acknowledge the benefits of executive coaching but are reluctant to participate in it. While they agree that coaching can help leaders streamline their strengths, contend with their constraints, and improve team dynamics, they don’t prioritize it for themselves. Unfortunately, they miss out on reaching their fullest potential.

Here are six reasons why many leaders avoid executive coaching and why none of them should prevent you from getting a coach.

1. Budget

One of the most common excuses used to avoid executive coaching is financial constraints. It’s easy to blame decreased profits, the prioritization of shareholder value, or even charitable giving for a lack of coaching budget.

But the reality is, a team that has experienced the benefits of coaching will likely end up more profitable than before. The improvements in communication, thought leadership, and team dynamics that stem from executive coaching serve to build trust among team members, and trust begets success.

In fact, trust is crucial to team success . It is the foundation upon which everything else is built. According to organizational health expert Patrick Lencioni, trust must precede conflict resolution, commitment, and accountability on the road to results. Trust will ultimately grow your budget.

2. Time

Another finite resource often named as a reason to skip coaching is lack of time. Executive leaders in particular have reached the tops of their fields; they have many responsibilities and the same number of hours in a day as anyone else to get it all done.

But in the same way that executive coaching pays dividends monetarily, it also will pay dividends when it comes to time. There is an upfront investment of hours, yes. But the skills gained provide a return on investment in the long run as leaders navigate conflict more easily, make decisions with more clarity, and efficiently develop future leaders.

3. Timing

Timing refers to the belief that coaching might be necessary, just “not right now.” In the wake of an organizational merger or acquisition or during a time of rapid growth for the company, it’s easy to put coaching off until a later date.

However, it is precisely during big cultural changes like these that coaching really shines. Having an outside voice to help guide and serve as a sounding board during moments of stress can keep you from making big mistakes and make sure that you start off on the right foot in new situations.

4. Optics

Sometimes leaders don’t want to get coaching because they fear it will have poor optics. If there was recent downsizing or the company is dealing with something negative in the public eye, leadership may be understandably wary about investing time and money in “themselves.”

But when coaching and its purpose is communicated with integrity early and often, it can actually improve public or organizational opinion of leadership. Especially in situations where things are going poorly, leadership’s willingness to look for areas of improvement among themselves can go a long way toward rebuilding trust.

5. Bad experiences

Another reason leaders might not want to get coaching is that they’ve already had coaching–and it didn’t go well. Some coaching frameworks pit team members against one another, while others focus too much on strengths or too much on constraints.

Not all coaching programs yield the same results. This is why it’s key to find the right program for you and your team. When considering a coaching firm, make sure you know:

Their experience level in your industry
The scientific validity of their self- and team-assessment tools
Their longevity in the coaching market
What happened at other companies after receiving coaching

6. Misunderstanding

Finally, sometimes leaders refuse coaching because they misunderstand what it is. It can be perceived as punitive if there are issues in the workplace. Some leaders also fear they will be talked down to by a coach, undermining their sense of authority.

Again, finding the right executive coaching program is key to avoiding these concerns. High-quality coaching should have:

Scientifically validated analytical tools that will aid in pinpointing strengths and constraints
An element of self-assessment and 360 degree feedback
A partnership framework between the leader and the coach
A long-term timeline for accountability and acceleration of skills

Here at Teamalytics, that’s exactly what we’ve been offering for thirty years. Our coaches have worked with Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, and military leadership. To find out if Teamalytics is the right coaching program for you and your team, download and read our free guide: “Key Considerations When Choosing a Talent Development Partner” .

How executive coaching helps the entire team

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 05:44:36 GMT

When budgets are tight and organizational dynamics are changing, it can feel hard to justify executive coaching. The optics could also be challenging if you do coach the leaders but not the downline team. Plus, who has the time?

That time and money is worth it. Investment in executive coaching has a trickle-down effect that benefits the entire team and organization. With the right coaches and accountability practices, executive leaders can improve communication, save valuable time, and streamline succession planning.

Improve communication

The first key improvement that results from executive coaching is better communication. Leaders pave the path for organizational culture and big picture decision-making. Thus, their communication skills are absolutely vital if their visions are ever to become realized.

This improved communication operates on several levels. First, a good coach knows how to rephrase ideas so that the leader can hear their own words repeated back to them in a slightly different way. This practice can identify potential weak spots and helps the leader better understand how their words may be interpreted by others.

Second, when working with a coach, a leader does a lot of thinking about their behaviors and values. This close study naturally informs the way they communicate with their team and subsequently reduces misfires or conflict. For example, if the leader has identified a high aggressiveness risk with their coach, they will begin to catch themselves before communicating in an ineffective manner.

Finally, clarity of thought for the leader leads to clarity of communication for the team. It is this communication benefit that saves time.

Save time

Improved communication means that leadership will spend less time clarifying their decisions and requirements for their teams. A choice that has been evaluated thoughtfully with the insight of a coach can be disseminated to the team with specificity and consideration for how it will be received, anticipating many of the questions that will arise.

Additionally, executives engaged in coaching learn how to address team dynamics issues head on, without weeks or months of undesirable behaviors wasting time and energy. This applies to executives themselves learning how to navigate disagreements at the top, as well as becoming equipped to lead team members through conflict.

Consider the time saved when a leader names an issue and facilitates a group discussion rather than enduring multiple one-one-ones filled with personal complaints. Sometimes individual meetings are still called for, but they can be concise and focused on values and goal behaviors because the leader has learned what to steer toward.

Streamline succession planning

Finally, coaching helps develop future leaders . When there is a focus on desired behaviors and values, leadership can begin to see the strengths and constraints of each team member and assign responsibilities accordingly .

This also applies to self-awareness: when a leader becomes familiar with their own strengths and constraints , they can better delegate tasks they need assistance with and focus their energy on what they’re good at. This gives team members a chance to develop leadership skills as they take on the delegated tasks.

Both of these practices streamline succession planning. It helps leadership see how different people operate in various situations, and makes it easier to promote within the team or even find your own replacement when you’re promoted.

Find the right coach

All of these benefits of executive coaching are not guaranteed. They depend upon finding an executive coaching team that is a good fit for your organization. You also need to approach the process with full engagement and a willingness to change.

Here at Teamalytics, we’ve spent three decades honing our proprietary analytics to equip our coaches with individualized profiles that are truly actionable. We operate on a three-step process: Awareness, Accountability, and Acceleration. It’s not enough for coaches to help leaders become aware of their strengths and constraints. They also need to build an accountability structure so that they can accelerate personal and team growth.

We understand that you need to know your investment will be worthwhile. That’s why we’ve created a free guide, “Calculating ROI: A Practical Guide for Measuring Return on Human Capital Investments”. Download and read today.

High-potential leaders have these three inner strengths

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 05:47:34 GMT

In leadership spaces, a lot of attention is focused on cultivating external traits that demonstrate strength: aggressiveness, energy, charisma, and dominance. However, leaders that truly go the distance and reach their full potential must possess quieter, inner strengths to fuel long-term success.

Three crucial inner strengths leaders need are self-confidence, self-criticism, and self-control.

Self-Confidence

A true leader possesses a wealth of self-confidence. This is not to be confused with outward displays of bravado or dominance. Instead, it is an inner strength that suffuses every part of a leader’s work with trustworthiness and integrity.

A self-confident leader knows that no matter what happens, they can weather the storm. When assessing risk, they tap their external and internal resources, make a decision, and move forward. They are secure in the knowledge that they made the best decision with the facts available at the time, even if the outcome is imperfect. Their team knows this as well.

Self-confident leaders can also integrate feedback without having an identity crisis, which leads to the second inner strength: self-criticism.

Self-Criticism

While self-confidence is key, so is self-criticism. A capable leader with healthy self-criticism is aware of both their strengths and constraints and acts accordingly. The goal is not to be outwardly self-deprecating, criticizing oneself in an effort to seem approachable. Truly self-critical leaders can maintain their authority while also making it clear that they are open to authentic feedback from peers, subordinates, and mentors alike. In fact, they seek out such feedback in an effort to constantly improve.

Another protection offered by self-criticism is narrative clarity. A leader who is unable to accurately assess their own constraints–either by being too hard on themselves or by blaming others for their own shortcomings–is unable to effectively synergize team strengths and bring about top tier outcomes.

Self-Control

Self-control is one of the most important inner strengths a leader can possess. A leader can have all the self-confidence and self-criticism in the world, but without self-control no other traits can be effectively wielded.

Self-control dictates how a leader responds under pressure, both to their own team and to the public. It boosts communication skills by building in a pause before actions are taken or words are spoken. Self-control also allows a leader to hear difficult feedback and accept it with openness. They can then take the time to deliberate whether or not the feedback deserves action.

Many leaders are taught to “strike while the iron is hot.” They are encouraged to be the first to speak, the most likely to take a risk, and the last one in the office at night. All of these things have their place, but without self-control, a leader cannot determine when it may be wise to listen first, avoid a risky venture, or model work-life balance.

Find your inner strengths

This list of inner strengths is just a starting point. If you’re a leader who knows you need work in one or more of these areas, Teamalytics can help. For three decades we’ve partnered with executives, coaches, military generals, and other leaders at the top of their game to help them unlock the next level of success by turning inward. Our proprietary analytics and expert coaching can equip you with the skills you need to experience longevity at the top of your field.

A leader is only as good as the team they lead. Take the first step toward greatness today by assessing your current team dynamic with our free A-Team Scorecard .

How to synergize team strengths

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 05:51:56 GMT

A leader is someone who, when presented with disparate people and ideas, can see a vision for a cohesive whole and then help bring it to life. On any team, each person has individual abilities and constraints, and a good leader can synergize the strengths to form an A-team.

Consider that you might be leading a team that has untapped potential. Maybe you need a little help developing this crucial leadership skill of identifying strengths, especially if you recently underwent a merger or organizational change or a period of growth. To bring team strengths into focus, consider looking back, looking around, and looking forward.

Look back

Begin by reviewing past team and individual performance. If your team has been working together for some time, you can look at past projects in detail. Note which team members excelled in which roles, and if any groups or partnerships appear in the projects that went especially well.

If your team is newly assembled or recently experienced turnover or growth, you may need to ask the new team members about their past performance elsewhere. Ask what they excelled at, what made them passionate, and what roles they filled best.

While you’re at it, ask the original team members the same questions to make sure their potential is being fulfilled. If you’re able, speak with former leaders of your team members, particularly if they work within your organization. Discuss how they utilized an individual’s strengths in a larger group format and make notes for yourself to reference.

Look around

Next, look around at the state of the team. Consider how your current project is going as well as how the team dynamics feel. Make a list of each team member and write their top three strengths by their name, then ask them to do the same for themselves. If there are glaring differences, perhaps it’s time to shake up some roles and responsibilities or simply discuss further.

If you’re currently in the position to hire or to let someone go, carefully consider the strengths already present and the strengths that are missing. Obviously you need to hire for a particular role, but different people bring very different strengths to the same set of responsibilities. Keep in mind what you are missing and seek it out.

If there are any team dynamics issues, take a fresh perspective by noticing the strengths at play. Perhaps individual constraints aren’t triggering one another; rather, similar strengths could be leading to a sense of scarcity and wasted potential. On the flip side, conflicting strengths could be causing a misalignment of priorities.

Don’t forget to include your own strengths in your team assessment. Perhaps you have strong communication skills or a great ability to navigate unexpected crises. Maybe you’re great at boosting morale or advocating for change. Take note of your top three strengths and ask yourself who on your team complements those strengths and who duplicates them.

Look forward

Once you’ve collected all that data, it’s time to look forward. Experiment with new roles, partnerships, and ideas. Play to each individual’s strengths and have them fill in gaps for each other. Communicate clearly that you are instilling alignment from a strengths perspective and are excited for the ways in which these arrangements will help everyone to shine.

This might be a great time to bring in a third-party team dynamics coach or to utilize a scientifically backed strengths tool. Often we think of formal team building as a reaction to negative behaviors and outcomes, but exponential results can manifest if you start from a place of health and set out to make it even better.

Here at Teamalytics, we have experience doing just that. Our decades of experience working with leaders like yourself has helped us develop proprietary tools that bring awareness, acceleration, and accountability to any team. We don’t just come in and point out what needs improvement–we help you and your team pinpoint strengths and work to synergize them both individually and as a collective.To start building a stronger team today, take our brief, 14-question A-Team Scorecard quiz and see what your next step could be.

Own your constraints as a leader

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 05:56:00 GMT

Many leaders find their way to the top of a team or organization by leaning into their strengths. This strategy is often a good one. But if you don’t acknowledge your constraints as well, your blind spots will inhibit you and those around you.

You don’t have to address your constraints out of a place of fear. In fact, there are many positive outcomes that will occur as a result of your willingness to see your whole self. Here are three benefits to owning your limitations as a leader.

1. Owning constraints builds trust

Perhaps the biggest reason to admit your own constraints as a leader is to boost trust with your team. Trust is critical to team success , as outlined by Patrick Lencioni in his landmark book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team . He posits that trust is the foundation on which healthy conflict, commitment, accountability, and end results are built.

His theories have proven true when studied: according to Harvard Business Publishing , high trust companies report 50% higher productivity, 76% more engagement and 74% less stress. These types of gains have large implications for the future of any organization that chooses to make trust one of its top values.

Admitting your weak spots as leader will help cement this foundational trust with your team. Everyone already knows you’re a fallible human being; your ability to acknowledge that fact–especially when you make a mistake–will foster a culture of openness, honesty, and collaboration.

2. Owning constraints develops future leaders

Some constraints can be improved while others are tougher to tackle. In these more intractable scenarios, it’s best to find a colleague who can support or even complement you in an area of constraint. This approach actually helps the team as a whole: when you delegate your areas of weakness to up and comers, you’re helping develop future leaders .

It is ideal for leaders to have some experience making team-oriented decisions before they are saddled with sole responsibility for the team. When someone is given the opportunity to take risks, experience setbacks, and navigate team conflict while still having a mentor in place above them, they can better hone their own strengths and constraints.

With this in mind, consider delegating the tasks related to some of your weaker traits. For instance, if you struggle to stay accountable to sending out regular communication, assign a high-potential member of your team to pull together a monthly update or weekly goals list for everyone. This will not only get the job done but will also help you see your priorities through a second set of eyes and get your colleague accustomed to big picture thinking.

3. Owning constraints jumpstarts growth

Every team is made up of fallible human beings. But with a great team dynamic, each person’s strengths and constraints counterbalance each other to make a more effective whole. If this reality is ignored, a team may wind up heavily weighted in one area and lacking in another.

You likely take strengths and constraints into account when hiring new employees, so choose to turn that mindset inward as well. Ask yourself what is holding you back, and imagine what potential for growth and productivity could be unleashed if your weakness in that area was addressed.

The crux of the problem, however, is knowing what your constraints are. No one sees themselves completely clearly, and you can only improve upon something after you know it exists. That’s why getting third-party and 360-degree colleague feedback is crucial to owning your constraints as a leader.

Here at Teamalytics, we have three decades of experience helping leaders and their teams jumpstart growth through the scientific assessment of strengths and constraints. From the boardroom to the locker room, we’ve worked with executives, professional coaches, military personnel and more. Take our short A-Team Scorecard quiz to get on the path of owning your constraints today.

Optimize Your Team: Chris Maheu

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 19:14:00 GMT

Our guest this month, Chris Maheu, has spent over a decade as a coach and advisor to CEOs and C-level management teams after retiring as the president of an environmental company. We talk about his leadership evolution and what he’s learned on that journey. We focus on some key themes that have resonated with his clients recently, such as building and accelerating trust and how senior leaders need to shift their focus as they progress in their careers. We hope you enjoy Rohan and Chris’s conversation.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

The post Optimize Your Team: Chris Maheu appeared first on Teamalytics .

Addressing team risks

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 06:00:40 GMT

As a leader, it’s natural to want to nurture team strengths. But if you ignore underlying constraints, eventually, your team’s performance will suffer. To create a long-lasting, high-performing team dynamic, it is imperative to notice, assess, and address the constraints you see in your team.

Notice

The first step toward improving team performance is to notice the areas in which your team struggles. It’s possible you already have a list in your head of the ways your team could improve. In fact, some leaders tend to focus only on the areas that are lacking, but that doesn’t mean you’re seeing everything clearly. If these issues have been occurring for a while, try to observe the dynamics with fresh eyes and note if anything specific seems to trigger negative team behaviors.

Whether you have a list of improvements or not, start by recording your own observations over a period of several weeks. One day of extremely poor communication doesn’t necessarily indicate that communication is an ongoing and deep-seated team weakness. Look for patterns and repetition.

Next, invite your team members to share their perspectives on team weaknesses. It might help to do this via one-on-one meetings or in an anonymous survey. Try to receive the feedback with an open mind. Make it clear that you’re not committing to fixing every issue that’s brought up; explain you’re collecting data to identify themes that will be assessed and addressed.

Assess

Now that you’ve pinpointed some areas of concern, it’s time to look for root causes. Every team is made up of individuals. Before you start implementing solutions, you need to break it down further and assess each individual for personal strengths and constraints, including yourself. Although your team may have shared their perceived team limitations with you already, when it’s time to look at individual behaviors, many people will not be honest for fear of retaliation. This phase is best done with the help of a neutral third party.

Consider bringing in an outside firm to assist with individual assessments, and be sure to emphasize to the team your own participation as well. When selecting a program, you want to make sure it has the following aspects:

360-degree feedback : self-assessment plus feedback from team members
Scientific basis : analytics or questionnaires that have been studied or validated
Interactive user interface : as opposed to a single PDF or printed results that you can’t return to or share with others
Human touch: a coach or dedicated professional who will help you interpret the results and make an action plan

Address

Many leaders stop there. After identifying concerns and bringing in a third party to further pinpoint issues, they send their team a one-time readout of the results and expect things to change. But at that point, all you’ve done is stir up discontentment without providing a path forward to a solution.

If you want to see real results, you need to lead by example and start the charge for change from the top. Trust is crucial for change to occur. Be as transparent as possible with your team about what you need to work on as a leader and about what led you to initiate this process. When you roll out action steps that aim to change team behavior, be sure to also schedule check-ins for accountability and to make your team members feel heard.

Don’t go it alone: lean on the expertise of the third party assessment firm you hired if possible. Here at Teamalytics, this type of work is our specialty. We take a three-pronged approach to helping leaders build A-teams: Awareness, Accountability, and Acceleration. For more than three decades, we’ve helped leaders move from the popular Awareness stage to the next-level Accountability and Acceleration phases. These steps involve crafting personalized action plans for each team member and scheduling feedback from coaches and colleagues.

To learn more about our proven three-step methodology and how to unlock your team’s potential, take our short A-team scorecard quiz today.

How to lead through change

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 06:03:50 GMT

Any leader will tell you that acceptance of change – big or small, expected or unexpected, internal or external – takes time. But if you’re navigating change and feel like you just can’t get your team on board, experts indicate it might be time to turn toward team dynamics.

Acknowledge the emotional burden of change

According to Forbes contributor and career coach Luciana Paulise, change and grief are not so different from one another. “Most managers consider only what the employees may rationally need to do their work throughout the change, but not many worry much yet about what the employee may need emotionally,” she says.

Paulise compares the stages of accepting a change to those of grief:

Denial
Anger
Confusion
Depression
Crisis
Acceptance
New confidence

It’s important to know that, also like grief, these stages may not be linear and may occur more than once throughout the change process. Additionally, if one team member is stuck in the anger or depression phase, it’s possible they will hold their colleagues back from progressing to acceptance and new confidence.

As a leader, acknowledging some of these emotions to the group can help team members feel heard and understood, allowing them to move through the phases instead of getting stuck. Set aside time in your schedule to listen to their concerns. Even if you cannot meet their requests, the fact that they were heard will go a long way toward acceptance.

Avoid common change management pitfalls

Experts at the Harvard Division of Continuing Education agree that change management success depends on so-called soft skills: “When change initiatives fail (and they do so more often than not) they rarely fail on technical skills (hard skills), they fail on the people skills.”

They identify seven common mistakes that leaders make when it comes to change management, and all of them revolve around the people skills of communication, collaboration, and culture:

Incomplete or poorly defined strategy
Rigid strategy
Lack of communication
Failure to identify and address resistance
Disconnection between strategy and culture
Unrealistic expectations
Failure to create and celebrate short term wins

If it seems like this is a long list to manage, you’re right – leading through change is no easy feat. These seven common pitfalls become a lot easier to avoid when you’ve already established a healthy team dynamic as your foundation.

In order to align your change management strategy with your culture, you have to have a robust culture in place. In order to identify and address resistance, your team has to be honest with you. If you have a history of struggling to lead your team through change, you might have larger team dynamics issues that need to be addressed.

Activate a strategy that works for your team

Leadership and team development done in-house only goes so far. If you have big changes on the horizon or have implemented changes that are not going well, it might be time to integrate some external guidance on team dynamics.

Be sure to look for a talent development partner that evaluates not only individual strengths and weaknesses, but also those of the team as a whole. Ideally, feedback from team members about leadership and about one another can be incorporated into an actionable strategy for team cohesion and change acceptance.

Here at Teamalytics, we offer proprietary analytic tools and three decades of experience working with leaders. We help companies scale for growth, nurture struggling teams, and navigate mergers and acquisitions. Change is a constant in this modern, complex world, and you shouldn’t have to manage it without support. We equip leaders with tools that serve them no matter what situation arises.

Above all, you need to find the best talent development partner for you and your organization. That’s why we’ve created the free guide, “Key Considerations When Choosing a Talent Development Partner.” Short and to the point, this guide will help you take the first steps toward hiring an external group to help you navigate change with your team. Take ten minutes to read it today.

Optimize Your Team: Chris Hunt

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:46:00 GMT

In today’s conversation, Chris Hunt brings his deep expertise and firsthand insights into the ever-evolving talent industry. We explore the expanding scope of executive search firms, private equity’s growing role in the human capital space, how AI is reshaping hiring, and practical tips for corporate HR teams on maximizing their partnerships with search firms. If you’re responsible for leading or building teams, you’ll gain valuable insights from Chris’s vast experience and industry knowledge.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

The post Optimize Your Team: Chris Hunt appeared first on Teamalytics .

How to brace for inevitable change at work

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 06:08:45 GMT

It is said that the only constant in life is change, and that applies just as much to the business world as it does to personal life. Many employees perceive workplace changes as disruptive and untenable, leading to decreased morale and declining performance. As a leader, it’s important to identify which types of changes are foreseeable so you can prepare your team to navigate them with intention.

Personnel changes

One type of change that is inevitable in any workplace is turnover. Even if your organization strives to keep employees for the long term, every team is going to experience the arrival of new talent and the departure of old colleagues.

It is crucial, therefore, to avoid siloed work . If one person spearheads a project and no one else has any sense of the scope or progress, your team will struggle mightily if that person leaves or switches roles. Additionally, siloed work can lead to division among team members as they compete for the best projects, decreasing the potential for innovation that springs from collaboration.

Mergers and acquisitions are also common in today’s fast-paced business environment. These changes often bring a completely new dynamic to an existing team. When a change of this nature is coming, open communication with your team is crucial to boost trust and maintain productivity and morale.

Organizational changes

Every organization is going to face structural changes over time. Sweeping systemic change such as company reorganization or technology overhauls can cause anxiety among employees both seasoned and new. For these changes, communication is key.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that changes in the C-suite won’t affect the average employee. Leadership is responsible for setting the vision and culture of an organization, and a team’s sense of cohesion can be significantly affected by organizational changes. Any efforts made towards informing employees about the new leadership’s sense of direction will help prevent the rumor mill from tanking team morale and output.

When it comes to technology updates, the adoption of new software should be planned as far in advance as possible and with plenty of input from the team members who will be using the programs every day. If there is a plan to incorporate artificial intelligence, communication about the risks and benefits of the decision is key to getting everyone on board.

Goal changes

Goal-setting is ubiquitous in the business world, but there is not a lot of information out there on what to do when your set goals need to change. Sometimes you achieve your goals more quickly than anticipated and must set new ones; other times, due to unforeseen circumstances, you’re forced to adjust the goals you originally set.

All of this registers as further change for team members. If an employee was working diligently toward a goal only to find out leadership changed their mind, they may become confused or even disillusioned.

According to Forbes , if a goal set by leadership fails, it’s because there was no team buy-in. Whether you’re setting big, overarching goals for the year or tweaking your goals for this quarter, it is crucial to involve the entire team to maximize your chances of success. Forbes recommends four strategies to avoid failed goals:

Involve employees in goal-setting from the beginning
Focus on the strengths already present on the team
Allow as much freedom on the team as possible to boost creativity
Be specific about desired outcomes

Craft a resilient team

Personnel, organizational, and goal changes are foreseeable obstacles any team must routinely navigate. As a leader, it is important to know that your team is equipped and ready to face whatever might come their way.

If your team is struggling with change – whether it’s related to a merger, a goal, or new leadership – you don’t have to solve it alone. Download our free guide, “ Mastering Team Building: How to Create and Manage a High-Performance A-Team” today for actionable steps that will foster a positive work environment while driving strong team performance.

Teamalytics Launches “Team Leader Foundations” for Leaders at All Levels

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 06:44:12 GMT

After three decades of working with executive teams nationwide, Teamalytics is proud to announce the launch of a new immersion program designed to equip leaders of any level with the skills needed to navigate complex workplace challenges: Team Leader Foundations . The eight-session workshop series has been carefully designed to bring trusted Teamalytics results to a broader audience.

The need for such a program became apparent over the last several years thanks to unprecedented challenges in the business world. Leaders today must navigate remote work, intergenerational issues, political and global pressures, and the ever-increasing pace of technological development. It is clear that leaders of any kind within an organization could benefit from a more robust suite of tools with which to unite and motivate their teams.

Rooted in behavioral science and vetted by hundreds of clients, the principles at work in the Team Leader Foundations program have been curated to yield measurable improvements in both team leadership and team performance. Beginning with a focus on trust and communication and moving into the difficult topics of conflict resolution and change management, leaders will leave this series feeling empowered to navigate anything that might come their way.

Executive Vice President of Teamalytics, Derek Lokey, says of the new offering: “We’re excited to introduce a best-in-class program designed to equip frontline and middle managers with the essential skills to build high-performing teams. Drawing on over 30 years of experience developing senior executives, we’ve distilled those insights into this foundational program, accelerating team-building capabilities across the organizations we serve and meeting the growing demand from new clients. In today’s competitive landscape, strong teams are the key business advantage of the future, and we are uniquely positioned to empower leaders to create and lead them effectively.”

This commitment to team development is not new for Teamalytics. For three decades, Teamalytics has been honing its proprietary behavioral science platform to help leaders identify and improve areas of constraint and strengthen existing high-performing skills for themselves and their teams.

The Teamalytics Team Leader Foundations program is designed to help leaders enhance their team-building capabilities through increased awareness of key leadership behaviors and the development of clear accountability standards. This self-guided program focuses on eight core team-building skills, with each session offering practical applications that participants can immediately implement to improve their leadership effectiveness and drive team growth.

For those that want to dig even deeper, other Teamalytics programs can be combined with Team Leader Foundations for maximum impact. The 360-Degree Behavioral Assessment helps make each session’s content more individualized. Additionally, personalized coaching from industry experts can be added to the program to help leaders tackle specific, real-world problems.

We invite you to explore the Team Leader Foundations program today and imagine how it could revolutionize your organization’s teams at every level.

***

About Teamalytics: Teamalytics is a renowned talent development company dedicated to empowering businesses and leaders in the pursuit of building strong, high-performing teams. With over 30 years of experience, our team of seasoned coaches and proprietary analytics are trusted by leading organizations across various industries to address team-related challenges and navigate the complexities of the modern workplace. Visit www.teamalytics.com to learn more.

Organizational Change: Why is it So Difficult?

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 06:11:22 GMT

If organizational change seems difficult for your team to manage, you’re not alone. A systematic literature review of studies on organizational change over the last two decades was published in the journal Current Psychology, and it sheds some light on why change is so hard and, more importantly, what to do about it.

While it may seem impossible to identify and address each employee’s mental state during a change, these studies translate individual change resistance into four identifiable outward behaviors to watch out for: voice, exit, neglect, and loyalty.

Voice behavior

According to the research, one reason change is difficult for teams to accept is a sense of feeling unheard by leadership. This dissatisfaction is amplified if team members have been speaking up and sharing feedback only to have it disregarded.

This experience can lead to what’s called voice behavior. Voice behavior is defined as speaking with leadership about issues and suggesting solutions to problems, but it also includes spreading negative ideas within the team. It can be positive if leadership is willing to incorporate some of the proposed solutions, but the risk level is high for negative outcomes if ignored.

If you are seeing increased voice behavior at your organization in reaction to a recent or upcoming change, it’s time to create structured opportunities for employees to be heard. The key is choosing to act on what they say, even if it’s only in a small way.

Exit behavior

An outcome more disruptive than voice behavior is exit behavior. Exit behavior increases during times of organizational change and is defined as quitting, job hunting both inside and outside the company, and outright sabotage.

Change is one of the top reasons employees leave an organization. Psychologically, if someone is facing immense change in their current job, they will no longer see the change of an entirely new job as quite so intimidating.

While some exit behavior is inevitable in the face of organizational change, it is crucial to be prepared for the shift in team dynamics it will bring. Providing opportunities for healthy voice behavior is a step in the right direction, but you won’t be able to incorporate every suggestion put forth by your team. In those cases, make sure you are clear about why you cannot move forward in the direction your team wishes to go. This honesty should help prevent sabotage and excessive quitting.

Neglect behavior

The most insidious reaction, neglect behavior, is defined as an increase in errors, poor morale, chronic tardiness, and the use of company time for personal matters. These behaviors often appear slowly over time when there have been too many changes at the organizational level.

Per the Current Psychology literature review, “A frequent exposure to organizational change causes change fatigue and cynicism.” If you are seeing any neglect behavior among your team, it’s time to take a look at how many changes have been implemented in the past few years. If possible, hold off on some organizational change until you can get back to a healthy baseline and are seeing less neglect behavior.

Loyalty behavior

There is good news, however: the literature supports the fact that if you put in the work to listen to and address employee concerns, you will reap the benefit of increased loyalty behavior. Loyalty behavior is exhibited when there is low turnover, vocal support for an organization, and a willingness to be a team player even during times of turbulence for the company.

Leading by example is key. Combined research from the last twenty years estimates that leadership is responsible for 71% of success among employees when it comes to change.

It can be difficult, however, to meet the change needs of each individual member of your team. In addition, years of colleague dynamics can sometimes get in the way of efforts to lead with clarity. This is when it may be beneficial to call in the expertise of a neutral third party. Team coaching, strategic planning, and leadership development can all act as antidotes against negative change behaviors.

No matter where you are in the change cycle, stay ahead of the game by collecting and analyzing team beliefs, strengths, and constraints and then acting on what you find to build a rock solid team foundation. Download our free guide, “Know What It Feels Like to Work with You: The Elusive Key to Effective Leadership and Team Assessment” to explore your team’s potential and set up your next organizational change for success today.

The benefits of a Social Contract during unexpected change

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 06:06:24 GMT

Leaders spend a lot of time preparing their teams for anticipated changes like organizational restructuring or a technology upgrade. But what happens when external forces bring about a sudden, unexpected change?

It’s impossible to prepare for every eventuality. That’s why having an established Social Contract is an asset to any team – it functions as a “behavioral north star” during times of upheaval and uncertainty and can be the factor that decides if your team crumbles or pulls together.

What is a Social Contract?

Most organizations have lists of core values and behavioral standards. A Social Contract incorporates those into a robust, team-crafted document that lays out a vision for a dynamic, creative, and supportive working environment. It includes expected behaviors and provides a path to follow when the contract is violated.

That second piece is key, because no one is perfect. Any Social Contract will be violated. But if there is a thoughtful approach to reconciliation that was designed by the group, conflict and discord can be resolved more quickly and fully.

Social Contracts are helpful in day-to-day life at work, but they are crucial when a team is blindsided by unexpected change of various types.

Economic change

Even with top tier analysts, no organization can accurately forecast the state of the economy all the time. Whether the overall economy takes a turn for the worse or a particular industry faces sudden supply chain issues, teams may find themselves facing unanticipated budgetary constraints.

In these scenarios, a Social Contract helps buoy team trust. When there is a sense of scarcity, unprepared teams may begin to experience increased individualism, risk aversion, and turnover. A fear-based culture can stifle creativity and decrease productivity.

Teams with a Social Contract in place, however, can fall back on the behaviors and norms they’ve been practicing all along. When the team dynamic starts to become negative, the contract can be referenced as a reminder that everyone is in this together. If difficult budgeting decisions have to be made, the values in the contract can be used as the guiding force.

Technological change

Planned technology changes often cause great organizational upheaval; unplanned changes can wreak havoc. Take the recent Crowdstrike outage, for example. Companies around the world were brought to a grinding halt, including some airlines. Getting everything back online took far longer than anticipated, stretching customer patience to a breaking point.

In these tense situations, a Social Contract can act as the salve that smooths communication between harried team members. When behavioral standards are inevitably broken, the Social Contract illuminates a clear path toward reconciliation. If a statement needs to be made to the public, the principles and values outlined in the contract can underpin the press release.

Geopolitical change

With an increasing overlap between the public and private sectors and the online and in-person worlds, companies are being forced to navigate complex political, geographical, and global challenges like never before.

Everything from climate disasters to wars to elections can influence the tenor of workplace discourse. Team members may find themselves personally divided based on age, religion, or political affiliation. When a major event occurs, locally or globally, teams without a Social Contract may dread returning to work and face undertones of discord and judgment.

Teams with a functioning Social Contract know that although there may be some disagreement on the team, they will respect one another and continue to work toward their shared goals. They also know that they can hold each other accountable to appropriate workplace behavior and don’t have to suffer in silence.

Be prepared for anything

It’s impossible to specifically prepare for every potential scenario that could disrupt your team. That’s why a Social Contract is so worthwhile. It helps leaders and their teams respond to unanticipated changes with agility, professionalism, and care.

If you want to learn more about what to include in a Social Contract and how to operationalize it, download our free guide, “Achieving Team Excellence: The Power of a Social Contract for Today’s Complex World” today. It includes a four-step process for transforming work culture and real-world examples of Social Contracts in various industries.

Culture: How to Avoid Being Over-Deferring

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 06:13:19 GMT

Does your company culture have a deferring problem? While deferring is often associated with civility, an over-deferring culture can hold teams back. Being deferential is a trait that can have both positive and negative effects. The plus side is that deferring fosters harmony and unity. The downside is that team members can slip into passivity. Here’s what you need to know to avoid the over-deferring trap.

Being Too Deferential: What Does It Mean?

Deferring means submitting to others in the workplace, often the authority figures or superiors at hand. In organizations, this generally means letting the manager or team leader have the final say. In highly deferential company cultures, whatever a strong personality says goes.

There’s no question that having an established “chain of command” is essential in corporate settings. When leadership has its ducks in a row, team members feel more secure and confident in their roles. However, high deferring within a team means that team members may be too afraid to voice their opinions or challenge an idea or opinion. The result is a creativity and innovation desert.

What are some signs of high deferring in a corporate team? While deferring isn’t inherently negative, it can be one of the most insidious aspects of company culture when it results from poor management. Here are some signs that your company culture is suffering from high deferring:

Team members can express opinions in a way that overpowers others.
Management-driven projects and initiatives are failing due to lack of scrutiny.
There is a lack of accountability.
Employee-driven innovations are infrequent.
Employees leave without first voicing concerns or giving indications of unhappiness.

High deferring is oftentimes a confidence issue. Deferring becomes toxic when it is driven by a lack of confidence among leadership. Managers need to have the self-confidence to be able to listen to opposing views and concerns. In turn, employees will have the self-confidence to communicate when they see a bad idea speeding down the road toward them!

Create a More Assertive, Connected Workforce

The journey to fostering these traits starts with getting a measurement of current deferring levels. This isn’t something that can be measured using standard HR personality tests or employee satisfaction surveys. After all, employees who rank highly in deferring are likely to hold back on surveys to avoid the risk of being seen as complaining or criticizing!

It’s also important to see how deferring levels within your organization sync up with other core traits. That’s why Teamalytics developed team assessments that rank core leadership areas that include deferring, criticality, and a dozen other traits. Once you’ve established that deferring is too high, it’s important to implement policies that lower deferring without inviting chaos. These strategies include:

Train managers on how to respectfully receive feedback or differing opinions.
Make feedback “part of the journey” when establishing or launching new projects.
Have “pitch” events that invite employees to bring their best ideas forward.
Create specific channels for voicing concerns.
Make employees feel like they have a stake in the success of projects by inviting them to provide input and insights.

Teamalytics recently put together a free e-book that addresses all of the obstacles to having an engaged workforce in today’s complex culture. Download and read “Creating Cutting Edge Company Culture In A Work From Home World” to learn how to foster the traits that create dynamic workplaces.

Culture: How to Raise Need to Nurture

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 06:14:42 GMT

Good leadership nurtures. That’s why you may be wondering how to raise the need to nurture in your group. “Need to nurture” is a trait that is important in company culture. Team members with this trait demonstrate the following:

A natural talent for mentorship.
The ability to recognize talent and drive.
The patience to take time out to “teach” while they work.
The predisposition to build up and promote others.

Without strong representation of the need to nurture in your team, your company may fail to recognize–and retain–the next batch of great innovators and leaders. A lack of recognition could cause talent to look elsewhere out of a fear that they have no room to grow or be promoted in your organization. Unfortunately, most companies are missing the right amount of need to nurture within company culture.

When Teamalytics conducted a review of 1,484 team assessments judging leadership areas that included criticality, assertiveness, need to nurture, and nearly a dozen more, the firm found that 48% of respondents were at risk of being too low on nurturing. What’s even more shocking is that just 1% of teams had a risk of being too high.

Raising Need to Nurture in Your Company Culture

The culture of mentorship has suffered in recent years. The shift to the work-from-home workplace has made it difficult for teams to connect in the ways they once did. This can leave both seasoned and junior employees feeling disconnected from their superiors. It can also leave them feeling like they aren’t being directly mentored by anyone. Here are some tips for promoting need to nurture to ensure that talent isn’t left withering on the vine:

Build mentorship duties into the job descriptions of management and leadership roles.
Add protocols for recognizing and rewarding talent into your company culture.
Host activities and initiatives to create a sense of camaraderie that inspires the natural nurturing traits of team members.
Set the tone of the company culture in a way that makes employees feel confident and secure enough to become inspired to nurture the talents of others.

If you suspect that less pronounced or consistent nurturing is part of the reason why your teams aren’t thriving, there’s an important resource to know about. Teamalytics offers assessments that pinpoint and measure specific leadership traits that aren’t represented in traditional workplace personality tests.

Getting a validated read on where “need to nurture” levels stand at your organization is a great starting point. Of course, the other traits on the assessment are also invaluable if you’re trying to unearth the factors behind why your company culture feels the way it does right now. Teamalytics has also released a free e-book called “Creating Cutting Edge Company Culture In A Work From Home World” that holds some powerful insights for leaders. After reading the e-book, you’ll learn how to:

Leverage new insights to adapt leadership styles and optimize team performance.
Hold remote teams accountable while building healthy relationships.
Master the skills needed to thrive in a more complex work environment.

Download “Creating Cutting Edge Company Culture In A Work From Home World” today to read more about these insights as you move forward with improving your company culture and productivity.

Optimize Your Team: Kerry Sulkowicz, M.D.

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:22:00 GMT

My guest today is Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz, the Founder and Managing Principal of the Boswell Group, a management consultancy based in New York since 1998. Trained as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Kerry advises on a wide range of issues, including leadership challenges, CEO succession, management team and board dynamics, and culture change. Kerry has coached numerous CEOs and executive teams, from startups to Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Today, we will focus on the role of the CEO, starting with some of the most common missteps or mistakes he sees incoming CEOs making and his insights on what the best CEOs he’s worked with do well. Whether you’re a CEO, aspire to be one, or lead a team, I know you will learn a lot from Kerry. I learn from him all the time. I am so excited to share this conversation with all of you today.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

The post Optimize Your Team: Kerry Sulkowicz, M.D. appeared first on Teamalytics .

Culture: How to Raise Criticality

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 06:17:08 GMT

Is the trait of criticality critically low in your company culture? Criticality is a trait that doesn’t quite get its due because of the negative connotations brought up by its root word. Having the trait of criticality doesn’t necessarily make a person a pessimist. Rather, it can make them better at distinguishing good ideas from bad ideas, and it can spur leaders to have the harder conversations that are needed in the workplace. It can also help a leader operate with the right amount of skepticism to avoid being carried away on a cloud every time an idea is pitched. The first step is understanding why criticality is a positive professional trait. The second is to learn how to raise criticality in your team.

Why Criticality Is Important in Workplace Teams

While a person who scores high in criticality might be thought of as someone who shoots down ideas, the reality is that criticality is the trait that allows people to question ideas and conclusions–even their own. People who score high-but-not-too-high in criticality tend to have the right mix of curiosity and honesty needed to avoid becoming the “yes people” that have led more than one high-impact decision to ruin! Positive qualities possessed by people with sufficient criticality include:

Healthy skepticism
Voicing different points of view
Intellectual honesty
The ability to see around corners
Logic and reasoning skills
The aptitude to break down large, complex problems

When team members score low in criticality, an organization risks the herd effect. This means that people are afraid to stray from the popular narrative. In a business setting, this could mean going along with a bad idea just because it’s the idea that’s already been chosen. Many team leaders unknowingly stifle criticality because they don’t understand the gift of “the opposing opinion.” What’s more, some leaders may feel challenged by a character trait that is actually an asset for the team.

How to Raise Criticality

First, remember that the goal is to raise criticality levels instead of contention levels. The way to do this is to invite it more–make it known that opposing opinions and skepticism are welcomed when they are done respectfully. Many leaders or team members who do possess the natural positive trait of criticality may be stifling this asset out of fear of being labeled negative in the workplace. In order to discover the percentage of team members who score either high or low or in the middle in criticality, a team analysis that focuses on core traits such as this one is needed.

When Teamalytics used our proprietary team assessments that look at more than a dozen core leadership areas, we found that out of nearly 1,500 team assessments, 57% of people on a typical team scored at risk of being too low in criticality. Just 6% scored at risk of being too high in criticality. Criticality is a vital trait that gets overlooked by many leadership teams. You may be actively stifling it by framing dissenting opinions as defiance within your company culture. What you may be missing is that criticality could be the secret weapon that industry competitors are using to make sure that only the cream rises to the top with developmental ideas.

If you’re like most leaders today, you’re wondering how to make the most of the traits that are present in your team to create a cohesive, winning company culture. The task is harder than ever in today’s economy. That’s why Teamalytics has responded to countless inquiries from team leaders struggling with culture building with a new free e-book called “Creating Cutting Edge Company Culture In A Work From Home World” just for team leaders. This e-book introduces you to concepts for adapting leadership styles to optimize team performance. It even dives into the challenge of holding remote teams accountable while building healthy, trusting relationships. Download it today!

Culture: How to Raise Urgency and Intensity

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 06:26:47 GMT

Culture: How to Raise Urgency and Intensity

Is a general sense of “just getting by” permeating your workplace? While everyone is technically getting their tasks done, you may be noticing that the general mood is more passive and uninspired. Your group could be suffering from lack of urgency and intensity.

As operational traits, urgency and intensity are needed in the right doses to maintain team members’ internal motivation and to maximize efficiencies. When urgency and intensity levels are low, it’s easy for a company to fall behind competitors in throughput, innovation and being first to the market. Here’s a look at how to raise urgency and intensity.

Tips for Raising Urgency and Intensity

Raising urgency and intensity is a task that can easily be mishandled if you don’t have a firm grasp on what these characteristics look like when they are implemented in positive ways. For many managers, there is an instinct to believe that raising urgency and intensity can only be done by raising the pressure. The reality is that this could even be counterproductive.

Urgency and intensity should not be motivated by pressure. The goal is to get a team culture in a place where these positive traits are motivated by opportunity instead of pressure. That’s because properly oriented urgency and intensity spark from optimism instead of fear. While they are partly driven by the reality that you need to outwork, outsmart, and outpace the competitor in order to shine, the internal motivation experienced is inspired by a drive for success instead of a fear of chastisement. Ways to foster urgency and intensity in a team include:

Offer more autonomy as a way of letting team members feel that they “own” projects. This sense of freedom can help to inspire urgency and intensity because team members feel that the success of their own ideas depends on how hard they work.
Train managers in knowing the difference between urgency and intensity and aggression. Many managers and team leaders who naturally possess the traits of urgency and intensity are stifling them out of a fear of coming across too strongly. Their desire to avoid being intimidating is causing them to suppress important leadership skills that positively motivate team members and help to achieve goals.
Identify if there are actually low rates of urgency and intensity in your team. These aren’t traits that are measured by standard personality tests that many organizations use. Teamalystics has developed a proprietary assessment that looks at more than a dozen leadership areas and shows the measures on a continuum. This type of assessment helps companies leverage new insights, adapt leadership styles and optimize team performance. When Teamalytics studied the results of 1,484 team assessments, the firm found that 62% of participants ranked at risk of being too low in the category of urgency and intensity.

By getting a read on where team members rank on urgency and intensity, you can move forward with nurturing the natural skills possessed by specific team members. Getting this information is more important than ever in today’s workplace. An assessment that measures leadership traits allows you to see how the different talents of your team members come together to shape the “silent” company culture you didn’t even realize was leading your performance.

Teamalytcis has also published a free e-book for business leaders looking for ways to rise to the top. “CREATING CUTTING EDGE COMPANY CULTURE IN A WORK FROM HOME WORLD” can be downloaded today! This e-book touches on the two keys to an engaged workforce based on the link between results and relationships.

How to Raise Your Team’s Change Aptitude

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 06:30:49 GMT

Seventy-nine percent of teams score low in a behavioral characteristic known as the “Need for Variety and Change”. If your team sometimes feels stuck in the status quo, this might explain why.

This characteristic is crucial for progress because it is what helps spur people and organizations to be thinking about the next big way to innovate or expand. However, it needs to be present in the right doses. An excessive need for change can cause employees to act restlessly and recklessly, sapping resources and adding more stress.

The best way to determine if your team is stuck in place because of a lack of need for change is to conduct an analysis. More on that in a minute! First, let’s look at some ways to boost the need for change in a team.

Signs That Your Team Has a Low Need for Change

Does it seem like your team continues to do things the same way largely because that’s how it has “always been done.” A lack of need for change can leave teams stuck in familiar patterns that have outgrown their usefulness. Other signs include:

Ideas being met with resistance.
Groupthink stifles alternate perspectives.
The desire to be challenged is lacking.
The team is acting in rote patterns.

Lack of need for change puts a team in the position of continuing behaviors and processes out of a desire to avoid discomfort. For an organization, this can dramatically hinder opportunities to innovate and grow. It also puts a team or company in a defensive position instead of an innovative position because lack of desire for change ultimately leads to competitors getting the advantage.

How to Inspire the Need for Change

For managers, there are many ways to cultivate a need for change. While it’s important to note that this is a behavioral characteristic that people generally either veer toward or against, that’s not always the case. Some team members may be consciously stifling the need for change because they don’t feel that they are in an environment that supports this drive. They may fear that being a change-driven person in their current role could agitate people or ruffle feathers. Here are some ways to make a team feel empowered to embrace desire for change:

Conduct an analysis of behavioral traits using an assessment such as the Teamalytics 360 to see where “need for change” ranks.
Create a company charter that positions your company as a leader in change and innovation.
Empower team members to suggest changes to processes or procedures that they feel would enhance the way things are done.
Break the association between change and discomfort. This can be done by implementing some positive changes that benefit all team members. By making change a positive word in your company, you can take away fear or discomfort associated with change. This will help make team members who do actually possess an inherent desire for change feel confident enough to begin implementing changes when they feel they are necessary.

You’re not alone if your team is struggling from a lack of desire for change. In 2023, Teamalytics published the results of 1,484 team assessments that ranked a variety of risk areas. As mentioned earlier, 79% scored at risk of being too low on their Need for Variety and Change.

