How to get teams unstuck and performing better with guest Tara Paton of Red Blaze Solutions

This week on Say, Listen!, we cover communication at work with Tara Paton, founder of Red Blaze Solutions.

Topics discussed:

• Red Blaze gets teams unstuck and performing better by digging into team dynamics. Clues might include how they handle mistakes, or how they handle violations of norms, like someone always being late to meetings.
• Tara's special word or phrase about communication at work was taught to her by her mother. When Tara faced problems at school, her mother would listen carefully and then ask, "What are you going to do about it?" Tara recommends the following steps to address the inevitable bumps in team communication:
  • Express yourself
  • Vent if needed
  • Then look for solutions and things you personally can do
• Tara says that it is important to make sure everyone is solving the same problem before jumping to solutions. She facilitates team workshops and will often use a technique she calls the "sailboat exercise." It involves each person on the team doing some solo writing about what is moving the group forward, "wind in our sails," and what are the "anchors holding us back." She recommends doing this before coming together as a group to discuss the ideas for improvement. "Don’t brainstorm, brain write," says Tara.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Reach Tara Paton, principal consultant at Red Blaze Solutions, at www.redblazesolutions.com.
• Try out the Loud and Clear community to learn more and share insights on communication: https://loud-and-clear.mn.co/

This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm