Hitting the Mark

Have you ever experienced a communication breakdown that resulted in lost time, resources or deceased motivation and energy? Of course you have; we’ve all been there.

Somewhere during the conversation you realized that you were totally missing the mark with your audience, or vice versa. Even worse, you may have had no real idea of how to fix it! How frustrating.


The reality is we all live and work in a world full of people with different perspectives and approaches. To simplify the complexity, people in each of the four imapMyTeam quadrants perceive things differently.   Unless you learn to adjust your communication style you may be miscommunicating with a lot of people!

Look at your team dynamics grid and match your diamond symbol [strengths] to the rest of the teams circle [needs].  Your strengths represent your usual approach, while their needs will give you insight to how they are likely to perceive your message.

All of these different methods of communicating, listening and processing information could be overwhelming. But imapMyTeam gives you a number of ways to help adjust to what works with your colleagues.

There are two reports found at imapMyTeam.com that can be incredibly useful for you to begin to properly frame conversations with others. ‘How to Talk with Them’ and ‘What to Avoid with Them.’

Better communication, faster results, lower stress. The result you want from every communication…now that is what we call ‘Hitting the Mark!’ 

Lessons from the World Cup

Over the last month, the world has been focused on the drama known as the World Cup in Brazil. 32 teams from around the world came to compete. Much like the Olympics, players brought their honed skills to represent their respective national teams. The best coaches were also assembled to coordinate the talent. It’s not just the “Cup” at stake, its national pride on the world stage and the players are motivated.

Sunday’s showdown between Germany and Argentina for the World Cup Title was not unlike many of the elimination games leading up to this championship game. Victory did not come easily; overtime was needed to determine the winner. In the end it came down to every person on each of the teams contributing at the highest level, in concert with the teammates, for an extended amount of time. Commitment to a coordinated team effort is what made it difficult to score and yet possible for everything to click for a few seconds of outstanding individual effort which resulted in a single goal giving the victory to Germany.

Often it may seem to you the work your team has been tasked to perform is on the world stage; sometimes it really is.  Regardless, bringing your best to work every day and knowing something about how to support others on your team doing their best will help you position your team for success.

What lessons did the World Cup teach us?

• Coaches are important to get outstanding individual players working as a unit.
• You need a game plan, a system and practice to make it work.
• You need everyone’s commitment and belief in that system to deliver the outcome you seek.

The newly refreshed version of the imapMyTeam.com application will provide the quick insights needed for you and your team to coach each other, remain focused and motivated to your organizations plans and keep each person committed and contributing at the highest levels.

When you bring your very best to the workplace each day, you play a vital role in the team achieving success.

Multi-Generational Workforce

I have been struck by the seemingly never ending stream of articles and training made available declaring the best way to successfully manage in a multi-generational workforce – as if this is a new phenomenon. Multiple generations working together is far from new; after all, as long as there has been work, there have been workers representing multiple generations side by side in the workplace.

This weekend it all crystalized for me when the perfect analogy for understanding the power of a multi-generational workforce presented itself.

As a country we just celebrated our Independence Day – a prime example of a multi-generational work effort. 238 years ago on July 4^th, 1776 a group of 56 men aged 26 to 70 signed the Declaration of Independence. This group worked side by side to create something they believed in. They showed leadership and character in the face of serious consequences for their actions.

Fast forward to 2014 and we often have the same 44 year age spread coming together to work on something they too believe in, be it a product or a service.

Despite the aforementioned articles and training about how to ‘deal’ with multi-generation workforces and identified demographic differences among Traditionals, Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Millennials they still all have something in common.

All generations have motivational needs that must be met and are not necessarily well defined by the demographic by which they are labeled.

imapMyTeam.com helps you understand the motivational needs of others, regardless of whether they are 26 or 70 and we categorize them as a Boomer or a Millennial.


Your people want meaningful work. Give that to them as well as provide them with the support they need to thrive. Use the insights you have in imapMyTeam and you can accomplish great things too! 

 Why Change Is Good

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies."

- Author Unknown

Many of you develop a semi love-hate relationship with change.

Of course you love change you create; after all the choice was yours.  However when change is externally imposed people begin to react differently. Some roll with imposed change and easily adapt while others are far less enamored with the sudden change and want to change it back.

Today we’ve changed something that you may have been very comfortable with; imapMyTeam.

When you next login you will see different layouts, colors, reports – but among all of the changes you can still rely on the solid foundation of the product. You get the same quality insights to behavior and relationships that you have come to count on. So we are offering change and progress, but also providing some stability.

Back to the love-hate scenario and why change is good. If something stays stagnant too long you would never learn anything new. You might get bored. Nobody wants to be there.

Change is good because it makes you flexible, it brings possibilities and it helps you grow.

The new imapMyteam is designed for your continued growth and success.

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living."

- Gail Sheehy