Bluework Consulting™

Teamwork has to be about results. Engaging teamwork separate from collective results will default to a dysfunctional corporate peer support group. Olympic teams don't win gold because they get along; they win gold because they are locked in on doing whatever it takes individually to get the ultimate prize. Worthwhile teamwork is about enacting a mindset that prioritizes the organization's collective results over individual results. Teamwork is about "we won" vs. "I won." The most successful companies have daily "we" wins, while the most dysfunctional companies have daily "I" wins. Many avoid the touchy-feely "teamwork." But very few avoid the opposite option and settle for a pile of individual successes that ultimately don't add up to a cohesive step forward for the organization. Don't settle for "I" wins on the C-suite, and set the expectation for "We" wins.

Team Cohesion is far more important than just "Team Building." It's one part of a larger strategy in which the C-suite commits to Organizational Health as their business strategy. The Boston Celtics just displayed how this approach can outcompete the best natural talent in the NBA. Company-wide alignment and buy-in are winning strategies, but they are impossible without authentic team cohesion at the top. Players repeatedly shared how Boston's victory came from clear alignment in the organization from top to bottom. You might not be competing for a championship in business, but CEOs can definitely name the biggest collective win for the company. To the extent that the entire C-suite can articulate and own that goal will tell you what strategy your company has chosen. So, what's your business strategy? If your competition is beating you, don't be so sure your opponent has more talent; they might just be organizationally healthier. Curious to get a snapshot of how your organization's overall health compares to others? Try out this free 10-min assessment from The Table Group: https://lnkd.in/giWyCMDs

Instagram started as a whisky app, Amazon started as an online bookseller, Shopify started as a snowboard company, It's not about how you start, it's about how you evolve.

Employees work to get paid. Top performers work to be fulfilled. Who does your company look for in an interview? This is just one more way The Six Types of Working Genius is changing the landscape of work. The language of Working Genius allows you to post jobs with crystal-clear clarity about the type of work that a role will require in terms of a person's energy and fulfillment. This way, you can attract top performers and repel soon-to-be burnouts. Learn more and pick up a complimentary Working Genius assessment for yourself when you register for tomorrow's webinar with Patrick Lencioni: https://lnkd.in/gpH9yeCq

"You will only be successful as your 5 most successful friends." - Mark Whitacre, VP of Culture and Care at Coca-Cola Consolidated But what is your definition of success? Have you defined that for your company beyond just profit? What about the people you lead and influence every day? Mark's story will make your jaw drop. He's the man behind the movie starring Matt Damon in "The Informant!": https://lnkd.in/g5-8vGST His story was an incredible testament to the fact that your definition of success gravely depends on who you surround yourself with—your fellow C-suite members, your mentors, and your peers. And if you don't define holistic success for your life and your company, someone else will determine it for you. In the prophetic words from yesterday, "Someone is always leading; will it be you?" A big thank you to Rich Todd and Innovest Portfolio Solutions for cultivating events in Denver that are designed to change the world of work!

"I was chosen to become a manager - not because I had managed well; in fact, I had never managed at all. I was promoted because I was the best analyst in the group." - Winston, a COO Our system rewards hard work with responsibility. That's good. Just be mindful that those are different currencies. Management is not a perk or reward; it's a responsibility. The emotional gauntlet of most C-suites is not due to a lack of hard-working leaders; it's due to a lack of leaders who struggle to reframe their best work to the results beyond themselves. #TheMotive If you want to understand the engine to all of Patrick Lencioni's books, check out his book: The Motive https://lnkd.in/g9srHq-5

[Change Post: Part 1] Why is trust the #1 currency on C-teams right now? Because severe disruption is demanding the C-suite to morph. "Multiple disruptions are roiling business today...Under these conditions, transformative leadership matters more than ever. But it’s also harder than ever because C-suite roles are shape-shifting – requiring new skills to manage volatility..." Integration is required to manage volatility. Integration requires trust. The most plagued teams have days that consist of firefighting and chasing symptoms. The best teams have an integrated view of how all the problems interface and understand that trust is a necessity to explore any of it. Without trust a team remains transactional and will continue to address business problems as scattered and unrelated issues. In transformative medicine, its known that one unlock unlocks the many. Why not your business? It's morphin' time :-) What's your strategy on integrating your team and how does it need to evolve? https://lnkd.in/gzbP7jFw

How do you develop more collective ownership in a virtual C-suite? Learn how to debate often and passionately over Zoom. 🗣 If your meetings feel more like back-and-forth presentations than conversations, you're letting the platform dictate your team's buy-in, not your leadership. Get in each other's business. Ask hard questions. Disrupt presentation mode. When teammates don't weigh in, they don't buy in. Presentations make siloes; good debates make teams.

Zoom created the communication tool, but courage is what creates connection. The challenge of a virtual C-suite is not a geographic disadvantage; it's a courage disadvantage. Web conferencing won't excuse your team's inability to willingly admit weaknesses and mistakes or its infrequency of engaging in passionate and unguarded discussion. Courage and curiosity create the connections needed for great business. Courage is why a healthy team is fracture-proof, no matter the distance.