Team Building in Australia

Team Building Australia: Team Building in Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 8 Jul 2016 15:54:00 -0700

Team Building Australia: Team Building in Sydney: Team Building Sydney Team Building in Sydney is simply fantastic, and as the top teamwork company in Sydney and the surrounding ...

Team Building Australia: Team Building in Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 8 Jul 2016 15:54:00 -0700

Team Building Australia: Team Building in Sydney: Team Building Sydney Team Building in Sydney is simply fantastic, and as the top teamwork company in Sydney and the surrounding ...

Teambuilding comes to Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 2 Jul 2016 13:07:00 -0700

Teambuilding Singapore now delivering new and exiting programs and team events to teams in South East Asia - based in Singapore, registered and fully operational, check out www.teambuildingsingapore.com.sg for more ideas on our team-building activities in the region.www.teambuildingsingapore.com.sg

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 1 Jul 2016 15:52:00 -0700

We offer many types of programs, from teambuilding sessions to more focused workshop based, these too can include sessions that aim on key objectives. Our policy is to focus on designing sessions that meet your business, team and individuals needs.

Our approach is put together an example agenda, with sessions and activities that offer learning, development and interaction. Plus we always allow teams to reflect on their learning's and share understandings through de-briefs.

Prior to sending info is their anything in specific you had in mind? Team building covers a broad range, each organization is different, so the style of learning needs to be different, to help me understand your needs I have a few questions:

How soon is your event?

How many will take part?

Will you require transportation and a venue with food / lunch (Halal and other needs)?

Where would you like the activity to take place?

Time constraints - how long will you have available and what other scheduled items will we need to work around on the day?

Themes you would like to work to?

Whether the activity has formal team-building objectives or is just to give your employees and colleagues a bit of bonding and inspiration away from the office?

www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au/home

Team Building Australia: Team Building Model

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 1 Jul 2016 15:52:00 -0700

Team Building Australia: Team Building Model: The following F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may se...

Teambuilding australia

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 18:07:00 -0700

http://youtu.be/gAPiSz5GS3Q

Teambuilding australia

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 18:07:00 -0700

http://youtu.be/gAPiSz5GS3Q

Teambuilding - A good Team

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 May 2016 20:35:00 -0700

Characteristics of a good team and team member

Sponsored by Teambuilding Australia

Characteristics of a good team

-Everyone participates actively and positively in meetings and projects.

-Team goals are understood by everyone.

-Individual members have thought hard about creative solutions to the problem.

-Members are carefully listened to and receive thoughtful feedback.

-Everyone takes initiative to get things done.

-Each teammate trusts the judgement of the others.

-The team is willing to take risks.

-Everyone is supportive of the project and of others.

-There is plenty of communication between team members.

-Team decisions are made using organized, logical methods.

-Full team acceptance is expected as decisions are made.

-Dissenting opinions are recorded, and may be revisited if future situations dictate.

-Team goals are given realistic time frames.

-Everyone is focused on the ultimate goal of the project, while also digging into the underlying details.

Characteristics of a good team member

-Works for consensus on decisions

-Shares openly and authentically with others regarding personal feelings, opinions, thoughts, and perceptions about problems and conditions

-Involves others in the decision-making process

-Trusts, supports, and has genuine concern for other team members.

-"Owns" problems rather than blaming them on others

-When listening, attempts to hear and interpret communication from other's points of view

-Influences others by involving them in the issue(s)

- Encourages the development of other team members

-Respects and is tolerant of individual differences

-Acknowledges and works through conflict openly

-Considers and uses new ideas and suggestions from others

-Encourages feedback on own behavior

-Understands and is committed to team objectives.

-Does not engage in win/lose activities with other team members

-Has skills in understanding what's going on in the group

Teambuilding Australia can be contacted through www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

Corporate Training is not just Team Building.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 1 Jul 2015 16:41:00 -0700

Many think that a corporate training program will actual create a team, or build a team to be greater. Well, this not necessary the case. Training should be delivered to address a purpose and to attempt to 'kill two birds with one stone' can cause confusion, lower the quality of the program and miss the mark - its a risk to try to conquer too much in a training agenda.

