
Insights
Identifying Leadership Friction in Teams
The goal isn't to eliminate all friction - some friction is necessary for traction. The goal is to ensure we're not unwittingly creating additional friction that slows our teams down or sends them in conflicting directions
Use Assessments to Spice Up Your Team
One of the best things I ever did as a leader was have my team take a personality assessment. Yet when I talk to many leaders, they often get dismissive about assessments, with responses like "not another assessment" or "I hate how these put me in a box." Let me share a couple of stories that changed my perspective.
The Art of We vs Me in Teams
When everyone understands and plays their role, it showcases individual talents while bringing out the best in the team. Some people are natural scorers, others are defensive specialists, and some excel at rebounding. In the workplace, these roles look different - maybe you have your strategic thinkers, your detail-oriented executors, and your relationship builders - but the principle remains the same.
The Secret Sauce of Great Teams: Emulsification
How many of us have worked with people who are like oil and water? Team members who just don't naturally mix, creating friction rather than flow? Well, just like our hollandaise, we just need to find the right emulsifier!
Through our work with teams, we've discovered that effective team emulsification happens in layers, each one strengthening the bonds between team members.
The Hidden Constraints of Communication
We might already be dealing with invisible communication constraints every day. Maybe it's assumptions we make about shared knowledge, specialized jargon that excludes others, or organizational silos that prevent open dialogue.
Communication is challenging enough when we can be direct. Add in artificial constraints, and it becomes a complex dance of trying to get what you need while staying within boundaries you can't even mention.
Use the Contra Code to Level Up Your Team
In today's knowledge economy, no role exists in isolation. Your success is interconnected with adjacent teams and roles – both up and down the organizational hierarchy. Like the Contra code itself, success requires understanding patterns and sequences that might not be immediately obvious.?
The Friction Factor: What's Really Holding Your Team Back?
Friction is what stands between good teams and greatness. Like its physical counterpart, organizational friction creates resistance, slows progress, and diverts energy away from its intended purpose. But what causes this friction, and more importantly, how can teams overcome it?
The Foundations of Amazing Teamwork
Creating an exceptional team requires intention and effort, but the rewards are worth the investment. When these six foundations are firmly established and actively maintained, teams can achieve remarkable results while creating an environment where everyone flourishes. Excellence in teamwork isn't accidental - it's the product of careful cultivation of these essential elements.