An international speaker, consultant and bestselling author, Ms. Eisler is most sought out for her impact on senior leadership teams.
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Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
AUDIOBOOK: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators (Unabridged) $34.83
Fast Company
MAGAZINE: Smart attitudes and information for entrepreneurs and business professionals. "My 2 favorite magazines: Fast Company & Economist - hands down" ~ Janice, CEO Coaching Circles
Team Building Without Wasting Time by Marshall Goldsmith and Howard Morgan
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Teams are becoming more and more common and important. As the traditional, hierarchical school of leadership diminishes in significance, a new focus on networked team leadership is emerging to take its place. Leaders are finding themselves members of all kinds of teams, including virtual teams, autonomous teams, cross-functional teams, and action-learning teams. Many of today’s leaders face a dilemma: as the need to build effective teams is increasing, the time available to build these teams is often decreasing. A common challenge faced by today’s leaders is the necessity of building teams in an environment of rapid change with limited resources. The process of re-engineering and streamlining, when coupled with increased demand for services, has led to a situation in which most leaders have more work to do and fewer staff members to help them do it.
Research involving thousands of participants has shown how focused feedback and follow-up can increase leadership and customer service effectiveness (Hesselbein, Goldsmith, and Beckhard, 1996). A parallel approach to team building has been shown to help leaders build teamwork without wasting time. While the approach described sounds simple, it will not be easy. It will require that team members have the courage to ask for input and suggestions regularly and the discipline to develop a behavioral change strategy to follow up, and to “stick with it.”
To implement the following team-building process successfully, the leader (or external coach) will need to assume the role of coach or facilitator and fight the urge to be the “boss” of the project. Greater improvement in teamwork will generally occur if the team members develop their own behavioral change strategy rather than if the leader develops the strategy and imposes it on the team. This process should not be implemented if the leader has the present intention of firing or removing a team member.
Steps in the Process
Step One. Begin by asking all members of the team to confidentially record their individual answers to two questions: (1) “On a 1 to 10 scale (with 10 being ideal), how well are we doing in terms of working together as a team?” and (2) “On a 1 to 10 scale, how well do we need to be doing in terms of working together as a team?”
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Opening the Doors of Communication by Jane Weddle Comments (0) Who is not interested in knowing more about themselves and about others on their team in order to work more effectively together? Let’s take a snap shot of Joe’s team, whom he desperately wants to improve his interactions with!
“Whistling While You Work” by Robert Gunn
What you can do to transform the work experience from drudgery to exuberance. free
“When Your Friend Becomes Your Boss” by Robert Gunn & Betsy Bullickson
Navigating the change in relationship wrought by a promotion requires the best possible thinking free
“Feedback” by Robert Gunn & Betsy Gullickson
The metrics of employee performance -- what is measured -- is not as important as how it's done: routinely and directly soliciting feedback from an open and curious stance, and then taking action based on the findings. free
“The "I" in Teams” by Robert Gunn & Betsy Bullickson
How a leader behaves and, more important, how he/she thinks is an inescapable part of team DNA. free
“Working as One” by Robert Gunn
Team success is based on timeless principles that ultimately rest on spiritual truth: connection with something larger than the individual. free
TOP 10 Books for Entrepreneurs: Apr '07
1. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do about It
By Michael Gerber 2. Instant Income
By Janet Switzer / Hardcover ...
I Promise You: Preparing for a Marriage That Will Last a Lifetime
BOOK: I Promise You offers couples four ways to create a healthy and vibrant marriage: care, protection, honesty, and time.
The Wall Street Journal
MAGAZINE: You know it and no matter where you are in the world, if you are looking to succeed as a leader, you need it.
Team Building Without Wasting Time 
Opening the Doors of Communication by Jane Weddle 
