| GO Team News - Updated Website |
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We've updated the GO Team website! We have now included several downloadable pdf files that give you information on:
- How the 5 Dysfunctions relate to GO Team
- The Learning Approaches used in each GO Team module
- How "type" and differences are used in different GO Team modules
- Typical team scenarios and suggested GO Team modules for the issues
Check it out -- www.goteamresources.com
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| Book Review - The Stress Effect by Henry L. Thompson Ph.D. |
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Another book about stress, you might ask? I reviewed another one in November. As I reflected on why I am drawn to read these books, I realized that stress is a consistent theme for many of my clients.
This book is very interesting. Thompson pulls together research and examples that link stress, decision making, emotional intelligence and neuro-science -- all topics I find helpful when working with leaders in organizations today.
With many excellent examples, Thompson supports his premise that "leadership is all about being able to make good decisions during bad times." He makes several connections between stress, fatigue, cognitive performance and more. For example:
- cognitive performance degrades as fatigue increases
- emotional intelligence decreases as stress increases
- fear causes leaders to be more cautious in decision making
- anger causes leaders to take more risk in decision making
Thompson provides suggestions to overcome these challenges -- I suggest you consider reading the book to learn more!
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| We Reap What We Sow |
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As I was picking sweet peas in my backyard the other day, I got to thinking about how growing and picking sweet peas is like providing professional development for employees. First, for me to pick sweet peas in March, I had to plant the seeds in October. And I had to provide resources (water and a trellis) along the way.
If you want to fill key roles in your organization from within, you need to "grow" people who will be ready when the openings occur. If I waited until I wanted the flowers on my kitchen table to think about planting seeds, I would have had to go look for sweet peas elsewhere.
So, what are you doing now to prepare your people for roles that will open in the future? Take some time to identify what development your people need and then work with each of them to put together a plan. You don't have to promise a promotion - just help them build new skills. After they participate in a learning event, be sure you give them time and other resources to use the new skills. With sweet peas, once they start blooming, if I don't pick them, the plant will spend its energy turning the flowers into seeds and will stop producing new flowers. "Plant your seeds" (give them training and learning experiences) and then "pick the flowers" (give them opportunities to apply their learning, so they don't lose the skills.) When an opening appears in your organization, you will have a better chance of being able to pick from within!
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