Cortex Leadership Consulting

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Turning March Madness into a Culture Build for Your Organization

By:  Richard Hammer, Senior IT Consultant, Enterprise Architect
Cortex Leadership Consulting

March Madness could be quite the distraction for team members.  My experience with Interactive Achievement taught me how it can actually be used to build your corporate culture.

Quick history:

I started working with Interactive Achievement (now PowerSchool) in December, 2011.  Interactive Achievement was built by educators for educators.  It’s primary offering was an assessment platform to help teachers discover the strengths and areas of growth for their students, ultimately in preparation for high stakes assessments.  I was brought on as a technology expert and managed, directed, and eventually became the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) for the development, maintenance, and infrastructure for their national expansion and ultimately, acquisition by PowerSchool in 2016.

Culture Build - March MadnessWhen March Madness came around in March, 2012, the office was a buzz.  I thought nothing of it.  Then the email came.  “All employees must fill out a bracket.  Team leaders will be selected and you will be placed on a team.  We will need a team name.  We are clearing the lobby and installing televisions in all the workspaces in the building again.  March Madness everyone.  Let’s get excited!”

Imagine the shock. I had been hired to pivot and roll out a new version of the platform to a national audience, built with new technology on new hardware, that was 11 months behind schedule at the time, immeasurable dollars over budget, and proven not to work … and we are engaging in March Madness across the entire office.   Madness indeed.

As it turns out, it was one of the most amazing team building, culture building, and healing ideas I had ever seen implemented across an organization.  

Here is how it worked for each of the next 5 years:

  • Everyone submitted a bracket (some took it seriously, some did not – one year, someone allowed their dog to select the winners)
  • If you beat your boss, you got an extra day of vacation
  • If you beat the CEO, Jon Hagmaier, you got an extra day of vacation
  • If your team wins, they get an all expenses paid vacation (think beach, mountains, cruise, etc.).
  • If you win, you get the grand prize … “Destination Unknown” … essentially an extravagant, all expenses paid, mystery vacation.
  • Each week there is a catered meal.  Sometimes breakfast, sometimes lunch.
  • One year there was a debate over who made the best bacon.  Jon ordered something like 30lbs of bacon from all over the world and we had a “bacon-off” to determine which bacon was indeed the best.
  • There were also team competitions (think corn hole, connect 4, etc.) for prizes
  • There was also trivia for prizes (think cash, vacation days, or an opportunity to change one of your picks in the brackets).
  • There was also the Benny Gibson Memorial Wheel of Death (or something like that) where every couple of hours, one of the exec team would take it around the office, ask someone if they wanted a spin.  The wheel had prizes and hazards on it.

All of the TVs on the offices were always on, showing different games at different times.  We still did our work, but we also engaged our peers and coworkers, we discovered fun facts about one another (I didn’t know you were fans of 80’s hair bands!).  It clearly became a work-family event

Destination Unknown was the prize to win though.  Once a winner was identified, our administrative assistant Debbie would plot and plan for days.  Eventually, 12 envelopes would be delivered and a departure date/time would be set.  Envelopes could only be opened in specific places, at specific times.

In 2014, my wife Catherine and I won the prize.  We made a video of our adventure: http://y2u.be/x2F1LUapD6s

Maybe your company can’t go to the lengths that Interactive Achievement did, no problem.  Get creative.  Lean into something that your employees find fun and exciting and use it to build team engagement and excitement.

 

 

 

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4 Team Building Exercises That Will Improve Communication and Problem Solving

We have this quick team building activity that we sometimes do at Cortex workshops that clearly is horrifying for some participants.  No, I’m not kidding.  The look on a woman’s face, after explaining what they were going to need to do for the next 5 minutes caused what looked like her to fall ill.  Her eyes popped wide open and she looked around to the person next to her as if to find out if they were as scared as she was.

The activity was simple.  Find a person to ask the following questions to: What do you want to give in today’s workshop?  What do you want to get from today’s workshop?

The challenge, from the horrified woman’s point of view was that she would have to eventually talk to someone she might not know that well, or perhaps she doesn’t like that much, because she was being asked to do the exercise 3 times in a row.

Team Building Exercises - Cortex LeadershipCertain people love team building because it invites people to get to know each other better.  Some people hate it.  Others kind of hold their breath and jump in hoping it won’t be as mortifying as what they are thinking in their heads.  The good news is that after every team building exercise we do, even those hardened souls that begin wanting no part of it, express afterward that they actually found value in what they participated in.

Not all team building is alike.  Some types are quick and simple, like the one I just mentioned, and others are more complicated and time-consuming… think weekend retreat at a ropes course.  What is team building, anyway, and why does it lead to better outcomes at work?

Team building can be defined as a collective term for various types of activities that are used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams, often involving collaborative tasks.

