Team – Volunteer U

This is Why Good Leaders Tell Stories

Before you start reading, I want to ask you a question. What is the percentage of employees who know what their organization stands for?

You’ll be Shocked to Learn Why Tension is Actually a Good Thing for Teams

Tension. I know, I know. Even hearing that word creates a tightness around my stomach and makes me cringe. We HATE it. It’s uncomfortable. It means that group members are not getting along. And it’s bad for the team right? Well, yes. And, no. There’s actually a very good reason why tension can be a […]

The Ikea Effect

Oh, Ikea. You huge, blue and yellow home of delicious meatballs and adorable, modern furniture. Have you ever put together a piece of furniture from this Swedish megastore? You open the box to find packets of tiny screws, various sized wood, and instructions that look like they were written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. It’s hours […]

Greek Myths and Expectation Power

When talking incentives, a lot of leaders teeter between two sides of the management fence: Self-motivation versus Supervisor motivation. Which is more powerful? Are people more inclined to be motivated by their own expectations or that of their leader? Pygmalion (or Rosenthal) Effect – the power of other’s expectations. This theory states that people will […]

Getting Attention in a Noisy World

It’s pretty noisy out there. Marketing experts say that most Americans are exposed to at least 4,000 ads every day. Organizations are continually competing for our attention. Brands are everywhere we look, shouting messages to our subconscious without us even noticing. To adjust to the constant barrage of images and ads, most of us have […]

A Leader’s Guide to Building Trust

Leaders will need to prove themselves trustworthy before workers will feel comfortable enough to allow themselves to be led. The only way to establish trust is through time. The only problem is, time is something that leaders (especially young leaders, with no proven track record) feel they can’t afford. But as anxious as we may […]

Embracing Conflict

If you’re like me, you tend to shy away from conflict. In fact, I used to try to ignore it altogether. Distracting people who were mad became an art form for this peacemaking middle child. I finally learned the positive power of conflict when I did something that was completely unnatural for me…I embraced it. […]