CLICK HERE to download the audio interview (mp3 file)

Our eighth guest for the Spiritual Nature of Team Building TeleSeminar series is Parker Palmer.  

Parker Palmer is an author, educator, and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change.

Parker is the founder and senior partner of the Center for Courage & Renewal (CCR) whose mission is to nurture personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it. Since 1997 CCR has offered programs to help teachers, physicians, clergy and others “rejoin soul and role,” renewing their passion for their work, reclaiming its basic values and deepening their service to others.

"Good work is done with heart as well as knowledge and skill, done with a depth of commitment that brings integrity and courage to the workplace. But workplace culture can make it risky to reveal our hearts. So we hide them – and sometimes lose them. By supporting teachers, medical professionals, clergy and others who want to reclaim their hearts, we bring new life to them, their work, and the people they serve." ~ Parker Palmer

This call is for you if you are a:

• trainer
• educator
• facilitator
• coach
• manager or supervisor

This TeleSeminar will be interactive - - you'll be able to talk with our special guest speaker and ask him your questions directly (or send them in as text).  It's "just in time" training and development! 

Call Details

TITLE

The Spiritual Nature of Team Building [Session #8] -- with special guest Parker Palmer

DATE

Wednesday,   May 16, 2012

TIME

Starts at 1 pm  Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60- 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

Parker Palmer -- author, educator, and activist

Tom Heck -- President & Founder of the IATF

REGISTER

 CLICK HERE to register.  It's FREE.  Registration is closed.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

VIDEO

Renowned educator and Quaker writer, Parker Palmer, says one of the biggest things he has learned in life is that the direction of the spiritual journey is not upward but downward, to what Paul Tillich called the ground of being.

Our seventh guest for the Spiritual Nature of Team Building TeleSeminar series is Rick Tamlyn. 

Rick's work is all about creating fulfilling lives for people, creating better working relationships, and creating positive motivating energy for individuals, teams and organizations.

Rick is an expert at helping people, teams and organizations change their energy.

Rick co-created and developed The Bigger Game, a tool that inspires executives, leaders and everyday people to get out of their comfort zones and invent the life they want.

He is the co-author of The Bigger Game: Why Playing a Bigger Game Designs Who You Want to Become, and has trained and certified leaders from seven (7) different countries to deliver The Bigger Game program.

Rick is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and a Master Certified Coach (MCC) as designated by the International Coach Federation (ICF), and is a senior trainer for The Coaches Training Institute, a world-renown coach training and leadership development organization.

This call is for you if you are a:

• trainer
• educator
• facilitator
• coach
• manager or supervisor

This TeleSeminar will be interactive - - you'll be able to talk with our special guest speaker and ask him your questions directly (or send them in as text).  It's "just in time" training and development! 

Call Details

TITLE

The Spiritual Nature of Team Building [Session #7] -- with special guest Rick Tamlyn.

DATE

Wednesday,   May 9, 2012

TIME

Starts at 1 pm  Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60- 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

Rick Tamlyn -- coach, author, Big Game player

Tom Heck -- President & Founder of the IATF

REGISTER

CLICK HERE to register.  It's FREE. Registration is closed.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

This call will be recorded and archived in the IATF Members Only Area. Not yet an IATF member?  Join HERE.

VIDEO

Watch Rick Tamilyn in the video clips below to get a feel for his positive message and how it's impacting the lives of leaders. 

Our sixth guest for the Spiritual Nature of Team Building TeleSeminar series is Doug Silsbee.

My friend Doug is a leader in the arena of professional coaching - - specifically, "presence-based leadership development". Doug's approach to leadership and teams is profoundly spiritual.

In addition to the significant contributions Doug is making in the world of one-on-one leadership coaching, Doug is a seasoned teambuilding expert having worked with clients around the world.

Doug says we are all being called to actions that lift others, that are responsible to the precarious state of our planet’s resources, and that assume meaning through our ever-widening circles of concern.

One of Doug's clients says:

"Doug's approach goes way beyond the standard platitudes to reach deeply into the areas of human consciousness and experience where things really happen, where meaningful change and growth can and does occur."

~ Harrison Owen, author, Open Space Technology.

Doug Silsbee is the author of Presence-Based Coaching: Cultivating Self-Generative Leaders Through Mind, Body and Heart which offers a practical map to the territory of working with presence, both within yourself and in your coaching and developing of others. First, we explore presence as an essential element of human learning and development. Second, the book provides extensive inner and relational coaching moves, brought to life through illustrative dialogs, for bringing presence into coaching. The result? Self-generative, authentic, and effective leaders.

This call is for you if you are a:

• trainer
• educator
• facilitator
• coach
• manager or supervisor

This TeleSeminar will be interactive - - you'll be able to talk with our special guest speaker and ask him your questions directly (or send them in as text).  It's "just in time" training and development! 

Call Details

TITLE

The Spiritual Nature of Team Building [Session #6] -- with special guest Doug Silsbee.

DATE

Thursday,   May 3, 2012

TIME

Starts at 1 pm  Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60- 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

Doug Silsbee -- leadership coach, trainer of coaches, speaker, and author

Tom Heck -- President & Founder of the IATF

REGISTER

 CLICK HERE to register. It's FREE.  Registration is closed.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

This call was recorded and archived in the IATF Members Only Area. Not yet an IATF member?  Join HERE.

RECORDING

CLICK HERE to download the recording (mp3)

Our fourth guest for this TeleSeminar series is my good friend Barry Rellaford. 

Because he travels the world delivering life-changing team and leadership development workshops for the FranklinCovey organization,
Barry has a unique take on our topic - - The Spiritual Nature of Team Building.

When I first started to imagine this TeleSeminar series I knew I'd have to get Barry on as a guest.  When I called to invite him to be a speaker, Barry became excited and started sharing some of his beliefs and experiences around the spiritual nature of team building.  As I write the description of this call, I'm  looking at the notes I took while speaking with Barry that day and I must say, I am pumped to have Barry on as a guest. He is going to share some GREAT insights.

Barry Rellaford is a master facilitator and has delivered training events all over the world.  Barry understands, at a deep level, what it means to build teams and grow leaders as a spiritual practice.

Some of the topics we'll explore...

• Covey's 4 Human Needs as a Spiritual Path: 1) To Live, 2) To Love, 3) To Learn, 4) To Leave a Legacy
• Coaching as spiritual work
• The importance of being in touch with your own spiritual nature

A globally sought-after leadership development expert, Barry has a gift for presenting complex content in an understandable, memorable, and actionable manner.

Barry led FranklinCovey's Learning Expedition Center, the company's internal corporate university focused on the development of FranklinCovey salespeople and consultants. He also served as the Vice President of Organizational Development for Metatec Corporation and as a performance consultant at CompuServe, Inc.

Barry regularly speaks and trains internationally, having led programs in 15 countries with participants representing over 50 different nations. His audiences have included Procter & Gamble, Microsoft Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Honeywell, Coinstar, Toyota, Foodmakers, Intel, Nike, University of Texas Medical Branch, and the U.S. Army.

Working closely with Stephen M. R. Covey, Barry had a hand in developing the Leading at the Speed of Trust training program, the organizational assessment, and the Speed of Trust™ individual assessment.

Barry is also the coauthor of A Slice of Trust [click here for audio interview] and is a faculty member here at the IATF.

This call is for you if you are a:

• trainer
• educator
• facilitator
• coach
• manager or supervisor

This TeleSeminar will be interactive - - you'll be able to talk with our special guest speaker and ask him your questions directly (or send them in as text).  It's "just in time" training and development! 

Call Details

TITLE

The Spiritual Nature of Team Building [Session #4] -- with special guest Barry Rellaford

DATE

Wednesday,   April 11, 2012

TIME

Starts at 1 pm  Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60- 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

Barry Rellaford -- Best selling author, faculty level trainer at Franklin-Covey, Trust expert

Tom Heck -- President & Founder of the IATF

REGISTER

 CLICK HERE to register. It's FREE. Registration is closed.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

Access the recording of this call for a limited time using the link below.

CLICK HERE to download the recording (mp3)

This call was recorded and is archived in the IATF Members Only Area. Not yet an IATF member?  Join HERE.

  CLICK HERE to download the recording (mp3)

Our third guest for the Spiritual Nature of Team Building TeleSeminar series is Rabbi Shais Taub.

