Most of us are familiar with the Jim Collins quote, "Get the right people on the bus in the right seats."   A winning coach on a sports team would never put a player in a position where they do not leverage his or her strengths -- yet we experience this often in the workplace. So how can we fix this? To maximize the productivity of individual team members, consider the following: Identify what success looks like. What are the outcomes you want? Is each function/role in the team clearly defined? Once success is defined, develop a list of expected skill sets and behaviors needed to get results. Assess your team members' strengths. There are several tools to assist you in determining strengths. I like the assessment [...]

Many years ago while driving down the highway it suddenly started to rain, and then it started to pour. We have all been there and it's not enjoyable.  To make matters worse, my driver's side wiper was stuck and no longer functioning. White-knuckled terror shot through me as I struggled to see the road in front of me.  The obvious choice of pulling over and waiting didn't seem promising in the event that a car behind me lost sight and drifted, so I decided to keep going at a snail's pace. The windshield caused anxiety, certainly not providing any clarity on getting to my destination on time. The same situation can happen with your team if they are unclear about where they are [...]

Values Check Our values inform our thoughts, words, and actions. As a leader, we must identify our own personal values and make sure they are in alignment with the organization's values. All of our leadership decisions should be based on: what is meaningful to us, what is essential to us, and what is non-negotiable to us.  It’s been said that when values are clear, decisions are easier. When we live out our values, we learn that they can act as our own personal tools by: Resembling a GPS:  they keep us on the right path.  Every journey has a path and even when we get off-course, our GPS brings us back. Living out our values keeps us on the right path. Acting [...]