What Most Teams Get Wrong About Performance and Results

The team-building myth (why most offsites fall flat)

Did your last team building offsite really make a difference? Sure - it was fun to get out of the office. Nice to get to know each other a little bit better. The food was good. But bottom line? In my work with executive teams and senior leaders, I hear the same complaint again and again: a lot of time and resources go into team building, without much to show for it.

Get back between 7.5 -10 hours per week (three levers that move the needle)

The world seems so much busier and full of noise these days. You're probably busier than ever too. And if you're hoping for AI to solve the busyness problem, that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, first studies show that AI tools don't seem to reduce work, but consistently intensify it! They cite task expansion, blurred boundaries between work and non-work, and more multitasking/ context switching as the main culprits. In my coaching practice, I like to challenge clients to free up between 7.5 - 10 hours per week from "busy work" and to redirect them into 2-3 key projects that truly move the needle (or just to return some of it to family, health, and recovery).

The four dimensions of competitive edge

The big question, this series explores is "What's Your Edge?"  I believe, outsized commercial results are possible, when we find our edge and then skillfully express it - with conviction, authenticity, vulnerability, and generosity in service of a purposeful mission.  To find your edge, consider each of the following four dimensions and explore what makes you unique in each of them.

What Most Teams Get Wrong About Performance and Results

Since leaving HSBC back in 2023, I’ve now supported well over a hundred senior leaders and a number of executive teams through my coaching practice. And what I realized was, that there’s a massive disconnect. Tune into this episode to find out more.

The Science of Luck

Recently, it seems luck has become the go-to explanation for both success and failure. I hear it again and again - in coaching sessions and casual coffee chats. When it comes to success, luck is a convenient explanation. The success of others? They got lucky. Your own success? If you want to appear humble, you just point to luck again. It’s the polite thing to do. And when things don’t go your way? You didn’t get the [deal / job / promotion]? How easy to blame bad luck. The flipside is this: some of the most successful people I know insist on making their own luck. And there’s good scientific backing for that stance.