Jasmine (not her real name) had been the director of a unit on the campus of a nonprofit university for less than two years. Over the last year, two department managers retired when Covid-19 expanded, and had not been replaced. Work had been redistributed “temporarily” six months ago while she delayed in recruiting for replacements because, “it is so hard to hire virtually when we usually operate face-to-face.”
The need to connect at work is powerful and leaders can create safe and inclusive spaces. Join Organizational Excellence for monthly sessions, beginning Apr. 22, that empower leaders to deal with contemporary issues.
In a previous blog post we shared how motive really matters in tough conversations and the 2 important steps to uncovering motive. To recap, first look at the situation to understand what the root of the problem might be. Next, ask yourself some questions to discover your motive. That will get you ready for the conversation and help you to return to your motive if you get sidetracked. If you missed it, you can go to that post here.
“We need a plan.”
“We are all going in different directions.”
How many times have you heard some version of these words from your team members or even from your leader?
Having open and productive conversations is more important now than ever. We find ourselves with multiple high-stakes, high emotion situations in which opinions differ greatly.
Emotions. We all have them. They are a part of our shared human experience. But, what do we do with them when they creep up at work and sabotage our productivity, relationships, and reputations?
We are in an unprecedented, sustained period of uncertainty. In the U.S., it is a very busy time for all of the helping professions including psychologists, therapists, and executive leadership coaches.
Team trust is one of the most important factors in team performance and one of the most elusive values to purposely create and quantify for many teams.
When teams are new, they are as wide-eyed and enthusiastic as a young lion cub. But when they get older, watch out. . . they can bite. All too often, organizations birth a team to take on a particular project or to reorganize work generally without realizing that teams need constant care and feeding.
The power of communication—from the right people and through the right methods—can influence results in profound ways. The outcomes of the COVID-19 virus on the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco provides a powerful case study.