It was a bright and sunny Monday morning. I would definitely have the Monday blues had it been a regular one, but this was a much awaited Monday because the season 6 finale episode of Game Of Thrones was released the night before. I managed to initiate the download before I could catch on some sleep as I had an early morning flight to Udaipur.
Continue reading “How Game of Thrones (Almost) Made Me Miss My Flight”
We recently conducted a workshop for one of our existing clients. The brief given to us was that whenever team members encountered a problem or an obstacle, instead of looking at ways to overcome them or deal with problems, they often indulged in a blame game, finger pointing, attitude of helplessness, and consciously or unconsciously avoided accountability for individual or collective results. It instantly reminded us of this video, which shows the same behavior:
At the beginning of the financial year, most organizations set new goals and form teams to deliver the projects. The goals usually differ from one year to the next, but what remains constant is the reliability of teams to deliver. This ongoing need for a solid team shows how important it is for a company to understand teamwork and develop a powerful team.
Continue reading “5 Strategies for Creating a Powerful Team”
Moving from training to facilitating was an easy call. However, the path ahead was unknown. Training and facilitation are two different worlds. Think of it this way – training is centred around giving, while facilitation is rooted in extracting.
Continue reading “What is the difference between training and facilitation?”
The success of a 21st century organization depends on how deeply it can “engage” its employees. Engaged employees resonate with the values of the company and share a deep connection with the internal community of the organization. They are passionate about their work and are always ready to go the extra mile.
It had been close to three months since I went for a long ride, so I spoke to a few friends of mine and planned a ride to one of my all time favorite destinations, Amritsar. I am in love with both the journey and the destination itself. We reached Amritsar early and decided to ride to the Wagah border. The Wagah border is a transit terminal and a railway station between Pakistan and India. It is very popular for the flag ceremony that happens between the two countries every day two hours before sunset. It was my first time and the atmosphere was electrifying! The ceremony is a once in a lifetime experience everyone should have. There were thousands of people on both sides dancing, singing patriotic songs, and excitedly looking forward to the ceremony.
Sometime back I was reading an article about guiding principles that are rapidly affecting the future industries. These 3 principles reminded me of the famous lines from The Pursuit of Perfect author Tal Ben-Shahar, who said, “Those who understand that failure is inextricably linked with achievement are the ones who learn, grow, and ultimately do well. Learn to fail, or fail to learn.” Yes, you guessed it correctly! All three principles are based on the most important directive to drive a business or a team – FAILURE. And this is true even for a facilitator who strives to be the best.
Have you ever thought how humans train one of the top predators of the sea? At Sea World, in Orlando, Florida (in the United States), you will be surprised to see killer whales do funny yet mind boggling acts – you can see them playing games with a team of trainers or riding a trainer on their back across a large pool. Sometimes you might see them jumping three to four feet above the water level in a show that mesmerizes the audience. One of the most memorable things in the entire show is the bonding between the trainer and the whale. In the book, Whale Done, by Ken Blanchard, the author mentions how the killer whales establish a personal bond with the trainer over a period of time before they get into the water with the predator. For leaders, it is important to know that there is a possibility to do the impossible. If humans can make a killer whale swim with them and host a show, it is possible for us to work together with people and get things done too! Here are four ultra-productive ways to establish a connection with the people around you.
Two weeks ago someone dropped in to our office to interview for the role of facilitator. The interview itself went off quite well and the candidate seemed to have checked off most of the boxes we were looking for. As a final courtesy I asked him, “Is there anything else you would like to share?”
Can you imagine an employee work force that believes in ‘Thank God it’s Monday?’ Building a positive work culture is not rocket science. Sir Richard Branson (Founder of Virgin Group) also agreed when he said, “There’s no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated.” People are fundamental in driving the success of a business. If you treat your staff like the smart and capable adults they are, and give them the ability to make informed decisions, you will cultivate an environment in which everyone can flourish.
