Dysfunctional teams are discouragingly prevalent throughout the world of business.  Rather than aiding an organization’s business plan, poorly conceived and managed teams erode productivity and extinguish innovation.

Episode Description

There are so many ways a team can go wrong. Does your team make decisions so slowly that nothing ever gets done, or does it go too fast and miss critical issues that come back to bite you later? Does your team bicker endlessly or smile and nod while avoiding the tough issues? Too often, team dysfunction leads to abysmal productivity and zero innovation for your organization, as well as misery and wasted time for you.
Listen to Dr. Liane Davey sharing her expertise and extensive experience in enabling effective team dynamics from the executive team down in order to transform organizations.

There are so many ways a team can go wrong. Does your team make decisions so slowly that nothing ever gets done, or does it go too fast and miss critical issues that come back to bite you later? Does your team bicker endlessly or smile and nod while avoiding the tough issues? Too often, team dysfunction leads to abysmal productivity and zero innovation for your organization, as well as misery and wasted time for you.

It can be scary to work for a leader who’s insecure. It might not seem like a threat, but there can be consequences to this style of leadership that can affect you and your team. If this is something you’re struggling with, check out my tips on how to alleviate the negative side effects of an unsure leader.

It’s all too easy to slip into an aggressive discussion during conflict. If you want some ideas on how to efficiently handle a situation where an argument has become too intense, check out this article.

If you enjoyed Liane’s article on how to de-escalate intense arguments with co-workers, check out this piece. It will provide you with some more tips on how to handle an intense argument with someone you work with, inspired by the tips that Liane provided in my latest HBR article.

Have you spent time securing yourself a network of people you can reach out to when you need them? If so, here are Liane’s ideas on what this support system of people should be able to provide to you, and how to determine if your network is really doing what you need it to.

Physical exercise and sleep are important aspects of our wellness, and should be encouraged. But, can it go too far? Here are some of Liane’s thoughts on the benefits and drawbacks of tracking employee’s health and fitness behaviours and using them to provide monetary rewards.

If you’re managing a team and they have too much on their plates, things can get ugly. Here are Liane’s tips on how to combat some of the pressures your team may be feeling, and some ideas on how to advocate for your team so they don’t get into a difficult situation.

Uber is a highly popular service that many people take advantage of. While it may seem like a convenient way to save money and travel efficiently, the company has some secrets. Read Liane’s commentary on the ways that Uber has moved from positively motivating employees to manipulating them.

We name-drop for all kinds of reasons, whether to get ahead or to simply assert our importance. While it’s natural to name-drop around others, it may not be beneficial. Read Liane’s thoughts in this article on why name-dropping can backfire, and why it usually always does.

Unfortunately, it has become all too common for a woman to get cut off by a man in the middle of a thought. These manterruptions are not only distressing, but can influence productivity and overall team effectiveness. Here are some of Liane’s tips for women who are struggling to be heard.

Comey’s testimony has brought a great stir with it, and interestingly enough, some business lessons. Here, Liane inputs some of her thoughts on a tactic Comey used during his testimony that cowardly leaders tend to use in their day-to-day work.

Have you ever seen spilled milk in your office? Would you clean it up if you did? Surprisingly, your answers to these questions may speak volumes about your company’s culture. Liane weighs in in this article on how to tell if employees are happy by looking at the surrounding environment.

Do you have a lot on your plate, but aren’t sure how to tell your superior? If so, here are some of Liane’s ideas on how to communicate with your boss and tell them you have too much going on.

Politics is a fascinating topic, and many people are quite involved with the political goings-on of their country and other surrounding areas. But, is it appropriate to bring this passion into the workplace? Political views are often highly personal, and it can be dangerous to bring them up in a conversation at the office. Listen to this interview with Liane, to gain some insight into the positives and negatives of getting into a political debate at work.

If you’re struggling with an overwhelming workload, then take a look at some of the tips in this article, including some of Liane’s ideas on how to ask your boss to give you less work.

As a leader, do you prefer to use the word “we” or “I”? As an employee, which do you prefer to hear? There are many reasons as to why any one person would choose to use either one of these words. Liane shares her thoughts in an interesting piece on Jeff Bezos’ vocabulary throughout his years as a leader.

It may seem important to sound smart and sophisticated in a piece of business writing, but actually it’s far more important to get to the point. Liane shares her thoughts on why it’s important to keep writing simple, and make sure that it’s not too fancy to be understood.

