Removing the Barriers to Collaboration

An orchestra. Meant to depict removing the barriers of collaboration.

Have you ever been working on an improvement idea and when the time comes to share it with others you think to yourself, “Ugh, I don’t want to.” If you’re like me, maybe you even groan and make a face. Well, it turns out that those little pangs of *UGH* are moments of insight. They…

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Squelching the Urge to Say, “I told you so.”

Stop sign on street at sunset or sunrise, meant to represent taking a pause.

There will come a day when you were right all along. Your warnings went unheeded. Your insights blatantly ignored. But then, your experience finally pays off. A smug smile unfolds and you relish the opportunity to open your mouth and gloat, “I told you so.” You’ve earned it. And it feels good.   “The four…

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You Might Be Accidentally Ignoring Problems (and How to Fix It)

Neon lights on brick wall that read "You are what you listen to." This article is about accidentally ignoring problems by not listening.

“When one person tells me a harsh truth, I can be sure she’s speaking for others who aren’t as bold. It makes me pay better attention, and then I realize others have been saying the same thing all along, just more softly. I haven’t heard it because I haven’t really been listening.” -Melinda French Gates,…

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You Get What You Tolerate

man-walking-bridge-dress-shoes

True confession time: Sometimes leaders resent their own teams. It’s true! I have known a few. I have even been one. I am not talking about the occasional flippant comment over drinks (though that happens, too). I am talking about aggravation, taking genuine umbrage, with your team’s dysfunction or poor performance. Feeling as though you…

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