Rabbi Shais Taub is a social observer, philosopher, Huffington Post blogger, and is the best selling author of God of Our Understanding.

In this call Rabbi Taub will not lobby for the acceptance of a dogmatic or religious definition of spirituality. Rather, he will speak of spirituality as a mental capacity to adopt a consistent, reality-based worldview that has specific properties universal to all people. This has little if anything to do with formal belief systems and has everything to do with a certain way of using the brain.

When one becomes "Spiritually Intelligent", how does this impact leadership style?  Can teams become "Spiritually Intelligent?

Do you have to be smart to be a skeptic?

Do you have to be dumb to believe?

Maybe you've heard of "multiple intelligences." It's the theory that there is more than one kind of being smart. For instance, logical intelligence is different than musical intelligence and spatial intelligence is different than linguistic intelligence. That's why there can be a poet who can't carry a tune and a research biologist who can't do her own taxes.

Spiritual Intelligence?

Thanks to the work of Daniel Goleman we all understand the importance of Emotional Intelligence when it comes to leadership development, but what about Spiritual Intelligence?

In our feel-good, sanitized, PC culture, the term "spirituality" has become a non-descriptive catch-all for any idea that makes me feel good. If that's the case, then it's no wonder there is no correlation between such beliefs and having a happy, productive life.

Our special guest Rabbi Shais Taub who will put forth that spirituality is a form of intelligence and can be described in demonstrable terms.

Spiritual Intelligence, Rabbi Taub says, is the ability to be discerning, and therefore, make decisions, that adhere to certain axioms or principles.

This call is for you if you are a:

• trainer
• educator
• facilitator
• coach

This TeleSeminar will be interactive - - you'll be able to talk with our special guest speaker and ask him your questions directly (or send them in as text).  It's "just in time" training and development! 

Call Details

TITLE

The Spiritual Nature of Team Building -- SESSION # 3 with special guest Rabbi Shais Taub

DATE

Thursday,   March 29, 2012

TIME

Starts at 1 pm  Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60- 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

Rabbi Shais Taub -- Rabbi, social observer, philosopher, writer

Tom Heck -- President & Founder of the IATF

REGISTER

 CLICK HERE to register. It's FREE. Registration is closed.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

  The recording of this session is available for FREE in the IATF Members Only Area. Not yet an IATF member?  Join HERE. for FREE.

 When you experience a breakthrough...

        When your team experiences a breakthrough...

it is a spiritual experience

I'd like you to meet my good friend Brian Biro who is known internationally as "America's Breakthrough Coach."

Companies and organizations who are truly committed to bringing out the best in their people use Brian's amazing energy and passion to create a shared experience that is literally life-changing.

A major client described Brian best when he said, "Brian Biro has the energy of a ten-year-old, the enthusiasm of a twenty-year-old, and the wisdom of a seventy-five-year-old."

I've had the great pleasure of knowing Brian Biro for many years and he is all these things - - Energetic, Ethusiastic, and Full of Wisdom.  Most of all, Brian is one of the most spiritual centered people I know.

I'm convinced that Brian is able to help people experience transformational breakthroughs because he operates from and teaches spiritual principles that, if followed, produce amazing results for anyone.

In this TeleSeminar Brian will share insights gained from helping thousands of people experience breakthroughs.  We will explore how he incorporates the spiritual in his work with teams.

  Brian Biro is one of the nation's foremost speakers and teachers of Leadership, Possibility Thinking, Thriving on Change, and Team-Building. He has delivered over 1,200 presentations around the world over the last 20 years. Brian is the author of multiple best sellers including Beyond Success -- The 15 Secrets to Effective Leadership and Life Based on Legendary Coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success

This TeleSeminar will be interactive - - you'll be able to talk with our special guest speaker and ask him your questions directly (or send them in as text).  It's "just in time" training and development! 

Dial in, share your experiences… and then start unleashing even more team power in your organization.

Call Details

TITLE

The Spiritual Nature of Team Building -- SESSION # 2 with special guest Brian Biro

DATE

Wednesday,   March 21, 2012

TIME

Starts at 1 pm  Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60- 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

Brian Biro -- Best Selling Author,Teamwork Expert, Breakthrough Coach, Father, Husband www.BrianBiro.com 

Tom Heck -- President & Founder of the IATF

REGISTER

  CLICK HERE to register. It's FREE. Registration is closed.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

This call was recorded and is archived in the IATF Members Only Area. Not yet an IATF member?  Join HERE.