Corporate Training really focuses on the business needs and courses to address specifics, the theory aspect of the topic, yet sometimes miss the practical implication and illustration of the outcome, teaching groups about computer skills or products, service technics etc. Team Building is more general, an experience allows the team to see the benefit of working together, and how much better a group work when aligned as a team.

But is Team Building Corporate Training? well its not actual 'sold' as an actual skill or course, many still perceive the wording as fuzzy, or a fun 2 hour session at a conference. Allocating the spend per head still not obvious in ROI accounts - yet to spend $$$ on a Word training program is essential! Where the team could be enhanced, is send a few people on the Word Training program and allow the to cross-skill upon their return to the team - now thats a free team-building activity and a great ROI.

We know how and what is needed to create a great group to work as a unit stronger - its whether a business sees the difference and understands the priority in their needs.

Teambuilding Australia prides itself on being up front on their delivery, offering a ROI and outcome focused proposal.

Team Building in Australia: Evening Team Building Events

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 2 Jan 2015 23:28:00 -0800

Team Building in Australia: Evening Team Building Events

Creative Corporate Training that adds Colour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 2 Jan 2015 19:03:00 -0800

Team Masterpiece

Creativity is crucial for a team to succeed and Team Masterpiece will help your team get their brains working in unconventional and fun ways! Creative Corporate Training that adds Colour and a splash of fun to any dry, boring training workshop, seminar or conference.

Many individuals do not even know that they can be creative. They forget that as a child, their minds were imaginative and constantly developing new and intriguing ways to look at the world. The goal of Team Masterpiece is to draw out these forgotten places of the mind. Through the use of a professional artist, a team will develop their own artistic work. They will think creatively in a fun and unique way.

Teamwork will be developed as groups:

Create and facilitate a new dialogue

Learn more intimate details about their teammates

Remove the blocks they have developed which prevent creative thinking

Find solutions to complicated problems

Work together to create great works of art

Develop works that they thought they were incapable of

Create visual replications of the team’s values and beliefs

Relax and enjoy themselves!

Details of the Exercise:

Each individual will paint on his or her own canvas which can be collectively joined in an office or taken home by each participant

All team members will participate and be encouraged throughout the exercise

Teams will brainstorm, create ideas, and develop the pictures and images that they will create in paint

A professional artist will be provided as a resource for learning and a guide to creation

This professional will walk participants through the painting process in a step-by-step approach to learning

The artist will then look at and make some corrective strokes to the team’s works of art and then they will be framed professionally

Groups of all age ranges and various sizes can participate and find the hidden creative artist inside

If you are ready for this fun and exciting experience for your group that will have them thinking in creative ways, call us for more information at 1300226110.

Prior to participation, the program fee must be paid in full. A full deposit is required thirty days before the program is scheduled to take place. There will be a fee for any cancellations. If cancelled within fourteen days, all payments must be remitted. If cancelled within thirty days, a fifty percent fee will be assessed.

Check out: Brush Strokes - creative art team building activity

A warning, though, before you sign up: Remember that this program runs the risk of providing loads of fun and excitement while creating memories that will last a lifetime! So Creative Corporate Training that adds Colour can be essential in what may appear a 'dry' training workshop - add a splash of fun!

Team Building Australia: Team Building Following a Corporate Reorganization...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 1 Jan 2015 15:54:00 -0800

Team Building Australia: Team Building Following a Corporate Reorganization...: Team Building Following a Corporate Reorganization One of the most difficult times to promote employee relations is aft...

Team Building Australia: Team Building Model

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 1 Jan 2015 15:52:00 -0800

Team Building Australia: Team Building Model: The following F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may se...

Team Building in Australia: Creative Corporate Training that adds Colour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 19:06:00 -0700

Team Building in Australia: Creative Corporate Training that adds Colour

Team Masterpiece - Creative Team Building Activity

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 20:23:00 -0700

Team Masterpiece

Creative team building is crucial for a team to succeed and Team Masterpiece will help your team get their brains working in unconventional and fun ways!

Learn more intimate details about their teammates

Remove the blocks they have developed which prevent creative thinking

Find solutions to complicated problems

Work together to create great works of art

Develop works that they thought they were incapable of

Create visual replications of the team’s values and beliefs

Relax and enjoy themselves!

