I’ve written a lot recently about collaboration, and there’s a recurring theme that comes up in most of those articles: defensiveness. It’s a topic we rarely talk about in business circles, but one I’m convinced is vitally important if we want to build thriving, innovative organizations that are capable of making the impact they believe […]

Two companies I’ve recently been collaborating closely with are going through an intensive growth period, and one of the biggest fears I hear from people regarding growth at these companies is concerning “the loss of their culture”. As someone who thinks and talks a great deal about culture in both my professional and personal life, […]

In my previous article I talked about how important team self-awareness is for effective collaboration, especially for teams with different personalities working together.  What makes a team self-aware is understanding and consciously building on the interpersonal dynamics of its members. Whatever issue you may face, if you can decode what’s going on within the team […]

One change I’ve been happy to see in the business world in the last few years is that organizations are becoming more aware of the importance of social skills when it comes to getting better results and creating better workplaces. Concepts like self-awareness and emotional intelligence are becoming part of the day-to-day lingo, and if […]

I recently wrote about why I wish you would invite a skilled facilitator to help your team with collaboration. I talk a lot about why this should be more than just a nice-to-have, and now I’d like to share a personal story when I got a taste of my own medicine. In addition to working […]

Finding the key to productive meetings is a quest many organizations have embarked on. If you do a quick search on the topic, you’ll find countless articles suggesting various tips from creating better agendas and limiting the number of attendees to doing meetings while walking. And these things can all be important. But I believe […]

One of the reasons I love working with my clients is that we often share the same values.  They have a genuine desire to build great organizational cultures where people are able to do their best work and collectively make an impact on the world around them. They are constantly looking for ways to develop […]

Team members having a hard time giving or receiving negative feedback? Meetings tend to go on and on without a conclusion in sight? Customer service success rates aren’t as good as they could be? Clients seem confused after you try to explain a design or technology-related decision? Good communication constantly ranks at the top of […]

How common are difficult conversations in your organization?  For example, giving negative feedback. Or someone sharing that they’re feeling burnt out in their current role. Or challenging a not-so-great idea even if their manager favors it.  According to research, 70% of employees avoid having tough conversations at work, and this results in a loss in […]

If you’ve read my previous articles on what collaboration strategy meetings are and how they can make your teams more effective, you might be curious about how to hold one in your own organization. In this article, I’m going to share the most important factors to consider when planning collaboration strategy meetings. These are the […]