Ground rules are like the “rules of the road” for your team. They tell us how we should function, how to handle distractions, and what to do when things get off track. Without them, it’s easy for even the best-intentioned teams to lose their way. Think of these rules as your team’s “Constitution,” guiding your work and keeping things running smoothly. And just like any great Constitution, it can and should evolve over time.

Here are 13 specific ways to help your team members connect with their purpose and keep their focus on the customer.

The gap between knowing and doing is often the culprit. Smart teams don’t falter because of a lack of expertise, resources, or good intentions. They falter because of an inability to transition from strategy to execution. Here's how can you help your team shift from knowing to doing.

Do you ever get a meeting invite that doesn't have an agenda, objectives, deliverable, or anything that tells you what the meeting is about?

A client of mine calls that a "Naked Meeting." Here's how to avoid that. 

Project teams are typically commissioned to implement a specific project or plan.  To set your project team up for success, follow these steps to success.

Here is why you should evaluate your strategic plan at LEAST once every year. 

Self-directed teams are formal, permanent organizational structures.  They operate with fewer layers of management.  Due to the nature of the work, team members learn all the tasks that need to be performed. Here is what they specifically do and how you could work toward a self-directed team. 

By providing one or a few of these pre-work tasks, you can ensure that your teammates come to the meeting well-prepared, leading to more focused discussions and quicker, more robust decision-making.

The success of your team meeting is directly proportional to the amount of planning you have invested in that meeting.  You can't just show up and expect magic to happen without a little bit of forethought.

To plan for a successful team meeting, follow these eleven steps.

Your team has worked hard and now needs management support and/or commitment to implement your recommendations.  Hopefully, you have been keeping the management group informed of your team’s progress, so the presentation should not be “new news.”  Nevertheless, take time to prepare for your final presentation.

One of the major challenges with brainstorming an idea is that people want to immediately evaluate the idea. It's like playing "whack a mole" where creativity gets squashed with every suggestion.

I was recently working with a team that loves to play "whack-a-mole". While I stated the traditional brainstorming ground rules, I also added one more to prevent this tendency to evaluate every single idea:

"Be curious." 

Here's how.

Team members often need "coaching" from the team leader and their teammates. It's a normal phenomenon for people new to a team or to a task that ranges from instructing, guiding, and inspiring them to be truly empowered to accomplish the task.

But even with coaching, what if you don't think they are up to the task?

When do you let it go? Give up? Recognize that it's NOT WORKING?

Recognizing your team's efforts can significantly boost morale, foster a positive work environment, and enhance productivity. Here are some cost-effective ways to acknowledge and appreciate your team's hard work.

Despite ruling on several divisive issues, the justices have long maintained they are civil and get along well despite the fierce disagreements. Why? Because even the U.S. Supreme Court has ground rules!

As a leader, we want to build and strengthen our team. But what if we are actually dividing our team - and we don't even know it? You may consider using more inclusive language on your team.

Want to test your team alignment? Try this thought-provoking team activity.

When it comes to teams, curiosity is a powerful quality that inspires connection and conversation.  While some people might think it's a "trait" where some people are simply more curious than others, I think it's a skill you can build...and even cultivate within your team.

Here are strategies to cultivate curiosity in your team, organized for clarity and action.

As you conduct your internal review and environmental scan, consider these key business trends that may affect your strategic plan.

You want to be a valued team player - the MVP of your team? Not just the go-to person for crunch time, but the one who brings out the best in everyone? Well, it's not just about getting your tasks done or being Mr. or Ms. Nice all the time. It's more like being the secret sauce that makes the whole team deliciously successful.

Some people create New Year's resolutions that rarely stick.  Instead, I create an "annual theme" to rally around.  It's a mantra to use throughout the year to continually test whether I am moving in the right direction.  It's the one thing that is most important to you.  It can be a goal, but I typically find one or two words that encapsulate all areas of your life.

There are many ways to influence others — and most team members try to convince others of what they want and then sell the benefits.  If this works, great!  If not, you may want to try these techniques to gain influence.

A client recently asked me, "What do you do when you’re facilitating strategic planning and there are people that aren’t engaged? They don’t believe in the process and think things can just continue the way they’ve been."  

Indeed, facilitating a strategic planning session can be a challenging task, especially when some participants aren't fully engaged and skeptical about the process. However, with a well-thought-out approach, you can overcome this obstacle and ensure that everyone's voices are heard and that the planning session is productive.

One of my fellow Board members has a wonderful saying that resonates with me and most (if not all!) of my clients:

If you’re bringing together multinational teams, there are several measures you can take to ensure teamwork as they come to gather.

High-stakes meeting facilitator Kristin Arnold shares a guest blog on leaving a lasting leadership legacy of kindness from Michael Kerr.