Frequently Asked Questions

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Why do people struggle communicating within the work setting?

This is a complex question. Each of us is like an iceberg. Most of us is below the "surface" yet people determine what seems to be truth from what is visible, our external behavior. Fear, genetic bent (disposition), cultural conditioning, agendas, incorrect and incomplete information, poor listening skills and too much talking might provide some of the explanation. Most of us simply do not spend adequate time in learning to know other people well.

What are the most dominant factors that seem to motivate most behavior?

Most of the observed behaviors are stimulated from fulfilling one or more of the following needs:

1. being in control of people and situations
2. gaining approval from those around us
3. maintaining a stable and predictable environment
4. being sure that we are in control of task quality. These are shaped or molded from our values that work in tandem with those basic needs.

Can all work groups become high performance teams?

A simple answer is no. There are two primary reasons that individuals and teams either do or do not get the job done. One is that they "can't", the other is that they "won't". The "can't" issue is an attitudinal concern and is more difficult. High performance teams must be carefully slected based on skills, attitudes and values brought to the table and then blended very effectively. This is a difficult process for the best of leaders. Sometimes it happens with little intervention. There is a special mix of "chemistry" that must be present with High Performance Teams and it simply doesn't exist with some.

What can be done to manage the level of stress that exists in the work place today?

1. Choose which "hills" are worth dying on.
2. Learn to not be controlled by things you can not control.
3. Understand that "what is, is" and when you resist what is, stress results which leads to suffering.
4. Maintain balance within your life. In all things be moderate.
5. Work in environments that have a foundation of trust.

Do the words change and transition refer to the same thing?

The two words are often confused and used interchangeably. Change is used to reference those things that take place outside of you and are usually imposed on you. Transition is what takes place internally. It is the internal process that reveal how you respond to those outside events or changes.