Makarios Consulting Blog

Author: Timothy I. Thomas and Rip Tilden

Conflict: High-performing Teams Are Willing to Enter the Ring

When you think about a high-performing team, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not “This is a place where conflict happens.” Most people assume that the absence of conflict makes for a high-performing team. In a twist of irony, the opposite is actually the truth. Patrick Lencioni, in his book The Five… Continue reading Conflict: High-performing Teams Are Willing to Enter the Ring

Accountability: A Positive Word for High-Performing Teams

More concerns and complaints have been raised about accountability among our clients than perhaps any other area of leadership. The theme of these concerns and complaints is always the same: accountability is about punishment, confrontation, failure, and blame. Yet, high-performing teams invariably practice accountability. The team members consistently hold themselves and each other accountable. And… Continue reading Accountability: A Positive Word for High-Performing Teams

Understanding Roles: Clarity Is Key for High-Performing Teams

High-performing teams all have this in common: everyone understands each team member’s role. It is so easy to say … and so hard to do. We have found in our work that teams are frequently plagued with problems when it comes to knowing who is supposed to do what. Roles on the team may be… Continue reading Understanding Roles: Clarity Is Key for High-Performing Teams

Feedback: The “Secret Sauce” of High-performing Teams

In our “top ten” list of characteristics that define high-performing teams, providing appreciative and constructive feedback is always a tough one to actualize. When it comes to appreciative feedback that recognizes a job well done and seeks to encourage repeat behavior, many people dismissively figure that “it goes without saying” or “no news is good… Continue reading Feedback: The “Secret Sauce” of High-performing Teams

Trust: The Foundation of High-performing Teams

In our first blog in this series, we shared our “top ten” list of characteristics that define high-performing teams. Now, it’s time to get down to business and talk about each of those characteristics in greater depth so you can take action to improve your team’s performance. We start with the foundation that all the… Continue reading Trust: The Foundation of High-performing Teams

10 Characteristics of High-performing Teams

There are times when a certain person says something and no one can say it better. This quote from Patrick Lencioni in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable falls into that category: “Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so… Continue reading 10 Characteristics of High-performing Teams