Articles categorized as:

Steve Ritter

  • July 15, 2011 Numbers Don’t Lie

    Linking team effectiveness metrics to business objectives can be tricky. One seems so subjective and the other so objective.  One is art while the other is science. One is quality and the other is quantity.

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  • July 6, 2011 The Rules Have Changed

    The band has been together for 25 years through various changes in personnel. Add a bass player…find a new drummer…introduce a talented new lead guitarist…stumble upon a vocalist. Through all the transformations, the band adapted and kept generating good music. That is, until recently, when the rules changed.

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  • June 27, 2011 Running in the Dark

    I am often asked to assess the structure and dynamics of teams I’ve never before met. With no contextual information, I am forced to rely exclusively on the accuracy of the data that arises from the Team Clock team effectiveness survey. Once the analysis is complete, I am introduced to the team for the first time for a debrief session. Sometimes, it feels like running in the dark.

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  • June 16, 2011 The Bravery to Look in the Mirror

    “How are we doing?” “Fine, why do you ask?”
    “How are we doing?” “Well, since you asked…”

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  • May 29, 2011 The Gift of Teamwork

    The task was daunting, the time frame was pressing, and the outcome was magical. Resurrecting a 65 year old musical composition by musicians who had never before sung together for a 45-minute window in a recording studio was the challenge.

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  • May 4, 2011 Embracing Change

    What are the fundamental principles of effective change management?

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  • April 25, 2011 Why Are My Friends Leaving Me?

    One of the greatest gifts of change is new talent. While some teammates get mired in mourning who they’ve lost, others reinvest in who they’ve gained. How does a team best leverage this change for success?

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  • March 30, 2011 Third Rail

    Is it wiser to back off and leave well enough alone when a team issue is so hot that controversy is a certain result?

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  • March 16, 2011 Defining Moments

    At its most basic core, what is your contribution to your team? I’m not talking about the easily visible actions. I’m asking about the themes and patterns that define your life and, as a result, get played out in your professional role.

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  • February 28, 2011 Keeping it Simple

    In the new economy, the Team Clock Institute is one of many organizations seeking to model the qualities of an “employer of choice.”  With so many metrics for best places to work, how do we make it simple?  Why would the industry’s best talent wish to engage with my team?

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  • February 10, 2011 Which Came First?

    A hand shot up during a recent Team Clock workshop.  Having just finished reading a best selling business book focusing on team dysfunctions, she expressed confusion about the relationship between trust and conflict.

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  • January 26, 2011 Is Yours a High Performing Team?

    What kinds of teams benefit most from Team Clock? The first month of 2011 has welcomed calls from strong teams wishing to get stronger. The first call came from KIPP Schools in Houston.

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  • December 28, 2010 Time Zones

    Often, workshop participants ask whether someone can exist at two times on the Team Clock at once. Recently, I found myself at 12:00 and 6:00 simultaneously.

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  • December 3, 2010 The Band Played On

    Twenty-five years after the original formation of the band, the music continues to evolve despite numerous changes in membership.

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  • November 24, 2010 A Tale of Two Team Clocks

    Welcome back to the team Clock blog where we invite readers to participate in the Ask/Apply/Act model

    Ask: raise a team challenge

    Apply: share a story

    Act: discuss action steps for consideration

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  • October 23, 2010 5:00 A.M.

    Welcome back to the Team Clock Blog where we invite readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:

    Ask: raise a team challenge

    Apply: share an example story

    Act: discuss action steps for consideration

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  • October 1, 2010 What Are The Best Steps to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a Team?

    Welcome back to the Team Clock Institute’s monthly newsletter. Each month, Breakthrough Teams will invite readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:

    Ask: this month’s team challenge

    Apply: example story

    Act: action steps for consideration

    Keep Reading...
  • September 1, 2010 Is Growth A Good Problem to Have?

    Welcome back to the Team Clock Institute’s monthly newsletter. Each month, Breakthrough Teams will invite readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:
    Ask: this month’s team challenge
    Apply: example story
    Act: action steps for consideration

    Keep Reading...
  • August 1, 2010 Can We Expand The Definition of Teamwork?

    Welcome back to the Team Clock Institute’s monthly newsletter. Each month, Breakthrough Teams will invite readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:
    Ask: this month’s team challenge
    Apply: example story
    Act: action steps for consideration

    Keep Reading...
  • July 1, 2010 How Does Team Chemistry Influence Productivity?

    Welcome back to the Team Clock Institute’s monthly newsletter. Each month, Breakthrough Teams will invite readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:

    Ask: this month’s team challenge

    Apply: example story

    Act: action steps for consideratio

    Keep Reading...
  • June 1, 2010 Existing Teams Move Through the Team Clock Many Times

    Welcome back to the Team Clock Institute’s monthly newsletter. Each month, Breakthrough Teams will invite readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:

    Ask: this month’s team challenge

    Apply: example story

    Act: action steps for consideration

    Keep Reading...
  • May 1, 2010 The Business Case for Effective Teams

    Welcome back to the Team Clock Institute’s monthly newsletter. Each month, Breakthrough Teams will invite readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:

    Ask: this month’s team challenge

    Apply: example story

    Act: action steps for consideration

    Keep Reading...
  • April 1, 2010 Measuring Team Performance

    Welcome back to the Team Clock Institute’s monthly newsletter. Each month, Breakthrough Teams will invite readers to participate in an

    Ask/Apply/Act model:

    Ask: this month’s team challenge

    Apply: example story

    Act: action steps for consideration

    Keep Reading...
  • March 1, 2010 Are You a Team Player?

    Welcome back to the Team Clock Institute’s monthly
    newsletter. Each month, Breakthrough Teams will invite
    readers to participate in an Ask/Apply/Act model:

    Ask: this month’s team challenge

    Apply: example story

    Act: action steps for consideration

    Keep Reading...