In this constantly changing economy where norms and expectations are shifting at dizzying speeds, it’s more important than ever to be able to tap into and nurture positive behavioral traits. That’s why Teamalytics just put out a new FREE e-book for leadership teams that addresses the two keys to an engaged workforce.

Download “CREATING CUTTING EDGE COMPANY CULTURE IN A WORK FROM HOME WORLD” today to get ahead of your organization’s low need for change!

Optimize Your Team: Tricia Breeger

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 08:33:25 GMT

My guest today is Tricia Breeger, CEO of Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, also known as MEPPI. Tricia is the first female CEO appointed throughout the Mitsubishi Electric Group. Before taking on the role as CEO in April 2023, Tricia served as president since 2022 and has had a long career at the company, having joined back in 2000. MEPPI is “Engineering the infrastructure of the future” in energy, data, and transportation. A future that empowers its customers to achieve their decarbonization goals through MEPPI’s innovative solutions. A future that prioritizes advanced technology, electrification, and environmental responsibility with a purpose-driven workforce where employees can make a meaningful impact on the industries they serve, their customers, and the communities in which they operate.

We discuss how Tricia’s perspective on leadership has shifted now that she is CEO and compare it to other leadership roles she’s had. We explore lessons from her leadership journey to becoming CEO and what she’s learned about leading and driving change across a large and complex organization.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

How to Know if Your Workplace is Toxic

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 06:35:21 GMT

Have you been allowing a toxic workplace culture to simmer under the surface of your company? It’s more common than you think. It’s also incredibly difficult for most managers and leaders to know when workplace culture has turned toxic. However, there are signs. After decades of recording data with thousands of teams, Teamalytics has developed a way to actually measure the health of your team culture. How leaders and team members score with 13 specific behaviors can let you know exactly where your company culture stands.

You might think that you have toxicity covered if you’ve performed surveys in the past. The problem is that surveys and other DIY measurements for employee satisfaction can be biased. They also don’t take into account the full spectrum of what makes teams perform optimally. That means that you’re stuck with little more than a glorified personality test for each team member. Ultimately, most resources out there aren’t created by experts who know what makes teams tick. That means that a toxic culture may already be bubbling up in your organization. Let’s look at the telltale signs of toxic corporate culture.

Signs That Workplace Culture Is Toxic: What Every Manager Needs to Know

Detecting a toxic culture doesn’t necessarily come down to identifying specific scenarios. It comes down to analyzing the dynamics taking place to see how different workplace styles and attitudes are interacting. By analyzing your team culture using specific categories, you’ll be able to identify if you have a productive or toxic culture. First, let’s cover some outward signs that point to toxicity within a team:

Goals aren’t being met.
Low morale.
Lack of recognition for high performers.
Lack of transparency.
High turnover.

Ideally, you’ll implement a performance measurement that can detect toxicity before these symptoms begin to erode your company culture to the point that you’re losing talent, missing opportunities, and sullying your name in your industry. However, it’s not too late to use an analysis of team dynamics to begin reversing a toxic workplace environment if you missed the early signs.

In 2024, Teamalytics published a first-of-its-kind e-book designed specifically to address toxic or underperforming workplace cultures in the new work-from-home economy. Nestled within the e-book are results from an exclusive Teamalytics review of 1,484 team assessments using the firm’s Teamalytics 360 Profile that measures 13 critical leadership behaviors. Unlike mainstream workplace surveys that simply look at “good” or “bad” traits without understanding the spectrum of usefulness, this analysis graphs each of the 13 characteristics as a strength or weakness based on whether it’s being overused or underused. Here’s a quick glance at the findings:

79% of teams exhibit low need for change.
62% of teams exhibit low urgency and intensity.
57% of teams exhibit low criticality.
48% of teams exhibit low need to nurture.
20% of teams exhibit deference issues.

If your company is operating like most companies today, there’s a good chance that your breakdown would look a lot like this. If rehabilitating your company culture is a part of your big rebrand for success, Teamalytics is here to help you utilize your talent to its highest potential in what can feel like a disjointed work-from-home culture. It all starts when you read our exclusive e-book for team leaders looking to avert a company culture and branding crisis!

When you download the new e-book from Teamalytics, you’ll learn why these findings matter so much for your company’s culture. Based on employees scoring either too high or too low, you can determine weak points in your company culture. However, that’s not all there is to gain from this must-read resource. “Creating Cutting Edge Company Culture in a Work From Home World” also covers two key resources to an engaged workforce and how to tap into the link between results and relationships. Download your copy today!

Optimize Your Team: Jim Calhoun

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:35:05 GMT

Welcome to the 12th episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

In Episode II of the second season of the Optimize Your Team podcast, we sit down with Jim Calhoun, the President/ CEO of Cummings Resources. Jim has been in the sign manufacturing business for over twenty years, working his way from the manufacturing floor when he graduated from vocational school as an electrical to leading one of the US’s oldest and largest sign manufacturers.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

Why Is Culture So Important?

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 06:47:56 GMT

It’s shocking how quickly a toxic culture can erode a company’s success. While the descent into negativity, distrust, and palpable apathy can be gradual at first, the snowball effect of unrest can soon turn a workplace into a miserable situation for everyone involved. That includes leadership.

This is why nurturing a healthy culture is so important. Is your company culture suffering? Here’s a guide to why acknowledging a poorly nurtured professional culture is the first step to fostering a cutting-edge company culture that allows team members and leadership to thrive.

Why Maintaining a Positive and Productive Company Culture Today Is So Difficult

No, it’s not your lack of talent or professionalism as a leader. More managers and business leaders than ever before are questioning if they are actually equipped for their job roles because they’re facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to creating positive, productive work environments. If you were to speak honestly, you might say that it feels like nobody really wants to be there. The top challenges include:

Getting employees to meet high standards without draconian management techniques.
Maintaining a cohesive workplace culture in a work-from-home culture. Yes, there are ways to build meaningful workplace relationships with remote teams. This can even make your company one of the best places to work.
Melding different ideas and ideals among teams from different generations.
Being respectful without allowing team members to trample on boundaries.
Getting people excited about the work they are doing!
Making team members feel like the work they’re doing is important.

What Are the Effects of a Toxic Workplace Culture?

There’s so much at stake when company culture is toxic. In addition to making day-to-day operations miserable, a poorly managed company culture also eats away at the future potential and legacy of a business or brand. Here’s what at stake:

Major Talent Loss: As a leader, you know better than anyone that news travels fast about which companies are toxic. The first symptom is a major talent exodus that causes your best performers to look elsewhere. The second wave of loss involves new graduates or experienced professionals who won’t touch your firm with a 10-foot pole because its reputation for being a miserable place to work precedes it! You are putting your company at risk of falling behind competitors for the next five to 10 years simply due to talent leaks!
Lost Productivity: Once a company gets into the “Why should I?” era, things get bad pretty quickly. Employees in toxic workplaces don’t see a reason to push themselves to go above and beyond. Lack of rewards, advancement, or acknowledgment for high performance is an invitation for employees to do the bare minimum. In addition to avoiding going above and beyond because there’s no incentive, employees may be doing the bare minimum out of spite because they feel trapped in a toxic setting.
Lawsuits and HR Nightmares: How toxic is too toxic? It’s the question that every leader needs to ponder once it feels like the horse is out of the barn with negative workplace interactions and general workplace toxicity. In a toxic workplace, lack of accountability and guardrails for behavior can make some employees feel that they have the green light to behave viciously or unscrupulously in ways that cause distress for other employees. While you may not even be aware of the behavior, you are still responsible for it if you’re in an ownership or leadership role.

The shame of it is that toxic workplaces are avoidable. Are you struggling to “right the ship” after noticing some negative signs in your company? You may be just two keys away from success. Teamalytics recently published an e-book called Creating Cutting Edge Company Culture in a Work From Home World: Two Keys to an Engaged Workforce .

In this e-book, we share research insights to show how results and relationships in the workplace are linked. As you read, you’ll learn how to leverage new insights to adapt leadership styles and optimize team performance. Highlights include learning how to hold remote teams accountable while building healthy relationships and mastering the skills needed to thrive in the work environment of the future.

Our e-book also gives you an exclusive look at the Teamalytics 360 Profile that ranks 13 critical leadership behaviors as strengths or risks. You’ll never look at management styles the same way again. Download it today as a free resource for building the success of your company.

Creating Alignment With Your Team: Here’s How to Stop Missing the Mark

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 06:49:44 GMT

How confident are you in your team’s alignment? The truth is that some teams plug along for years before management notices that team members aren’t stepping in the same direction. Alignment is a foundational aspect of team success that needs to be present across the board as part of the employee experience. When teams are aligned, they are more efficient, hit goals, and employees are happier at work.

Is misalignment slowing your team down? It might be time to implement a Social Contract. Here’s what you need to know.

Why Teams Get Misaligned

In a tension-filled world, workspaces are no exception. Everything from generational differences to disagreements about how processes should be handled can make it seem like you’re managing a dozen different “micro” teams within a single team.

Creating Your Organization’s North Star: Social Contracts Correct Alignment in Teams

Alignment should never be assumed. After all, you’re nurturing a team of people with different experiences, ideals, and expectations. A Social Contract can play an integral part in establishing alignment by setting up shared principles and expectations. A Social Contract removes any excuses about perceptions or intentions. What exactly is a social contract for a business team? While the idea isn’t complicated, execution needs to be flawless in order for this “living document” to be effective. A Social Contract is a document that defines an agreement regarding how a team will jointly pursue shared goals. When it’s done properly, this document will succeed at establishing:

A shared vision and purpose.
Alignment of responsibilities.
Mutual accountability over leadership-forced accountability.
Committed team members.
Disciplined execution designed for exceptional results.

The important distinction here is that a Social Contract doesn’t just publish clear core values. It also establishes agreed-upon principles of performance that the entire team follows. Of course, the real power in a Social Contract is that it doesn’t come across as a top-down mandate from leadership. An effective contract is one that has the fingerprint of the entire team.

Presenting the Concept of a Social Contract to a Team

The creation of a Social Contract should be performed as a collaborative endeavor. It is built by a team working together to identify their shared prioritized values. As a team works together, the values that they share will come into focus. Many leaders are surprised to discover just how “wanted” a social contract is once the process begins. It can seem as though team members felt that they were truly wandering in the dark when it came to expectations before the idea of creating the document was introduced.

Activating Your Social Contract: What Does It Look Like?

Once a Social Contract is created, it is not intended to be something that is shoved away in a drawer. The document should be referenced often. In fact, it should be included in all major meetings and conversations. When team members are acting out of alignment, the document should be referred to bring them back into alignment with the group’s shared process.

Create a Social Contract to Get Your Team in Alignment for Success

Teamalytics can bring our proven four-step process for effectively creating and implementing a Social Contract with culture-transforming results to your organization! We create an intensive and rewarding experience for teams that includes a Social Contract workshop. Once the contract is in the final stages, the team commits to turning it into part of your organization’s official canon of information.

Misalignment leads to missed goals! Bring the brilliance of a social contract to your organization for an internal rebrand that gets results. Contact Teamalytics today to book a consultation.

Does nurturing have a place in the professional world?

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 07:10:51 GMT

When you think about key leadership traits, the word nurture probably doesn’t come to mind. But it’s a crucial skill that many leaders tend to overlook.

While we associate the word nurture with plants and children, it also belongs in the workplace. A great leader is able to both actively pursue strategic goals and nurture the individuals on their team. Not only will it strengthen team cohesion and increase productivity in the short term, but it also contributes to the success of tomorrow’s leaders.

If you’re realizing that your ability to nurture could use some work, consider these three elements of this important leadership trait.

Why nurture matters

Believing in a need to nurture doesn’t just sound nice; it leads to measurable success. According to Forbes, the globalization of the marketplace through technology has made it more difficult for companies to hold onto emerging young talent. This is why nurturing leaders is crucial to employee retention and the profits that accompany a strong team.

Forbes reports: “Many employees may demonstrate great potential in assuming leadership roles but have limited managerial experience. These employees are a crop of strong performers with the potential, ability and aspirations for higher-level management roles… As such, developing these leaders grooms the next generation of leaders for the organization and is imperative to organizational success.”

While it may feel like nurturing individual team members is something to add to your plate only if you have time, in reality, it is one of the best ways to ensure the ongoing success of your team and your company.

How to become more nurturing

So what are some practical ways to become more nurturing as a leader?

First, get some input on your current nurturing abilities from peers and those downline. Whether it’s a formal survey or an informal conversation, gather some intel on how much room for improvement you have in this area. Perhaps there are some actions you already engage in that could simply be amplified, or maybe there are less reflexive behaviors that you could be more intentional with.

Second, engage in mentorship or coaching with your team. Even if most of your team reports directly to a middle manager, consider adding in periodic one-on-ones with every team member yourself. This way, you can bring a new perspective to problems being faced and spot emerging talent as it grows.

Finally, cultivate a cohesive culture with your team that encourages collaboration and the nurturing of one another’s strengths. Even though it is primarily your job as the leader to mentor your team, each individual can also bring a unique set of abilities to the table to complement those of their teammates. Set up rewards for collaboration with colleagues, even if it’s just monthly recognition via a company-wide email. This type of individualized attention can mean a lot to an employee who wants to know their contributions matter.

Seek out nurture for yourself

Finally, ask yourself if you are receiving any nurturing as a leader. You’re never too high up the corporate ladder to benefit from advice and guidance.

Think about mentors who helped you get where you are today. If you’ve lost touch with them, reach out and see if they’re available for a chat. Alternatively, if you have peers at your company, suggest monthly lunches where everyone can problem-solve issues together and receive honest feedback about what each person can work on.

To receive completely unbiased feedback, consider investing in a leadership development program. Here at Teamalytics, we have vetted our proprietary analytics for over twenty years to provide our clients with one-of-a-kind results. Our approach involves anonymous peer assessments, a unique self-assessment, and ongoing coaching on how to maximize your strengths and lessen your constraints. This assessment includes a behavior we title the Need to Nurture, quantifying the theme of this article concretely.

To see if our program might be a good fit for your need to nurture your team, download our free guide “Know What It Feels Like to Work with You: The Elusive Key to Effective Leadership and Team Assessment” today.

How to Engage Conflict With a Social Contract

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:53:01 GMT

How to Engage Conflict With a Social Contract

Conflict doesn’t evaporate. If you’re like most leaders, conflict is one of the biggest challenges you face in your career. That’s because it’s impossible to erase the human dynamic when we participate in any form of collaboration. While your instinct may be to dismiss conflict with the hope that it goes away, you know from experience that unmanaged conflict works a lot like an unwatched fire. Fortunately, engaging in conflict doesn’t have to be overwhelming when you have the right framework in place. In fact, it can elevate your leadership.

Keep reading to learn why your industry peers are already managing conflict effectively with something called a social contract.

Why Does Conflict Happen in Work Teams?

The workplace landscape is complex. In the rapidly evolving workplace environment, shifting ideals are leaving many people feeling anxious, edgy, or simply confused. On a person-to-person level, generational values and beliefs sometimes cause heated clashes. Teams are also dealing with cultural and political polarization that can be exacerbated when team members are connected on social media or other platforms. It’s easier than ever for employees to bring the outside world into the office. Of course, tensions are also caused by rapidly changing technologies. When you throw in the overall economic and geopolitical uncertainty that sits just under the surface of most people’s minds like a low-grade fever, it’s easy to see why conflicts are so common.

Using a Social Contract to Manage Conflict: How Does It Work?

A social contract is a guiding light, North Star, and point of reference that helps teams to realign when tensions start to threaten team dynamics. A social contract is a relatively brief document that follows a blueprint that looks something like this:

A team or organization’s clear core values.
Expected principles of performance.
Competencies and obligations of leadership.
Clear assessment metrics for determining appropriate or goal-aligned behaviors.
Remediation steps for when an individual or team goes off track.

Essentially, a social contract covers the why, the how, and the what happens when things go awry. It puts a valuable tool in your hands for maximizing opportunities during a conflict. Let’s say your company is trying to tame tensions that keep popping up between team members. A social contract that obligates each team member to treat others with respect, honesty, dignity, and trust can play an important role in establishing expectations and accountability. When smoothing conflict is the goal, a social contract should outline exactly what “acceptable” treatment looks like.

In most cases, this means adding action items that include using open and clear communication, being accountable for our actions, and creating a supportive environment. Leaders also shouldn’t be afraid to call out conflict! For example, adding a clause that team members will address conflict quickly and respectfully turns conflict resolution from a gray area to a compulsory part of operating as part of the team.

Bringing a Social Contract to Your Team

A social contract should be introduced as a proactive and encouraging step forward instead of a punitive measure. By signing their names, team members are part of an internal rebranding that will leave them more empowered. Of course, you may be uncertain about how to start transforming company culture away from conflict. Teamalytics brings decades of experience with building and sustaining effective teams in all industries. We’re here to help you adapt your management strategies for an increasingly complex workplace. Let us create a social contract based on the issues your team is facing. Contact Teamalytics for a consultation today!

The ROI Calculator

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 07:12:33 GMT

Every leadership and team development program promises to solve all your problems and affect lasting change. But unless you can see proof of actual results, how are you supposed to know who to trust?

Here at Teamalytics, we understand that choosing a team development program is a risk of both your time and money. That’s why we’ve created a free guide to help you evaluate what you’ll get for your money with our programs: “Calculating ROI: A Practical Guide for Measuring Return on Human Capital Investment.” You can expect the following information to be found inside the guide.

Five ways to measure effectiveness

There isn’t just one way to measure whether or not an investment is worthwhile. You can assess everything from employee satisfaction to quantitative business metrics to get a full picture of costs and benefits. We’ve broken down our ROI guide into five sections so you can look at the investment from every angle.

Reaction: This first section discusses how we evaluate participant satisfaction with our workshops and content. We also ask for feedback on the quality of our coaches.
Learning: Next, we’ll show you how we assess the applicability of our programs. These questions pivot away from whether or not someone enjoyed the content and toward its efficacy in their actual work.
Application/Implementation: Third, we understand that you want results to last long after the program is over. In this section we give examples of the tools we use to facilitate ongoing improvement: a Teamalytics 360 profile, Traction Plan, and Checkup.
Business Impact: Quantitative business metrics and KPIs are also part of knowing whether or not the team has improved as a whole. This part of the guide will give examples of concrete improvement and testimonials from leaders.
Financial ROI: Finally, the guide asks you to weigh the cost of investment in our programs against the costs you currently shoulder related to team dysfunction. While this is a complicated analysis, we believe we can provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision.

Sample of propriety analytics

In Section Three: Application/Implementation, you will get to see detailed examples of some of our proprietary tools and analytics. One of the main reasons our approach works so consistently is because of our use of Traction Plans.

A Traction Plan is created after someone completes the 10 to 15 minute Teamalytics 360 Assessment online. The Plan then identifies the top strengths and constraints of the individual from a list of thirteen key leadership traits. A coach will work with each person on naming an overall goal and creating an impact statement that helps clarify the reason for needed change. Next, our software pairs this information with anonymous feedback from colleagues during the Traction Plan Checkup process to maximize self-reflection and motivation to improve.

Library of business metrics

At the end of our ROI guide, you will find a library of business metrics you may want to measure before, during, and after you implement our program. We provide metrics in the following categories for your consideration. Here are a few examples of each type.

Human Resources: Employee Turnover, Cost per Hire, Overtime Hours
Information Technology: Outages and Time to Resolve, SLA Breach Rate
Marketing: Content Downloads, Keyword Performance, Customer Retention
Sales: Average Contract Value, Quota Attainment, Lead Response Time
General: Frequency of Feedback, Number of Errors, Profit

Testimonials

Finally, throughout the guide you will find direct quotes from leaders we have worked with in the past. We work in a variety of industries, from C-suite executives to professional football coaches. You can see in the guide how we’ve helped people like you lower attrition rates, meet strategic objectives, and gain a competitive edge they’d never experienced before.

Download our free ROI guide today to see if an investment in Teamalytics is the next right step in leading your team to new heights.

What Is a Social Contract?

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 07:02:02 GMT

Too many teams in the workplace today are struggling with productivity, critical problem-solving, and conflict, which is costing them money and team members every year. Social contracts can take care of many of these issues, and many times, they are dramatically underutilized by organizations. A tightly worded, action-oriented Social Contract can become the glue that holds a team together when conflicts or changes throw things into a tailspin. It can be a guidepost when emotions threaten to take over. In addition to setting expectations and standards, a Social Contract is an agreement that provides team members with referential blueprints that can help them to know how to both act and react. What exactly is a Social Contract? Keep reading to learn why a Social Contract is a vital element in any organization.

Defining a Social Contract

Leaders who have already implemented Social Contracts in their organizations know this dynamic document to be the bridge between aspiration and reality. However, you may be wondering what the bones of a Social Contract look like for the average organization. A Social Contract is a document that defines an agreement between all team members that includes the following:

A commitment or promise.
Steps for sustaining the commitment or promise.
Steps for remediation if the commitment or promise is missed.

Social Contracts can be vital when there is shuffling among teams or when trying to rebrand or revitalize an underperforming, conflicted team. Business leaders know that overcoming obstacles that hold teams back includes identifying shared vision and purpose, aligning responsibility, establishing mutual accountability, and having disciplined execution toward goals. However, most find it difficult to create a North Star to point to when it feels like collaboration isn’t happening or performance is lacking. By establishing a social contract, business leaders can create a single executable document that brings together:

Clear core values.
Agreed-upon principles of performance.
Specified leadership competencies.
Clear assessment metrics.
Remediation steps.

How Social Contracts Boost Morale and Accountability

A social contract is not something that’s intended to feel like an edict from a high throne! The role of a social contract is to clarify standards in a way that gives team members empowerment and security instead of leaving them to stumble around regarding expectations and outcomes. As an aspirational document, it allows team members to see who they want to be. A Social Contract is also capable of being a document that sets expectations without taking on a punitive feel, with benefits such as:

Enhanced personal and professional relationships gained through an understanding of boundaries and shared goals.
Fearless expression of diverse viewpoints without fear of being reprimanded or “stepping on toes.”
A culture of sincere apologies and corrections.
Responsive leadership that is open to feedback.
Power through vulnerability, humility, and sacrifice.

Supporting a Social Contract

In order for a Social Contract to remain a living document, it must be fed! This means that ongoing implementation is needed. When the document is first introduced, one-on-one meetings can help team members to receive and provide feedback without feeling exposed. As the Social Contract begins to allow seeds of trust and collaboration to bloom, meetings regarding deviations from the social contract can be done in real-time or during larger group meetings. Of course, references should be made to the social contract during routine team meetings.

The Social Contract should also be referenced during annual planning processes. In addition to formulating policies with the Social Contract as a guidepost, leaders should also assess the contract to judge if any relevance-based adjustments are needed to align with evolving team goals and dynamics.

Establishing a Social Contract for Your Team

Does it feel like your team is floundering amid conflicts or loss of direction? Disconnection arising from conflicting generational values and beliefs, cultural and political polarization, mile-a-minute technological advancements, and economic and geopolitical uncertainty all make a Social Contract a very necessary stabilization point amid the constant tumult. Teamalytics is a leader in building strong teams for a complex world. Schedule a consultation today to explore how we can build your team a custom social contract that addresses the weak points that are stifling progress.

You Can’t Become Self Aware By Yourself

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:04:50 GMT

Self-awareness is a paradox. It’s like looking in the mirror when you think you are really seeing yourself, but you are only seeing a reflection. By the way, that’s not who you are.

I’ll say it again: we aren’t who we think we are.

I hope that doesn’t come as a shock to you. I learned this years ago when I commented to our adult sons, “I’m sure glad I’m not losing much hair” to which they quickly replied, “Pop, you better come around back and check again!”

A few years ago, I was on stage speaking and I turned around while the camera was still on me, and there on the screen was the biggest bald spot I had ever seen and it was…mine! I instantly saw what others saw, and we all had a great laugh about it but it was a great teaching moment as well.

We need others’ help to see clearly.

So, let me ask you what is more important–how you see yourself or how others see you? That choice will say a lot about you. Of course, the best choice is how others see you. The next question is–what others? The ones you don’t like, the ones who like you, the ones who you work with, the ones you love, the ones you want to like you? Any of them could help, but for me, the most important ones are the ones I love, the ones I work with and the ones I serve.