Team building exercises can be categorized into four different types:

  • Communication
  • Problem Solving/Decision Making
  • Planning/Adaptability
  • Building Trust

 

Depending on what you need to accomplish with a team, whether it is a new team or an existing one, and if there are past experiences between team members or with their boss or others in the organization, it will determine which one you might want to focus on first.  Regardless of where you start, though, as a leader and manager, it is important to consistently devote time to building your team.  Why?  Because strong teams that communicate and problem solve effectively are more efficient and productive.  When a team does not trust you or any of it’s members, the results will affect an organization’s ability to function optimally.

Here are 4 quick team building exercises for each of the categories:

Communication and Icebreakers

Go around the room at your next team meeting and have everyone to finish this statement:

“If I had one more hour this week I would….”

The answers are interesting.  It quickly let’s everyone in the group know what each team member thinks they should be doing and don’t have time for or what they want to be doing and are not making time for.  Either way, it can be educational to listen to the answers you will get.

Problem Solving/Decision Making

Choose a well-known picture or cartoon with a lot of detail.  Cut the picture up into as many pieces as you have team members.  Give each of the team members a piece of what is now a puzzle.  Do not let anyone know what the picture or cartoon is.  Their objective will be to see how their work fits together with the rest of the team members work.

Ask each team member to take their piece and draw it 5x larger on a piece of paper.

The team’s goal is to work together to put the puzzle back together.

Planning/Adaptability

Road Map Game

The objective of this game is to get team members to work together to plan a trip in 30 minutes.

The participants need to be split into 2 groups with the same amount of players (if possible) in each group.  Participants will need paper, pens, and a map of what the team may consider to be a great vacation spot.  Each group needs a copy of the same map.

Instruct the teams to plan a vacation with the following parameters.  Each group should be given a list of what they have for their trip.  Tell them how much money they have to spend, what kind of car they will have, the size of it’s gas tank, m.p.g., the price of gas, the beginning and ending destination, and anything else you can think of.

Each group should write down their travel plans and any group that runs out of money or gas will be disqualified.  You can give fun prizes to the groups that saw the most with what they had as resources, the most exhausting trip, the most relaxing, the most exciting, etc.

Building Trust

Mine Field

The objective is to get team members to trust one another’s directions and learn to communicate more effectively with each other.

You’ll need a large, open room, or parking lot or field for this one.

Set up an area that contains “mines” like balls, bowling pins, cones, etc.

Break the team up into pairs.  It would be helpful to have team members that may not have built trust yet, or are having problems in this area, work together on this exercise.

Blindfold one person in each pair.

Have the sighted person give instructions to the blindfolded one to help them maneuver through the mine field.

The blindfolded participant can only ask questions during this exercise.

See if you can run all pairs through at the same time.  If that is not possible, be sure that no blindfolded person can see the course before they start.

The purpose of this exercise is to build trust with team members.  It is not necessary to give prizes as that may create a focus on competition between people and teams.  The point of this exercise is to build trust.

 

 

 

 

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How to quickly identify a DISC style at work

Are you looking for a quick way to identify what type of DISC behavioral style someone is at work?  See if you can match the person’s actions with the lists below.

Driver’s main characteristic is dominance.  They operate at a faster pace, are task-oriented, and can get upset if something does not seem efficient.

Influencer’s main characteristic is just that.  They operate at a faster pace and are people oriented.  They tend to not like conflict and would rather avoid it and are quick to smile.  They don’t tend to walk in a straight line in more ways than one.

Supporter’s main characteristic is that of steadiness.  They tend to move at a slower pace and be people oriented in their focus.  Supporters tend to not show a great deal of emotion on their faces and usually have a system, although it might look sloppy to others.  Their style is one of indirectness.  They are loyal and tend to be kind.

Calculator’s main behavioral characteristic is that of compliance.  They ask a lot of questions if they are working on a project with you as they are task oriented and move at a somewhat slower pace.  These folks like to be neat and organized if they are in control of a workplace or situation.  Like a Driver they can be thought of as direct in their approach. [Read more…]

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3 Ways to Handle Rude People at Work

It can be tough to work with rude people at work.  That’s the topic we are covering in this week’s Virginia at Work segment written and reported on by Bill Wadell at WFXR news.  Here’s the script for the news segment that will appear on tonight’s 10pm news.  At the end look for 3 great ways to handle someone rude at your workplace.

Anchor:  The weekend is over.  Chances are you or someone you work with will be battling the Monday blues in the morning.  For some, a cup of coffee or a good joke turns everything around.  Other’s may bring a bad attitude for the day or the whole week. Bill Wadell shows us how a rude attitude can bring everyone down in tonight’s Virginia at Work.

Bill Wadell:  Whether a construction sit, a busy office, a factory or a store, chances are there’s at least one boss or worker known for their attitude.

Lynda: “I think it’s important for people to have good relationships in the workplace and to know what you think is rude and what someone else thinks is rude. So depending on your behavioral style, it really makes a big difference.”