Details of the Exercise:

Each individual will paint on his or her own canvas which can be collectively joined in an office or taken home by each participant

All team members will participate and be encouraged throughout the exercise

Teams will brainstorm, create ideas, and develop the pictures and images that they will create in paint

A professional artist will be provided as a resource for learning and a guide to creation

This professional will walk participants through the painting process in a step-by-step approach to learning

If you are ready for this fun and exciting experience for your group that will have them thinking in creative ways, call us for more information at 1300226110.

A warning, though, before you sign up: Remember that this program runs the risk of providing loads of fun and excitement while creating memories that will last a lifetime!

New Team Building Game

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 22:44:00 -0800

Looking for team collaboration activity to get your team to understand the power of cohesion...

Special Ops is a high impact participative team building simulation that is Focused on strategic planning, shared missions, communications and collaboration, the exercise shares some of the main packaging and delivery features of true Team Building. We have two options, an indoor version that last 1-2 hours and an outdoor version 3-4 hours.

The exercise supports experiential learning and interactive discussions.

Special Ops! focuses on enhancing teamwork and collaboration. Teams choose a strategy with required missions and acquire information from the Command Center as well as info from other teams. They then have to put their plans into action, trusting that luck will not turn bad and their planning fails. In addition, as play continues, teams acquire new information that rewards flexibility and inter-team communications.

Special Ops!  Teams of Special Ops forces were transported to a foreign location to deal with a terrorist group which is planning a major offensive. Our mission is for squads to make their way to the enemy base, retrieve supplies as much as possible and return to base. Squads have only 18 days to get to the enemy area and back, safely.

Teams of 6-10pax have many decisions to make in their planning, including the route they wish to travel and additional training options, intelligence and/or vehicle modifications. Along the way, random events occur causing teams to improvise, adapt and collaborate with other teams in order to accomplish pre-planned objectives and other goals.

www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

Evening Team Building Events

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 23:28:00 -0700

Game Show Trivia

The Team Trivia quiz with a difference….It is a well-known that everybody enjoys a trivia quiz and this is particularly true of our interactive game show: phenomenally successful for any type of group, it can incorporate any required themes, shaping them around your requirements. Our game shows are a combination of all the best interactive participation games you’ve ever played - and one or two that you haven’t!

This is a trivia night with a difference in which teams will be required to solve puzzles and riddles, use a bit of lateral thinking and draw on all their reserves of general knowledge in order to come out on top...

http://www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au/the-trivia-challenge-i165/

New Team Building Program launched

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:46:00 -0800

Bollywood dance spectacular comes to a conference room near you.
Yes, Teambuilding Australia has launched a great new team activity for all delegates to take part in. From 20 minutes to 2 hours, with options for a night performance, teams can explore the bonding of Bollywood festivities like never before.

Ask us for more info or simply visit www.teambuilding.com.au

http://www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au/bollywood-dance-workshop-i253/

Planning a teambuilding event

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:14:00 -0700

If you have decided to have a team building for your group in order to improve their co-operation and effectiveness, then your next step is to start planning. To ensure that your event is successful it is imperative that you plan carefully, and enlist the help of a professional if you feel that this type of event planning is outside of your skill level.

Here are some areas to focus on when planning team building events:

Location

While it is obviously easiest to host your team building event in your office, there are certain advantages of having the activity take place elsewhere. For one, you will find that your employees are more engaged in the activity, as they can't be distracted by e-mails, phone calls, or clients. Being away from work also helps employees relax and may make it easier for them to step outside their normal comfort zone in order to discover new roles.

Message / Lesson

Just having a team building event isn't of much use if you don't have a specific goal to focus on. Leadership, co-operation, synergy, productivity, and team work are all great team building ideas that you can incorporate into your activity. Additionally, if you have any corporate-level messages that you want to reinforce it can also be brought into the event. If you are considering incorporating multiple messages it may be wise to hire professional help to ensure you don't send conflicting messages.

Activity

How you deliver your message is almost as important as the message itself. Luckily there are tons of fun and creative ideas for team building events. Scavenger hunts, amazing race events, sports days, climbing, painting, trivia, building or problem challenges, there is no shortage of great events to choose from - just ensure that it conveys the message you are trying to reinforce.

Timing

If your activity is going to be part of a larger conference, then you will have to consider when the event is going to take place. Usually the start or end of a conference is the best time for team building events, but if you have a multi-day conference you may want to have the activity during the middle or end of a particularly lecture-heavy day, in order to re-energize the group. Some events are also perfect for before or during dinner events, and can add more of a party atmosphere.

It can't be stressed enough how important it is to properly plan team building events - otherwise you may find all your work is for naught. If you need help, get it, as you will get much more value out of the final product - engaged and co-operative employees.

Team building Australia is Australia's leading corporate team activities provider. For more information please visit us at http://www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4294226www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

Free Ice Breaker activity for conference

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:29:00 -0700

Six Degrees of Separation

It happens all of the time: we meet someone who knows someone we know. It’s a small world, that’s for sure. The object of this game is to see how small the world really is.

First, find a partner. Introduce yourselves and make a list of five to ten things that you have in common with each other: where you went to school, year you were born, number of years with the company, food likes, sports likes, etc.
Once you have completed your first list, you must find someone else in the room that also has one of those five to ten things in common with you. When you have found that person, repeat step one and develop a new list.
Repeat step two.
Continue until you have met five other people or time is called by the facilitator.
A prize will be given to the first person able to complete the game. When you are done, let the facilitator know that you have finished.

Materials Needed

Prize

Time

Allow approximately 15 - 20 minutes for game. Once most people have finished, call time. Ask your winner to reveal his/her chain of separation by introducing those interviewed.www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

F.A.C.T.S. Team Model

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 3 Oct 2010 22:01:00 -0700

The following F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may serve as a guide for helping teams identify behaviors that support synergy within the work team.

Follow-through  One of the most common phrases heard in groups that work well together is "You can count on it." Members trust that when a colleague agrees to return a telephone call, read a report, talk to a customer, attend a meeting, or change a behavior, the job will be done. There will be follow-through. Team members are keenly aware that as part of a team, everything that they do --or don't do---impacts someone else.   

Accuracy  Another common phrase heard in effective work groups is "We do it right the first time." Accuracy, clearly a reflection of personal pride, also demonstrates a commitment to uphold the standards of the team, thus generating team pride.   

Creativity Innovation flourishes on a team when individuals feel supported by colleagues. Although taking the lead in a new order of things is risky business, such risk is greatly reduced in a cooperative environment where members forgive mistakes, respect individual differences, and shift their thinking from a point of view to a viewing point.   

Timeliness When work team members are truly cooperating they respect the time of others by turning team priorities into personal priorities, arriving for meetings on time, sharing information promptly, clustering questions for people, communicating succinctly, and asking "Is this a good time?" before initiating interactions.  

Spirit Being on a work team is a bit like being part of a family. You can't have your way all of the time, and - to add value - you must develop a generous spirit. Leaders can help work teams by addressing these "rules" of team spirit: value the individual; develop team trust; communicate openly; manage differences; share successes; welcome new members.

www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

12 steps to make a good team a great team!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 21:02:00 -0700

12 steps to make a good team great!

1. Roles An effective team will have a blend of different talents, abilities and personalities. It is important to remember that leadership is only one of many vital team roles. A balanced team generally will have thinking, supporting, doing and challenger style roles in addition to the leadership role.

2. Clear objectives and agreed goals An effective team knows the goal it is working toward. Having clear objectives and agreed goals is more than knowing what results you want. The goals of the individual must be reconciled with those of the team for effective teamwork to occur. Begin with the end in mind to scope not only where you want to go, but also what are the milestones necessary to get there.

3. Openness and confrontation In an effective team, people feel that they can state their own views, differences of opinions, interests and problems without fear of ridicule. There is no "stab in the back" mentality.

4. Support and trust This is the skeleton on which an effective team is built. Support is not sympathy, but strengthening through assistance. With trust, people can talk freely about their fears and problems - knowing that they will receive from team members the help they need to become more effective.

5. Cooperation and conflict People put the team's success before their own. Individuals trust and respect the abilities of others and are not suspicious of their motives. Conflict is also present and valued in an effective team. The team will work through an issue that causes conflict and use the result to achieve objectives. Conflict helps to avoid complacency and laziness and can often be the source of new ideas.

6. Sound procedures The effective team thinks results first and methods second, but also realises that sound and proven working methods and decision-making help to achieve results. Good procedures help ideas to be captured and worked through without being lost and also ensure optimum usage of human and material resources for a challenge. Plan well, brief well, execute well and then de-brief.

