ABC’s of Team Building – S is for Sunk Cost

A sunk cost is one that has already happened and cannot be recouped.  The sunk cost effect can occur when people escalate their commitment to a course of action in which they have made substantial prior investments of time, money, energy, or other resources, even though it clearly isn’t working.  Since people typically want to … Read more

ABC’s of Team Building – R is for Recency Effect

The definition of recency effect is that “individuals tend to overemphasize information and evidence that is readily available when making judgments and choices”.  Fortunately or unfortunately there is so much information available to us that we tend to value what comes up first on Google searches and/or rely on recent past events as our guide … Read more

ABC's of Team Building – Q is for Quality and Qualified

I think most would agree that they want to work for a quality organization, alongside those who have the skills, emotional intelligence, etc. to get their jobs done well.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case.  Usually teams are put together based off of other factors including seniority, politics, and technical ability.  This causes major … Read more

ABC’s of Team Building – P is for Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is a belief among members of a team that each person can speak his or her own mind and make creative suggestions without being fearful of being shamed or even losing his or her job.  In this type of environment, each team member feels respected, accepted, and a valued part of the group.  … Read more

ABC’s of Team Building – O is for Opportunities

In my life, I have felt the greatest fulfillment when I opened myself up to new opportunities.  Have I sometimes been scared or anxious?  YES!  Have I tried to talk myself out of it?  Sometimes!  Have others criticized me for doing something that they would never do?  Absolutely, but that is what has set me … Read more

ABC’s of Team Building – N is for Negativity

Who are the five people you spend the most time with?  Most people when I ask this question in my presentations say family, best friend, coworkers, and boss.  Then I tell them they are all wrong.  The person you spend the most time with is yourself.  So, if you are spending all this time with … Read more

ABC’s of Team Building – M is for Mindset

We live in a world where there is so much information thrown at us that one would think that everyone would open their minds to different possibilities, however, this is not the case.  Instead it appears that the more data we gather, the more some people retrench and stay true to what they believe.  It … Read more

ABC’s of Team Building – L is for Listen and Learn

In a team setting or frankly in any relationship, one of the biggest problems is communication.  For a world where there are so many ways to communicate, we are actually pretty bad at it.  When we are in a dialogue with a colleague, family member, or friend, are we really listening to what is being … Read more

ABC’s of Team Building – K is for Killer Words

Can’t, won’t, don’t, and never are words that we may not realize but when used improperly in a team setting can really bring down the morale of the group.  It is easy to see things negatively because it has actually been proven that as humans we gravitate to bad news or actions versus the positive.  … Read more

ABC’s of Team Building – J is for Judgemental

When you pass someone on the street or in a store, do you think about who that person is?  By their clothes, body language, and even what they are purchasing or bags they are carrying, do you make a decision regarding that person’s socioeconomic status or other ways to distinguish them?  We actually judge people … Read more