Watching Brian Biro in action here:

• They both use physical experiences to teach us about ourselves and others.
• They both are grounded in creating connection and oneness, not separation.
• They both teach people to be their highest selves.

And the beautiful part?...

All of the above are the essence of spirituality.

Meet Merrick Rosenberg, President & Chief Learning Officer of Team Builders Plus. In addition to being a sought after speaker, trainer, coach and author, Merrick is a long time martial arts student and meditator.  

Merrick designed a powerful leadership program for executives which is based on spiritual principles - - it's called Team Samurai.

 Merrick travels widely delivering training events and has taught executives about chi, yin and yang, the five elements, and even teaches execs how to meditate.

In this important TeleSeminar Merrick will share insights gained from working with thousands of people.  We will explore how he incorporates the spiritual in his work with teams

Merrick Rosenberg is an experienced speaker, facilitator, performance coach, author, and entrepreneur. He co-founded Team Builders Plus in 1991 and has worked with people at all levels, from line staff to senior managers. Merrick co-authored Taking Flight: Master the Four Behavioral Styles and Transform Your Career, Your Relationships…Your Life. In fact, Ken Blanchard called Taking Flight! “an instant classic” and Marshall Goldsmith noted, “You’ll never look at people quite the same way again.”

This TeleSeminar will be interactive - - you'll be able to talk with our special guest speaker and ask her your questions directly (or send them in as text).  It's "just in time" training and development! 

Dial in, share your experiences… and then start unleashing even more team power in your organization.

Call Details

TITLE

The Spiritual Nature of Team Building -- SESSION # 1

DATE

Wednesday,   March 14, 2012

TIME

Starts at 1 pm  Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 60- 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

Merrick Rosenberg, President and Chief Learning Officer at Team Builders Plus  

Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF

REGISTER

  CLICK HERE to register. It's FREE.  Registration is closed.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

This call was recorded and is archived in the IATF Members Only Area. Not yet an IATF member?  Join HERE.

When I first began team building in 1987, I was drawn to the work because I felt good doing it.  My initial inexperience made it very challenging at first, and yet I knew I was doing the right thing.  These feelings were an indication I was following a spiritual path - - though I wouldn’t recognize it until much later.  I simply knew I was happy doing the work regardless of the circumstances.

As President & Founder of the IATF I've had many conversations with teamwork facilitators (trainers, coaches, educators) around the world and have discovered many of us share a spiritual grounding in our work building teams.

Many of us feel a "calling" (as Gregg Levoy says) to do this work.  It's not a job; it's our JOY to help groups have a direct experience of what it means to become a "high performing team".

One of the big goals I've set for 2012 is to explore this intangible we call "spirit" (or "spiritual") when it comes to team building.

Many in our industry are comfortable using the phrase "Team Spirit" which hints at this intangible.

Now I propose a series of live and interactive TeleSeminars where we directly explore and address the spiritual nature of team building.

I plan to invite leaders in the field of spiritual studies to be our guest on these TeleSeminars in an effort to more fully understand what it means to build and lead teams as a path of spiritual development.

Here are some of the people I plan to invite as speakers...

• Dr. Wayne Dyer
• Dr. Michael Beckwith
• Marianne Williamson
• Bob Proctor
• Brian Biro
• Jack Canfield
• Deepak Chopra
• Pema Chodron
• Dr. Lance Secretan

Who would you like to hear on this TeleSeminar series?  What speakers, authors and luminaries would you most enjoy learning from? Who would inspire and enlighten you?  Leave your thoughts in the comments area below.

Can you help me connect with anyone on the above list?  If yes, I'd love to hear from you.  Please call or email.

Please share your thoughts below.

Tom Heck
President & Founder
International Association of Teamwork Facilitators

My wife and I recently watched the new documentary I AM by Tom Shadyac.  It was WONDERFUL!

The movie is a probing exploration of our world, what's wrong with it, and what we can do to make it better.

Shadyac is best known for his movies "Ace Ventura," "Liar Liar," and "Bruce Almighty" among others. I AM recounts what happened to the filmmaker after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged a changed man.

