My friend Mike Cardus is a wonderful person and truly gifted teambuilder who lives in the Buffalo, New York area.

I've had the great pleasure of getting to know Mike and his work more fully this past year.  Mike's deep understanding of team dynamics gives him the insight needed to design superior programs.  His strongest trait though is his ability to model the type of leadership required to build high performing teams. 

Mike has a nice website (I love the photos) and it's his blog I like most (check it out HERE).

Mike has a great teambuilding game write-up called "Bright, Blurry, Blind" that you'll enjoy.

If you live anywhere in the great state of New York I encourage you to give Mike a call for your teambuilding needds.

My friend Bea Fields and her colleagues at MillennialLeaders.com surveyed 320 Generation Y careerists (ages 21-27) about leadership.  Read about the survey HERE.

One of the questions asked:

What leadership traits are you most looking for in the leaders in your workplace?

Here are the top 10 responses:

1: Honesty
2: The ability to inspire
3: Integrity
4: Competence
5: Humility
6: Fairness
7: Respect
8: Visionary
9: Concern and care for employees
10: The ability to truly listen

The question you should be asking yourself is "Do my current leaders measure up?"  If you answered with anything other than a resounding "YES!" then your business is at risk.

Are you ready to upgrade to a new type of leadership that's in complete alignment with the top 10 list?  CLICK HERE to learn more.

What's the best way to manage (lead) Gen-Y ?

You already know Gen-Y is unlike any other generation you've had the opportunity to lead.

They are the children of the Baby Boomers and are now the largest generation in the history of the world.  This is the generation you must learn to lead if you are to be successful!

Employers thought Gen-Y would simply be an extension of Gen-X or Boomers but that hasn't been the case at all.

About Gen-Y

• Enjoy working together and are highly connected (always on computers, cell phones, text messaging, instant messaging, social networking, blogs, multi-player gaming, etc.)
• Seek work-life balance
• Expect to be highly successful and are upbeat
• Reward and recognition driven
• Short term focused
• Supremely tech savvy
• Want managers they can admire

If you try to manage Gen-Y using an old, outdated, command-and-control style of leadership that might have worked on Boomers or Gen-X, this generation will walk out your door before lunch.  And before the end of the day, they'll blog, IM, and text about their experience with you (warning their friends to stay away).

Times have changed and managers must change with the times or be left behind.

If you're a manager looking for answers to your Gen-Y in the workplace issues then you need to know about Bea Fields.

Bea Fields is a coauthor of Millennial Leaders and is a Gen-Y in the workplace expert.  Bea travels around the country and works with cutting edge organizations (large and small) who recognize the writing on the wall and want to change the way they're doing business and become supremely attractive to Gen-Y employees.

If you hire, train, or lead Gen-Y you need to know what Bea Fields is teaching and now, Bea has agreed to be our guest on a special TeachMeTeamwork.com FREE Leadership TeleSeminar.  In addition, Bea will offer a Q&A session during the call so you have a chance to talk with Bea one-on-one to get your Gen-Y questions answered by the expert.

Title of This Special TeleSeminar :

Gen-Y in the Workplace -- 3 Key Skills Managers Must Master When Leading Gen-Y

Call Schedule:

This TeleSeminar was held live on October 1, 2008 with participants from around the world.  To receive notification of future live TeleSeminars like this one be sure to subscribe to the free e-newsletter of the International Association of Teamwork Facilitators CLICK HERE

Download Recording

Click on the link below to download a copy of the recording (MP3).

Download geny_in_the_workplace_with_bea_fields_100108_a.mp3

Joe Vitale has a great post on his blog about two powerful words:  "What if"

The favorite question of the mind is "What if?"

For too many people (and teams) this question is asked in a negative or "down" way. 

“What if this doesn’t work out?”
“What if I lose my job?”
“What if I’m wrong?”

These questions don't feel good.  Fear becomes the focus.

Joe suggest we ask What If UP questions

“What if this works out beautifully?”
“What if there was never a problem in the first place?”
“What if I get a raise?”
“What if my idea makes me a millionaire?”

This single adjustment in how you ask a question transforms you, your energy, and the very answers you get.

For an example of how you might apply the use of this question in a group session read Joe's blog post HERE.

What if your group held a "What If UP" session and transformed your team?

Toxic bosses beware!  Gen-Y won't put up with you.

David Adjey used to be a toxic boss who would fire people for rolling their eyes at him.  He claims he ruled the kitchen through the use of fear and intimidation and it worked!  Until Gen-Y came on the scene.

Adjey is a world famous chef known for his recurring appearances as "chef-to-the-rescue" on the Food Network's Restaurant Makeover.

“I couldn't figure these kids out,” Adjey says about Gen-Y.  “They weren't listening to me.”

All the old rules of management had to be thrown out the window. And Adjey, at the top of his game as a chef, a TV star and an author, had to reinvent himself as a boss.

Adjey stopped using a traditional model of leadership (fear, intimidation, my way or the highway, etc.) and upgraded to a new, more dynamic model of leadership based on coaching skills.  Staff turnover dropped and morale went through the roof.

Before upgrading to this new leadership style, Adjey says "I had cooks quit on me because I wouldn't serve fair trade coffee at my restaurant!"

“These kids are the smartest generation that has ever worked for me. They are thinking about the world around them and how they can positively influence their environment.”

If you're ready to upgrade your leadership style so you can lead Gen-Y more effectively then enroll in the Leader As Coach Fast Track Program. 

My friends Scott Winter of Learning Change and Barry Rellaford of The Speed Of Trust have teamed up to create an Advanced Facilitation Skills 2-Day Workshop to be held September 19-20, 2008 in Chico, California.

The Advanced Facilitation Skills Workshop provides the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills necessary for effectively facilitating individuals and groups to achieve better results.

Scott and Barry are accomplished facilitators and fantastic trainers. 

I highly recommend this program.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

Today’s leaders must evolve.  They must make a shift away from a traditional command and control style of leadership to a style of leadership that focuses on energizing and empowering people.

The old way of leading was about motivation - - a short-term, externally based, "technique" driven approach to moving people into action. 

"How can I motivate my team?" was the old question.  Asking this question keeps leaders caught in a downward spiral where they are:

• Managing merely for results
• Babysitting the employees’ smallness
• Trying to eliminate mistakes
• Creating adrenaline through deadlines
• Solving all the problems

The old style of leadership is a HUGE energy drain.

The new style of leadership - the style of leadership cutting edge managers and supervisors around the world are moving to - is all about INSPIRATION.

Leadership through INSPIRATION is most easily defined as the "Coach Approach" to leadership.

"How can I inspire my team?" is the question asked by the Coach Leader. 

There are 7 distinct qualities embodied by the Coach Leader that make them naturally inspirational leaders. These include:

• Coach Leaders are models for others, not just expert managers.
• Coach Leaders create problem free zones versus being expert problem solvers.
• Coach Leaders have more then they need.

In September 2008, IATF President & Founder Tom Heck delivered a free live TeleSeminar on the 7 Qualities of the Coach Leader. 

Free Recording

Click on the link below to download the 60 minute audio recording (mp3 format):

Download 7_qualities_of_the_coach_manager_090308_c.mp3

Handout For Class

Click on the link below to download your one-page handout (PDF)

Download 7_qualities_of_the_coach_manager_b.pdf

Learn how to inspire your team while making your life as a leader more fulfilling in the IATF Leader As Coach Fast Track Program.