If you enjoyed Psychologists Explain why Name-Dropping Basically Always Backfires, then read this article with expanded views and more quotes from Liane on why it’s important to stay away from dropping names in business situations.

Do you find yourself constantly attending meetings? Are they all of equal importance? If not, then you may benefit from Liane’s tips on how to say no to a meeting. Although unpleasant, sometimes it can be the right choice.

Promotions are exciting, until you realize that it means you may have to manage those who used to be your peers. While it can be scary to step into a situation where your former colleagues are now your employees, there are ways to go about it. Read Liane’s instructions on how to handle a this kind of situation.

If you enjoyed Liane’s interview on the dos and don’ts of discussing politics in the workplace, read this article. With new perspectives and more insights from Liane on the situation of political banter at work, this article will give you a deeper understanding of how to go about bringing up the current political situation in the office.

As a manager, it’s one of your jobs to make sure that everyone on the team has an equal amount of work to do. This article details how to make sure of this, with some interesting tips from Liane included.

Have you ever made a mistake at work? Chances are you have. It’s all too common to make mistakes, and they should be used as learning tools… but sometimes it can be difficult to tell you colleagues when you dropped the ball. Here are some tips on how to talk to your co-workers after a mistake has been made, with advice from Liane included.

Conflict can be productive, but it can also easily tip across the line and become over-emotional and heated. If a conflict is angry and hostile, it’s not going to help anyone. Here are Liane’s tips on how to defuse an argument that’s become too aggressive and intense.

Everyone encounters difficult problems, and there are many tried and true ways to go about them. But, next time you find yourself facing something difficult, try starting here with this one question. Liane inputs her thoughts in this article on the place to start with any difficult problem.

Job interviews are often thought of as a process for the employer. But, the employee should benefit from the interview as well. If you’re planning on going to a job interview anytime soon, here are some thoughts and some of Liane’s inputs into what you should be looking for.

What are your New Year’s Resolutions? If you’re lacking, read this article with Liane’s ideas on how to reduce your workload in the New Year.

In your next disagreement, try using this strategy. This piece suggests using hypothetical situations to win over an opponent during an argument. Including some of Liane’s advice, this article will give you the tools you need to convince your opponent of your argument’s merit in your next conflict.

When the conversation gets intense, it can be tough to make sure that you’re being heard and understood. Try these tips, and some of Liane’s rules to ensure that you’re always going to be heard when the conversation gets heated.

Instagram is a public craze, and it’s become all too common for people to focus their time on finding the perfect aesthetic for their personal pages. However, Instagram’s CEO couldn’t care less about the way that his page looks. Read some of Liane’s thoughts on this case, and how she sees it to be a good thing that this CEO isn’t the greatest at his own product

It’s becoming public knowledge that name dropping never gets you where you want to go. So, why do we do it? This article takes a deeper look into why people feel the need to name drop, and Liane inputs some of her ideas on the subject.

It’s too easy to become stressed in our society, and it can be detrimental to productivity in the workplace. If you’re a boss of a group of stressed out people, try these Liane’s tip to reducing stress at work.

Having the wrong boss can be extremely detrimental to your career. It can stunt your confidence and your skill set, and can end up being extremely damaging. Here is a closer look at why bad bosses can hurt your career, and what to do about them, with tips from Liane included.

Toxic teams are dangerous things, but they can be fixed. Read here Liane’s opinion on both different types of toxic teams, and the actions necessary to fix one.

It’s scary to distance yourself from the familiar, but it’s necessary for innovation. The status quo may seem comfortable, but it can actually severely harm your company if you’re not willing to stray from it. Read some of Liane’s thoughts on why it’s important to move towards the unknown.

We all put in the extra hour every now and then. But, when it becomes a habit to work overtime, it can become bad for our health. This article takes a deeper look into the possible consequences of working too much overtime, with some of Liane’s insights included.

It can be very uncomfortable when somebody starts crying in the middle of an argument or discussion. But, this article looks into why it shouldn’t be. With some tips from Liane, this article provides a good explanation as to what crying at work really means.

Stress in our society is overly common. But, if you’re a manager, you might have the opportunity to alleviate some of the stress your team might feel. Read some of Liane’s thoughts on how you can help your overwhelmed team if you’re in charge.

Teamwork is a great concept… but it can be hard to put into reality in some situations. This interview with Liane contains valuable information on how to transform teamwork from just a buzzword with a lot of potential to a practice with a lot of payoff.

