How a Group Becomes a Team
If there is one lesson I have learned in my years of leading engineering team and product innovation, it is this: nothing gets done without teamwork.
Healing The Hidden Wounds: Transforming Gossip Into Growth
In every corner of your organization lies the potential for greatness, powered by clear and open communication. Yet, when whispers and backchannel chatter begin to weave through the corridors, consider this not as mere office politics, but as a beacon highlighting deeper, more systemic challenges within your communication landscape. Your role as a leader stretches far beyond the realms of task delegation and project oversight; you are the steward of your team's culture, the architect of an environment where trust and clarity can thrive. Seeing these hidden conversations not as problems but as symptoms is your first step on a…
You Need a Clear Ownership for Better Project Management
Imagine this (or maybe you don’t need to), a team is sitting in front of their computers, ready for a Zoom meeting. As they look at their screens with a latest numbers in a presentation, figures glaringly short of the set targets. Right away - a room is filled with silence, few cameras turning off and others just frozen. As a minute passes, one brave soul declares, "That part wasn't my responsibility", their voice echoing through the speakers, "I was held up because I didn't get the information I needed from sales" another counters. Soon the virtual space is filled…
Navigating the Path to High Performance
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships. Michael Jordan This rings true in the business world, too. It's not just the smartest people or the standout stars who push a company to the top; it's teams that work well together. Understanding and fixing team problems can be tricky. Patrick Lencioni's model of the "Five Dysfunctions of a Team" offers a profound lens through which we can scrutinize and elevate our teams. Here’s how we can stride from dysfunction to high performance. As a leader, envisioning yourself as the doctor for your team is pivotal. Your primary responsibility is…
Mastering Scrum: Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Agile Project Management
In the dynamic world of project management, embracing agile methodologies like Scrum has become increasingly popular. Scrum, with its focus on collaboration, adaptability, and iterative development, offers a robust framework for achieving project success. However, despite its effectiveness, many project managers make common mistakes in Scrum team implementations that can hinder progress and diminish the framework's potential. In this article, we will explore five prevalent mistakes made by project managers when implementing Scrum. Each of these missteps, from prioritizing process over people to neglecting the importance of a well-maintained project backlog, can significantly impact a project's outcome. By understanding these…
Feeling Committed vs Being Committed to Cause the Result
In our lives and workplaces, the term "commitment" is often used to indicate dedication and loyalty. But have we taken the time to dig deeper into what it means to be committed versus simply feeling committed? Though the distinction might seem minor, it carries significant implications for our ability to generate tangible results. Feeling committed often refers to a state of aspiration or obligation, typically based on emotional attachment. In contrast, being committed implies an active state of engagement, determination, and readiness to act to achieve a particular goal, regardless of feelings or circumstances. The Impact of True Commitment Let's…
Unreasonable Leadership – Harnessing the Power of Unconventionality
In the realms of leadership and management, the conventional wisdom has often painted an image of the "ideal" leader as someone who is level-headed, predictable, and reasonable. Although these qualities are undoubtedly important, I wish to champion an often overlooked, yet potentially transformative kind of leader - the 'unreasonable' one. Unreasonable, in this context, does not denote an irrational or tyrannical figure. Instead, it symbolizes a leader who is willing to challenge established norms, push boundaries, and drive their teams towards audacious goals that others might deem impossible. They are the dreamers, the visionaries, and the trailblazers who dare to…