I get particularly excited when an opportunity arises for us to combine an important topic and a powerful exercise into one. In this case, I’m referring to employee engagement and the Flywheel Effect. For those of us who aren’t familiar, the Flywheel Effect, a term coined by author Jim Collins, describes the momentum gained from small wins that accumulate over time and generate growth and improvement. Each turn of our “flywheel” builds upon work done previously and when we stay focused on core concepts that power our flywheel it can lead to tremendous success.

Teamwork.

The power of this two-syllable word can dramatically change the way our organizations operate and its ability to both survive and thrive.

In honor of the 20th anniversary since the book’s original publishing, author Patrick Lencioni recently hosted a webinar on his bestseller, The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team. Throughout the presentation, Lencioni not only shares how to overcome the 5 dysfunctions, but also discusses the ‘Teamwork Trifecta’. This focuses on how to create a high-performing team and addresses the most critical questions around teams within an organization. I have found these to be tremendously helpful resources and useful tools as I coach leadership teams.

Many of us struggle to effectively handle high-stakes conversations when we encounter them. I’m talking about the ones that we don’t necessarily plan for or know that are coming, such as giving feedback to an employee whose behavior does not align with the company’s core values, terminating a difficult customer or dealing with someone who has hijacked your meeting. Because these can be emotionally charged and highly impactful to the future of the relationship, we can all benefit from polishing up our communication skills for these crucial conversations. Lucky for us, there is a way to handle these conversations so we can accelerate our connections and deepen our relationships.

Are you ready to scale faster, develop your team, and improve your business performance while simultaneously freeing up time in your own life?! You may be thinking, “that sounds impossible. How can I improve my business and not add more to my plate?” Well, many leaders are not applying the essential skill of delegation and we are most definitely suffering as a result.

The Great Resignation. We’ve heard of it. Maybe some of us have even become part of it. I think most of us would agree that our workplace and even our worlds look a lot different today than they did three years ago. Instead of looking back at what it was and trying to get things to the way they “used to be”, let’s adjust to the cards we’ve been dealt and do what we do best: move forward with a plan.

Are you familiar with Dr. Stephen Karpman’s Drama Triangle involving the roles of victim, persecutor, and rescuer? Do you often find yourself or those around you getting caught in one of these roles? These unproductive mindsets may be the obstacle preventing you and your team from operating with trust and alignment. The good news is, there is a way out.

Of all the questions, WHO is the most burning. Is your organization still using the standard job description during your hiring process? Are you tucking it away once you make the hire? Well, that needs to change…TODAY!

According to Geoff Smart and Randy Street, authors of Who: The A Method for Hiring, an A Player is someone who has at least a 90% chance of achieving a set of outcomes that only the top 10% of possible candidates could achieve.