Let’s break those groups down some. First, the ones I love would include family and close friends, as well as many colleagues. Second for most of us would be people we work with. Feedback from colleagues gives us a very good idea as to how others see us and relate to us at work.

Your work group is a critical group because your work group will ultimately determine the support and service you provide to those you serve. This group will also ultimately determine your success as a teammate and as a leader. If you don’t win them, you don’t win period.

My staff are my first customers and the people I serve first. In turn, I have the opportunity to expect the same service that I give to them for them to give to their customers. So often, I see supervisors mistreat others and then turn around and complain about the team’s customer service. It’s pretty obvious as to why it isn’t working. The supervisor created the expectation by how they treated those reporting to them.

So, back to the original question: how do we become self-aware when it’s a paradox? You have to get feedback. Many years ago when I was seeing patients in my practice as a psychotherapist running a large clinic, I struggled with how many times I had to see someone before I had a clear picture of what was happening. This was especially true with couples and families. It would take 4 to 5 sessions–a good bit of time and expense for me to feel like I had a grasp of what was happening. That didn’t work well, as they oftentimes didn’t have time due to the crisis that brought them to me, nor did they need the expense and pain it incurred.

That is when I started building out our Teamalytics 360 assessment. I built it for behaviors rather than personalities. Hence, today we have some of the strongest behavioral analytics in the world with data from hundreds of thousands of leaders worldwide. This is why what we do is so important. It’s also not just how others see you but the real strength is in how your entire team works together, processes issues and information and can achieve the goals they have set.

It’s the team data that counts. It’s not just the individual members of the team but the team as a whole and how they perform together as every great coach will tell you. So, if you want the trophy you will learn how to work together in a powerful way and that’s what we help teams do.

And thus our name, Teamalytics!

Aggressive Leadership: Good or Bad?

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 07:06:50 GMT

If you were ever labeled as bossy or aggressive during childhood, odds are you were exhibiting the raw materials needed to form an excellent leader someday. But what if you’re in that leadership position now and you still get told you’re too aggressive?

Aggression isn’t all bad when it comes to strong leadership, but it certainly needs to be wielded with care.

The three main leadership styles

In general, there are thought to be three primary leadership approaches .

Aggressive leadership. Defined by self-assurance, a commitment to success, and the ability to perform under pressure, aggressive leaders get a lot done but are sometimes intimidating to their team. However, they can also motivate others to achieve their goals.
Assertive leadership . This approach is thought to be the “happy medium” style that leans into collaboration, clear communication, and constructive feedback. Team members under an assertive leader often feel empowered to do their best work.
Passive leadership . In contrast to the other two approaches, passive leaders are ineffective decision-makers, risk averse, and reluctant to confront conflict. This type of leadership really only works with a highly autonomous and self-motivated team.

Each of these styles can be used in the right context to achieve team success. The best leaders know when to apply each type of leadership based on the situation or the individual they are working with.

When to avoid aggression

If you tend to come across as aggressive, there are a few situations in which an assertive or passive approach might serve you better.

First, when you are tasked with direct criticism of an individual team member, an assertive approach will not only do less harm but will also be more effective. An aggressive critique might take place in front of others, with a raised voice, immediately after a mistake. This can lead to resentment and resistance to change. In contrast, an assertive critique prioritizes privacy if possible, is mindful of body language, and lets some time elapse so emotions are not running as high.

Another time to temper your aggression is when it might burn a bridge with a colleague or potential collaborator. This will likely require the use of your intuition to identify individuals who will not respond well to an aggressive approach and calibrate accordingly.

Finally, aggression should rarely be used over text or email. While it may seem like this would dilute an aggressive approach, it actually amplifies potential harm as it allows individual interpretations to take your intent out of context.

When to use aggression

There are times in every leader’s career in which an aggressive approach is the best path forward.

The first scenario in which aggression is an asset is during a crisis. This could mean a true emergency or natural disaster, or it could refer to a decision that must be made immediately in response to unforeseen market changes. Either way, this is the time to let your inner aggression take over and lead with confidence under pressure. Others will look to you for direction.

Aggressive leadership also helps with boundary setting. When certain team members repeatedly violate the group’s social contract or the company values, your aggressive nature may enable you to better confront the conflict. This is a situation where it is actually beneficial to push back on the behavior in front of the whole team, demonstrating your authority and letting it be known that the violation will not be tolerated.

Similarly, aggressive leadership can swoop in to defend an underdog or prevent a catastrophic decision from being made. In situations that call for a defender of a person or idea, your aggression can actually become an asset when wielded with precision.

Aggression is just one piece of a healthy leader’s toolkit. If you want to take a better look at your own levels of aggression and compare them to other traits you exhibit or lack, download our free guide “Know What It Feels Like to Work with You: The Elusive Key to Effective Leadership and Team Assessment.”

Optimize Your Team: Flip Flippen

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 08:36:59 GMT

As we kick off the second season of the Optimize Your Team podcast, we sit down with Flip Flippen, founder of The Flippen Group, to discuss the difference between an A-Team and a Good Team and how you, as a leader, can take your team’s performance to the next level. For those interested in investing in their team, leaders need to create a culture of purpose, mission, focus, and high levels of trust to achieve ultimate success.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

Team Development: Worth It or a Waste?

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 07:15:21 GMT

Leaders confronted with tricky team dynamics often schedule group activities to facilitate “team bonding,” only to be disappointed when nothing changes back at the office. These efforts start to feel like a waste of both time and money.

But the problem remains: your team isn’t getting along, and it’s affecting productivity. So is team development worthwhile, or is it a waste? It all depends on your approach.

Yes, a standalone motivational event is often a waste

It is tempting in this era of remote-work culture to think that getting everyone in the same room will somehow fix all the problems at play in the workplace. But team-building in the context of a collaborative exercise or an outing to a bowling alley almost never singlehandedly fixes underlying problems among team members. It just brings the issues to a new location.

Even for teams that work in-person all the time, the statistics on team-building activities are not encouraging. The Harvard Business Review (HBR) reports that in interviews with over 125 different teams, most employees named collaboration as an area of value that they knew they should engage in; they just didn’t do it. Team-building exercises of the ropes course or day trip variety did lead to a temporary increase in feelings of emotional cohesion among team members, but by themselves did not translate to greater collaboration professionally.

HBR concluded that while collaboration and trust are key components of a highly successful team, you can’t start there. You have to start by motivating the individuals within the team.

Building a collaborative culture is worth it

So if it all begins with individual motivation, that means team development is a waste, right?

Not so fast. Poor team dynamics can lead to high rates of attrition, low productivity, and a worse reputation within your industry. All of these realities come at a cost you can avoid through effective team development.

It’s really an interweaving of collaboration and individual motivation that seems to be most effective at building a cohesive team culture. You can’t just name collaboration as a value and expect your team to pursue it on their own. They need a framework for collaboration that incentivizes them to work with their colleagues. And yes, this sometimes means monetary raises or promotions.

Additionally, you need to create accountability for inappropriate behaviors. Incentives are effective, but without cultural standards, existing destructive patterns may continue within the new collaboration framework. You don’t want to end up with groups of two or three people antagonizing each other while “collaborating” among themselves.

So how do you do it?

It can feel impossible to thread the needle of good team-building. Mastering the art of motivating individuals to collaborate while also holding them accountable for old habits is a big task.

This is why professional team development programs are a good investment. As a leader, you likely have enough on your to-do list without adding the creation of a collaborative and behavioral framework from scratch.

At Teamalytics, we’ve been helping leaders solve team dynamics issues for three decades. During this time, we’ve carefully aggregated what we’ve learned into proprietary analytics that yield proven results. Our program follows a three-step process:

Awareness: Explore your team’s current behavioral data
Accountability: Create personalized action plans for individuals and the group
Acceleration: Execute action plans and get ongoing feedback

This approach combines the collaboration framework, individual motivation, and behavior accountability needed to effect real change.

Rather than doing it all on your own, consider investing in an evidence-based leadership and team development program. For assistance calculating the possible return on investment, download our free guide, “Calculating ROI: A Practical Guide for MEasuring Return on Human Capital Investments” today.

What Is Turnover Costing You?

Thu, 30 May 2024 07:17:30 GMT

It’s no secret that losing employees and seeking new hires is a costly and time-consuming endeavor. But do you know just how much a high turnover rate is actually costing you?

If a company experiences repeated changes in personnel, they have to continually budget for the high costs of recruiting and training new team members. While new hires can bring fresh ideas with them, constant reshuffling leads to lack of team cohesion and lower productivity.

If you feel like you’re constantly losing employees, it’s in your best interest to identify the root cause of the issue and do something about it.

Calculate turnover and attrition

The first task in front of you is to calculate your rate of turnover. You should know that some companies equate turnover with attrition, while others differentiate between the two.

Turnover refers to employees who leave and are replaced by new hires. In contrast, some companies define attrition as employees who leave and are not replaced. In this article, the terms will be used interchangeably.

Turnover and attrition are measured as a percentage of the total employees on a team or in a company. Therefore, divide the number of lost employees by the number of total employees, then multiply by 100 to get your attrition rate.

You may also want to differentiate by type of employee loss for more granular data: voluntary (quitting), involuntary (layoffs/fires), and internal (moved to another role in the same organization).

Compare with your competitors

Once you have a good handle on your attrition or turnover rate, it’s time to compare your rate with similar teams and companies.

If you’re measuring the turnover rate of your own team or department within a larger organization, first compare that rate with the rates of other teams at your company. This will help you identify if your department in particular could be struggling with team dynamics issues that are driving people away. Alternatively, if your rate is lower than most teams at your organization, you might have some strengths in your department that you can seek out and nurture.

Before you decide you don’t have a problem, though, compare your attrition rate with that of other companies. If possible, know the attrition rate of both your team and your company as a whole and try to get your hands on those rates at similar organizations in your industry. Networking with human resources (HR) professionals can be helpful in this pursuit.

Count the cost

Now that you have good data on your turnover rate you can decide whether or not action is called for.

If you’re losing a lot of team members to promotions within your organization but your overall attrition rate is comparable to that of others in your industry, your current status quo may be sustainable. People may see your team as a great stepping stone in their careers at your company.

Alternatively, if you are losing team members to other companies and struggling to fill their positions, you may need to adjust your current management strategy. This truth is heightened if your turnover rate is higher than that of your competitors.

Consider solutions

If it does appear that your attrition rate is too high, it’s time to take further steps to determine the monetary annual expense of this issue. You might be shocked to learn just how much high turnover costs.

For example, general manager Dick Schilhab of Transit Mix reports, “Our [truck driver] attrition rate of 72% every six months was costing us more than $6 million a year… Within just 24 months [of human capital investment], our attrition had dropped from 72% to an industry-leading 14%!”

Here at Teamalytics, we guide leaders through a team development program that cultivates a cohesive culture team members won’t want to leave. One of the positive outcomes of this type of human capital investment is often a lowered attrition rate. Sometimes these results are drastic, as experienced by Transit Mix.

A high attrition rate often signals a need for change. If you’ve ever considered investing in a leadership and team development program, this metric might be the push you need to take the plunge. For help determining your next right step, download our free guide “Calculating ROI: A Practical Guide for Measuring Return on Human Capital Investments” today.

Five Ways to Measure ROI for Team Development

Thu, 23 May 2024 07:19:50 GMT

If you’re a leader considering human capital investment, it can be tough to know how to assess which programs are worth your time and money. Even businesses that place a high value on interpersonal relationships still have bottom lines. You need to know your money is being well-spent.

As you investigate various leadership and team development programs, consider these five ways to evaluate return on investment (ROI).

#1 Reaction: Measures Satisfaction

The first way to measure program effectiveness is through formal evaluation of participants’ reactions.

As you look for the right program for your organization, ask if the content comes with evaluations after each workshop or module and an overall evaluation at the end. Make sure this information is available to you, not just the company that runs the program, as you want to measure effectiveness yourself.

If a team development program does not have built-in evaluations you will be able to access, consider creating your own. Make sure to use a rating scale as opposed to simple yes or no questions so that you can track trends over time.

#2 Learning: Measures What People Are Taking Away from the Program

In addition to satisfaction, another important metric to assess is learning. Your team may have enjoyed the content or workshops, but did they actually find it applicable to their daily professional lives?

Again, some programs will have these types of assessment questions built into their evaluations, while others won’t. It may be helpful to identify some key objectives you hope to accomplish through the program at the outset. That way, you can later see if effective change was made in those specific areas.

For example, if you hope to shorten meetings by decreasing the amount of time spent arguing over decisions, you could ask participants to estimate meeting efficiency at the beginning, middle, and end of the program.

#3 Application/Implementation: Measures Progress After the Program

It’s important to keep measuring program success after the formal portion of the program has ended. This will help you better evaluate if the content was worth the investment.

Check in with participants after one month, six months, and a year. Ask some of the same satisfaction and learning questions you asked during the program, and see if lasting change has been made.

Additionally, some programs incorporate peer assessment into their development strategy. While it’s important to help people see their own strengths and constraints, another person’s perspective on our growth and change is often more accurate than our own potentially biased view.

If peer assessment was part of the program you chose, it will be helpful to continue peer assessment as time goes on and compare the results. To maximize honesty, it’s best to take an anonymous approach. Some team development programs will provide software with this capability.

#4 Business Impact: Measures Change in Business Impact Variables/KPIs

Another piece of evaluating ROI is measuring change in key performance indicators ( KPIs ). This is similar to assessing if individual participants actually used the training in their work, but focuses more on quantitative measures.

For example, you might want to know your team’s monthly sales growth, amount of overtime hours, or customer satisfaction scores both before and after the human capital investment. Note that the measures you investigate should be those that are impacted by individuals, as a leadership and team development program seeks to better a company by bettering the individuals within it.

#5 Financial ROI: Measures the Monetary Benefit Gained vs Costs Incurred

Finally, to get a real idea of whether or not your human capital investment was worth it, you will take the measurable changes on business impact and compare them to the costs you incurred by purchasing the program.

Selecting a leadership and team development program is tough, and making sure you invest wisely can feel daunting. If you’d like more guidance on each of the five ways you can measure the effectiveness of human capital investment, download our free guide “Calculating ROI: A Practical Guide for Measuring Return on Human Capital Investments” today.

The Time Drain of Poor Team Dynamics

Thu, 16 May 2024 07:21:38 GMT

Poor team dynamics interfere with a leader’s daily productivity. On top of time spent fielding outright complaints, leaders also take the brunt of initiating conversations about unspoken tensions that are brewing among team members.

It’s easy to burn out when every day brings another conflict to resolve. It might seem like avoiding team issues altogether will save time and lead to better productivity. Unfortunately, this is a short-term solution that will yield long-term problems.

Here are three myths about conflict resolution that leaders fall into believing and what to focus on instead.

Myth #1: “They won’t change anyway”

We’ve all worked with that one colleague. You know, the one with intractable behavior issues who seems unaffected by constructive criticism or formal write-ups.

In this scenario it is tempting to write the team member off as a lost cause. But no one is truly uncoachable, and treating them as such is only going to upset the rest of the team. After all, if you have behavioral standards and strive for a collaborative culture, no one should be exempt.

With individuals resistant to growth, the best bet is to actually dig into a deeper relationship with them as their leader. Trust is central to professional success and productivity. Building it with difficult individuals is therefore a crucial piece of conflict resolution.

If your one-on-ones always seem to focus on behavior correction, schedule a meeting that flips the script. Ask what they want to work on this quarter, where they see themselves in five years, or even what’s going on in their personal life. You might gain valuable insight into where their difficult behavior is coming from and be able to offer advice or support.

Myth #2: “It will resolve itself”

Another myth that leaders fall into is the idea that an ignored conflict will eventually go away without intervention. You can think of this concept as the “head in the sand” approach—if I can’t see it, it must not be there!

Unfortunately, conflicts that are left to fester among team members tend to grow, not disappear. An issue between two people may eventually split the entire team into sides, wreaking havoc on productivity and team morale. If you as a leader are made aware and choose to do nothing, this will only serve to encourage team members to deal with the conflict on their own in the manner they see fit.

Another concern is attrition. If conflict avoidance becomes a pattern, some of your best team members will likely seek work elsewhere so they can work to their fullest potential on a functional team.

Myth #3: “I don’t have the time to deal with this”

The final and perhaps most prevalent myth among leaders about poor team dynamics is that you don’t have the time to deal with petty problems day in and day out. It’s easy to convince yourself that you have too many important responsibilities on your plate to play referee among your team members. You didn’t become a leader to break up fights–they’re adults, right?

While this is an understandable perspective, the truth is unresolved conflicts end up taking more of your time if you let them grow. According to Forbes , “The CIPD Conflict Management Survey (2011) estimates that, on average, a grievance takes seven days of management time, often over many months, which adds to the many other costs of conflict , such as legal fees and recruitment.”

Seven work days is a lot of time. And that probably doesn’t account for the mental strain an ongoing conflict exacts, lowering your productivity and blurring work-life boundaries. In contrast, you could spend a few hours or days organizing team dynamics training workshops or facilitating conflict resolution between two team members.

If you’d like some support improving your team dynamics, Teamalytics might be the collaboration you need. After decades of experience working with C-level executives and their teams, Teamalytics has created proprietary analytics and team assessments that yield lasting results.

You know that avoiding conflict resolution comes with a cost mentally, monetarily, and in your calendar. To weigh the cost of investing in a team development program, download our free guide “Calculating ROI: A Practical Guide for Measuring Return on Human Capital Investments” today..

The Cost of Doing Nothing

Thu, 09 May 2024 07:42:33 GMT

Sometimes the issues evident in a dysfunctional team feel too insurmountable to change. Even if you had the time to bring in outside help, how could you possibly justify the monetary investment in such a program?

This rationale is prevalent in the business world. As long as deadlines are still getting met and profits are still coming in, poor team dynamics are tolerated or even inadvertently encouraged.

However, the cost of doing nothing may outweigh the cost of effecting change. If you find yourself in an untenable situation, follow these steps to determine your next right move.

Assess current team metrics

It may feel obvious to you that there are interpersonal issues on your team. But it’s important to get a comprehensive understanding of the current state of things before you attempt to implement a solution.

If your workplace conducts a quarterly or annual survey, pay attention to the responses that indicate levels of employee engagement and satisfaction. If possible, pull out your team’s specific responses from the larger survey and see if there are any similarities among team members.

Get a good understanding of the state of quantitative metrics like attrition and quarterly revenue, too. If you are considering spending money on a team development program, you’ll want to note some measurable quantitative metrics you can follow over time.

Finally, don’t forget to look for positives, too. Just because your team is struggling doesn’t mean they have everything completely wrong. As you investigate both qualitative and quantitative measurements of team performance, notice a few strengths that your team already has.

Compare results to previous years

Once you’ve gathered data about the current situation, it’s time to look back at the last five years. Compare your team’s current performance with the way they performed one year ago, five years ago, and with the way the company performs as a whole.

Trends are much more informative than static facts. It’s helpful to plot your team’s attrition rate or quarterly revenue on a graph to see how it’s changed over time. You might also do this for employee satisfaction, especially if they’ve ranked it using a numerical scale.

As you review the last five years, be honest with yourself about the direction in which your team is headed. Perhaps profits are going up, but so is attrition. Alternatively, profits may be declining along with employee satisfaction. Compare your team to the rest of the company and ask yourself if you have a problem on your hands.

Again, don’t forget the positives. If you’ve identified certain strengths among your team members, try to see how they might be influencing the trends. Ask yourself if there was a certain set of strengths prevalent on the team five years ago that is missing now.

Weigh the cost of doing nothing

Now is the time to decide if the cost of doing nothing outweighs the cost of effecting change. Yes, hiring a leadership development coach or purchasing a team improvement program will cost you both time and money.

But based on the trends you’ve reviewed, will the continuation of harmful team dynamics cost you time and money, too? Onboarding new employees is costly and time consuming, so if your attrition rate is creeping up you can anticipate lost revenue there. Dissatisfied employees are often less productive, and while this net loss is hard to capture quantitatively, a trend of decreased satisfaction may be costing you more than you think.

If it’s time to make a change, make sure you pick a leadership and team development program that provides measurable outcomes. Here at Teamaltyics, we’ve developed proprietary analytics over the last several decades to ensure our clients get a return on their investment. Download our guide, “Calculating ROI: A Practical Guide for Measuring Return on Human Capital Investments” to see if your team could benefit from our unique approach.

How to give effective criticism

Thu, 02 May 2024 07:47:40 GMT

Giving feedback is difficult. You want to help your team grow and learn. You know that mistakes and failures are important teaching moments. And yet, you hesitate. The last time you tried to offer feedback, it blew up into a conflict. Or maybe you felt so uncomfortable you weren’t able to fully address the real issues.

As leaders, it is possible to lean too far into criticality or too far into complacency. The key is to strike a balance, maintaining your team’s trust and respect while still being able to correct and guide behavior that detracts from team goals.

The Harvard Business Review recommends four approaches to giving constructive criticism.

1. Be specific

Key to the efficacy of criticism is its specificity. Generalized statements that someone needs to “improve” or that output has been “unsatisfactory” don’t lead to actionable change, just feelings of discontent.

Some leaders may fear that precise feedback will make their employees feel micromanaged. While it is possible to overdo it, precise feedback typically leads to precise results. It implies you are not criticizing someone’s personality or unique traits; rather, you are requesting a change in approach to a particular part of their workflow.

One way to become more specific in your feedback is by inviting the critiqued employee to problem-solve with you immediately after receiving the criticism. This leaves no room for miscommunication or guesswork as to what you want.

2. Bring in shared values

When inviting an employee to problem-solve alongside you, a great approach is mentioning shared values.

This could mean referencing the company’s values; for example, if open communication is a value for your team, you could remind an employee who rarely replies to email that this behavior sends a message of distance and aloofness whether they mean it to or not.

Another way to motivate change after criticism is by highlighting that particular employee’s values. If work-life balance is really important to them but they are continually late to the office, have a discussion about how you can better support them to arrive on time. Troubleshoot what is holding them back and remind them that you want to support them in their goal of work-life balance. Be flexible where you can, and explain rationale for set expectations where you can’t.

3. Be mindful of your non-verbal cues

Remember that the words you say sometimes matter less than how you say them. Body language, tone of voice, and even the location of a feedback session can all impact how the criticism is received.

A neutral facial expression and calm tone of voice are usually your best approach. Be sure to schedule one-on-one sessions ahead of time when possible to ensure your employee can come to the meeting prepared to receive constructive criticism. If in-the-moment feedback must occur, try to give it privately and mention that you’re available for follow-up conversations.

4. Be personal

While it may seem like the last thing you want when giving criticism is to be personal, personalizing your approach actually goes a long way toward effective change.

Check in with each team member and find out how they prefer feedback be given: in the moment, on a set schedule, or a mixture of the two. Accommodate their preferred method of communication when possible; some people may like face-to-face conversations while others prefer the privacy of reading an email.

Get feedback on your feedback

If you would benefit as a leader by receiving professional feedback on the feedback you give your employees, our executive coaching at Teamalytics may be a good fit for you. Whether you’re new to a leadership role or have been at the helm for years, our proprietary analytics dig deep into your unique strengths and constraints to identify opportunities for growth.

We’ve taken care to develop the tools and metrics we use over three decades, so that the resources you invest in our program pay dividends in positive results for you and your team. Check out our executive coaching program today to take your leadership to the next level.

Do you have the right balance of urgency in the workplace?

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:51:30 GMT

A sense of task urgency at work is often necessary in order to meet deadlines. But as a leader, it can be difficult to manage a mismatch between differing levels of urgency among team members. Too little urgency and opportunities get missed; too much and the quality of the work and the culture suffer in the name of speed.

How can a leader strike a balance between these two approaches, especially when their own bias inevitably gets in the way?

Avoid urgency overload

Some leaders and teams lean into excess urgency. From a personality and behavioral perspective, some people are more likely to feel the urge to get work done as quickly as possible. If a leader exhibits this trait, their team is likely to follow suit.

While this sounds good in theory, in excess this approach can lower morale and lead to sloppy final projects. According to the Harvard Business Review , some signs of this issue on a team include reactive decision-making, burnout, and poor prioritization of tasks.

