Extraordinary Team Tips

Take a page from the Arkadium team playbook with this “Lil’ Wins” idea to finish off your 15-minute huddle:

Each employee receives a pad of “Lil’ Win” sticky notes where they are invited to jot down the tiny accomplishments that happen during the day.  The interesting part is that it’s not about noting their team mates’ accomplishments, but their own successes.

Then, at the end of their Monday morning staff meeting, with a two-minute timer counting down the seconds, the 30-person team is eager to share their “Lil’ Wins.”  According to Inc. magazine, “The shouting, cheering and laughing begin. ‘We finished a new game demo!’ ‘My husband and I bought our first house!’ ‘I hosted a Monday meeting!'”

What a cool and energizing way to end your staff meeting!

Professional meeting facilitator Kristin Arnold shares seven steps to having a difficult conversation.

In this podcast, professional meeting facilitator Kristin Arnold shares three reasons why conflict escalates into heated discussion.

Professional meeting facilitator Kristin Arnold shares her definition of the Team Trifecta: Achieving results, using a smooth process and maintaining collaborative relationships along the way. When you have these three elements solidly in place, then you have a high performing team.

Every Sunday (when I am in town), Joe and I meet my mother at our church, St. Patrick’s Catholic Community, and then we go out to a leisurely breakfast. I enjoy our time together and the opportunity to reflect on my relationship with my maker, the events of the past week and the opportunities in the upcoming week. Two weeks ago (on Palm Sunday), our pastor, Father Eric Tellez, shared three things we could work on to be a better Christian. (BTW, these suggestions originally came from Father James Martin S.J., a well known priest by his work in the media.) As I was listening to Father Eric’s homily, it occurred to me that the same three things could be said for any of us to be a better teammate. So what are those three things to work on? 1. Don’t Be a Jerk. Sometimes we share misery. The boss does things we don’t like; the traffic is bad driving in to work; life isn’t going our way. We become stressed and impatient. Things aren’t happening fast enough or we aren’t getting the results we want. So what happens? We angrily lash out at anyone who happens to be around – and in a very careless way. This is destructive and not respectful of others. Don’t be a jerk and share your misery with others. Be kind. 2. Honor the Absent. How do you speak about people behind their back? Do you say things boldly when they are not there? Do you find it gleeful to be able to share information that makes another person not look so good? Speak well about people – even when they are not there (or, as my grandmother used to say, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”). 3. Give People the Benefit of the Doubt. Don’t assume their actions and words were meant to harm. Avoid automatically assuming the worst and jumping to conclusion that they are never going to change. You are looking at the world negatively. You don’t trust them. Don’t jump to negativity, try to second guess or judge harshly. I call it “Assume Positive Intent.” Everyone has a bad day. What else could be going on? Assume the best scenario. Look for the good in them. While Father James states that Christianity can be framed by two words, “Be kind,” I believe you can frame teamwork using one word: “Respect.” Over the next week, work on one or all three of them to become a better team member.

Whenever I facilitate a meeting, I am inevitably asked, "So how do we compare to other teams you work with?" I typically dodge the answer because all teams are different - although they are largely a reflection of the team's leadership. If the leader is constructive, then the team is too. If the leader is passive-aggressive, so goes the team. So what are the traits of a strong team leader? I have always had my suspicions, but I just ran across some McKinsey & Company research that highlights four core leadership behaviors that are most relevant on the front line.

In this podcast, professional meeting facilitator, Kristin Arnold shares the 7 core elements of a daily (or weekly) "huddle" - a quick, 15 minute stand up meeting.

Innovation. We all know how important innovating new ideas are for the growth and future of the business aviation industry. But where does “innovation” come from? Do you just wake up in the middle of the night screaming, “Eureka!” or is it more nuanced than that? In this podcast, professional meeting facilitator Kristin Arnold shares Peter Drucker's seven sources of innovation from his book, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (1985).