Recently, I worked with a manager who wanted to build greater rapport with her team. I gave her an assignment. I asked her to think about what was unique about each team member, how did they contribute to the work the team did, what did she most value about each individual’s role within her organization?

She got back to me with her list. She had put a lot of though into it. One employee was great at relieving group stress by lightening things up. Another had a gift for organizing the work environment. A third was superb with difficult customers.

Her next assignment was to think of a symbol for each trait or behavior. These symbols should be something she could purchase for a few dollars: a puzzle for solving challenges, a silly mask for bringing humor to the workplace, a slinky for flexibility. Continue reading » »