The movie shares the powerful and important message that we are all connected. What happens to one of us impacts all of us.

Through our work as teamwork facilitators we can help people celebrate the connection we have with each other and learn how to leverage this connection to create a prosperous win-win outcome.

From the movie:

"The truth of who we are is that we are because we belong."

-- Reverend Desmond Tutu

Visit the movie's website HERE.

Watch the movie preview here:

Watch Director Tom Shadyac interviewed by Thom Hartmann here:

Remember the US Airways Flight 1549 that crash landed in the Hudson River?  Can  you imagine what it must have been like to hear the captain say "Brace for impact."?  Ric Elias was on that flight and in this five minute video from TED Ric shares the three things he learned that day. 

I'm sharing this video with you because I want you to think about what is most important to you.

How would an experience like Ric's change the way you show up as a leader?

Today, in the United States of America we honor the great work of Dr. Martin Luther King.  Dr. King shared a powerful vision and inspired amazing teamwork among diverse people to create a better world.  Thank you Dr. King.

What do people who were once paid to be creative for a living do when they’re laid off? They get creative with their own lives.

Lemonade is an inspirational film about 16 advertising professionals who lost their jobs and found their calling, encouraging people to listen to that little voice inside their head that asks, “What if?”

If you lead creative people or are building a team of creative people, how best to lead them?  Find out HERE.

View a 2 minute preview of this inspirational documentary below.

CLICK HERE to watch the full movie for free HERE on Hulu.com

Oprah just finished a fantastic 10-week webinar on a must-read personal and leadership development book entitled "A New Earth -- Awakening To Your Life's Purpose" by Eckhart Tolle.

If you've had a desire to become a more conscious leader then download and listen to (or watch) all 10 sessions for free HERE.

In A New Earth, author Eckhart Tolle shows how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world.

Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence.

A New Earth is a profoundly spiritual manifesto for a better way of life—and for building a better world.

Building a better world is what leadership is all about.

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete just about continuously in marathon races.  And if they're not in a marathon they are in a triathlon.  Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.

It's a remarkable record of exertion -- all the more so when you consider that Rick can't walk or talk.

For the past twenty five years or more Dick, who is 65, has pushed and pulled his son across the country and over hundreds of finish lines.  When Dick runs, Rick is in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing.  When Dick cycles, Rick is in the seat-pod from his wheelchair, attached to the front of the bike.  When Dick swims, Rick is in a small but heavy, firmly stabilized boat being pulled by Dick.

At Rick's birth in 1962 the umbilical cord coiled around his neck and cut off oxygen to his brain.  Dick and his wife, Judy, were told that there would be no hope for their child's development.

"It’s been a story of exclusion ever since he was born. When he was eight months old the doctors told us we should just put him away — he’d be a vegetable all his life, that sort of thing. Well those doctors are not alive any more, but I would like them to be able to see Rick now."

What are some lessons here for teams and those who lead teams?

• When things look tough you still get to choose how you will respond.
• 100% dedication to your teammates can be an inspiration to others.
• Listening to the well-meaning advice of "experts" will not necessarily give you the life you desire.

Here's a heart warming video of Team Hoyt that's been viewed on YouTube over 8 million times.

Here's a video of "The Balloon Man" visiting a nursing home that will likely touch your heart.

Are you clear about why you're here?

Do you know what it means to be living your personal mission (life purpose)?

Is your team clear about how their personal mission aligns with the organization's mission?

I can help you and your team get clear.  Contact me to learn how.

My friend and fellow teamwork trainer Shawn Nevins has produced a fascinating film entitled "Closer Than Close -- A Portrait of Seeking And Finding Our True Self".

"Closer than Close" is a spiritual cinema documentary that investigates the spiritual search – the search for the essential questions of human life...

Is there an eternal part of ourselves?

What has lasting meaning?

Where do we find certainty?

Rather than philosophical discussion, Shawn's documentary explores the possibility of living a life devoted to a search for answers, and the radical possibility that answers exist, closer than we can imagine, within our selves.

When an individual (team member) becomes clear on (awakens to) their True Self magic happens.  Organizations also benefit from clarity.  And you'll find true power when the individual team members are aligned with the mission and vision of the organization.

