Strong Teams Have Chemistry!

One of my favorite teams of all times would have to be the Detroit Pistons 2004 Championship Team....Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and, of course, Coach Larry Brown. It still amazes me how these five players came together to create absolute magic and synergy on the court. There was no one stand-out or star player. They were all stars in their own right and played an integral part to the overall team success. The magic that they created and, subsequently, won a championship with is what we know as "chemistry." The perfect mix of differing elements to create one explosive composition is the goal of a strong team. What we can learn from that professional basketball team are three important lessons: (1) Play your position in a way that supports the team and does not "upstage" it. Each of those five players used their unique talents to play their positions in an authentic way. While Hamilton was an amazing shooting guard, he left the "big shots" to Chauncey Billups. (2) Acknowledge and respect good, sound leadership. Any of the five aforementioned players would sing the praises of Coach Larry Brown to this day. They have said that he supported, encouraged, and critiqued them with a genuine care and concern for them individually and collectively. Finally, (3) Create a vision and goal for your team that reaches far beyond the limitations others set. The Pistons shocked the world when they triumphed over Kobe and Shaq's Lakers Team. Billups was quoted as saying, "We knew we had what it takes.....even when others doubted us!" Today, enter your collaborative experience (whether at work, home, within a social organization) with those three lessons in mind. Creating the right combination of individual elements may take some time, but once that mix is just right; you have a team that is sure to win big! #teambuilding #softskills #softskillsdevelopment #professionaldevelopment #leadership #newblogpost #blogger #blogher

Spring Cleaning: Managing Your Time

One of the soft skill competencies that most of us struggle with, including myself, is time management. Recently, I decided to organize my life by clearing out my closet and I had an "aha" moment in the process. As I was getting rid of clothes and shoes that I haven't worn in years, I thought about how there were things in my closet that I had made room for but that didn't serve any purpose. Much like my closet, our schedules are jam-packed with tasks, practices, and events that serve little to no purpose in accomplishing goals or in the "big picture." Managing time begins with establishing priorities and determining what deserves space in your schedule and what does not. After this soft skill revelation, I have vowed to clear my schedule with the same vigor that I did my closet. Take time today to lay out your schedule like you would an outfit; keep the things that you absolutely need and remove the things that you don't. Remember that we can fill our schedules until there is no wiggle room, or create space to enjoy the most important things in life....faith, family, and friends. #timemanagement #softskills #softskillsdevelopment #newblogpost #blogher

SOFT SKILLS TIP OF THE WEEK: Leadership

There has always been a debate regarding if leadership is more nature or nurture. However, the argument presents a barrier to leadership, in that it narrows our view of leaders. The truth is: some leaders are born and some are made. There are natural-born leaders that enter the world with an inspirational gift to lead others....from Kindergarten recess, rallying their friends to all join them on the monkey bars to motivating colleagues and team members to put their "best foot forward" on a company project. Then there are leaders that start off "shaky" and manage to evolve from being self-motivated to do it all to delegating and empowering others around them to get in on the action. Whether or not you were born a leader or grew into leadership, both require development and the opportunity to lead. #leadership #softskills #softskillsdevelopment #bornleaders #developedleaders #stafflearninginnovations