To combat this, they recommend tactics such as these:

Vetting external requests: Have a filterer for your team when clients or other leaders make requests. Be sure the team gives realistic not just optimistic timelines for completion and discuss trade-offs before agreeing to a new assignment.
Ruthless prioritization: Take yourself out of the equation to gain a fresh perspective. Imagine the outcome of your decisions a year from now, or picture how you would advise another leader to approach this task.

Cultivate sustainable urgency

In contrast, leaders with a less task-focused personality may cultivate a culture of collaboration and creativity at the expense of urgency. Team members may find this approach refreshing at first; but unmet deadlines, a lack of long-term planning, and ineffective decision-making can lead to a tarnished reputation and missed opportunities.

Indeed recommends the following techniques for teams that struggle with urgency:

Consistent urgency: Don’t emphasize urgency only when a deadline looms. Instead, create a culture of urgency over time by following up on tasks and requests in a timely manner and holding yourself accountable to set goals.
Positive reinforcement: Rather than scare your team with potential negative outcomes, paint a picture of the possibilities that could open up if they meet an upcoming deadline with a client.
Stretch goals: Plan both a soft and hard deadline for projects. The earlier deadline is the soft or stretch goal, but if your team fails to meet it, they still have some wiggle room to meet the final, hard deadline instead.
Post-deadline analysis: When a deadline does get missed, take the time to sit down with the involved team members and deconstruct what went wrong. Brainstorm ways you can offer support next time to help avoid this outcome.

Recognize that urgency alone isn’t enough

Whether you intrinsically have a sense of urgency or not, you’ve probably noticed that your behavioral tendencies as a leader affect the performance of your entire team.

Here at Teamalytics, we’ve worked with thousands of leaders over the last several decades and identified 13 key leadership traits that influence team success. One of those traits is Urgency and Intensity. Our assessments provide leaders with research-backed and quantitative measures of their self rating and their 360-degree ratings.

No one has the exact same mixture of leadership traits, but we help leaders identify where their strengths and constraints lie so they can more effectively lead their team. If you feel you and your team could benefit from an in-depth understanding of how these traits are influencing performance, download our free guide “Know What it Feels Like to Work with You” today.

A Tip for Unlocking Your Organization’s Potential: Wear Your Seat Belt!

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 07:54:26 GMT

We wear seat belts in our cars and on airplanes—or at least we are supposed to. Statistically, you could travel unharnessed and possibly be fine, but seat belts offer a layer of protection should we need them. Despite this, some business leaders choose to travel without the “seat belt” of leadership development.

It’s easy to assume you already have the skills to lead effectively. However, effective leadership development extends far beyond your individual capabilities—it permeates throughout the entire organization, shaping the culture, performance, and long-term sustainability. The “seat belt” of leadership development fosters an environment of safety for all passengers.

Leadership Development is Worth the Time

Some leaders know they could improve, but struggle to carve out time for leadership development. Here at Teamalytics, we find this is common for people who score high on our proprietary 360 Report’s measure titled “Urgency and Intensity.” A high scorer for this measure has a constant appetite for results and more concrete tasks, thus making it harder to prioritize the development of themselves or their team.

But in business, what gets measured gets managed. By establishing a measurable leadership system and developing performance indicators, the impact of continuous improvement on the team’s leadership competencies becomes easier. Leadership development provides a standard that can be measured and therefore improved.

Systems should be designed with specific objectives and outcomes in mind, whether it’s improving employee engagement, reducing turnover, or increasing mutual awareness of team members’ strengths and constraints. By leveraging data analytics and feedback mechanisms, leaders can assess the effectiveness of leadership development initiatives and optimize their investment.

Leadership Development Unlocks Hidden Potential

Another benefit of leadership development is that it unlocks hidden potential. If its primary purpose is protection like a seat belt, its secondary purpose is the added bonus of augmenting success like fertilizer.

Every spring, some people aerate and reseed their lawns and then put fertilizer on it. Towards June, it is amazing how much better the lawn looks. Sparse patches have filled in, and areas that looked good before are now completely flourishing.

Every organization similarly holds untapped potential waiting to be unleashed. Overlooking the transformative power of a leadership development system in unlocking unseen talents and capabilities within an organization is a common missed opportunity.

By investing in leadership development, leaders can cultivate a culture of empowerment and enablement in which individuals are encouraged to stretch beyond their comfort zones and unleash their full potential. By nurturing a growth mindset and providing access to resources and mentorship, leaders can inspire employees to aspire to leadership roles.

This fosters a culture of ambition, innovation, and continuous improvement. It also creates a ripple effect, as capable leaders emerge across departments, driving performance, collaboration, and ultimately, organizational success.

Investing in Leadership Development Demonstrates Strength

How you got to where you are as a leader was dependent on many things: luck, drive, a supportive environment, and opportunity. By establishing leadership development as a business system, you will create an environment for others to grow and to add more value to the organization.

A leadership development system is a strategic imperative that drives organizational growth, resilience, and success. By viewing leadership development as a business system, setting measurable standards, and unlocking hidden potential, leaders can unleash the full power of leadership to propel their organizations to new heights of excellence and achievement.

If you want to take your first step toward implementing a leadership development program today, download our free guide “Building A-Teams: Balancing Results and Relationships for Long-Term Success.”

Honing your skills to manage change

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 08:00:31 GMT

Most leaders know that managing organizational change is a Herculean task. In addition to the human propensity to resist change, leaders must work against the inertia of established habits, routines, and practices that have built up over years or decades.

But just because you’ve experienced suboptimal organizational changes in the past doesn’t mean the next implementation has to go the same way. With a bit of reflection and flexibility, it is possible to lead your team through change with confidence. To do so, we recommend the following steps.

Look back

Before you can decide the best approach for moving forward, it’s important to take stock of what hasn’t gone well in the past. One helpful framework for determining the type of change management strategy your organization uses is the Change-Approaches Framework detailed in the Harvard Business Review, which presents four types of change management:

Directive: top-down, rollout
Self-assembly: initiatives, toolkits
Masterful: frameworks, collaborative
Emergent: self-organized, flexible

Each of these approaches has pros and cons, and the Harvard Business Review argues that the Masterful and Emergent approaches are the most successful. Be honest with yourself as you identify the approach your organization has taken in the past.

Here at Teamalytics, our first step in working with any group is generating awareness of the issues at hand through proprietary analytics and assessments. We even have a measure in our Teamalytics 360 that quantifies your Need for Change along with your teams, pinpointing specific hotspots to help you navigate change better. Our research shows that you can’t get anywhere new without acknowledging your starting point.

Look forward

Now that you know where you’ve been, it’s time to map out where you want to go. Determine how much control you have over the change approach within the confines of your current leadership role.

If you have quite a bit of autonomy when it comes to implementing the proposed change, pick a change approach from the framework that would be a good fit for your team and your own unique strengths and constraints as a leader. Be sure to account for the proposed change timeline as you plan your new approach; a change management overhaul isn’t likely to be successful in two weeks.

Communicate the plan (but be sure to have the key ingredient)

No matter which change management approach you choose, it is crucial to communicate the plan to your team. If they’ve been a part of organizational change at your company before, they will be expecting more of the same.

Now is your opportunity to explain the new approach and the rationale behind it. Research shows that trust is a key ingredient to team success, and without it, your new change management strategy is much more likely to fail.

If you’ve selected a collaborative change management strategy such as Masterful or Emergent, make sure you are open to hearing concerns from team members in your initial conversations about the change. If you’re unwilling to field questions, you will be reverting to a Directive or Self-Assembly approach in practice.

Remain receptive and flexible

As the organizational change takes place, continue to be open to feedback from your team. Not only did you ask them to absorb an organizational change; you also asked them to change the way they approach change itself!

Don’t expect everything to go smoothly just because you took a new approach. Be willing to make adjustments and pivot when necessary. Both as the process unfolds and after it’s done, track formal feedback for later analysis. It will help you perform even better when the next organizational change rolls around.

If this process sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. At Teamalytics, we have decades of experience working with leaders like yourself as they navigate organizational change and team dynamics. We’ve collated our research into bite-sized, helpful guides for busy professionals. If you want help leading your team through organizational change, download our free guide on team building today: “Building A-Teams: Balancing Results and Relationships for Long-Term Success” .

Leading your team through AI integration

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 08:07:41 GMT

Look back

Directive: top-down, rollout
Self-assembly: initiatives, toolkits
Masterful: frameworks, collaborative
Emergent: self-organized, flexible

Look forward

Now that you know where you’ve been, it’s time to map out where you want to go. Determine how much control you have over the change approach within the confines of your current leadership role.

Communicate the plan (but be sure to have the key ingredient)

Remain receptive and flexible

How to deal with political polarization in the workplace

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:12:23 GMT

It’s no secret that the United States has been stuck in a politically polarized situation for many years. If you’re a leader at work, it’s difficult to know how to deal with the ways these conflicts bubble up among team members.

There are lots of unhealthy tactics we use to deal with difficult conversations, including avoidance, demonization, and aggression. All of these responses fail to effectively address the core issue and may make things worse. When we allow harmful dynamics to fester among team members, it can prevent them from doing their best work.

Here at Teamalytics, we assist leaders through a three-step process to building an “A-team.” This framework applies to whatever issue your team may be facing, even political discord. If you’re seeing political tension among your team, we recommend following these three steps:

1. Create a team standards contract

It’s tempting to start with bringing people together to hash out touchy subjects, but it’s often best to start with helping people connect relationally, which builds trust and disarms emotions.

At Teamalytics, one of the best tools we offer to help build trust is our Social Contract. It is a document, but more aptly termed a process. It is a collaboratively built document that outlines acceptable behaviors.

2. Embrace accountability and frequent feedback

Once your team has created and documented a Team Standard Contract (Social Contract), it might feel like your work is done.

However, unless you want the team to slip back into old patterns, a path must be marked out for ongoing feedback and accountability. Have a Team Standards check-in at the beginning of team meetings, and sat the end have a quick reflection on how the team did. Also, consider quarterly meetings in which you revisit the contract more formally.

Allowing the group to become self-managed is the key. Leaders can set rules and step into conflict, but in the ideal world, the team works out issues on its own. Holding each other accountable with varied perspectives in the room, the likelihood of one view steamrolling another goes down.

3. Do something together

Start to think proactively about how to unify your team, rather than reactively about how to fix conflict. Volunteer or donate money together as a group to a cause that everyone can get on board with. Name shared values as a team and focus on what unifies, not divides.

If you know your team could benefit from the above approach, download our free guide, “Building A-Teams: Balancing Results and Relationships for Long-Term Success” today. We’ve distilled thirty years of experience working with leaders and teams in conflict into a six-page guide for you to reference as you navigate the complexities of leading a team in today’s polarized world.

Why trust is crucial to team success

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 08:21:55 GMT

If you’ve never seen meaningful change as a result of team development, it’s probably because your team lacked the most crucial aspect of cohesion: trust. So how do you make this vital, intangible asset a reality for your team? Believe trust matters for your bottom line, understand what trust really means, and then start building trust by example.

High trust means better business outcomes

If you’re not convinced that trust is key to success, consider recent data from the Harvard Business Review . High–trust companies report:

74% less stress
50% higher productivity
13% fewer sick days
76% more engagement
40% less burnout

In that study, a high-trust organization is defined as “one in which employees feel safe to take risks, express themselves freely, and innovate.” These traits lead to increased collaboration, communication, and ultimately better business outcomes.

By contrast, low–trust organizations tend to exhibit behaviors like the hoarding of ideas and resources because they don’t trust their colleagues with information. This leads to slower decision–making and lower efficacy.

Trust is well-researched

The Harvard Business Review isn’t breaking new ground by identifying trust as a key business asset. Over a decade ago, the Aristotle project begun by Google unearthed five key characteristics of enhanced teams:

Psychological safety
Dependability
Structure and clarity
Meaning
Impact

Trust is central to the first three characteristics identified, and arguably makes up a large part of meaning and impact, as well. This project involved over 180 individual teams within Google’s organization and shocked the business community at the time.

But as early as 2002, consulting expert Patrick Lencioni was already emphasizing the importance of trust. He wrote his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team based on his work with thousands of executive level leaders, and trust was both the top issue and interwoven into the other four:

Absence of trust
Fear of conflict
Lack of commitment
Avoidance of team accountability
Inattention to team objectives

It is clear that for decades, trust has been reliably regarded as critical to business success. So how do you begin to implement a culture of trust with your team?

How to build trust with your team

The first and most important way to start building trust as a leader is through your own actions. The Harvard Business Review recommends increasing transparency, authenticity, and reliability. Actions such as admitting mistakes, adhering to regular feedback rhythms, and sharing the rationale for decisions go a long way towards these goals.

When you work with our coaches here at Teamalytics, your Teamalytics 360 report can help you ascertain how well you perform these actions, with behaviors such as lower Nurturing and even higher Self-Control pointing to specific risk areas in building trust. High scores on Criticality can also indicate someone’s risk of negating their trust efforts.

Once you’ve started demonstrating trustworthy leadership, the next step is building trust among team members. Here at Teamalytics, we’ve worked with thousands of companies over the past thirty years. Through these experiences, we have seen the benefit of establishing team standards for behavior.

One way to do this is to implement a formal Social Contract. This type of document is concise and values-focused, and most importantly, it is created by the team itself. When team members have a hand in establishing their own standards for behavior, they are much more likely to adhere to the expectations.

Trust matters for business outcomes, is a well-researched characteristic of successful teams, and can be developed with a little intention and collaboration. If you want some guidance on how to go about building trust with the benefit of a data-driven approach, download our free guide “Building A-Teams: Balancing Results and Relationships for Long-Term Success” today.

Use a matrix to assess your underperforming team

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 08:26:43 GMT

Good leaders can tell when something on their team is amiss. The more difficult task is determining the nature of the problem. If both profits and morale are down, it can be hard to know which came first. You want to attack the root of the problem to achieve lasting solutions, but first you must figure out what that root is.

According to Forbes , results-oriented leaders are rated as “good” 14% of the time, while people-oriented leaders are rated as “good” 12% of the time. In contrast, leaders with a dual focus on both results and relationships are rated as “good” 72% of the time by their team

The solution is found not in one approach or the other, but in the interplay between the two. We’ve created a matrix to help leaders assess where their team falls on this spectrum of a results or relationships focus. To identify your tendencies and learn how you can improve, read more about each category below.

Connected Underperformance

Teams that have high relationship satisfaction but mediocre or low productivity have a dynamic of “Connected Underperformance.” Leaders of this type of team may know each team member on a personal level, spend a lot of time conducting one-on-ones, and devote budgetary resources to group outings or mental health support systems.

All of these choices stem from good intentions. But if they are not accompanied by action and follow-through on business objectives, the team will lag when it comes to productivity and profit. Team members need to know that their leader is capable, trustworthy, and decisive before they can give a task their all.

Think about military leaders and sports coaches. They are not effective if they primarily function as their team’s friend. Instead, they make tough calls when necessary based on their expertise and motivate their team to get the job done.

Draconian

In contrast, “Draconian” teams have great business results but poor relationships among team members. On these types of teams, leadership takes a cutthroat approach, prioritizing profit above all else. This may manifest as a culture of overtime and poor work-life balance that is praised by leadership. It may also mean employees get let go quickly if they can’t meet productivity expectations.

The downside of this approach is its finitude. Due to the intense working conditions, teams that prioritize only results experience high burnout and high attrition. Coupled with the increased tendency to fire people, this level of turnover means leadership orients new employees constantly. Teams are never able to achieve their highest levels of success because they are unable to learn how they all work best together as a unit.

Another risk of this approach lies in a damaged company reputation. Job sites and social media feeds are full of former employees disparaging their former bosses and companies, warning others that the working environment isn’t worth it.

High Risk

“High Risk” teams don’t have a good grasp on either results or relationships. Leaders of these teams are either inexperienced, conflict-averse, or both. Team members may have decent interpersonal skills and average business savvy, but without a trustworthy, capable leader, their potential for growth in these areas goes to waste.

Apathy towards work goals and emotional disconnection are markers of this type of team. High Risk teams are also the most likely to be dismantled and reassigned to other leaders within the company.

A-Teams: The Goal

The goal is to manage a team that excels at both relationships and results. We call this an “A-Team.” A-Teams perform well among market competitors and operate from a basis of trust and fulfillment with their colleagues.

Leaders of A-Teams strike the tricky balance between emotional connection and productivity expectations. They are able to exude authority without being cold, and can call out unwanted behavior without permanent damage to a relationship. A-Team leaders have the respect of their team and are able to motivate them to achieve lasting success.

At Teamalytics, we’ve helped leaders reach this goal for three decades. If you’re interested in transforming your dysfunctional team into an A-Team, download our guide “Building A-Teams: Balancing Results and Relationships for Long-Term Success” today.

3 Reasons Your Team is Underperforming

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:29:02 GMT

As a leader, do you ever feel like you could accomplish great things at work if only your team would just get along?

You’re not alone. According to Gallup , 60% of workers today are emotionally detached while at work. Even worse, 19% describe themselves as miserable. It’s no wonder that when team collaboration is required, these types of attitudes result in less than desirable outcomes.

The reasons for dissatisfaction at work are as varied and numerous as workers themselves. Ultimately, though, they fall into the following three categories.

Outside influences

As much as we like to imagine ourselves capable of compartmentalization, the reality is people bring their outside lives into the workplace with them.

This truth was glaringly obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic. Worldwide, companies had to contend with a new virtual landscape that impacted every aspect of their output. Although the pandemic now exists mostly in the rearview mirror, it has left a permanent mark on the workplace. Remote and hybrid schedules in particular impact workplace culture and productivity.

In addition to the recent pandemic, leaders are grappling with geopolitical unrest, intergenerational discord, and economic uncertainty. According to Forbes , uncertainty at work leads to higher stress levels and worse health outcomes than outright job loss. It is crucial for leaders to create a sense of consistency and trustworthiness on their team if they want to reduce turnover and achieve profitable results.

Individual behaviors

While the macro influences on workplace culture play a significant role in team performance, the micro influences of individual traits and behaviors also impact business efficacy.

C-suite leaders in particular tend to have trouble with the so-called “soft skills” traditionally associated with team building. In years past, highly valued leadership traits included administrative prowess, financial expertise, and technical knowledge. Interpersonal skills were thought of as simply an added bonus, or were even perceived as a weakness in such a demanding job.

While sometimes effective at increasing profit margins, skills in this area do not necessarily lead to a healthy and thriving team culture. A difficult team dynamic can ultimately result in higher turnover and declining productivity. Plus, organizations with poor culture are often outed publicly online, dampening their reputation.

Companies have noted this deficit and are changing their approach to hiring. Harvard Business Review reports a statistically significant increase in the listing of “strong social skills” as a requirement in C-level job postings over the last two decades. Communication skills and the ability to unite and motivate a diverse team are increasingly necessary in today’s globalized economy.

An imbalance of results and relationships

These multifaceted issues may seem beyond your control as a leader. However, in our work with high-level teams over the last thirty years, we have identified a guiding truth. When teams are struggling, it’s typically due to an imbalance in the prioritization of results and relationships.

Teams that attempt to rectify poor workplace culture with an emphasis on relationship-building sacrifice accountability and productivity on the altar of connectedness. In contrast, teams that hone in on results as their top priority experience decreased morale, high turnover, and employee dissatisfaction.

Before you jump to address intergenerational discord or reprimand C-level executives with attitude issues, take a comprehensive look at your team’s dynamic. Ask yourself if you tend to lead with an emphasis on results or relationships. Underperformance can result from either approach if done to the exclusion of the other. Both are needed to unlock higher levels of success.

This common leadership issue is why our team designed the guide, “Building A-Teams: Balancing Results and Relationships for Long-Term Success.” Download it today to learn how you can take your team from underperforming to exceeding expectations

Criticism at work: can you handle it?

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 08:32:50 GMT

We’ve all experienced that terrible moment at work: someone criticizes you, out loud, maybe in front of others. You flush with embarrassment. Your stomach twists. If you’re in a leadership position, criticism may hit even harder than it did earlier in your career. One piece of feedback can leave you questioning your ability to manage your team effectively.

In our work with thousands of leaders over the last three decades, we have seen firsthand how crucial it is for leaders to be able to accept criticism, discern what’s constructive, and continue to take effective actions for their teams. The most successful leaders view criticism with curiosity and are willing to adapt.

But we recognize that most leaders don’t start there. If you struggle to move on from criticism, it may help to assess your innate reaction and consider working on growth in this area. When critiqued, do you…

1. Freeze

Leaders with this response may feel overwhelmed with feelings of shame and shock when criticized. Negative feedback blindsides them and leaves them feeling inadequate. They have trouble coming up with any words to say in response.

If this is you, there are ways to combat the “deer in the headlights” effect. The first key is to attend to your body. Practice deep breathing during calm moments so that your body knows what to do automatically when criticism comes around.

Additionally, have one or two positive affirmations that you repeat to yourself daily, so you can pivot to them internally when needed. Something like: “This moment does not define my entire career” or “I am more than one person’s opinion of me.”

Finally, it may help to script a few appropriate “comebacks” ahead of time. Having a note on your phone with statements like “Thank you for your honesty” or “I’ll have to take time to think that over” are great to reference in moments of stress.

2. Fight

In contrast, leaders with an innate fight response may get visibly angry when criticized. This response may involve saying things you regret later, rigid body language, or juvenile actions like throwing papers on the floor.

If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. Many leaders struggle with an innate fight response when criticized. It’s important to see this as an opportunity for growth, not a problem to be hidden.

The first thing to work on is control of your body. Similarly to leaders with a freeze response, deep breathing and meditation outside of the office can translate to better bodily control during tense moments at work. Be aware of what you do with your hands and your facial expression. The more relaxed you keep your muscles, the more relaxed you will feel inside.

Second, remember that time is your friend. It’s possible that the person criticizing you is being unjust, but at the moment of impact, you are not in a fit state to determine that. Practice saying things in the mirror to yourself like “I’ll consider what you said” or “That’s a new idea to me.” In crucial moments, these can buy you some time to calm down.

3. Flight

Finally, some leaders have an innate flight response. Flight responses can include a physical removal of oneself to a bathroom or other private space, or a metaphorical withdrawal in which previous statements are redacted in order to keep the peace.

In positions of authority, this response is often perceived as the most embarrassing, because captains are supposed to go down with the proverbial ship, not run away. However, just like freezing or fighting, there are steps you can take to cope.

You probably know by now that the first key is deep breathing and paying attention to bodily cues. Do you get tearful when criticized, prompting you to flee? This is not inherently bad, but taking a few deep breaths may keep the tears at bay long enough for you to make a coherent response before stepping away.

If you tend to metaphorically remove yourself by trying to reverse the offense, be careful not to undermine your leadership. Statements such as “Thank you, I need time to think that over” or “I appreciate your input, but the decision has been made” are potential responses to consider.

Teamalytics can help

Self-reflection is difficult emotionally, and sometimes it’s unclear if one’s perception of oneself is even accurate. That’s why at Teamalytics, we’ve designed unique and validated self-assessment tools to aid leaders in their quest for growth. For over thirty years, we’ve helped leaders just like you identify their strengths and constraints so they can move forward with more confidence and clarity.

If accepting criticism in the workplace is a sticking point for you, download our free guide, “Know What it Feels Like to Work with You: The Elusive Key to Effective Leadership and Team Assessment.” In it, you can learn more about how our tools can revolutionize the way you receive and incorporate feedback.

5 Steps to Better Manage a Multigenerational Workforce

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 08:35:05 GMT

For perhaps the first time in history, the American workforce is made up of five distinct generations. This variety of life experience is an asset that, when leveraged successfully, can energize a stagnant company and lead to more successful projects, better informed decisions, and diverse market appeal.

But as a leader, it can be a challenge to manage the disparate expectations and communication styles of employees from the Silent Generation, Gen Z, and everything in between. If multigenerational challenges have arisen within your team, take action using the steps below.

Step 1: Assess yourself

The first question to ask as a leader is: which generation am I, and how does that affect my leadership style?

While the exact cutoff dates for each generation are debated, the Harvard Business Review states that the five generations were born in the following years:

The Silent Generation: 1925-1945
Baby Boomers: 1946-1964
Generation X: 1965-1980
Millennials: 1981-2000
Generation Z: 2001-2020

Find your birthdate on this list and do a little research into the common stereotypes – both positive and negative – for your own group. Even if you don’t feel like you are an archetype of your generation, it’s helpful to be aware of the preconceived ideas your team may have about you based on your age alone.