Watch this  clip from Shawn's film:

What is the relationship between teamwork and spirituality?

Why is it that teaching team skills through experiential learning activities (games, simulations, etc.) that people learn at a deeper, more heart centered level?

What will happen when we come together as one on a global level?  What will be different?

I answered these questions and more when Linda Pannell of ConsciousAlliances.com interviewed me for her TeleSeminar series entitled "Healing The Heart of the Earth and Her Children". 

CLICK HERE to listen to the 60 minute interview (mp3 file).

Teams are made up of individuals who, when they are fully living their passion, share their unique gifts so that all may prosper.

It's a paradox. 

We are all One.  We are all connected.

And yet...

We are separate.  (at least it appears that way)

How to explain this paradox?  Check out this amazing and GIANT piece of art.  Look very carefully at the small pieces (squares) and you'll discover each square is it's own picture.  All pieces are unique and when assembled just right (when the pieces work as a team) a beautiful picture emerges.

CLICK HERE to view this picture and be able to click on the smaller pictures to see what's really going on.

Are you looking for an opportunity to bring your team together as One?  Do you want your team members to get clear on their talents and gifts so they can more fully contribute to the team effort?  I can help you.  Contact me to schedule a time to talk about your needs, goals and dreams.

I've been teaching teambuilding since 1986 and if there is one clear truth I've seen demonstrated over and over again it's this...

We are amazing creative beings and when we come together (work together as one) our power is magnified ten fold.

TeachMeTeamwork.com member Niek van Duivenbooden in the Netherlands points us to an amazing and delightful movie event to be held in venues around the world on the weekend of April 5-6, 2008.

Here's what the movie website says:

For the first time a major spiritual film release is being combined with a worldwide prayer vigil focused on shifting the planetary consciousness.

Join millions of people from every corner of the globe in learning the most powerful manifestation tool in the history of the world. Then on one momentous day we'll use the code to promote peace and compassion for all beings through over 1000 gatherings worldwide.

This is the chance for humanity to use the Law of Attraction to create peace on the deepest level.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

How does a team get from where they are to where they want to be?

How does a team make the shift from good to great?

Dr. Joe Vitale says

The secret to getting what you want is to totally appreciate this moment. When you are grateful for this moment, then whatever is next for you will bubble up out of this moment. You'll be inspired to take action of some sort.

Vitale says his favorite line these days is

"I'm totally satisfied, I just want more."

The key to success (individual or team) is to want more without NEEDING more.

Read Joe's entire post on this subject HERE.  It's worth your time.

I interviewed Joe Vitale in November 2006 about his book The Attractor Factor.  Listen to the audio interview with Joe Vitale HERE

In a recent post on his blog, James Ray asks "Does God Want You to be Rich or Poor?" 

This got me thinking...

Does God want your team to be rich or poor?  To prosper or be impoverished?

Like James Ray, I believe the answer to this question is ... BOTH.

Both?

How could this be the answer? 

God wants whatever you (and your team) want.

You and your team are creating your experience. 

You create your experience by what you habitually focus on.

What you habitually focus on is what God wants for you.

James Ray explains...

Quantum physics proves that we create and attract whatever is the focus of our attention. If you focus your energy and attention on poverty and make it righteous, that's how it is in your world. Conversely, if you focus your energy and attention on prosperity, more of that energy will flow to you.

A team's focus and attention is - primarily - determined by the questions they ask themselves on a habitual basis. 

For example, when the team encounters a major challenge and then habitually asks disempowering questions like:

"Why does this always happen to us?"
"Whose fault is this?"
"How are we going to survive this?"

Then the team will find itself creating MORE of these types of experiences.

Conversely, if the team chose to focus their attention on the positive by asking questions like:

"Where is the opportunity in this situation?"
"What can we learn from this?"
"How can we use this to grow stronger as a team?"

Then, because the team's focus is on their desired outcome (opportunity, continuous learning, team strength) they will attract MORE of that.

God (Spirit, Universe, etc.) wants for us what we want for ourselves.

This Universal Law is often referred to as the "Law of Attraction".  You can learn about this law in the movie entitled "The Secret".  Also, Dr. Joe Vitale writes about this law in his book entitled "The Attractor Factor" (CLICK HERE to listen to the audio interview with Dr. Vitale).

