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Teri And Keri

I walked into my meeting with the marketing team, and you could feel it; they didn’t want to be there. Tension was in the air. This was my first meeting with them, and I immediately had concerns. Something was going on, but I wasn’t sure what it was.

One thing I knew for sure: Teri – who had been on the team for years - was a very difficult human. While most of her team sat near the front of the small conference room, she sat in the back next to the door. The physical distance between Teri and her teammates mirrored the emotional distance. Her body language screamed, “I am miserable,” and her tone and choice of words only reinforced this message.

Organizational CultureMolly GrishamFebruary 13, 2024CultureComment

Monkeys, a Ladder, and One Banana

“And why do you do it that way?"

Silence.

Eventually, the Executive Director spoke up. "Well, that's just the way we do it. We've always done it that way. That's what works for us." I watched as others in the room smiled and slowly nodded their heads.

I paused and replied, "But is this actually working for you?"

I've had this same conversation with countless clients. Sometimes it's a corporate leader, a non-profit executive director, a college coach, an entrepreneur, or an educator. The reality is, we all get sucked into a world of unquestionable patterns and comfortable routines.

Organizational CultureMolly GrishamNovember 27, 2023CultureComment

Do Hard With

Over the last few months, I have experienced a feeling that I cannot shake. The truth is, it is more than just a gut feeling or a hunch. As a systems thinker, I have noticed some shifts and patterns that lead me to believe a change is coming.

This may sound like a bold statement, but I believe we are on the verge of a cultural awakening. Everything in my being says that in a few hundred years, stories will be told about this era. This time in history may have a recognizable name, much like the Age of Enlightenment or the Industrial Revolution. I believe there will be a clear way to mark the beginning and ending of the season we are in.

Culture, peronal growthMolly GrishamFebruary 19, 2023CultureComment

The Canaries

Time is an interesting thing. I would panic if you told me I had to get my blood drawn for 10 minutes. However, if you told me I would get a massage for 10 minutes, I would be disappointed.

If I had an upcoming flight and my ticket said it would take 31 hours to travel from St. Louis to South Florida, I would look for a new travel agent, but a 31-hour trip from St. Louis to South Africa sounds exciting.

So, was the year 1633 a long time ago? Compared to my time on Earth, yes. Compared to the dinosaur footprints I once visited in Bolivia, 1633 does not seem so long ago.

Organizational CultureMolly GrishamJanuary 20, 2023CultureComment

High-Performing Teams Do This Well

Over the past three months, clients – in a variety of industries – have expressed an interest in a session called “Developing High Performing Teams.” While discussing this option, I typically hear something like, “We really like each other, but things are hard right now. We have a lot of new team members, too many vacancies, and most of us are not in the office full-time. We feel stuck.”

I love helping groups discover what their stuckness is rooted in.

Last week, I had two separate clients ask two different - yet similar - questions. One asked, “What have you noticed that high-performing teams consistently do?”

Culture, team buildingMolly GrishamOctober 31, 2022CultureComment

Absolute Understanding

I was standing in line waiting to board my flight when I first noticed him. He was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, a USA hat, and holding a long white cane. He was a few feet away from me in the area where the pre-board passengers had gathered.

Another woman soon joined him. She asked why he had been traveling. He shared that he had been on the east coast trying out for the USA Hockey Team.

Her jaw dropped.

Culture, peronal growthMolly GrishamAugust 22, 2022personal growth, CultureComment

Anchors Aweigh

A few months ago, the President of a successful company reached out to me. He shared the following, “The ship is sinking. We need help!” He told me their industry was rapidly transforming but his people were not onboard with doing things differently. He wanted guidance from a neutral, outside party, and he was hoping my skills could be of use.

After listening to him, I asked a very direct question, “What will happen if your company doesn’t change?”

leadership development, CultureMolly GrishamAugust 7, 2022leadership development, CultureComment

The Things that Haunt Us

For several decades, a friend group of mine has talked about visiting Waverly Hills in Louisville. Waverly Hills – a former sanatorium – is believed to be haunted. They offer late-night group tours as well as overnight paranormal experiences. For the last 20 years, we were big talkers, but that all changed last weekend.

From 1910 to 1961 Waverly Hills – with over 400 beds – was home to Tuberculous patients. The campus was designed as a self-contained community. They grew produce and raised animals to be slaughtered, had laundry facilities, and well as a water treatment plant. The grounds included their own post office and unique zip code.

CultureMolly GrishamJuly 20, 2022CultureComment

The Other Side of the Fence

When I hear someone say that language is the most powerful path for human connection, I cringe. I have a visceral reaction to those words. For that statement to be true, two people must speak the same language. An English speaker and a Portuguese speaker are going to face some challenges in connecting through language.

team buildingMolly GrishamMarch 20, 2022teambuilding, Culture, leadershipComment

Organizational Culture & Warning Flags

I recently enjoyed an extended stay at the beach. My Airbnb had a balcony that overlooked the ocean and each morning I would take note of the Beach Warning Flag that flew near the shoreline. Since my condo was filled with information about the “Beach Warning Flag System” it seemed like this was something I should pay close attention to.

CultureMolly GrishamFebruary 20, 2022CultureComment

Tour Guide Tim, Wildfires, & Conflict Resolution

I recently visited the Grand Canyon and its surrounding area for the very first time. It was really hard to take in all that I was seeing so I was grateful that we had a talented and seasoned tour guide. Tim was exactly what you would expect from a tour guide. While of retirement age, he dressed like an REI model, wore a bucket hat, believed that shaving was optional, and was slightly eccentric in his desire to share his knowledge with strangers.

CultureMolly GrishamJuly 26, 2021CultureComment

Building Culture with Fences or Wells

If you and I have ever had a conversation about building culture you know that I believe there are three very specific components to the process: the people, the boundaries, and the stories we tell.

One of my favorite mental pictures to share about building cultural boundaries is that we can choose between fences and wells

Culture, leadership developmentMolly GrishamApril 3, 2021leadership, CultureComment

Team Building is Relationship Building

As I walked into the room a smile came over my face. I was thrilled with the space we were going to be working in that day. There was a lot of natural light, bright colors on the walls, and all the furniture was on rollers which meant we could design and redesign the room as the day unfolded.

Culture, peronal growth, team buildingMolly GrishamSeptember 4, 2020Culture, leadership development, personal growthComment

Love Changes People, People Change the Culture

Recently a client of mine asked me to do some work in the Bahamas – that was a very easy “yes!” We spent about a week on a small Caribbean island with a population of 1,900 people. The island was a few miles long and just a few hundred feet wide.

leadership development, CultureMolly GrishamJanuary 15, 2020leader, leadership, Culture Comment

One Degree

I have a friend who has experienced several difficult years in a row, in fact, it might be closer to a decade of struggles. During this season of life, she shifted into survival mode, but now she is beginning to find herself and is moving toward a healthier place.

inspiration, peronal growthMolly GrishamMarch 26, 2019Culture, teamwork, personal growth Comment

Creating success; micro choices

I like to workout, but I really like working out at night; I sleep better, I clear my head from a full day, and there aren’t too many people at the gym. I should also share that I LOVE doing cardio workouts! My gym has a lot of cardio options and I feel so alive when I do 60 minutes of cardio.

Molly GrishamDecember 11, 2018Culture, teambuilding, leadership, leadership development