While I’ve mentioned before that pizza isn’t team building, pizza IS a great way to spend a little time and money on making your team happy. After all, everyone eats something.
For my team, customer service week means a chance to eat and share food and share time with others. It’s a great time, and while it takes a smidge of work, the payoff can be huge!

Food for my team – I’m bringing in healthy food for my team; fruit, yogurt, tea and coffee, so they have something to eat in the morning that they don’t have to worry about it …read more

I recently had a webinar about my new book Help Desk Manager’s Crash course, and many of the participants wanted to know more about teambuilding. I thought it’d be nice to share my primer here, and then dive a little deeper into activities that work, and finally into how to teambuild with peers and up the organization.

Go first – As manager, you have to go first, show that you’re vulnerable, that you’re human, and that your team can trust you. If you aren’t willing to go first, why would anyone else want to contribute?
Share something folks don’t …read more

One of the best ways to create a team atmosphere is to play with your team, and let them play with you. It’ll let them see a more personal side of you, and see you as the fallible human being you are, instead of the robotic machine managers sometimes can be perceived as.
Play requires you to be vulnerable and let your hair down. It may be uncomfortable at first, and it may feel forced.
DO IT ANYWAY!
How can you play with your team?

Trivia Days – Send out a trivia question (no Googling allowed) and give the first correct respondent a …read more

One of the best ways you can practice living the FISH Philosophy is to be there for your team.
5 Ways to Be There For Your Team
1) Single task your direct reports
2) Manage by walking around
3) Open your door to your team
4) Open your heart to your team
5) Listen, I mean really LISTEN, to what your direct reports are saying
What can you do to BE THERE for your team?
Listen to the music photo credit to vagawi

Here are a few management articles I found interesting this week.

The Enlightened Manager shares When is team building not team building – “If you really want to build a team – be very intentional about it. Don’t just assume that if you bring donuts that everyone will work effectively together. You’re more likely to contribute to giving employees diabetes than giving them job skills.”

Ryan at Employee Evolution reminds us that if you’re interviewing for a job, there are some questions you can ask to make sure your boss doesn’t suck -  “In an interview, the questions you ask …read more