Confrontation is hard, but there’s no way around it sometimes. Liane provides a tip in this article to learn how to deal with confrontation in a more productive way.

You know the conversation — the one that brings stress and anxiety with just the mere thought of it. If there’s a discussion you need to have that you’re dreading, read Liane’s article on why it’s important to have the talk, and how to go about it.

A good meeting starts with a good introduction. If you’re struggling with starting your meetings, you’re not alone. Read Liane’s tips on how to start a meeting effectively, and by doing so you’ll be setting up the whole rest of the meeting for success.

While it feels nice to agree with your teammates on everything, it’s not particularly productive. In fact, conflict is where we get innovation. Read Liane’s commentary on why it’s useless for your team to get along all of the time, and why it’s important to embrace productive conflict.

It’s okay to vent if you’re frustrated, but where does it cross the line? Office gossip can be very dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs. Read Liane’s opinion on how to recognize and shut down office gossip before it goes too far.

It’s tempting to throw big words into anything that you’re writing. Although it seems like a good idea to sound smart, sometimes it can backfire. Here are Liane’s thoughts on why it’s important to stop trying to sound smart when you’re writing.

Every team has a sweet spot – not too much pressure, but not so little that nothing gets done. Read Liane’s advice on how to find the right amount of pressure for your team.

It may seem productive to be involved in as many meetings as possible. In actuality, this can just take away from your performance. If you need to decline a meeting, try Liane’s tips on how to do so politely.

Are your meetings feeling a bit pointless? Are you struggling to make them productive for everyone? If so, then try Liane’s guide on how to structure a better meeting and make sure that it benefits everyone.

It’s easy to be passive-aggressive – but it can be dangerous for your team. If you’re struggling with passive-aggressive teammates, read Liane’s advice on how to control things and keep your team safe from this type of behaviour.

Do you want to expand your knowledge but still get work done at the same time? If so, read Liane’s tips on how to do both things effectively.

Every team has to deal with challenging conversations. But, they don’t have to be so hard. Try out Liane’s mental trick to help deal with difficult conversations.

You may have a gleaming new idea, but it won’t do your team any good if you don’t know how to sell it. If this is something you’re struggling with, read Liane’s thoughts on the issue, and see if you can figure out how to sell you new idea so it adds value to your team.

When someone you know is stressed, what do you do? If you don’t know how to help, try out this advice from Liane on how to deal with a coworker who is stressed. Your support might benefit them a lot in the long run.

Feedback is tricky for both the delivering and receiving parties. It’s especially tough when you don’t feel like your feedback has really landed with the other person. If this is something you experience, read Liane’s take on how to deliver feedback that sticks

Inheriting a team that’s already been developed can be very hard, and there are many mistakes that are easy to make. Read Liane’s recommendations for what moves to stay away from when you first inherit a team.

Emotions are not a bad thing, contrary to the many myths. In fact, if they are handled properly, they can be easily dealt with. However, most people feel unequipped to deal with an emotional outburst. If you’re one of these people, read Liane’s advice on how to handle emotions in the workplace.

It can be extremely uncomfortable at work if your boss doesn’t like you, but there are ways to deal with it. Take a look into Liane’s thoughts on how to behave if you aren’t getting along with your boss.

When you don’t get along with someone, being pleasant to them can seem impossible. But, with the right tools, you can learn how to be civil to someone that you can’t stand. Here are Liane’s tips on how to motivate someone you don’t like, despite your feelings about them.

Open concept offices can be deadly – but they can also be no problem at all. Use Liane’s tips to help if you’re finding yourself in an open concept office.

How do you handle it when you don’t get along with your colleague? While it can be difficult, it can be dealt with. Here are Liane’s tips on how to move forward when you don’t get along with a coworker

Afternoons are difficult for many people. But sometimes, they can be more dangerous than just a pain. Read Liane’s take on why you shouldn’t go through important tasks in the afternoon – and why it can be potentially detrimental to your team if you do.

It’s hard enough to manage people, but when you’ve got two people who hate each other, it can feel downright impossible. Here are Liane’s tips on how to handle it when you’re managing two people who don’t get along.

Strategic thinking isn’t easy, but it can be learned and practiced, much like anything else. If you think about your strategy as a muscle that you need to use, then you need to learn how to exercise it. Here are Liane’s tips on how to do it.

Conflict isn’t pleasant for anybody, especially when you want to be nice in your confrontations. While it’s not necessarily effective to be polite through all of your conflicts, here are Liane’s tips on how to have conflict, even while being nice.