The “I” In Team: 4 Philosophies Of An Awesome Team Player

“Just win the game!!!”

Although he was in extraordinary pain, that was Kevin Ware’s message to his teammates. There was 6:33 left in the first half of a 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Elite Eight game. Kevin and his fellow Louisville Cardinals were up against the Duke Blue Devils. A coveted spot in the Final Four was on the line.

Duncan Nugget® #35: Leadership — Mission or Individual?

One crucial key to the health of an organization or movement is to make sure your people are inspired by the mission just as much as they are inspired by your individual greatness.

Million-Dollar Question:
Are your people inspired by you AND the mission?

5 Soft Skills Clusters – Soft Skills Development Framework

Soft Skills Clusters

This is a BETA version. The list is a work in progress. Some definitions, behavioral indicators, and commentary on the specific soft skills cluster pages are incomplete, but I decided to post the list anyway hoping that it will be helpful to you all the same. I typically add a definition and commentary each day.

In order to facilitate training, development, practice, and application across various areas of life—not just career development—I have developed a simple framework (The 5 Soft Skills Clusters) that includes key behavioral indicators:

3 Keys To Help Young People Track Progress On Goals

On the way back from a gig in Brooklyn, N.Y., my flight was delayed. Same old story, right? Nowadays it seems as if I have a better chance of seeing a two-legged dog walking upright like a human than I do of seeing an entire round trip flight with no delays. As they say on Twitter:

#SomethingIsWrongWithThat

There were no problems with the plane, the weather, or the crew. I was on the seat, the seat was on the plane, the plane was on the runway, and the runway was on… lockdown.

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #36: Individuals and Issues

Whether it’s parents fussing at children, students complaining about teachers, co-workers arguing, or couples fighting, conflicts often end with a stack of hurt feelings and enraged people.

If you really want to resolve the conflict, it’s not cool to say things like: “You idiot! How stupid can you be?!”

But what if he really is an idiot?

I feel your pain but, even if you’re dealing with a genuine idiot, those types of statements actually make things worse because they are value judgments about the individual.

When resolving conflicts, focus on the issue, not the individual; the problem, not the person.

Think about it. It’s easier to resolve the issue or problem, when you avoid making value judgments about a person. Instead, focus on the aspects of the issue you want to resolve.

Million-Dollar Question:
When dealing with conflict,
do you focus on the individual or the issue? 

______________________
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #136: Who Is Motivating You?

Before a recent speaking engagement, a superintendent of schools and I had a conversation.

“We’re glad you’re here. These students need some motivation.”

“I’m here to help, but I don’t really motivate people.”

“What do you mean? You get students motivated. That’s why we hired you.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll be motivated. I’ll do what I do best—give them tools to motivate themselves.”

“Oohhh… Well…I guess that’s even better!”

Yup. That is better because the person who is waiting for someone or something else to motivate him will be left behind.

It’s your life. Get motivated. From within. Self-motivation, also known as intrinsic motivation, is a valuable asset on your path to success.

Being self-motivated is one of the top characteristics that employers want in their employees. They want self-starters—people with initiative.

Self-motivation could be part of your competitive advantage.

Million-Dollar Question: 
Are you sitting around waiting for 
somebody else to motivate you?

_______________________________________

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[ACTIVITY] Soft Skills Questions You Could Be Asked During An Interview

Here are 29 sample behavioral-based interviewing questions that companies and organizations use to help assess a person’s leadership ability, teamwork and other soft skills.

Below the questions there are two activities you can do with your group.

To be a rock star at answering these questions you have to tell clear, concise, and compelling stories and give relevant examples of your skills and actions.

If you want an easy method for doing this, read How To Tell Your Story In Professional Settings.

Some of the questions can be tough to answer if you haven’t properly prepared for your interview and obviously, a few of these questions are only for people interviewing for  leadership or management positions. If you have any others to add, please let me know.