Step 2: Assess your team

The next step is to categorize your team by generation. Now, don’t get carried away with labels – individual differences are still going to be apparent among members of the same generation.

But as the team leader, it will be helpful for you to consider which historical events influenced your direct reports as they entered the workforce. Someone who began their career before the advent of the internet is going to have a different approach to work than someone who started working during the pandemic.

If there are ongoing patterns of tension or poor communication, look at them through this generational lens. Is your generational bias bumping up against those of your employees?

Step 3: Consider adapting to preferences where possible

Equipped with your generational knowledge, you can now engage individually with your team members to see if there’s anything about your leadership style that could be tweaked.

For example, younger employees may prefer digital communication for everything except performance reviews, while older employees may prefer a phone call on a more regular basis.

While you can’t cater to every whim, be honest with yourself about whether you’re communicating based on your own generation’s preferences rather than meeting your employees halfway. Consider sending out surveys about communication style or scheduling preferences to garner feedback.

Step 4: Communicate boundaries clearly and quickly

To state the obvious, however, you will not be able to magically appease every team member’s generational and individual preferences. When an expectation or company value is set in stone, be extremely clear about why this particular boundary is non-negotiable.

A lack of clear communication only serves to widen multigenerational gaps and increase distrust. Different generations may come to different conclusions about why the company has made a certain decision, but without open and honest leadership, all of the conclusions might be negative!

Get ahead of the grumbling with prompt and precise information regarding changes to company workflows or goals.

Step 5: Consider a formal talent development plan

If you’ve taken the above steps and are still struggling with multigenerational discord on your team, it may be time to consider a more formal plan of action.

At Teamalytics, we’ve worked with thousands of leaders over three decades on talent development. Many leaders understandably struggle to manage today’s multigenerational workforce. Our proprietary, scientifically-validated assessment tools have helped them pinpoint and resolve team dynamics that were eroding company success.

To learn more, download our free guide, “Know What It Feels Like to Work with You: The Elusive Key to Effective Leadership and Team Assessment.”

Leadership qualities for rapid change and growth

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:36:58 GMT

When big changes happen at your business, it might feel both exciting and daunting. Whether you experience a sudden influx of employees, the unexpected success of a new product line, the loss of an essential team member, or the failure of a key project, changes are stressful on leaders. But rapid change always brings with it an opportunity to grow your leadership capacity.

What qualities are shared by the best leaders that help them manage both positive and difficult changes with resilience? At Teamalytics, we have worked with thousands of leaders over multiple decades. We’ve reviewed our data about leadership and identified the following key leadership traits that help leaders like you weather rapid change.

Urgency and Intensity

The first trait to consider is Urgency and Intensity. As you and your team navigate a sudden change, some team members may have a strong inborn urge to actualize needed adjustments as soon as possible. Others may not share that drive.

Awareness of your own level of innate Urgency and Intensity is crucial to positive interactions with colleagues during a time of company transformation. Discussions can become heated if some parties feel passionate about imminent adaptations and others want to take a more measured approach.

Rather than view one way as the “right way,” see the value in striking a balance between those with high Urgency and Intensity and those with a lower manifestation of that trait. Naming this trait in conversations with team members may diffuse some of the tension and help everyone see that while they have different approaches, they still share the same goals.

Need for Order, Need for Change

In a similar way, the two traits Need for Order and Need for Change may create division among team members during a time of rapid growth. Although not always the case, one of these traits tends to be stronger than the other in each individual.

Those with a high Need for Order may get caught up in the details of a sudden company pivot or opportunity, unable to see the big picture amid all the logistics. However, this attention to detail may serve the company well if it flags potential concerns and circumnavigates problems.

In contrast, those with a high Need for Change may be ready to jump headfirst into a new way of doing business without consideration for trickle-down effects. While they may miss some components of the goal, their willingness to adapt and take risks can lead the company to new opportunities and chances for growth.

Consider which Need is a stronger trait in yourself, and be clear-eyed about how that translates into personal strengths and constraints.

Self-Confidence, Self-Critical

Finally, the two traits Self-Confidence and Self-Critical can become heightened during a time of sudden change for a company.

Those who err on the side of Self-Confidence may feel strongly attached to their perspective on the sudden change, whether it be positive or negative. In contrast, those with a high Self-Critical trait may be berating themselves for not anticipating this change sooner, or for agreeing to the change in the first place.

As a leader, it can be difficult to accurately assess these traits in yourself, much less in your team members. If your team is navigating a season of rapid change or growth, it may be time to call in reinforcements.

At Teamalytics, we’ve been working with leaders like yourself for more than thirty years. We’ve developed a proprietary, scientifically-validated assessment tool to help guide leaders through shifts in team dynamics and company transformations.

Our Teamalytics 360™ Assessment tool takes an in-depth look at thirteen key leadership traits, including the five mentioned above, and helps teams tap into their strengths and lessen constraints. To learn more about this process, download our free informational guide today.

4 Steps to Integrate Teams during Mergers and Acquisitions

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 08:38:58 GMT

Company mergers and acquisitions can bring a hopeful energy to an otherwise stalled team. But leaders know that integrating two companies also brings complications. Two cultures must come together and meld their unique dynamics in order for a merger or acquisition to be a success.

The human relationships at stake during a large personnel shift are crucially important to the future success of the company, both for retention and profitability. If you’re currently facing a merger or acquisition, consider taking the following steps to minimize negative outcomes.

1. Assess current team dynamics

If you’re trying to mix two things together in pursuit of a shared goal, it’s important to know the components of each ingredient. Before you can decide on the end result, you have to know what you’re working with. For example, if you only have red and blue paint, a realistic goal is purple paint, but not green.

In other words, don’t just focus on the vision of a unified future company and hope for the best. Take the time today to honestly assess the current cultures of each company that is participating in the merger or acquisition. High-level leadership from each team should be able to describe current overarching values and standards of behavior.

Does one team prioritize urgency over granularity? How is feedback delivered in each setting? What communication norms are used? If any recent surveys have been done regarding employee satisfaction, pay attention to common themes. Is there any overlap between the two companies? What differences stand out?

2. Establish standards for behavior

Now that you’ve gathered important data on the two team dynamics, it’s time to set some standards around behavior. Ideally, leaders from both groups can take the best practices from each organization and craft an even better unified company culture.

If each group is made to experience some change, neither will feel like they’re simply being absorbed into the other. Leadership should make clear the new company values, expected methods of communication, and chains of command.

While setting aspirations, don’t forget the reality of human fallibility. It’s also key to establish guidelines upfront for what happens when standards of behavior are violated. This could take the form of a social contract or employee pledge that applies to everyone equally.

3. Create avenues for feedback and accountability

Once culture is assessed and a new behavioral standard is set, be sure to incorporate ongoing avenues for feedback from team members. Recent research suggests that almost three quarters of employees report increased efficacy at their job when they feel heard. But it’s not just about subjective experience; it also affects your bottom line – 88% of employees at financially successful companies feel heard compared to only 62% of employees at their financially underperforming counterparts.

Plan anonymous surveys, frequent one-on-ones or skip-levels, and company-wide townhalls. Lasting integration of two companies hinges on more than just the excitement of the first few weeks. Continued feedback and accountability goes a long way toward retention and profitability.

4. Anticipate bumps along the way

Even if you follow the above steps perfectly, you will undoubtedly encounter some difficulties related to the merger or acquisition. That’s the very nature of the task.

Rather than being stymied by issues that crop up along the way, accept the reality of some turbulence from the beginning. As leadership, be willing to adapt and respond to the feedback you receive from team members, even if it’s unexpected. Return again and again to the standards of behavior you established as a group.

At Teamalytics, we’ve worked with thousands of teams over three decades on issues such as merging two company cultures. If you want to learn more about how our scientifically-validated assessment tools can help you work through the four steps above in an effective, research-backed way, download our free guide “Know What it Feels like to Work with You: The Elusive Key to Effective Leadership and Team Assessment ” today for more information.

4 Steps to combat siloed thinking in the workplace

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 08:41:54 GMT

In today’s increasingly global workplace, there are endless ways to communicate across the hall or across an ocean. Despite this, a culture of siloed thinking can easily emerge when teams don’t gather in person or don’t interface regularly with other teams at the same company.

Siloed thinking can lead to lower employee morale, dissatisfied customers, and ultimately less profit and productivity. If you’re a leader, is there anything you can do to combat the perils of siloed thinking?

Consider these four steps:

1 – Assess the current level of siloed thinking

It’s important to get an idea of how much siloed thinking your team currently engages in. As a leader, you should compare goals and strategies with other leaders at your company and see how much vision alignment exists among teams.

In addition to big picture ideas, consider your organizational structure. Do you have cross-departmental collaboration meetings built into your regular workflow? Are there opportunities for employees at every level to learn from and innovate with members of other teams?

2 -Eliminate siloed thinking at the top

Once you’ve identified the outlines of the culture problem, it’s time to look inward. Any changes you hope to implement for your teams have to come from the top or they’re likely to fail.

According to the Harvard Business Review , the skills a leader needs to work across teams are different from those used to lead their own team. Traditional leadership is “vertical” – a manager or VP is at the top, and they lead those directly under them. In contrast, dynamic interdepartmental leadership requires “lateral agility.”

Some key traits that laterally agile leaders share are humility, openness to new ideas, curiosity, and prioritization of relationships and trust.

3 – Gather input on siloed thinking from everyone

Keeping those traits in mind, the next step is to gather feedback from all levels of your organization. You’ve compared notes with other leaders and turned inward to root out any siloed thinking at the top. But what does your team have to say about their lived experiences within a culture of siloed thinking?

Become a learner at your own organization, whether you’re a mid-level manager or CEO. If the goal is innovation and collaboration among teams, you have to hear from the teams themselves. Consider working with HR on a formal survey, or conduct focus groups with participants from a cross-section of teams at your company.

4 – Build a framework for ongoing feedback

With all of this data, you’re prepared to enact real changes at your organization. Incorporate feedback from both leadership and team members into a concrete action plan. Some ideas include building cross-department gatherings into regular meeting rhythms and scheduling time for leaders to discuss the upcoming quarter’s vision.

It’s also vital to build in opportunities for ongoing feedback . Consider investing in collaboration software to synthesize feedback across teams, or set up regular times to celebrate interdepartmental successes and measure growth.

It can be difficult to sustain a new initiative over the long haul. If you’re ready to put in the work to root out siloed thinking from your organization, you want to make sure that your efforts don’t go to waste. That’s where Teamalytics comes in.

Teamalytics is here to help

At Teamalytics, we’ve worked with leaders and their teams for over three decades. We understand the challenges leaders face every day and the way team dynamics can alter the outcomes of a company.

That’s why we’ve created a scientifically validated team assessment tool. With over a million algorithmic results, our tool allows leaders and their team members to honestly assess both themselves and each other with candor and clarity.

But that’s just the beginning. We take it a step further and develop Traction Plans for each person and the team as a whole, building in opportunities to assess how change is going at an individual and group level.

If you want an effective way to help you eliminate siloed thinking at your organization, download our free guide “Know What it Feels like to Work with You” today to learn more about our proven assessment methods.

How remote work changes team dynamics

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:43:59 GMT

Remote and hybrid workforces have become the norm over the last several years. There are lots of benefits , like a wider hiring pool, lower attrition rates, and increased employee satisfaction.

But anyone who has worked from home knows that team culture just isn’t the same. Many companies are struggling to figure out how to build and sustain healthy team relationships in this remote landscape.

For leaders in particular, managing employees remotely is a challenge. Entrepreneur says it this way: “Compared to leading an in-person team, leading a remote team comes with a different, unique set of priorities and areas of focus. Even many experienced managers need help ensuring their employees have a positive, productive working environment.”

So how can you adapt to the reality that work-from-home culture is here to stay? Consider these facts:

1. Without intentional action, remote work breeds disconnection

While it may seem obvious, it’s important to acknowledge the truth that remote employees are less connected to one another. Although employee satisfaction and retention tends to increase with remote work, the links between employees and the quality of communication among a team drops.

According to Harvard Business Review , remote employees often feel the need to be “constantly available” to their managers over email or instant message while working from home. They are less likely to take a true lunch break or have a hard stop time at the end of the day.

Meanwhile, managers suspect that productivity actually decreases when their employees work remotely. This wariness cultivates a sense of distrust and weakens team bonds, which can translate to less innovation and less profit.

2. In-office team culture strategies don’t translate to a remote setting

If you used tried and true team bonding strategies in the office, you may be looking for a way to implement those same strategies remotely. But in-person culture building practices don’t necessarily work through a screen.

Online happy hours or trivia games may satisfy employees individually, but they rarely lead to more honest and innovative team relationships. When it comes to feedback, annual performance reviews may cause more anxiety for employees as they are less able to read a manager’s body language and demeanor through a screen. This in turn leads both parties to be less open and constructive.

3. The key to a healthy remote culture is ongoing 360 feedback

So what can you do to build and sustain a healthy team culture in a way that stimulates creativity and innovation?

According to Forbes , in a remote setting you need more frequent feedback rhythms, not less, to dispel some of the anxiety and make up for the lack of in-person communication signals. Consider implementing one of these ideas:

Create guidelines for communication patterns with input directly from team members
Host weekly all-team meetings in which milestones are celebrated
Schedule frequent one-on-ones to keep a pulse on the difficulties each team member is facing instead of saving it all for an annual review

It may be difficult to get your remote team to communicate openly and constructively at first. That’s where the Teamalytics 360™ Assessment can help. Our proprietary, scientifically-validated assessment tool is designed to invite self-reflection and combine it with peer and leader feedback for a truly 360 degree path to change.

At Teamalytics, we’ve worked on leadership growth and team dynamics for over thirty years. We guide teams through the crucial steps of awareness, accountability, and acceleration to effect lasting change in team cultures. Recently, we’ve implemented our validated assessment tools in remote workspaces with exciting results.

Download our free guide “Know What it Feels Like to Work with You” today to explore the benefits of our unique approach to leadership and team assessment.

New Brand Identity Signals a Fresh Teamalytics Chapter

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:45:24 GMT

COLLEGE STATION, January 16, 2024 (Newswire.com) – Teamalytics is proud to announce the successful completion of its rebranding, marking the commencement of an exciting new chapter in the company’s 30-year history. This extensive rebrand, to be unveiled throughout January, includes a redesigned logo, an updated website , a revitalized visual identity, and a wealth of new client-centric content and tools.

The focal point of this transformation is the modernized logo and the introduction of the new tagline, “Strong Teams for a Complex World.” This tagline not only encapsulates the company’s mission and core values but also reinforces its unwavering commitment to creating a more meaningful and satisfying daily work experience for all.

Rohan Paul, President of Teamalytics, expressed his enthusiasm for this milestone, stating, “We are thrilled to introduce our refreshed brand identity to our valued clients, dedicated teammates, and esteemed partners. This rebrand signifies a significant step forward for us and aligns with the exceptional service and personalized solutions we offer to clients nationwide.”

Teamalytics has uniquely qualified coaches, breadth of experience, and proprietary analytics to help clients build and sustain strong teams within an increasingly complex workplace. Over the past three decades the firm has worked with leading organizations across industries to tackle team dissonance so that they can face complex challenges like corporate changes, mergers, transformation, and performance gaps.

Derek Lokey, SVP Consulting, explained, “The rebranding initiative stemmed from our recognition of the increasingly complex challenges our clients face and our unwavering commitment to support them. Gone are the days of simple answers and uniform team structures. Today’s leaders and teams grapple with multifaceted issues presented by our ever-evolving world, including a diverse workforce, cultural and political divisions, technological advancements, remote work environments, and dynamic global and economic landscapes.”

Teamalytics’ mission is to assist companies in nurturing strong, cohesive A-teams that flourish in this increasingly intricate environment. A-Teams are characterized by a shared vision and purpose, high levels of trust, mutual accountability, disciplined execution, and leaders who are deeply invested in their teams’ success.

To better equip clients in fostering A-Teams, Teamalytics also made substantial investments in expanding its suite of Proprietary Tools & Analytics during the rebranding process. Key highlights include the Social Contract, a behavioral roadmap that guides teams toward their desired goals, and the newly automated A-Teams Assessment, a 15-minute online evaluation providing immediate insights into a team’s challenges and opportunities.

In the upcoming weeks, Teamalytics will unveil a range of additional value-added tools and resources. We invite you to explore our new website at www.teamalytics.com to discover these exciting offerings and learn more about our comprehensive resources and solutions.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact Troy Grabel at troy.grabel@teamalytics.com.

***

The Teamalytics 360™ Assessment

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 05:30:49 GMT

As the saying goes, the first step toward a solution is knowing you have a problem. But when a problem arises among team members in a professional setting, it can be difficult to ascertain if everyone agrees about its existence. Even if they do, colleagues often disagree about the problem’s root cause.

Many organizations try to solve these teamwork issues with personality assessments or organizational psychology. But these approaches take up a lot of time and money. Additionally, the results often become clouded by fear of reprisal or lack of self-awareness, and lead to little actionable change.

The Teamalytics 360™ Assessment is different. For thirty years, Teamalytics has honed a scientifically-validated assessment tool that utilizes over 1.2 million possible algorithmic combinations to individualize each result. The Teamalytics approach is a unique and practicable way to achieve true and lasting change within individuals and teams.

What is the Teamalytics 360™ Assessment?

So how does this powerful tool actually work? The key is an integration of self-assessment with honest and accurate feedback from colleagues. Each team member first takes a web-based self-assessment that can be completed in about ten minutes. Visual, easy-to-understand results are immediately available for self-reflection.

Then, each person receives input from six to eight colleagues, called describers. This is done with the same online assessment tool. This approach provides 360-degree perceptions without the bias that comes along with the use of a single human interviewer.

It’s also important to note that results are not presented in a “good versus bad” manner. Instead, traits and behaviors are categorized as either strengths or constraints to allow for more honest evaluation both of oneself and of one’s colleagues.

Thirteen Critical Leadership Behaviors

What traits and behaviors are assessed in the Teamalytics 360 tool? Thirteen critical leadership behaviors provide the framework for assessment:

Urgency and Intensity
Need to Nurture
Criticality
Self-Confidence
Self-Critical
Need for Encouragement
Dominance
Deference
Self-Control
Aggressiveness
Need for Order
Need for Change
Energy and Expressiveness

These thirteen traits are pared down to just eight when individual data is aggregated into a full team report, called the Snapshot. This facilitates streamlined results and a clearer idea of what next steps look like for the team as a whole.

Three Steps to an A-Team

Completing a Teamalytics 360™ Assessment is just the beginning. Teamalytics adheres to a proven three-step methodology to achieve group change: awareness, accountability, and acceleration. The first step, awareness, begins with the 360™ Assessment and an examination of the thirteen traits described above. Awareness of the tendencies found both in oneself and in one’s teammates is crucial to future success.

Next, the accountability phase begins. Each individual receives a concrete plan instead of criticism. This is called a Traction Plan and outlines goals, strengths, and constraints. It also provides an impact statement and action steps for each individual. Other aspects of accountability include the sharing of Traction Plans among colleagues and managers, scheduled Traction Plan Checkups (TPCUs), and an overall Team Traction Plan for everyone to work on as a group.

Finally, acceleration is the final, dynamic process in which individuals and teams receive continuous, constructive feedback from both coaches and peers. At this stage, teams begin to see improved collaboration, sustainable growth, and diminished conflict. Practices adopted during this phase are intended to last for years, building a strong foundation for sustainable teamwork.

Consider a Teamalytics 360™ Assessment today

If you know your team could benefit from the scientifically-validated Teamalytics approach, download our free PDF guide “Know What It Feels Like to Work with You” today.

Inside you’ll learn more about the process of our Teamalytics 360™ Assessment. You’ll also find links to the assessment tool and to our expert coaches. Our coaches are not critics. Instead, they function as guides, leading you and your team through the dynamic 360 program to achieve lasting change.

Strategies to Improve Performance and Overcoming Organizational Challenges

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 06:56:13 GMT

Understanding and Addressing Leadership and Team Behaviors that Limit Company Growth

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Practical Strategies for Evaluating Coaching and Development Investments

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 07:08:53 GMT

A Step-by-Step Guide to Measuring Your Talent Development Investment

Access the A-Team Guide for the core tools you need to get started today

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The Ultimate Guide to Building Winning Teams

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 06:50:29 GMT

Understanding Future Behaviors and Preventing Hiring Mistakes

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What The NFL Taught Me About Performance Reviews

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 05:36:28 GMT

The idea of an annual performance review frightens me like it does many, but most likely for different reasons. I am most afraid of the valuable time for improvement lost if critical feedback is withheld until the end of the year. It is also frightening that we work roughly 2,000 hours a year and only schedule an hour for feedback with our supervisor! Maybe some background into my previous career will add some clarity. As a professional athlete in the NFL, the routine was simple. Perform, get critical feedback during the game (complete with colorful language!), then watch film and get critical feedback for 2 more hours. As a defensive lineman, the post-game feedback consisted of watching each play step by step, focusing on hand/foot placement, pad level, and hustle. If my first step off the ball on Tuesday was 9 inches instead of 6 inches, that behavior had to be fixed before Wednesday. There was no waiting until next week, much less December.

To the relief of most of you, I am not suggesting a weekly 5 hour feedback session with your supervisor! But I think the athletes and coaches are on to something: in order to grow and improve, you must consistently obtain feedback on your performance and identify the necessary behavioral changes needed to reach your goals.

In our company we borrow the military term After Action Review (AAR) and make sure to hold a brief feedback session after most internal meetings or customer interactions. These quick feedback sessions usually consist of two questions: What did we do well? What could we have done better?

It is vital as an athlete or a leader to obtain feedback and strive for growth on a consistent basis. Find time to ask your teammates and supervisors one thing you could be doing better to add more value to your organization. Time is the resource you can never get back, so don’t waste it!

Optimize Your Team: Steve Michael

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 16:39:10 GMT

Welcome to the third episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

This episode features Steve Michael. Steve immigrated to the US from Guyana, went to Westpoint, and recently retired as a one-star general. He now runs a financial services franchise in Kansas City.

We talk about the leadership lessons that shaped him and his top tips for what leaders can do to lead more diverse teams, and insights on how to balance two key behaviors that most leaders we coach struggle with AND how that helped shape him as a young leader to go on to become a general.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-3-Steve-Michael-e1cktue/a-a770fv0

One Key Ingredient to Increasing Relational Capacity

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 07:06:05 GMT

Optimize Your Team: Hise Gibson

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:40:37 GMT

Welcome to the first episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

He’s a helicopter pilot, a battle-tested Army commander, a life-long student AND teacher of leadership at West Point and Harvard Business School.

In this episode, I ask Dr. Hise Gibson what most leaders get wrong when it comes to developing leaders AND diversity and inclusion… AND we get his top tips on how to get it right.

Listen/subscribe to Optimize Your Team on Spotify .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-1-Hise-Gibson-e192ju7/a-a6o5m5u

Optimize Your Team: Karen Durkin

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 08:43:23 GMT

Welcome to the fourth episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

It’s impossible to leave a conversation with Karen without feeling encouraged, inspired, and learning something!

In this episode, Karen tells us about the ONE CHANGE that made THE difference to her leadership style, what she’s seeing in the next generation of leaders as a professor in the Executive MBA program and how she helps teams through her consulting practice.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-4-Karen-Durkin-e1cl2rt/a-a770gio

The ONE Thing You Lose When You Step Into The C-Suite

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:54:09 GMT

IN THIS VIDEO:

00:12 The One Thing You Lose
00:48 What Everyone Wants To Tell You 00:58 The Problem
01:06 A Quick Story About Feedback 02:38 Why Finding Out Where You’re Really Stuck Matters
03:03 How to Find Out The Truth
03:34 An Exclusive Invitation for Leaders

When you make it into a leadership role, you gain everything imaginable. But the one thing you lose is the TRUTH.

What would you think if you overheard one employee confiding in another, “If I tell the CEO what our customers are saying, my career will be shot”? Or, “If I tell the vice president the real reason we aren’t hitting our numbers, I can kiss this job goodbye”?

