Some ground rules for more effective team communication: Explore every person’s ideas fully and politely. Discipline yourself to listen and understand others’ ideas. Don’t argue or debate but explore and support. Demonstrate your openness and trust in others. Be an active contributor and consolidator of ideas. Focus on the team objectives and finding a solution. Be a purposeful, total system-oriented… Read more →
As a consultant, I hear many complaints from employees about their co-workers. But a lack of teamwork is the most common complaint. For many reasons, some people just don’t work well as part of the team. They might be too territorially focused, they might feel threatened, or they might be more comfortable working independently. But for many people, they just… Read more →
The inspiration of leaders is multi-faceted. Leading other people means showing them the path to follow in a way that creates a desire for them to follow you. Being a leader means taking actions to influence others’ thinking or to guide their behaviour. Leading involves directing and inspiring performance and often pioneering the way forward. Organisational leadership includes all… Read more →
The ability to accurately receive and interpret messages when communicating is the key to all effective communication. Without this ability, messages will be easily misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated. Listening is so important that many employers provide listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising when… Read more →
Do the members of your team view themselves as a group of individuals who work independently of one another, or as a collection of individuals who work interdependently with each other? Read on to learn 6 key differences between ‘Groups’ and ‘Teams’. GROUPS TEAMS Members think they are grouped together for administrative purposes only. Individuals work independently; sometimes at cross purposes… Read more →
The most prominent reason for the lack of effective teamwork in an organisation is poor listening. Or the lack of it altogether. Listening – a well-tuned ear increases mutual respect and teamwork. From the CEO’s office to the shop floor, listening can spell the difference between cooperation and mistrusting and jealousy. Listening empowers people, adding strength and commitment to their… Read more →
Too often, organisations breed a culture of competition in which employees, departments and offices tolerate each other instead of collaborating with one another. But if an organisation breaks down internal silos and works in harmony, then it can partake in meaningful discussions that ultimately will push innovation forward. In developing this collaborative climate, organisations must first have the support of… Read more →
A cross-functional team is a group of employees from different functions within an organisation – such as human resources, information technology, marketing and finance – who all focus on specific objectives and have the responsibility to work as a team to achieve shared goals. Cross-cultural teams, on the other hand, are made up of people from different social and professional… Read more →
If two otherwise equally qualified individuals compete for the same senior position in an organisation, most of the time the one with better communication skills will get the job. Information and the ability to convey it effectively is power.But it’s not just about speech. Communication takes place in many forms – audio, visual, and physical touch. It consists of talking,… Read more →
When it comes to communication, we all tend to think we’re pretty good at it. Truth is, even those of us who are good communicators aren’t nearly as good as we think we are. This overestimation of our ability to communicate is magnified when interacting with people we know well. Researchers at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business… Read more →