Why can't they all just get along?

Great teams are made, not born, and a well-functioning team is a joy to behold. Unfortunately, the reality of most teams pales in comparison to that joyful vision. We often find it difficult to define what's missing in a team that misses the mark. As always, the answer is about the people, not the technology. And the most important player is the person in the position of leadership. No matter how empowered the team, it's up to the leader to set the stage and invite the team members to step fearlessly onto it.

At Wolf Consulting we understand that teambuilding is an art, not a science. We work with leaders to create a nurturing atmosphere for effective teams. This includes valuable strategies to create a practical language around setting expectations between the leader and the team. Then we work together with the team and leader to foster open and honest communications to support team empowerment.

Diane Vasarkovy's four decades of experience successfully leading teams gives her the ability to quickly assess the underlying causes of team dysfunction and help establish a path back to optimum health. Her style draws out individuals and groups to give frank attention to the soft skills that are the key ingredient of team success. To find out more, simply call for a free initial hour of consultation.

You've been asked to reserve two entire days on your calendar next month for an offsite planning session, and it's not optional. What to do first? Slit your wrists? Plan to be ill? Refill your Valium prescription? There isn't one of us who hasn't wasted valuable time in less than productive meetings or planning sessions. Why is it that ordinarily productive people suddenly become ineffectual and sluggish when they get in a group? And then paralysis sets in. If a discussion seems like action to your group, you may want to rethink how you invest your organizations time in group settings.

More often than not it's worth your while to invest in an aggressive, neutral meeting facilitator. When the stakes are high, (10 executives x 8 hours x 2 days = a lot of money!) you can be assured that you will get the meeting results you are looking for. Highly skilled in herding cats toward a session objective, Diane Vasarkovy of Wolf Consulting is adept at bringing out the more quiet group members and corralling the noisy ones. Diane will push to uncover basic principles in issues in order to come to consensus. And she does this with a focused presence to create an atmosphere of respect.

Diane is available for very short-term engagements, so protecting your meeting investment is not costly. She can help you plan and set up the session to open and promote lines of communication, or just show up to facilitate. More importantly, Diane can help you organize the output of the session into a cohesive working document. All the while, utilizing proven facilitation techniques to encourage collaboration and feedback to get you the results you need. Even better, at Wolf Consulting we work with a guarantee. If your participants dont feel that their time was well spent, there will be no charge to you.

Diane has been facilitating groups in the private and public sectors for more than 20 years. Subject matter doesnt matter, this is a process of getting people to a result. And as a leader, wouldn't you prefer to participate in your planning session rather than being up at the front with a whip and a chair?