- Career Survival Tips: Putting Out Fires
- Are You in the Wrong Job?
- Why CEOs Can't Get It Right When They Try to Say ‘Thanks’
- CEO to CEO: Why Your Strategy is Failing
- Office Etiquette: Mind Your Manners
- Stressed Out? Here's How Leaders Cope
- Dreaming of Quitting Like that Goldman Sachs Exec? Five Reasons Why You Shouldn't
- The Biggest Mistakes When Hiring Someone New
MOST SHARED
- As Euro Bond Wins Supporters, Details Remain Vague
- BOJ Eased to Ensure Recovery, Won't Act 'Automatically'
- Lady Gaga Cancels Indonesia Concert on Security Fears
- Renesas Sinks 11% as It Braces for Costly Restructuring
- China Industrial Profits Down on Slowing Growth
- Gome Slumps to 3-Half Year Low After Poor Earnings
- IMF Chief Lagarde: Little Sympathy for Greece
- Euro Rallies as Greece's Pro-Bailout Parties Gain Favor
- Brent Crude Rises Above $107; Greece, Iran Eyed
- Billionaire Kwok Brothers Renew Bail in HK Graft Probe
- A New Look at the ‘New Poor’
- Six Pack: Beer Buzz of the Week
- Greek Exit Could Trigger 50% Fall in Euro Stocks: Analyst
- Under Pressure, FHA Skews to Wealthier Home Buyers
- Big Stock Upside for Hudson City Deal: Analyst
- 5 High-Yield Stocks Ready to Boost Dividends
- Yoshikami: Four Things You Need to Know About Gold Now
- Steinbock: The Euro Zone Endgame Begins
- Option Bulls Take Another Shot on Idenix
- Euro Rallies as Greece's Pro-Bailout Parties Gain Favor
- Oil May Slip to Mid-$80s as Europe Weighs: Survey
- Week Ahead: Europe Has Wall Street Bull on Short Leash
- Spain May Recapitalize Bankia With Government Debt
- How Weinstein, Hedge Funds Outsmarted JPMorgan
- IMF Chief Lagarde: Little Sympathy for Greece
- Economists Can't Solve Europe's Crisis
- How Nasdaq Lost Control of Facebook IPO, by the Minute
- Why Graff's Founder Is Listing the Jeweler, Again
Text Size 
Don't Be Afraid - Go To The Dark Side
 |
Try this question at your next team-building retreat: “Suppose our group wanted to win an award for being completely dysfunctional – what would we do?”
Sometimes, people get tired of thinking about best practices. When that happens, flip the question: ask about the worst.
Taking a short detour gets people warmed up. You’ll be surprised by how many answers you get – and by how energized people are.
 |
If you ask the dysfunctional team question, people will say things like this:
1) “We’d gossip. Wait – we already do that. I guess we’d gossip more.”
2) “At meetings, everyone would try really hard to sleep, but the leader would keep waking us up with her insistent snoring.”
3) “No one would participate; we’d roll our eyes, mutter to ourselves and, at random moments, laugh hysterically.”
You can vary the question, depending on topic.
For instance:
MANAGING: “Suppose you wanted to be the worst manager in the synthetic resin industry?” Possible response: “I don’t know a thing about the synthetic resin industry.” (Ok, that’s a good start!)
Paul Hellman
Founder
Express Potential
STRESSING OUT: “How could you make yourself even more anxious about your upcoming . . . written exam, oral exam, dental exam, ear, nose and throat exam, complete physical, comprehensive, head-to-toe autopsy?'
Sometimes, just by entertaining these questions, you begin moving in the opposite direction.
Tip: Every now and then, brainstorm worst practices. It’s an easy way to start. Most of us have impressive experience.
More Executive Strategies:
- Life In Workplace Limbo: Waiting Can Be Brutal
- If You're So Good - Why Can't You Land That Job?
- Executive Careers - Making The Right Career Moves
______________________________________________
Consultant, author, speaker, and founder of express potential® (www.expresspotential.com), Paul Hellman has worked with CEOs, executives, and managers at leading companies for over 25 years to improve performance and productivity at work. His latest book is “Naked at Work: How to Stay Sane When Your Job Drives You Crazy,” and his columns have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post and other leading papers.
Comments? Send them to
POPULAR EXECUTIVE CAREERS POSTS
- Career Survival Tips: Putting Out Fires
- Are You in the Wrong Job?
- Why CEOs Can't Get It Right When They Try to Say ‘Thanks’
- CEO to CEO: Why Your Strategy is Failing
- Office Etiquette: Mind Your Manners
- Stressed Out? Here's How Leaders Cope
- Dreaming of Quitting Like that Goldman Sachs Exec? Five Reasons Why You Shouldn't
- The Biggest Mistakes When Hiring Someone New
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
