This section was particularly effective as it shows that independent thought will be discouraged due to the group consenses. Alternatives must always be considered.

Must your vision as a leader always be long term? Can you have a motivating short term vision?

I've found that cliques form small pockets of groupthink where in the stronger individual takes the role of the leader and the weaker in the groups suffer the fallout of groupthink. What are some ways to break up small pockets of groupthink and promote individuality?

How do you prevent open team discussion from appearing to be a personal attack, especially if there are multiple complaints regarding one team member?

Building a contingency plan by increasing the number of adjunct faculty has created a stabilizing factor with faculty and increased my flexibility with schedule.

I have found that by seeking input from the team, they are more receptive to a needed change. It also forces me to move slower.I learned this lesson the hard way, by seeing a need and making an immediate change which was then not received well.

If we notice that one person in lacking in participation, what is the best way to handle this without having to single that person out?

I have a wonderful team of three that at times get negative and unproductive. It is a constant battle to keep them motivated because of negativity. As the leader, it is difficult to repeatedly break down why some things are the way that they are and why we have influence over certain things where other things are gravity. What are some ways that you keep a team motivated?

I have been working in the admissions department for 4 years and I recently got promoted to manager. I am worried the department will not take me seriously and it will be hard to get them to respect me as their manager. Any suggestions?

As an RN in the hospital,I always walked at a quick pace. I have continued this habit as a new program director. I noticed most of my peers do not share this habit. Should I continue this habit or blend in?

After developing the project team I found it very important to get the team together to develop "team norms" to ensure that everybody was on board. One of the main objectives of these norms was to be able to hold each member accountable for his or her responsibilities towards the overall success of the project. All "norms" were created in a group setting with all members present. The norms were base on the main objective of the project as well. Has anyone else ever used this type of approach and how effective did they find it?

Leadership begins with self-leadership. Until you know who you are, your purpose, your strengths and talents, you cannot be authentic. Authenticity is the opposite of ambiguity.

In a team meeting, before we got started I put a blank sheet of paper on the tables in front of my team with instructions they were not to turn them over, write on them or touch them. They found that difficult. At the end of the meeting I then gave them the same instructions with the exception that they were to pick up the paper and ball it up. I picked up a trash can and put it in the middle of the floor and told them that from where they were they were to toss the paper in the trash can. Some missed, under threw, over threw or didn't get close. They laughed at each ones try. The purpose was to show them that we all have differences and ways of getting to where we need to be but in the end we will all end in the same direction. This created a lot of laughter, conversation amongest themselves (allowing those who never talk to anyone to open up to them) at the end of the meeting and it carried on long after. They seemed to have enjoyed it.

Often times during a meeting a "bunny trail" may begin between 2 members of the group. By using the parking lot method, the team members know the "bunny trail" may be addressed at the next meeting and we are able to move on without appearing to trivialize any potentially valuable thoughts.

The concept of breaking down a decision into smaller pieces was very helpful in our team going forward with a huge project. The project involved personal accountability of each member in order for the project to be completed accurately. How do you set appropriate time limits for each team member as some have different work loads but all need to complete their "piece" project?

Any tips on how to avoid 'group think' in project teams - particularly within smaller companies that tend to lack the diversity of larger firms?

The concept of breaking down a decision into smaller pieces was very helpful.

When a manager shows favoritism to one team member, the other team members will notice. This could have a negative impact on the overall team's comradery and productivity. Any thoughts?

We have multiple managers in our department and during meetings they make decisions without knowing all the facts or being on the same page. This is very concerning to faculty. How can managers avoid confusion when creating a meeting agenda?

In my opinion meetings should only take place when they are necessary. Managers & line level employees should be communicating daily, in person and/or by email. Having a meeting only because "it's meeting day" take away from regular operations & that never works well.