Our discussion this week focused on communication. The reading assignments discussed the need of employees to collaborate in order to maximize the effectiveness of today's organizations. I was a huge fan of The West Wing and a quote used in that show came up in the reading:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
I like what the reading had to say about putting together strong teams and motivating them through common goals. Within the framework of collaboration and teams, my discussion with Dan focused on interpersonal dynamics. This is the area that received little attention but my experience suggests its the biggest obstacle to success. Even outside of removing personal agendas, removing barriers to effective communication and getting everyone on the same page ... there is still the fact that some people just don't seem to like each other. It doesn't mean they can't work together, but it's not a recipe for a great team either. Dan emphasized how critical communication is in those instances and we talked about examples from my past, identifying areas when the communication wasn't as effective as it needed to be.
So it seems like everything comes back to communication. I think my mom told me that when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure my wife says this all the time. One of these times I'm going to start listening.
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