Hi, I’m Flip Flippen, New York Times best-selling author of The Flip Side, Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, trusted advisor to Fortune 100 executives across the world, and founder of the highly acclaimed Flippen Group.

In decades of working with top executives of some of the most effective teams in the world and the brightest up-and-coming organizations, I’ve found that this type of censorship is common. It occurs with the rank and file, right up through to the top.

As a leader, one of your biggest obstacles to success is losing touch with what’s actually happening in your organization.

So, let me ask you…Who do you have on your team or in your organization, that tells you the TRUTH about you, about your people, about your culture, and about your real problems? Who tells you the TRUTH you have to know, to be effective and get the right results?

If you don’t know the answer to those questions (and the vast majority of leaders don’t), then something must be done.

But there’s a better way. What if I told you, that to get access to the truth you have to have…in order to run your team, run your company…you must have two things? You have to get the right data, and you have to cultivate a truth-telling culture.

That’s why people do employment or engagement surveys, develop an open door policy, or go to great pains to communicate their commitment to transparency and all those kinds of things.

We’ve developed a process that allows you to get individual data on all your key people. For example, you could be the most approachable, engaging, and warm person in the world. But if the people around you are too deferring, have low self-confidence, are highly competent but they simply don’t speak up, then no matter how good you are, your team is incapable of bringing the truth to you. They may be unparalleled in their field, but their own constraints will keep you from having the key information you need to pivot your organization to avoid a disaster or propel your organization to new heights.

Then add this to the mix…what if you are too dominant? To be completely transparent, that was a problem in my company. I’m the leader, and I was too dominant. My ideas really were the best ideas…until I found out that they weren’t.

Having high dominance, high self-confidence, off the charts drive, being strong entrepreneurially…all of those strengths were masked and held back by my constraints. Being able to identify those constraints, and then develop a plan and a process to break through them, really changed the course of the companies I’ve founded, acquired, and run successfully.

So, if you’re after TRUTH, the first thing you have to do is unearth each of your constraints and key team members’ constraints, then develop personal and team plans to overcome them. And second, you have to follow a strategic process to create a culture where the sharing of information is dynamic.

How to build a great culture, recruit, and retain great people has always intrigued me.

That’s why I have always been interested in what made some people successful while others just plugged along at a lesser level. Why does Warren Buffet continue to outperform others? Why does Derek Jeter continue performing at the highest level while others fade away? Why does Terry Bradshaw continue to be an anchor in broadcasting long after others have faded? Why are these people accessing their full potential while others don’t? Why, why, why? I was full of questions, and it seemed the only way to get the answers was to go to as many highly successful people as I could, study them, and find out what differences existed between them and their lower-performing peers.

So I did.

We studied everybody we could get access to—and that was a pretty impressive group of people. We studied the top performers on Wall Street, and we studied many of the top performers in industry. We studied many of the world’s top athletes from all kinds of sports, and we studied kids who were exceptional in test scores and performance. We studied television personalities, and we studied moms and dads who were doing an outstanding job raising their kids. We studied our nation’s top educators, and we studied many of the titans of the manufacturing world. We studied top people in retailing, and we studied top people in the military. We studied everyone we could get information on, and we are still studying people, because we want to continue to refine our understanding of the differences between those who perform at the top and those who don’t.

At the heart of the model we developed – Overcoming Personal Constraints (OPC) – is the powerful notion that our strengths do not single-handedly define our success. No matter how formidable our talents, we are held back by behaviors that set the limits of our performance or define the reasons for our failure. In other words, our personal constraints determine our ultimate level of success. If you can identify those constraints and make a plan to overcome them, then you’ll see a dramatic surge in success, productivity, and happiness in all aspects of your life.

In short, you’ll come to know the person you were born to be.

Personal Constraint Theory™ challenges two prevailing approaches to self-improvement that frequently did not work for my clients: Personality Theory and Strength Theory. Personality Theory asserts that our personalities are essentially fixed in ways that define how we act. A broad field that encompasses several sometimes-conflicting views of “the self,” Personality Theory offers little help identifying issues or strategies for improvement. I agree with the underlying idea that our innate characteristics or traits often define who we are. However, Personality Theory fails to acknowledge our tremendous capacity for making positive change in our lives, and thus offers limited use as a tool for growth. Dozens of profiles can describe your personality. Tests such as DiSC, Myers-Briggs, and Taylor-Johnson are interesting to take and helpful in describing your personality, but they are not particularly useful in bringing about behavioral change or directing personal growth.

Another popular school of thought, known as Strength Theory, suggests that if we pay attention to the directions in which we move naturally, this can reveal our strengths and show us where to focus our energies. Strength Theory goes something like this: our hardwired personalities resist change, so we should build on our natural abilities instead of concentrating on areas in which we underperform. In other words, to quote the phrase by which this theory has been popularized, we should “play to our strengths.” I certainly agree with the basic concept of Strength Theory—why work in an office when you are a gifted musician or stay in a job you hate just because it pays a decent wage? Find your gifts, develop them, and use them for the highest and greatest good.

Strength Theory contributes to success. But it’s not enough. If you know your strengths but are trying to get to the next level, playing harder to those strengths won’t cause a significant jump in performance. Most people I work with don’t need pep talks about being better at what they’re already great at or loving themselves as they are. Telling a highly creative person with no self-control to simply celebrate and expand his creativity, for example, would be counterproductive. His or her gifts can never be fully expressed without the focus and discipline that come with self-control.

Neither Personality Theory nor Strength Theory has been greatly useful for the high performers we work with. The idea that my personality is impervious to change doesn’t help me much when I am trying to make my life better. And being told to focus on my strengths doesn’t address the behaviors I need to correct in order to move forward.

In contrast, Overcoming Personal Constraints™ is built on the notion that change is more than possible; it is imperative. To live fully, we can and must learn how to minimize our behavioral weaknesses while we maximize our strengths. Granted, many obstacles are difficult to overcome, and a single-minded focus on our limitations could be frustrating and even depressing. But to ignore them is even worse.

How do personal constraints determine success? Simple. They set the limits of where you can ultimately go, no matter how gifted or talented you are. Your personal constraints – your conscious and unconscious limiting behaviors – hold you back and determine your ultimate level of success.

Most of us know at least one person in life who possesses great talents, abilities, gifts, or opportunities, yet seems to have done so little with it all. Perhaps you might be looking at your own life so far and wondering, “Have I really been living to the fullest of my abilities?” If you’re like most people, the answer is, “Probably not.”

So, we approach team improvement in a way that is completely unique. Where other experts just describe or attempt to identify bottlenecks and conflicts, we leverage scientifically based, powerful methods to transform the underachievers into high achievers, and AMPLIFY the positive impact they have on your business.

We work with teams at all levels to recognize and achieve their potential. We are experts in getting teams to work together effectively. Instead of just identifying problems, we show you how to remove the barriers and obstacles that prevent you from achieving your highest potential and start doing those things that will lead directly to bottom-line results for your organization.

Our assessment and research tools, while simple to administer, are far more complex and precise than others in the industry, and provide insights that are more constructive and specific to each individual and team than anything you’ve ever seen. The product of our testing is not only profound with insights, but powerfully rooted in real potential. Simply following the step-by-step plan will lead individuals and teams to a level of performance they never realized before.

Our sophisticated psychometric assessment instrument is so finely tuned and precise that it only requires about 15 minutes of your time to gather the necessary data. We then perform a complex analysis to provide the critical insights that shed light on what you do each day that works against you – and pinpoint exactly what you need to do to maximize your impact and get more done.

So, let me ask you: do you want to make your achievement and success INEVITABLE?

Then, you need to know about The Flippen Group’s Leadership Multiplier – a proven process that …

Will increase you and your teams’ peak performance level…

Creates an internal motivation that inspires your people to be more, do more, and achieve more…

Builds stronger, higher-performing teams for dramatically improved bottom-line results.

In fact, I’d like you to take Leadership Multiplier for a “test drive.”

It’s my way of introducing you to the program, investing in your personal improvement and helping your team.

It works like this: If you qualify, we will put you through the complete process without cost so that you can evaluate its effectiveness for yourself. You risk nothing more than an hour or so of your time.

In the end, if you like what you see, we can bring Leadership Multiplier to your entire team. If not, that’s okay too. You be the judge.

This unique process will…

Identify your personal strengths – and reveal how to develop them further for their own benefit and the benefit of your organization…
Uncover the behavioral constraints and counterproductive beliefs that are holding you and your team back from achieving peak performance – and show how to eliminate those constraints…
Provide a customized and measurable step-by-step action plan that will quickly drive you to a level of performance that will surprise you.

When all is said and done, you’ll be a stronger and more effective leader. Your teams will perform at higher, more productive levels than ever before. And your company will make faster progress toward its goals.

Hard to believe? Perhaps. But I’m not asking you to believe anything just yet until you see the evidence for yourself. All I ask is that you refrain from disbelieving until you put the Leadership Multiplier Test Drive through the paces yourself.

Yes, it will take 60 minutes of your time, yet the rewards are enormous because this process is so powerful and effective.

If you want me to make a personal investment in improving you, click the link below for more information.

I’ll get the ball rolling right away.

After all, in these hyper-competitive times, your organization needs every advantage it can get. And when you and your team are firing on all cylinders and working better together than ever before, you can’t help but get ahead.

And, as a bonus, I think you’ll be more fulfilled, enjoy your work more, and will have a renewed passion for your organization’s mission.

To learn more about how to take the Leadership Multiplier Test Drive, click HERE

3 High-Value Activities Each Leader Should Master

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 07:59:40 GMT

I have a confession to make; it’s a simple one with profound implications. I have wasted a lot of time in my life on low-value activities. I didn’t intend to waste it, but you and I both know that it’s all too easy to do.

Hi there, leaders! I’m Dr. Debbie Emery, Leadership Process Executive here at the Flippen Group. Today, I want to share with you a talk by our National Director of Leadership Processes, Lyle Wells. Lyle is a two-time National Coach of the Year, and in this talk he explains the three high-value activities each leader should master.

Enjoy this talk, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.

We all know as we look at our daily calendar, that we have high-value activities and low-value activities. But the best of the best concentrate their time on high-value, high-return activities, and I want to give you the three that make the most difference on a team.

Number one is simply this: debriefing after an action. In the military, they call it an “after-action review.” In the medical profession, they call it a “morbidity or mortality meeting.” No matter what you call it, having a debrief with your team, to review what you did right and what you could do better, is always a high-value activity for a leader.

The second is this: bring clarity to the operation. We assume that people know what we’re talking about. We assume that there’s clarity in our expectations. I’ve found that very rarely is that the case. So anytime you invest in clarity of expectations, clarity of execution, clarity of deliverables, it’s going to inspire your team and give them motivation to move forward.

Finally, and most importantly, listening to your team members. One of the things that we teach is the most valuable commodity in any organization is the full attention of the leader. So when you’ll stop, drop your agenda, and roll with them, when you listen and you can bring validation to their thoughts and their ideas, it’s one the most valuable things you’ll ever do as a leader.

Well, I really hope you enjoyed Lyle’s talk on the three high-value activities each leader should master. So in order to debrief what we just heard and bring clarity to our understanding, the three activities are doing an after-action review, bringing clarity to our team, and listening more.

If you found this talk helpful, please do us a favor. Click the “Like” button to share it with your friends, and also scroll down to the bottom of the post and answer this question: Which high-value activity can you focus on today to add value to your team?

So, let’s continue the conversation below. We’d love to hear from you! Take care and I’ll see you soon.

Why You Shouldn’t Focus On The Positive And Forget The Negative

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 08:10:27 GMT

IN THIS VIDEO:

00:23 Wherever You Go, There You Are
00:56 Why Don’t We Just Focus On The Positive And Forget The Negatives?
01:54 What If You Were Really Good At Throwing A Baseball?
03:06 You Don’t Want The Fewest Constraints, You Want The Least Impacting
04:03 A Special Invitation For Leaders

Here’s Law 3: Our Personal Constraints Play Themselves Out in Every Area of Our Lives

You may have heard the phrase, “Wherever you go, there you are.” This is true for our constraints, as well; they go wherever we go. The point of recognizing this is not to condemn ourselves and our limitations but to more fully understand their impact. If you are difficult at work, odds are good that you are just as difficult at home.

Just like trying to run from your shadow, you can’t run from your constraints. Realize the impact they make, be open to feedback and be willing to address them.

In a speech recently, I was asked, “Why don’t we just focus on the positives and forget the negatives? I don’t like to think about the negatives so I think we should just focus on the good things that we do and try to do them better.” Well, that sounds good but the problem is that it doesn’t work very well. For one, it ignores the impact that our constraints have on those around us. We don’t live in isolation and believe me, just thinking about the positive will not take away the impact of the negative. A one-sided focus doesn’t work.

That’s really at the heart of the problem, because there is really only “one you.” And sooner or later, the rest of the picture is going to show up. That’s when it’s important that the picture be a complete picture and that it look like and act like it should. Focusing on the positives alone won’t give you that picture. In fact, it will really only give you a lopsided life.

Let’s say that you are really good at throwing a baseball, so good that you make it to the pros and become a superstar. Let’s also say that you make so much money throwing a baseball that you are about as risk free as a person can be. But you have this other side—a side that others don’t see that much and you don’t really want others to see it. Let’s say that side is tied to your ability to control your temper and your impulsiveness.

Now we have a problem. The reason we have a problem is that we know people like that. They are incredible at what they do and they are icons in their field. You see their names in the sports pages and financial pages a lot. You know them but you never really get to see them because they are rarely ever seen. Yet they are known to everyone. They are people with a few personal constraints but those constraints are devastating no matter how great their strengths are.

The overall impact of your personal constraints will determine their significance in your life. You don’t want the fewest constraints, you want the least impacting. If you only have one personal constraint then you might have the fewest, but what if that constraint is that you destroy people due to your temper being uncontrolled…now, we have a problem.

Focusing on the good only or the strengths only or the talents only or the gifts only or anything only without mitigating personal constraints will not serve you well in life. I want to be balanced in my life and I want balance in every area if possible. Personal constraints will really wreck your life if you don’t tend to them, no matter how good you are in other areas. If you don’t believe me read the papers—they are full of people who don’t tend to both sides of their lives.

Optimize Your Team: Jessica Grossmeier, Phd, MPH

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 08:44:35 GMT

Welcome to the seventh episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

Dr. Jessica Grossmeier is a worksite wellness thought leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing individual and population health. Her research has focused on identifying best practice approaches to workplace wellness initiatives that are associated with wellbeing and business outcomes.

Today, we’re talking about Jessica’s book, “Reimagining Workplace Well-being”. For more information including free bonus material, check out the website: www.jessicagrossmeier.com/book

Jessica shares practical insights on what we can do as leaders to help tend to the overall wellbeing of the people that we lead.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

8 Huge No-No’s When Apologizing

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 08:21:40 GMT

IN THIS VIDEO:

00:24 “But… Apology” 00:47 “I-Blame-You Apology”
01:05 “Conditional Apology” 01:27 “2-Worder Apology”
01:41 “Victim Apology”
02:02 “If Apology”
02:28 “Evaporating Apology”
02:43 “Interruption Apology”
03:15 #1 Dumb Thing Even Smart Leaders Do

Hi, I’m Dr. Chris White, NY Times best-selling co-author of The Flip Side and a PhD Statistician.

Here are 8 HUGE No-No’s When Apologizing.

I guarantee you’ve done many of these and I have to admit I’ve probably done them all! So should I even be teaching on this–like one of my British friends said once, “Are you the plumber with the leaky tap?” Maybe so, but the great thing is since I have to work at things like this I’m in the trenches with you and I’m not some ivory tower speaker who read this stuff in a book once!” Let’s get right into it.

No-No #1 in Apologizing is the “But… Apology”

“I’m sorry…but I was really tired.” Or “I’m sorry…but I did that because I didn’t watch my Flippen Group video that morning.” or “I’m sorry but you started it!” Let’s agree not to be a butt apologizer! There may be a time to share factors/reasons but they often sound like excuses!

No-No #2 is the “I-Blame-You Apology”

“I’m sorry that you are too sensitive.” or “I’m sorry that we are having to talk about this.” or “I’m sorry you got so angry” or “I’m sorry you have a temper.” Oh, I’ll show you a temper now! Blaming them in your apology isn’t going to score any points.

No-No #3 is the “Conditional Apology”

“I’m sorry…[waiting, waiting…!]” [now apologize too or I’ll take it back!] or there’s also the “I’m sorry.” [and then the other person says something else stupid so I take it back or shut down] Let’s be careful of having apologies that depend on them!

No-No #4 is the “2-Worder Apology”

“I’m sorry.” The other person says: “For what?” You respond: [silence] My kids do this one a lot!

No-No #5 is the “Victim Apology”

“I’m sorry and I’ll never forgive myself!” aka “I’m sorry and I know I’m the worst _______ in the whole world!” The Victim Apology could also show up as, “I’m sorry…I’ll never make a joke again!”

No-No #6 is the “If Apology”

They say: “You hurt my feelings.” You say: “I’m sorry if that hurt your feelings.” Another version would be this: They say: “That bothered me.” You cleverly sneak in: “I’m sorry if that bothered you.” We think we’re being clever here, but especially if you do your eyebrows like I did, they’ll pick up on the insincerity!

No-No #7 is the “Evaporating Apology”

You say: “I’m sorry.” Other person says: “What did you say?” You respond [silence] “I’m not saying it again.” Yeah, that one was here but quickly evaporated.

No-No #8 is “Interruption Apology”

Other person say: “You did _[this and that]_ and I felt _[this and that]_ and I wish you wouldn’t do _[this and that]_ and you never do _[this or that]_…” You respond abruptly: “I’m sorry!” This is also knows as the Please-Make-Them-Stop-Talking Apology, which doesn’t usually make the person feel terrible validated!

Look back at the 8 Huge No-No When Apologizing and pick one that you commit too often. Then text 1 or 2 people and tell them which apology you are trying to avoid in the future.

Whether you are focused on the bottom-line or have a deep desire to help your team grow and evolve, this webcast will help you understand the invisible and unproductive behavior patterns that are sabotaging you and your team. I think you’ll be surprised at the #1 Dumb Thing Even Smart Leaders Do. Don’t delay. Go ahead and register now.

Optimize Your Team: Kerry Olin

Sat, 02 Sep 2023 08:45:56 GMT

Welcome to the 12th episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team: Team Coaching. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

We’ve all had to change and adapt the ways we work over the last couple of years in many ways, and in this episode, we sit down with Chick-fil-A operator Brian LaCroix to learn some of the ways he and his team have adapted to the new normal. We also spend some time talking about what he’s noticing about the next generation of leaders: his restaurant hires young people at both the front line and supervisor level: Brian has more than 100 people under 18 working at his restaurant!

So for those interested in investing in the next generation, whether a parent or business leader, we learn how Brian and his colleagues look to identify and develop young leaders.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-19---Kerry-Olin-e29l1nd/a-aact6s8

Oops- 2 Phrases That Accidentally Sound Defensive!

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 15:12:55 GMT

What if I told you that I saw someone in the grocery store with multiple better options but knowingly chose to get in the longest line (by far) at the checkout? Crazy, right!

What if I told you this person was you?

First, let’s be clear what defensiveness is and isn’t. Defensiveness isn’t disagreeing with feedback or correction you receive (this response may be necessary), and defensiveness isn’t choosing not to act on input we receive (also necessary at times).

My definition of defensiveness is this: Attaching excess emotion to feedback we receive.

With that in mind, here are two phrases that can make you accidentally sound defensive:

1. “But here’s an example of when I did do….!”

I did a virtual workshop for a team recently and in the evaluations at the end, one participant said, “Chris could slow down more especially on key points.” My immediate reaction in my head was I did slow down countless times when I wanted an insight to really stick. So, who is right—me or them? The answer is definitely…both!

The participant is simply reminding me of something I’ve been intentional about and that I need to still keep on the radar. They didn’t say that I never slowed down, they just said I could still slow down more, and to that I should simply agree and take the comment as a great reminder!

2. “But you’ve done the same thing…!”

This one hardly needs explanation, and yet I still hear it all the time! And of course I’ve said it or at least thought it many times myself. Here’s what it boils down to: It doesn’t matter! Can someone who has a struggle still effectively call out someone with the same struggle? Can we learn from imperfect teachers? Yes, and yes!

Don’t let your mind chase thoughts like this and end up wasting mental energy and possibly missing out on some accurate feedback.

As we all strive to avoid defensiveness, I’ll see you in the express checkout line!

*These two phrases are a sample of some of the content covered in the Teamalytics “Defensiveness” workshop module offered to teams.

Team Leaders try this with your team: have everyone read the content above and discuss:

What statement above are you most likely to accidentally say?
What can you say instead?

What Is the Absolute Best Way to Develop Your Talent Pool?

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:15:16 GMT

Most HR professionals have a solid idea of what they want to accomplish within their organization but are often left feeling as if they have only scratched the surface. They struggle to cut through all the noise and clutter that exists in the talent development space. Where should they turn to find the answers they need? How can they make sure they are asking the right questions to begin with?

Well … you’ve come to the right place to address all those concerns.

Here are some questions you should be asking:

What are the best practices for an overall development program? Should it offer:Affinity building programs, such as ropes courses or karaoke nights?
Motivational programs, like professional speakers?
Process-based programs that lay out a 12-month development journey?
What measurement tools should I use?Self or 360 – or both?
Proven & Validated or Organization-specific one-off?
Personality or behavioral?
Who should we focus on?Individuals?
In-tact teams?
Senior leaders?
New leaders?
All?

Should it be self-directed or coach-driven?
How much time is really needed for data collection? And how much will it interrupt the daily operation of our business?
Are there truly best practices or just a bunch of personal opinions?
And ultimately, how do we tie leadership development to our desired business

Are you ready to find the answer to those questions and more?

Click HERE to read on.

Optimize Your Team: Jay Davis And Jason Pananos

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 19:13:57 GMT

Welcome to the 11th episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

Jay and Jason are co-founders of The Nashton Company: a holding company investing in recurring revenue services businesses. Nashton builds leading companies in niche markets over a very long period of time. In our conversation, we explore Jason and Jay’s experience buying and growing their first company back in 2008: what they learned from that experience that can help you think about your leadership journey.

Incidentally, Jay and Jason have run their own businesses and the businesses they invest in remotely over the last 15 years, and we talk about some of the things that they have done to make that work effectively.

We also hear about their current business leading a search fund and how their firm is creating opportunities for a new form of entrepreneurship for the next generation of leaders… and what implications this has for us as we look at developing and empowering the next generation of leaders for the companies and teams we lead.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/embed/episodes/Episode-11---Jason-Pananos-and-Jay-Davis-e1nprla/a-a8h7vko

ROI on Human Capital Investments

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:17:46 GMT

What has been your return on, well, any investment you’ve made lately?

In today’s volatile economic climate where we are dealing with limited housing and automobile inventories, increasing fuel and grocery costs, along with a myriad of other supply chain issues, being able to accurately assess real value in an expenditure is a definite challenge. Forget trying to find a bargain, most of us would settle for simply knowing we are going to get some degree of a positive ROI on outlays of cash. Many of us are financially cautious and calculating in both our personal and our business worlds.

So, what should we do when it comes to deciding whether to make investments in human capital for our businesses? Traditionally, it has been difficult to measure ROI on expenses related to developing our people . What about now? You probably have some anecdotal evidence regarding their benefit. And most business leaders know that employees appreciate and have more loyalty toward companies that invest in personal growth for their people.

But in today’s let’s-make-every-dollar-count business environment, discussions around providing leadership development opportunities lead to important questions about ROI.

But are there reliable answers?

Beyond measuring program satisfaction, which is relatively easy, how do you practically measure whether someone is becoming a better leader… or not?

Can you know:

Whether or not people are utilizing what they’ve learned?
If participants are changing in the way your business needs them to?
Is there enough behavioral change to justify the cost?
If peers are seeing growth in someone’s ability to manage themselves?
Whether participants are having a positive impact on others?
Are people improving on identified constraints and critical leadership competencies?
Are business units getting the results they want … and need?

And, ultimately,

Are people making the progress they think they are in their leadership development… or not?

At Teamalytics, we believe the answer to all those questions is a resounding “yes!”

Because we have found that there is an effective way to accurately assess ROI on leadership development.

