Increase Performance of Your Virtual Teams

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Are you tired of the same old dry, serious, virtual meetings? As organizations continue to globalize and departments become more and more geographically dispersed, teams are increasingly turning to cyberspace to complete important projects and to get work done.   With opportunities to gather together  “in person” becoming fewer and farther…

Should Games be More (or Less) Competitive

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There’s a popular social movement in schools these days, compelling teachers and coaches to minimize competition on the playground while increasing collaboration.  It’s gone so far that one school I heard about even removed the scoreboard from their high school football field, insisting that keeping score put too much pressure…

The Wave

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A few days ago, I watched a fascinating movie from 2008 — “The Wave” — available widely on DVD, Netflix, etc.  Although the film takes place in Germany (with an all-German cast), it’s actually a dramatization of the true story of an unusual teaching experiment conducted by Ron Jones at…

What is the value of team building?

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When I’ve asked this question to clients, they’ve responded with a broad variety of answers, such as: –Team building helps people bond –It raises morale –It lets us blow off steam –It allows folks to get to know people with whom they may not work on a regular basis –It…

Foot-Loose in Thailand

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It’s a long climb from central Thong Pha Phum, Thailand, to the hill-top temple towering high above town.  First you cross a rickety rope bridge, then you pass through a monastery, and finally there are these steps…countless steps…straight up for close to forever. The journey is worth it though:  a…

Six Lessons

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The following is a great little advice article by Ari Emanuel, co-CEO of William Morris Endeavor (WME), a leading entertainment and media agency.  Ari’s blog can be found here. Enjoy.  See my comments below.  Db. The Six Lessons I Live By   1. Surround yourself with people who are smarter…

The Drama Triangle, redux

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From time time over the years, I’ve given periodic shout-outs to my friend up in British Columbia, Gary Harper, and his terrific little book:  The Joy of Conflict Resolution.  If you work in a team and wonder why ‘s always so much “drama” in your group, I highly recommend you…

I’ve Got Your Back

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  I watch a lot of action and sci-fi movies, and inevitably there’s a scene where the hero, preparing to rush into a gun fight, turns to his right-hand man (or woman, or Droid) and says, “You cover me”.   On the silver screen, this is a great “trust moment” for the protagonist…

Are you a Wizard or a Muggle

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I was rereading the first book in the Harry Potter series the other day and got to pondering:  What makes J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world so compelling?   I think it’s the fact that the author has created this whole secret universe, furtively co-existing alongside our own mundane, non-magic “Muggle” reality.   By…

The Source of Happiness

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Back in 1987, I was in the process of wrapping up a two-year stint in Shimonoseki, Japan as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher when my path took me up to big-city Tokyo.  For the last few months, I’d been living in kind of a dark place, emotionally: …