Bill Wadell:  Some of us brush off a rude attitude or cold shoulder.  Others will dwell about it for days.  Lynda McNutt Foster says one bad apple can spoil a bunch.

Lynda:  “It’s not just about the boss. If you have rude coworkers. Even one, they can set the tone for the entire day for everybody on the team.”

Bill Wadell:  What is it like where you work?  Friendly and upbeat?  Or crass and filled with complainers?

Lynda:   “Culture is just how we do things around here, and if rudeness is accepted and it’s not discussed in any way and it sort of gets out of hand and becomes the culture, productivity can go way down. I mean do you really want to work with someone you consider to be rude do you daily?”

Bill Wadell:  Whether it’s venting, complaining, overhearing conversations or not respecting personal space, the situation can be worse in close work spaces.

Lynda:  “Think about cubicle world right now. You’ve got people sitting next to each other in cubicles. Can you imagine sitting next to someone for 40 hours a week that you consider to be rude. not pleasant.”

Bill Wadell:  It’s much more than just feelings.  A rude leader or coworker can drag down production and morale.  That can cost the business money, growth and even good employees start looking for a new job.

Lynda:  “We think oh, it’s just isolated to this one person. No, that one person is affecting the happiness, the satisfaction of everyone else in their department. and they’re probably doing work around around that person which is highly inefficient.”

Difficult people at work are tough because you probably need to make a living which is why you are having to put up with the person.  Remember, though, they may also be having to put up with you as well, perhaps.  You can, of course, file a complaint when the behavior is out of bounds.  You can also choose to change departments or leave the organization if the situation is causing you to lose sleep, change your demeanor in a negative way, or find yourself consumed with being annoyed by the person on a regular basis.  You are not in control of other people’s actions.  You are in control of how you respond, though.

For situations where you think or believe that improvement is possible, here are 3 ways to handle a rude coworker.

  1. Have a conversation, in a team meeting, to establish what is considered rude behavior. What is considered rude, many times, is cultural.  A group in New York may have very different sets of what is considered rude in their workplace than someone in Roanoke.  If someone is coming from a different work environment or culture they might not even know that what they are doing is rude.
  2. Don’t take it personal. Sometimes what is considered to be rude is due to a difference in behavioral styles.  If one person is focused on task and the other person is focused on making light of a situation, there can be a clash of styles wherein one person feels the other is rude.  Take notice of whether that person is what you would consider to be rude to just you or are they rude to others as well?  If so, refer to great way number 1.
  3. Use humor. We forget to laugh when we are frustrate or insulted.  When we are stuck in our “should” library of how someone else should behave we have a difficult time seeing the humor in a situation.  If there is any way to laugh with the person it could open up an open dialog that allows the other person to see how what they are doing is affecting you. rude people at work

Consider this from Will Smith.

 

 

 

 

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5 Quick Tips for Team Building

It is awesome when you can take a full day away from the office and do full-scale team building.  What is as, or even more important, is being sure that team building is “baked in” to your culture by having quick ways to build trust and create meaningful and fun connections with team members on a regular basis.

Cortex Thumb Ball for Team Building

  • THUMB BALLS – These handy and inexpensive tools can help to break the ice for new team members or deepen relationships quickly with existing ones – even if they’ve known each other for years.  Thumb balls are named that because you throw them to one another and the person catching it gets to choose from either question their thumb lands on. There are different types of thumb balls for different situations and they run about $24.75 each.  With questions like:  “Your proudest moment” or “I’ll be successful if…” or “My most creative contribution” team members can find connection quickly.  Click here to find one on Amazon.
  • CONVERSATION CARDS – TableTopics were designed for families and parties but are great for quick team building in the same way that the Thumb Balls are.  With 135 different questions on cards team members can choose from a small stack to answer one in a round, or you can have each of the people in the group answer the same question.  Click here to find a box of these on Amazon.
  • ME MINGLE FOR MEETINGS – Want your meeting to be more productive? Do 1-minute rounds where people pair up with each other and finish the statement:  In today’s meeting, I am going to contribute by: (fill in this blank).  Do 3 rounds so each person has a chance to tell at least 3 people their answer.
  • SHARE ARTIFACTS – Organizations are changing quickly. To help bring perspective and a touch of history into your next meeting, ask team members to bring an “artifact” from the past and describe how it became a fossil or how its use may have been repurposed.  Perhaps someone brings in an old calculator or type of pen or a picture of an old logo or a picture of people at work 10-20 years ago.
  • MEAL OF THE MONTH – There is something special about having a meal together. To introduce different cultures and tastes perhaps each team member can choose the meal of the month.  They get to pick what type of food your team will eat together for one meal a month.

Here’s a quick video to demonstrate how one CEO used techniques for onboarding an existing team.

http://www.virginiafirst.com/news/local-news/virgnia-at-work-leading-an-existing-team/655226272