You just need to know how to collect the data. And we can help you do it.

We can even show you how one of our clients we coached saw a $200m jump in revenue over a 12-month period.

Now that’s a ROI!

Want to know more? You can read our Practical Guide for Measuring Return on Human Capital Investments here

Optimize Your Team: Donna Raine

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 19:18:27 GMT

Welcome to the fifth episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

Donna is a turn-around CEO extraordinaire… she now works with Prophet Equity in Southlake, Texas, and has taken on some of their most challenging turnarounds.

What’s her secret? Coming in to slash and burn? Taking a cold blooded approach to people in the guise of wanting to stay objective while making difficult decisions?

These may be some of the stereotypes the word “turn around CEO” may conjure… But Donna can best be described as kind, thoughtful, and if anything at times being a bit too nice…

What’s her secret to being so effective at what she does?

How does she turn around underperforming organizations?

That’s our focus in this episode.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-5-Donna-Raine-e1cl2so/a-a770ka2

Optimize Your Team: Dan Broekhuizen

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 19:16:37 GMT

Welcome to the ninth episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

In this episode, we hear from Dan Broekhuizen – Dan is the Global VP of Leadership Development and Culture for the 140,000 employees at NTT Data. Dan’s had a fascinating career from undercover narcotics investigator to holding various executive roles in the talent development space for tech companies.

Dan shares the leadership lessons he learned as an undercover officer and a couple of the key things he’s helping leaders do to navigate the current environment we all find ourselves in. I hope you’ll take away as much as I did from this short but insightful conversation with Dan.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-9---Dan-Broekhuizen-e1l35qp/a-a8837a0

Roadmap to an A-Team

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 07:19:30 GMT

What is your roadmap to create top performing teams in your organization?

Many of us are old enough to remember using road atlases, state folding maps, and even AAA’s printed out TRIPTIKs when we were planning a trip. If we wanted a reliable and practical way to ensure that we ended up where we wanted to be, we utilized a proven roadmap. Today, most of us simply plug our destination into one of the many navigational phone apps available and simply trust it will take us where we want to go. You can even get a TRIPTIX app! And even though we’ve all occasionally wondered, “Why is this silly app taking me this way?”, we still trust that, ultimately, it is going to get us where we want to be.

But does this plug and play mindset work with workplace team creation and acceleration?

When it comes to the desire to have top-performing, elite, get-it-done teams within our organizations, far too many business leaders simply plug that idea into their hope list and trust that, somehow, they will achieve that goal. But, as we all know, hope is not a strategy. Trusting an app-like approach without knowing the real, detailed plan will not get us where we want to be.

When it comes to building an A-Team , we need a time-tested road map that lays out what needs to be done step by step.

Does your organization have such a map?

Do you have a proven roadmap that can:

Create high-performing teams that have fun and win together?
Get everyone on the same page and rowing in the same direction?
Address counterproductive behaviors?
Create alignment between behaviors, strategic objectives, and business results?
Address and resolve the often-dreaded topic of giving and receiving effective feedback?
Establish agreement on how team members treat each other, especially during conflict?
Retain top talent?
Recruit new talent?
Get key players to think and act like owners?
Help people get out of their own way?
Get more done?

We do.

And with a demonstrated track record of success for over 25 years, we are confident that our map will work for your organization as well.

Because this is one of the times when the old-fashioned way wins, hands down.

You can have access to our Road Map to an A-Team here .

The Ten ‘No-Cost’ Things To Improve Retention

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 07:29:52 GMT

Has the Great Resignation hit you and your company?

Is it still hitting you?

If so, you are not alone.

But what if you could do something to stem the proverbial tide of people leaving, at least at your company?

And what if you could do it for free?

People are still leaving jobs at an alarming rate, with some experts predicting that 23% of current employees will seek new jobs in 2022. Think about that. Almost one quarter of the American workforce is either currently looking for new employment or will soon start. Employers with a competitive advantage, both in productivity and with a stable workforce, will be those who have figured out how to reduce that number.

At Teamalytics, this topic is front burner. Our clients are facing this challenge like everyone else. As we continue to have conversations about the “why’s” for the departures as well as the solutions for retention, we have found the answer is not always throwing more money at the situation. As a matter of fact, we have identified 10 no cost things you can do to improve retention.

[HBR] Why most “team-building” activities are a waste of money

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:32:17 GMT

Have you ever been part of a collaborative, high-performing team that wins consistently?

Most of us crave this, but we only get it vicariously when watching our favorite sports teams on TV. ��

True collaboration at work is rare, even though we’ve all participated in “team-building” events.

You know the ones: karaoke nights, ropes courses, trips to exotic, Caribbean locales. Everyone goes back to their normal NON-collaborative jobs with nothing to show for the event but a few good stories.

A recent Harvard Business Review article declared that companies should “Stop Wasting Money on Team Building.”

Why would they say this?

Because while events like these may create some affinity, they usually do little to build a truly collaborative culture back at the office.

So what does?

Here are the two things your teams need to collaborate effectively.

The HBR article suggests that companies and their teams need “a framework to make collaboration clear, specific, and compelling.”

In other words, collaboration must be specifically defined and tied to individual and group goals AND their compensation plans. Without a focus on individual motivation, attempts to institutionalize collaboration will fail.

Put simply: collaboration has to pay off or it won’t happen.

So, that’s the first thing teams need to collaborate effectively — a framework focused on individual motivation for collaboration.

But, such a framework is not enough! People will still blow up efforts to collaborate by the way they behave.

Top performing teams have an accountability system for eliminating counterproductive behaviors that destroy collaboration such as:

Defensiveness (“Why can’t you just admit it?”)
Insecurity (“Why does everything have to be about you?”)
Harshness (“Wow! Did you really just say that?!”)
Passivity (“Just do something about it!”)
Arrogance (“You are just so full of yourself!”)
Stubbornness (“What will it take to get you to reconsider?”)
Impulsiveness (“Can you just focus for a minute?!”)
Negativity (“Can you say anything nice? Ever?”)

At Teamalytics, we use behavioral analytics and coaching to help your team eliminate counterproductive behaviors like these so you can hit your goals, have fun, and earn more.

Are your team members bringing enough task-focus and drive to their work each day? Are they challenging each other’s ideas in a healthy manner? Are they encouraging and supporting each other in the process? Are they confident enough? Resilient enough? Aggressive enough? Too aggressive?

You can’t answer these questions without behavioral data.

Over the last 25+ years, Teamalytics has collected and analyzed behavioral data from more than 500,000 people in many of the largest and most respected organizations in the world.

Our executive coaches are successful, senior-level leaders with first-hand experience leading their own teams through our data-driven processes in the context of military units, champion sports teams, and Fortune 500 companies.

We can help you build a productive, loyal, and passionate team of people that actually enjoy collaborating with each other to deliver measurable business results.

Are you ready to win the war by creating a high-development culture? Contact us!

3 WAYS WE CAN HELP YOU OVERCOME THE OBSTACLES HOLDING YOUR TEAM BACK

Learn how the Fortune 500 (e.g. LinkedIn, McKesson, Procter & Gamble) are using our behavioral analytics and coaching to optimize their teams for competition-busting results HERE .
Download our report “Solving the 5 Pervasive Team Challenges” and experience the power of our Teamalytics 360 Report for yourself or a team member at no charge HERE .
Grab a free Consultation to discuss the challenges on your team and how to leverage the power of behavioral analytics to solve them HERE

Optimize Your Team: Rob Cohen

Tue, 30 May 2023 19:20:11 GMT

Welcome to the sixth episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

When Rob took over as CEO at IMA in 1998 the company had about $11m in revenue. Over the last 20 years, IMA has grown to place $8bn of insurance premium with $500m in revenue and just under 2,000 employees all over the US.

I have enjoyed getting to know Rob and his team at IMA over the years and in this episode we talk about some of the lessons learned leading a fast growing firm that has been very acquisitive. We explore how his leadership style has changed as the company he’s led has grown exponentially and learn a little about the unique challenges and opportunities that come from leading an employee owned company.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-6-Rob-Cohen-e1fist5/a-a7nnjiu

Optimize Your Team: Deondra Pardue

Mon, 15 May 2023 19:21:52 GMT

Welcome to the tenth episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

In today’s episode, we spend time with another Teamalytics teammate, Deondra Pardue. Deondra shares a sneak peek into her upcoming book on impacting work culture based on her experience in turning around underperforming organizations.

We also get her insights into what helped accelerate her career as a young minority woman and her advice to leaders who want to accelerate the potential of ALL their teammates no matter who they are.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-10---Deondra-Pardue-e1mjeec/a-a8d2k8j

7 Tips For Handling Requests

Sat, 13 May 2023 07:34:42 GMT

If you feel like you are busy, keep reading. And if you feel like when you are busy, people keep asking for more, then definitely keep reading!

I work with a lot of leaders—even ones who are normally outspoken—who find it challenging when a leader or another colleague asks them to do something, to help, or to take on more. And in the moment, most of us default to saying some form of yes. Here are 7 tips to add your toolkit when a request is made:

1. Reply with “Would you say this is an emergency?” (versus just assuming it’s an emergency)

People often approach us with an urgency or excitement that implies whatever they are asking is of utmost importance. And maybe it is, but the keyword is maybe. Sometimes by simply asking a follow-up question, we find out it wasn’t as urgent as we assumed.

2. Less internal pressure—fight the guilt

Shame and guilt aren’t great motivators and usually just hurt the person carrying them. If we attach too much emotion to not being able to do everything that’s ever asked of us, that’s our issue, not theirs.

3. Give more cushion on deadlines

Don’t be too optimistic and end up setting deadlines that depend on everything working out perfectly—because it usually won’t!

4. Keep leaders/others aware of my workload

Don’t be a broken record but also don’t be someone who overworks themselves in secret.

5. Brainstorm possible resources with leaders/others

Other people can help us think differently about things we could stop doing or ways we could be creative to create capacity. One client shared with me recently how they were able to get a contract worker to delegate some repetitive tasks to.

6. Try to keep some boundaries.

If you don’t set some boundaries, no one will set them for you. We all have days and even seasons when work surges, but we still have to recognize when our lack of boundaries compound the problem.

7. Block my calendar for key priorities.

If at all possible, proactively block time on your calendar to make sure that key responsibilities don’t get pushed to the side and so that other people can’t book every minute of your day.

Some of us are in more service-oriented roles where just telling someone “No” isn’t an option, but choosing a tip or two above, and having that tip ready when you are asked to do something extra, can help you steward your time in a more discerning way.

Mastering The Art Of Leadership: Getting The Balance Of Results And Relationships Right

Tue, 02 May 2023 19:23:32 GMT

In this episode of Talent Talks, Hunt Scanlon Media host Rob Adams is joined by Derek Lokey, SVP of consulting at Teamalytics, to discuss the new role of leaders in building a strong culture while achieving growth in a work-from-home or work-from-anywhere environment. Drawing on his experience as an executive coach and former NFL player with the Kansas City Chiefs, Derek shares insights from the recent Hunt Scanlon Culture Conference and offers strategies for leaders to improve employee morale and engagement through self-awareness and intentionality. Tune in to learn how to strike the right balance between results and relationships in the work environment of today. Listen Now!

Listen to this episode on Spotify , and Google .

https://podcasts.bcast.fm/e/18225958-mastering-the-art-of-leadership-getting-the-balance-of-results-and-relationships-right

Give Your Leaders Feedback They Will Thank You For

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 07:37:25 GMT

Is there really an assessment whose results can help get a team unstuck?

Nearly all experienced managers have faced that question at one time or another in their careers. Most have wrestled with it more than once. And although there are many personal and team assessments that claim to provide useful insight and may even offer some assurance that the awareness gained through these tools will help propel teams forward, the reality is – as many of you know – that most increases in self-awareness are limited in their impact and provide no real path for sustainable growth.

Why is that? Why do these widely used tools fail to bring about the desired changes for the long haul? Do you know?

And a more important question…

What if there was a different type of assessment tool that not only identified leadership behaviors that could be leveraged, but also those that were holding people back and keeping them stuck?

The good news is that such a tool exists. And not only does this statistically validated assessment identify behaviors that can be changed (unlike static personality traits), it is the foundation of an entire process that has a proven track record for helping companies achieve business results previously unobtained.

Let us introduce you to the Teamalytics approach.

Over the last quarter of a century, the experienced team of business leaders, coaches, and researchers at Teamalytics have identified and developed a three-step process for getting individuals and teams out of the state of stuck. It all begins with a proven assessment that takes less than 10 minutes to administer.

We can help you and your teams get unstuck too.

Click HERE to find out more.

Optimize Your Team: Debra Von Storch

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 19:26:59 GMT

Welcome to the second episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

With nearly four decades of experience, Debra is a former Partner at EY where she specialized in advising rapid-growth companies, and also served as Director of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program.

In this episode we dig into the lessons she learned working closely with some of the most successful and well-known entrepreneurs in the world.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-2-Debra-von-Storch-e19pesk/a-a6r4hl6

Optimize Your Team: Lee Bason

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 19:28:23 GMT

In this next episode I spend time with Lee Bason, one of the founders of our company who has worked closely with thousands of leaders over the last 33 years. As a coach and trusted advisor to senior leaders and CEOs all over the world, Lee shares some of the challenges that he’s seen all leaders face and some of the strategies that he’s used to help them work through these challenges. And as we head into 2023 I hope you’ll draw some encouragement, inspiration, and a renewed commitment to your team from what Lee shares in this episode of Optimize Your Team.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-15---Lee-Bason-e20mqr2/a-a9hae4u

Optimize Your Team: Richard Tripp

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 19:29:46 GMT

I’m so excited to have a good friend of mine, Richard Tripp, on our podcast this month. Richard has extensive experience as a Chief Product Officer for several tech companies and currently serves numerous companies as an advisor and consultant. Richard has been tremendously helpful to us here at Teamalytics as a sounding board and resource over the years. And in our conversation today, we dive into the concept of Shared Purpose. What is it? Why it has the power to transform your team’s ability to work together and deliver exceptional results, and probably most importantly, how to build it as a leader on your team. I hope you take away as much from this podcast as I did.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-14---Richard-Tripp-e1vaq7g/a-a9ce0ak

Optimize Your Team: Bruce Robinson

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 19:31:13 GMT

Welcome to the eighth episode of the Teamalytics podcast: Optimize Your Team. Throughout this series, we will speak with CEOs, business leaders, veterans, and more and get their insight into leading and building strong teams.

Bruce Robinson spent several years working for the government in the foreign services and intelligence community, serving law enforcement. Most recently, he was head of global security for a multinational oil and gas firm.

In this episode, we talk about what he’s learned living and working as a diplomat overseas and how we can apply these lessons to our own leadership roles.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-8---Bruce-Robinson-e1kh3mt/a-a8651ap

Optimize Your Team: LTG (R) Robert VanAntwerp

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 19:32:35 GMT

n today’s episode, I am excited to have one of my mentors and someone I am proud to get to work with as a teammate, retired Lieutenant General Robert VanAnterp, who most just call General Van. Van truly is a leader of leaders, serving his country for 39 years.

Van served the military most recently as the 52nd Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the US Army Corps of Engineers, where he led a large global organization of close to 40,000 people tasked with a complex mission from critical infrastructure construction and maintenance, our nation’s ports and waterways, to power generation, and support of troops and allied nations around the world.

Van serves on our leadership team here at Teamaytics and on the board of several organizations, including USAA.

Today we talk about some of Van’s key leadership lessons when it comes to driving alignment and focus in a large, complex organization and some of his insights on how to get people within your organization to collaborate and work together effectively. I also asked Van to share some of the leadership lessons he’s learned in his lifelong pursuit of leadership. I hope you enjoy and learn from this conversation as much as I did.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-13---LTG-R-Robert-VanAntwerp-e1u08al/a-a97uh07

3 Great Questions Leaders Ask

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 07:47:31 GMT

After over 40 years of observing great and not so great leaders in the military, in government, in corporations, in education, and in sports, I can see some common threads shared by the great ones. They genuinely care for those they lead; they serve more than they are served; they inspire and give energy more than they take; when you have them, you have them — even if it’s only for 10 minutes; and they ask great questions! In the Flippen Group, we often talk about feedback being the ‘breakfast of champions.’ The challenge is that most people don’t know how to give it or get it. One way great leaders get it is by asking the right questions — questions that will give them something timely, specific, and actionable.

I’ve been thinking a lot about some questions leaders could ask if they really want to show concern for their employees, want to improve how they serve their employees, and want to get some tangible, actionable advice from them. So here are three questions I think every employee would love for you to ask them (and of course, you need to act on what they tell you!):

1. What Can I Do To Make Your Working Environment Better So You Can Give Your ‘All’?
An answer I got once was, “Get better gym equipment and give us time to use it.” That day, our rendition of “Gold’s Gym” was born and we instituted a fitness program that cut our absences from sickness in half.

2. What Can I Do To Help You Serve The Customer Better?
Often the burden of serving the customer and “making the numbers” is squarely on those we lead. One answer I got to this question was, “Equip our Project Managers with laptops and the best PM software on the market, and we will show you how we can run a project.” Within six months, they had selected the software, every PM was issued a new laptop, and we had trained our cadre of PM’s. We saw marked improvement in quality and cost and schedule management.

3. What Can I Do To Help You Get A Better Work/Life Balance?
I hear lots of leaders talk about this one and then do a very poor job of modeling it. In answer to this question, I was told, “Few, if any, people were able to take their leave and schedule predictable vacations with their family.” We had many people who were in a “use or lose” leave situation because they hadn’t taken leave in over two years. We instituted a new policy that strongly encouraged everyone to take their full allotment of leave every year with at least one vacation being a full two weeks that leadership wouldn’t mess with.

So . . . is it time you asked a few questions???

Are You Prepared?

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 07:45:54 GMT

On a recent business trip, I was talking to an owner of an organization about being prepared. How much preparation is needed? How damaging can it be when one is not prepared? How much should be invested in preparation? These were various questions being discussed and as the conversation came to a transitional point he simply said, “Just be prepared!” The Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared” has been around since 1907. In the 3rd part of Scouting for Boys, Robert Baden-Powell explains the meaning of the phrase:

“The Scout Motto is: BE PREPARED which means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty:

Be Prepared in Mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willing to do it.
Be Prepared in Body by making yourself strong and active and able to do the right thing at the right moment, and do it.”

Although I was not a scout in my youth, this advice could be applied to many settings. For example, in a business setting some important preparation-related behaviors are strong self-discipline, good organization, anticipating actions/needs of others, and being responsible. Some specific examples of these could be:

Be prepared for a sales appointment by having a clear set of objectives and doing homework on the client’s needs and expectations.
Be prepared prior to a meeting by gathering key information, reading materials ahead of time, and bringing 2 to 3 points to discuss on the topic even if you’re not expected to lead the meeting.
Be prepared by building your network of people and connections during prosperous times when you don’t need their assistance or help. This will prove to be very beneficial when you do need to lean on others for advice.
Be prepared for business challenges by accurately assessing personal and organizational threats and then building a plan to mitigate those threats.

One way we help individuals and organizations is through enhancing their preparation. When John F. Kennedy said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining,” in essence he was saying be prepared in body and mind. Focus and prepare now for future events. Don’t wait for turbulent times to build or work on your vision, strategy, and objectives. As Confucius said, “Success depends on previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” So, just be prepared!

How To Reprogram Your Authoritarian Business Culture

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 07:48:46 GMT

Many organizational, political, and even family social structures are designed to stroke the egos of those ‘in power.’

As a kid, I heard things like, “I put this roof over your head,” and “Don’t you ever ask me ‘Why?’ Ask, ‘How high?’” At school, I was told to sit down, shut up, and be still. Too many of my coaches would call team members demeaning names and treat us like a commodity on the field. The authoritarian philosophy continues to this day with ‘bosses’ ordering around their ‘subordinates.’ Our cultural programming is powerful! Submit and defer to those in power, or else!

But what if we viewed our companies as belonging to all of our employees? Could we as leaders begin to see our employees as teammates we serve alongside? Wow! Now THAT would be revolutionary!

Take the performance review process. Those in leadership positions provide feedback to ‘subordinates,’ but rarely the other way around. Even at home, few parents consistently ask their children for feedback…and thank them for their candid comments. Do you? How many teachers elicit feedback from students as a part of their formal review process? For that matter, how many principals ask their teachers how they (the principal) are doing at their job? And we know that in business offices, it’s the same story. Just more variations on the same old theme.

As pervasive as this authoritarian culture is, it’s amazingly unhealthy. It doesn’t bring out the best in us or those we lead and serve. A revolution is needed, starting with us as leaders.

As my friend and business partner, Flip Flippen, said, “A leader is someone who sets aside their personal agenda for a far greater agenda of serving others.” Leaders can determine to join a revolution by showing incredible respect for those with the least power, beginning in our own homes and businesses.

If serving those you lead sounds backward to you – and yet, you’re intrigued – you may be ready for our Team Intensive™. You’ll learn how to align your leadership behaviors with your organizational strategies and how to optimize you and your team’s behavior while skillfully navigating business challenges to deliver top performance.

To find out more about Team Intensive, contact us . We’d love to learn more about your needs.

Optimize Your Team: Brian LaCroix

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 19:33:53 GMT

So for those interested in investing in the next generation, whether a parent or business leader, we learn how Brian and his colleagues look to identify and develop young leaders.

Listen to this episode on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and Google .

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/optimize-your-team/episodes/Episode-12---Brian-LaCroix-e1pde05/a-a8n372o

Leaders of all levels can succeed with Team Leader Foundations

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 05:37:34 GMT

Team leaders know that the attitude they bring to work sets the tone for team culture. Whether you lead five people or five hundred people, the principles for success are the same: build a strong team, establish clear goals, and use collaboration to increase productivity.

Build a strong team

Today’s business world is more complex than ever before. With globalization, artificial intelligence, and the rise of remote work, team dynamics need to be rock solid in order for success to happen.

This starts with selecting people who are the right fit for the job and the culture. But it also includes synergizing the strengths and constraints of the team members you already have. In order to do that, you need to be aware of what those strengths and constraints are.

While self-reported traits can be helpful, a formal assessment is more telling. Consider a third party product or service that can help you get a clear picture of your team members. Be sure it includes a 360-degree feedback component for the most accurate and comprehensive analysis.

Establish clear goals

Once you have a good handle on your team’s individual and collective strengths and constraints, you are better equipped to lay out goals.

While overarching team goals are important, it is most helpful to also assign individual goals. These goals should not only pertain to achievements and productivity markers, but to behavioral and interpersonal skills.

If you participate in some sort of formal team dynamics assessment, make sure that there is ongoing accountability to put what you learned into practice. Otherwise, you’ll simply have identified traits for people to ponder on their own.

Use collaboration to increase productivity

Research shows that improved team dynamics will lead to increased team productivity. If you’re worried that human capital investments won’t pay off, take the time to calculate your Return on Investment (ROI) carefully.

As you weigh your options, know that experts see team dynamic work as crucial to success. According to Forbes, collaboration supports productivity in part because it helps prevent siloed work. Siloed work–the extreme separation of roles and responsibilities among team members–leads to lots of wasted time. Employees don’t have access to the knowledge they need to get their tasks done as efficiently and thoroughly as possible.

In addition, Salesforce reports that 86% of executives link business failure to a lack of collaboration and communication. It’s no stretch to apply this to a team of any level within an organization. Empowered, self-aware people get more done, and also share their good ideas with one another, leading to better outcomes overall.

Team Leader Foundations

If you lead a team that could use improvement in these areas, the Teamalytics Team Leader Foundations program may be just the catalyst you need to unlock your team’s full potential. Based on thirty years of experience working with executives, the Team Leader Foundations program brings practical tools, actionable insights, and best-practice frameworks to leaders of any level.

This self-guided, online platform shepherds users through an eight-session team dynamics workshop to improve collaboration. In addition, expert coaches provide four one-on-one coaching sessions to participants and facilitate three online group sessions with a cohort of business leadership peers.

Teamalytics operates on a foundation of data and proprietary analytics, ensuring that the content you and your team engage with is effective and current. Behavioral science is at the core of all Teamalytics programs and is now available to benefit teams of all levels.

To learn more about the Team Leader Foundations program, reach out today