I recently had the experience of leading 200 colleagues through a robust three-year company initiative. You know those types of projects and the opportunities they create: growth, market share and new avenues for returns. But managing an organization-wide goal can make you feel like the ringleader of Barnum & Bailey’s circus”¦with all the attendant death-defying leaps, feats of strength, and standing ovations. Alongside the opportunities and high visibility, you and your team are dealing with pressing deadlines, budget constraints, and a teetering work life balance.
Teams that click don’t fall from the sky (and money doesn’t grow on trees. Sigh.). It takes time and focused effort to bring the right balance and synergy to the group. But keep going and your consistency will pay off. To help you along the way, we’ll be sharing some powerful team building ideas to inspire, develop and challenge your team. Read more for this week’s teamwork tip, founded in the research from O.C. Tanner’s New York Times bestseller The Orange Revolution, by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, and get your team on track to breakthrough performance.
The Internet loves a whipping boy. And lately it’s been Netflix.
It’s easy to be a critic. After all, Netflix stock has lost almost 2/3 of its value in the past three months. Ouch.
First, a price hike sent customers packing. Then a CEO apology announced Netflix was splitting its streaming and DVD-by-mail businesses, re-naming the latter Qwikster. A few weeks later, Quikster was dead. Netflix listened to customer feedback and decided to keep its streaming and DVD-by mail businesses together a while longer. Thankfully.
The company and its employees have done so many things right that I’m hoping this is not the beginning of the end for Netflix. I’m optimistically holding out for this current wave of idiocy being just a momentary lapse of some kind. A quick flirtation with stupid. Like the straight-A kid who forgets to set the parking brake on Dad’s car when parking on a hill. Sure he totaled the car. But we still love him. Right?
Employee Engagement Advice from FIS, the Winner of the 2011 O.C. Tanner Recognition Leadership Award
I recently had the great honor of travelling to interview employees and executives at FIS. A Fortune 500 company that counts employee engagement as one of its guiding principles, FIS focused on rebranding itself to its 32,000 employees following the biggest merger and acquisition in the company’s history. A big part of its strategy: employee appreciation– including a full week of thanks and fun each year for the people who make it all happen.
Teams that click don’t fall from the sky (wouldn’t that be nice?). It takes time and focused effort to bring the right balance and synergy to the group. But keep going and your consistency will pay off. To help you along the way, we’ll be sharing some powerful team building ideas to inspire, develop and challenge your team. Read more for this week’s teamwork tip, founded in the research from O.C. Tanner’s New York Times bestseller The Orange Revolution, by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, and get your team on track to breakthrough performance.
“ You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle. ”
A few weeks ago, I celebrated my 41st birthday the same way most engaged employees do–by going to work.
Not long after I had settled in for the day, my team had gathered around my cubicle, signed birthday card in hand, ready to sing to me for my special day. After a few knowing looks between team members, they cleared their throats and started to sing in their best sixties-era, folk-song voices ”¦
