An exec team that is clear and aligned regarding company values and priorities needs a plan for going deeper with clarity. Exactly how to go about this is a nuanced question, and depends on whether the focus is at the Team Level vs. the Org Level. Listen in for specific advice regarding what to do if your leader hasn’t done the work, as well as a word of warning about the danger of a Matrixed Organization.

Keith and James share the strategic advantage of a small team.

In this episode we unpack the base of our Five Dysfunctions pyramid - Trust. How to build it, how to lose it, the benefits of having it and the dangers of lacking it. We explore courage and risk; even when to know whether you can and should trust someone. We end with the charge that slowing down to build trust is the best way to accelerate performance.

In this episode Keith & James explore the meaning of POWER in leadership. Power to do good, to influence, to shape, to solve, to move. We explore an old theory of leadership from researchers French & Raven (1959), called the Five Bases of Power and the implication of their insights for leaders who want to build followership today.

When we change even one member of a team, it becomes a whole new team. Most leaders fail to recognize the impact of bringing a new member onto the executive team. As such, we may overlook the importance of building trust and re-establishing “rules of engagement” that guide our behaviors. And this failure will certainly lead to disappointing results. Email us for a simple “New Leader Assimilation Guide" as our way of saying thanks for listening!

Every team needs to periodically set aside big blocks of relatively unstructured time to talk frankly about the needs and opportunities of the business. In this episode we do a deep dive into the magic of an executive team offsite and what leaders can do to maximize it’s impact. We’ll address some common misses when planning an offsite -- and why some leaders might choose to avoid them altogether -- to their detriment.

James and Keith explore the essential discipline of focus! In reality, something right now is more important than anything else in your business or organization. Whether we identify it or not! Our task as leaders is to constantly ask, “What is most important, right now?" We explore the Thematic Goal + Defining Objectives approach used by Patrick Lencioni and Table Group Consultants to help our clients focus. Simple idea, but hard to do in practice.

James and Keith talk about the ten most unproductive behaviors that derail our best intentions in meetings. If your meetings are already super productive and you are making the best decisions quickly and with seamless and agile execution -- you could sabotage it all by adopting these 10 behaviors. 

Don’t let anything on this list ruin your team’s performance on the ultimate playing field for your business function: your meetings.

Keith & James explore the simple team technique of “Fist-to-Five” as an accelerator of debate and a driver of commitment. Teams use it to drive the efficiency of their conversation and prevent people hijacking meetings by verbally dominating or dropping an opinion bomb at the end of the discussion. Simple, but very impactful.

The Working Genius is a powerful new model from the Table Group that helps teams understand how they can drive innovation. It’s not another personality profiler, it’s a productivity tool; and one our clients immediately understand and leverage. Use it to understand self, understand the team and make faster, better decisions with a greater likelihood of successful implementation.

In today’s episode, Keith & James Felton interview Chris “Geeter” McGee, host of the Los Angeles Lakers Pre & Post Game Show - we discuss the differentiating qualities of the best coaches and best teammates and why these behavioral and character traits are so applicable to all organization. Behavior Precedes Performance!

In this episode we interview our good friend Paul Stansik, a Partner at Private Equity firm Parker Gale; exploring the impact of leadership and Organizational Health on business results. Paul shares his insights on developing winning Go To Market strategies, the role of the CEO and the importance of Disciplines 3 and 4.

In this episode we explore the benefits of creating simple Team Norms – or “Rules of Engagement” for teams. How Norms are different from Core Values? Why do we need them? How do use them, when to change them, and, of course, lots of Team Norm examples. If you want our full list, email us at keith.hadley@tablegroupconsulting.com or james.felton@tablegroupconsulting.com

In this episode we explore how to overcome the “Us/Them” mindset that emerges between units of the same business. Hey – we compete with our competitors, not each other! Learn what executives can do to promote cross-team alignment and productivity. We explore a simple exercise to build trust quickly and align on outcomes.

Interview with Rick Van Arnam, a Table Group Principal Consultant, who has spent the last 3 years going deep with the Anthony Marano Company (anthonymarano.com) in Chicago. As a member of the leadership team, he’s worked to embed “The Marano Way” into the bones of the company. He offers his simple, practical approaches for connecting with people, using peer-pressure and equipping champions to transform entire organizations. You can connect with Rick at rick.vanarnam@tablegroupconsulting.com.

Reaping the full benefits of Org Health requires executive leaders (and their exec teams) to gain a mastery of its frameworks, but many get stuck well before this is achieved. James and Keith describe how to get unstuck and discuss the journey of transformation that is essential for a true mastery of Organizational Health.

How can leaders bring their whole team along with them to a mastery of organizational health? The most effective way is to identify and leverage their Org Health Champions. In this episode, James and Keith break down the characteristics of an Org Health Champion and discuss how leaders can challenge these individuals to unite the entire team around this work.

In this episode James and Keith explore the power of the simple discipline: 10-minute daily check in with the team you lead! Primary benefits include high awareness, high trust, deeper relationships, fewer emails, no surprises and fewer dropped balls! Try this for 20-days -- 1-minute per person to share their focus; any useful or interesting information and asks for help.

In this second episode of the quick-hits mini-series, Keith and James talk about the 4 Cs - Confused, Curious, Concerned, and Convinced. Using the 4 Cs reveals the intent behind a question or statement and opens the way for clear and honest conversations. This habit is effective not only in the business world, but it can also strengthen relationships in one’s personal life.

James and Keith kick off a new mini-series - Simple Idea, Big Impact - where they introduce little concepts that make a big difference for Executive teams. The first is called Above the Line/Below the Line. This quick exercise changes the course of meetings that have become stagnant or hostile; it brings teams back into alignment and restores clarity and productivity.