So the question I have for you is...

What experience is your team creating?

I receive lots of emails from people who have problems with their team and they want to know how to fix them.

The place to start with anything in your life (including problems) is to have gratitude.  Be thankful for the situation you are experiencing.  Know that the situation is perfect and so is your desire to change it.

Whenever I experience some kind of difficulty -- whether it's locking my keys in my car or the sound system going out during my workshop -- I respond with gratitude.  Responding in this way can be a challenge for me sometimes and yet this is my goal - - to respond with gratitude.   

Why would I be thankful for locking my keys out of my car?

This is a tricky one.  I'm not really thankful for locking my keys out of my car so much as I'm thankful for the lesson or gift this event brings me.  You see, I choose to believe I am responsible for everything in my life (listen to my interview with Dr. Vitale) AND everything serves me in some way.

So let's apply this to real life...

I locked my keys out of my car while on vacation in Hawaii a few years ago.  I called AAA to get my rental car unlocked and they said it would take an hour or two to get someone to the car (I was in a remote area).  My wife and I decided this was a good thing and that there must be someone close by that we needed to meet.  So we started looking.

We walked in a couple of shops and then it happened.  We had a great conversation with a shop owner who shared a secret place where sea turtles came in each evening to eat seaweed in a secluded bay.  He encouraged us to take our snorkeling gear down to swim with the sea turtles - -  and we did!  It was pure magic. Had I not locked my keys in the car we would have never found out about the secret sea turtle snorkeling spot.

Start with gratitude.  Know that everything serves you in some way.  Look for the blessing and you will find it.

Check out this cool flash movie about gratitude.  Click here

Is your group ready to take on the most difficult team challenge you have?  Are they really going to “get” the advanced distinction or model you have to share with them?

As a team leader or teamwork coach, you need to deliver a message that is within reach of your team.  If the message is too far out it will get lost. 

Think of a six-year-old in first grade.  If you introduce math to him by starting off with advanced calculus, it’s highly likely he will be lost.  The six-year-old just isn’t ready for it.

If a group operates at a level 1 (low) and all your material is level 10 then the group will likely have difficulty getting your message.  They may only be able to make the jump to level 3 or 4 and then have to sit with that for a month or two before they are ready for the next jump to level 6 or 7. 

How can you determine where the group is along their path of development so you can design your training to match their growth needs?

First thing, and this is important, is wherever the group is along their path, its perfect AND they can choose at anytime to evolve/progress/move forward.  Healthy teams enjoy the challenge and the rewards of evolving.

There are several assessments I use to determine where a group is along their path of development and the one I want to share with you now is called the "Path of Development" (clever name, huh?).  This assessment was originally created for an individual however it also works for teams. 

Download path_of_development_assmnt.pdf

As you’ll see, there are six stages of development:
1. Restoration Stage
2. Personal Foundation Stage
3. Adult Stage
4. Attraction Stage
5. Fulfillment Stage
6. Legacy Stage (the most advanced stage)

The length of time a team has been together does not necessarily reflect where they are along their path of development.  There are many well-established teams that are at the Personal Foundation Stage (and may remain there for the life of the team). 

One way to determine the stage of the team is to administer the assessment to all the team members.  Compile the data from all of the individual assessments and average the scores and you’ll get a clear sense of where the team is along their path of development.

If your content is designed for a team at the Legacy Stage but the team is actually at the Restoration Stage then you’ve got problems.  Conversely, if your material is designed for teams at the Restoration Stage and you are trying to sell it to a team at the Legacy Stage then you’ve got problems.  Knowing where the team is along their path of development will help you design your training event to meet the needs of the team.

Moving along the Path of Development takes dedication from the team and the team leader.  It’s not possible to move quickly along this path just like it’s not possible to grow corn quickly.  A short (1-3 day) workshop is only the beginning.  The team must commit to a long-term (6 months to 12 months) plan, which involves team and individual coaching most of which is delivered via telephone.  The coaching program is designed to help the team members make significant progress along the path – and this is important – they progress together.  As the individuals progress so will the team as a whole.  The benefits to this approach are remarkable, both for the individual and the team.

If you lead a team and you want to find out more about my team coaching program send me an email and we can schedule a time to talk.