​B​OLD RESEARCH

When you think about a tree in Colorado, it might not sound like a model for running a business, but nature always has lessons to offer us. One of these is growing deep roots through collaboration.
Last fall, I was in the Rocky Mountains when I noticed something amazing. Across the slopes, the aspens were changing color in unison, as if they followed a single pattern. As I saw the trees turn from green to gold, I wondered how they did it.

Executives and managers today are increasingly acknowledging that laughter is good not only for personal health and well-being, but for career success and overall workplace wellness as well. Around the office, laughter can motivate and facilitate team building, improve stress management, and increase productivity and morale.

Executives and managers today are increasingly acknowledging that laughter is good not only for personal health and well-being, but for career success and overall workplace wellness as well. Around the office, laughter can motivate and facilitate team building, improve stress management, and increase productivity and morale.

Closed in the Executive Committee meeting room, Jim and Ron found themselves head-to-head, locked in a crucial disagreement over how to take the business forward given the latest financial results and the threat of a full blown strike at the factory. The room had become a war zone on one side of the table, and a scattering of quiet observers on the other.

With organizations and individuals so fervently focused on the bottom line, it’s easy to ignore “softer” goals, such as listening well. All that touchy-feeling stuff is a waste of my time, you might say or think when the pressure is on.On the contrary! A focus on listening can lead to more effective teamwork, higher productivity, fewer conflicts and errors