​With the dramatic increase in virtual meetings leaders need to pay even closer attention to their team’s interpersonal dynamics. By that I mean intentionally listening AND looking more closely to what people are saying, not saying, or trying to say. And to what they might be feeling. I’ve been helping people learn the value of these kinds of behaviors for many years. The importance is still the same, but it may not be as easy now. ​

Dynamic Teams helps leaders create and maintain safe interpersonal work environments where it’s okay to be vulnerable, to take risks. We help people and teams create psychological safety. Why? Because for the past 30+ years we’ve known that psychological safety is the key ingredient, the foundational building block of an effective team. Apparently, Google agrees. 

Perhaps it’s because my wife and I just spent a wonderful Christmas visiting our daughter and her husband. Or perhaps it’s because I always find myself in a state of gratitude during the holiday season. Regardless of the motivation, as we begin a new year, I thought this might be an opportune time to share a post on the power appreciation. 

​I read an article from Harvard Business Review (HBR) about a year ago and recently ran across it again. It’s still timely and it speaks to the importance of specific leader behaviors that we’ve been championing for many years. But now, as employees continue to return to work with anxieties that are unique to our times, the importance of these behaviors are magnified. 

​It’s no secret that in-person training and development has taken a hiatus. In response to extraordinary circumstances, team development consultants have made creative and valiant efforts at working virtually with their already established clients, with varying degrees of success.