Unquestionably desirable, yet all too often elusive in practice, teamwork is a problem. And a knotty one. Without really contradicting each other, different authorities on the subject have long found room to focus on multiple different facets of the team challenge: types, purposes, size, contributing roles, dynamics, dysfunctions and processes of development. [1]
What’s the simplest way to start sharing the benefits of VoicePrint? Remember that, even without its diagnostic questionnaire, VoicePrint is a framework designed to raise awareness about the different purposes for which we use talk. The model itself, the nine voices and their triangular arrangement around the functions of exploring, positioning and controlling, is easy to explain. People quickly grasp the basic idea.
‘I’m looking for a more challenging role.’ ‘He doesn’t challenge himself enough.’ ‘We’re operating in a very challenging environment.’ ‘She can be quite challenging to work with.’ ‘I want a coach who will challenge me.’ When a word becomes so commonplace, it becomes dulled and fuzzy. We lose touch touch with its meaning. And that compromises its value.
Our ‘No More UMs’ series of posts is committed to providing short, practical tips on how to ensure that the time we spend in meetings is well-spent and productive. This latest blog focuses specifically on the one-to-one meetings that good managers have with their direct reports.
So, I asked my team some questions.
Do you feel like you spend a lot of time in meetings? Yes. They really do.
Is it usually clear what the meeting is for? Well, no, only sometimes.
