Leadership is a phenomenon that has interested people for hundreds of years. One rather outdated explanatory approach still plays a prominent role in practice and the media in particular: The so-called Great Man Theory. In this blog we present what this theory is all about and why it is time to look for alternative approaches.
Many organizations are utilizing teams to gain a competitive advantage in the workplace. In this CQ Dossier, we take a closer look at team effectiveness and its relationship to team performance.
Research findings across a variety of industries and organizations indicate that a strong management team is a key ingredient of organizational performance. While this claim might sound straight-forward, recent examples from the corporate and public sector show that it is incredibly difficult to build and develop a management team that functions well. In this blog post, we take a look at six signs of an ineffective management team that threatens organizational performance in this article.
In most professional settings, doing innovative, meaningful work requires effective collaboration with a team. This CQ Dossier provides an overview of evidence-based practices to form innovative groups.
This CQ Dossier provides evidence-based e-learning practices for team e-learning interventions. The dossier draws on e-learning principles that have been shown to be effective for more than one person. Organizations have focused on using teams to increase organizational effectiveness yet many of these practices have not always been based on scientific principles.
In order for a work team to thrive and develop innovative, paradigm-challenging ideas, creativity must be properly fostered. Working towards that requires that you, as a manager, recognize that creative output is inherently risky and vulnerable – especially when the pressure is high and the need for a useful solution is paramount (Paulus, 2000).
This CQ Dossier describes the key characteristics of effective teams. The dossier draws on research that show how effective teams operate through coordination, communication, and shared cognition. The dossier describes how organizations can provide human resource practices such as employee training to ensure that teams are successful in reaching their missions and goals.
Diversity, and the need to productively diversify, presents ongoing dilemmas in the professional world. Numerous fields that were previously relatively homogenous are slowly achieving greater parity in terms of race, gender, disability status, and other sources of distinct experience (Bijak et al, 2007). As organizations change in their demographic composition, a variety of growing pains can occur. This is particularly the case in organizations that have not prepared or adjusted for their changing workforce and its needs.
I attended an instructor led leadership training session a couple of weeks ago. The training was well-organized, the training material of good quality and the trainers applied various training methodologies such as presentation sessions and interactive group work activities. However, there was one thing that really struck me.
Money makes the world go round? No way. Motivation makes the world go round! Motivation is an invisible force hidden in every single one of us. It’s the fire in us that determines our actions and decides where we invest our time and energy. We are motivated to a greater or a lesser extent depending on our respective daily condition, the environment, and interests. At times of high motivation, even difficult tasks can be a piece of cake and we are able to achieve incredible things. What’s behind the motivation mechanism? How can we increase motivation based on scientifically substantiated findings? We will get to the bottom of these questions in our current blog.