7. Appropriate leadership The best teams have leaders whose leadership style varies according to the situation and the needs of the individual group members and the group itself. In fact, the role of leader in an open and supportive team, can change from person to person as dictated by the situation. This situational form of leadership requires both the tolerance of members and the control of egos.

8. Regular review Good teams understand not only the team's character, but they also look at the way that a team works, how it arrives at decisions, deals with conflicts, etc. They then use this information to develop new methods or plans and then implement these ideas. Reviews are best when teams are willing to go beyond personality and simple causes to actual root causes with a view to improving operating methods.

9. Individual development Members of high performing teams feel good. They have opportunities to attempt new and challenging situations within the team framework and know they have the support of those around them. They are motivated to be successful.

10. Sound inter-group relations The successful team can often appear threatening to less successful groups. This can cause isolation and hostility. The effective team works at its relations with other teams and ensures that help for others will be given when needed.

11. Good communications Team members are aware of developments within their own team and how this fits into the larger picture of the organisation. When people understand why things are being done, they avoid duplication of effort. Rumour is replaced by fact.

12. Celebrate and acknowledge success In the same spirit that errors are identified openly and reviewed for improvement to occur, success needs to be identified and celebrated to ensure that "what we do well" is equally addressed in tandem with areas for improvement.www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

Team Working

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:42:00 -0700

Basic Team Working

What is a team anyway?

-A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable

-Small Number

-Complementary Skills

-Common Purpose & Performance Goals

-Common Approach

-Mutual Accountability

Ten common teaming problems

-Floundering

-Overbearing participants

-Dominating participants

-Reluctant participants

-Unquestioned acceptance of opinions as facts

-Rush to accomplishment

-Attribution

-Discounts and "plops"

-Wanderlust: digression and tangents

-Feuding members

Five issues to be considered in team building

1. Interdependence

This is the issue of how each member's outcomes are determined, at least in part, by the actions of the other members. The structure of the team task should be such that it requires cooperative interdependence. Functioning independently of other team members, or competing with them should lead to sub optimal outcomes for the entire team. Tasks that require the successful performance of sub tasks by all team members are called divisible, conjunctive tasks.

2. Goal Specification

It is very important for team members to have common goals for team achievement, as well as to communicate clearly about individual goals they may have. The process of clarifying goals may well engage all of the issues on this list. Indeed, shared goals is one of the definitional properties of the concept "team." A simple, but useful, team building task is to assign a newly formed team the task of producing a mission and goals statement.

3. Cohesiveness.  This term refers to the attractiveness of team membership. Teams are cohesive to the extent that membership in them is positively valued; members are drawn toward the team. In task oriented teams the concept can be differentiated into two sub concepts, social cohesiveness and task cohesiveness. Social cohesiveness refers to the bonds of interpersonal attraction that link team members. Although a high level of social cohesiveness may make team life more pleasant, it is not highly related to team performance. Nevertheless, the patterns of interpersonal attraction within a team are a very prominent concern. Team building exercises that have a component of fun or play are useful in allowing attraction bonds to develop. Task cohesiveness refers to the way in which skills and abilities of the team members mesh to allow effective performance.

4. Roles and Norms All teams develop a set of roles and norms over time. In task oriented teams, it is essential that the role structure enables the team to cope effectively with the requirements of the task. When the task is divisible and conjunctive, as are most of the important team tasks in our society, the assignment of roles to members who can perform them effectively is essential. Active consideration of the role structure can be an important part of a team building exercise. Task roles may be rotated so that all team members experience, and learn from, all roles. Even then, it is important that the norm governing the assignment of roles is understood and accepted by team members.  Norms are the rules governing the behavior of team members, and include the rewards for behaving in accord with normative requirements, as well as the sanctions for norm violations. Norms will develop in a team, whether or not they are actively discussed.   5. Communication Effective interpersonal communication is vital to the smooth functioning of any task team. There are many ways of facilitating the learning of effective communication skills. Active listening exercises, practice in giving and receiving feedback, practice in checking for comprehension of verbal messages, are all aimed at developing skills. It is also important for a team to develop an effective communication network; who communicates to whom; is there anybody "out of the loop?" Norms will develop governing communication. Do those norms encourage everyone to participate, or do they allow one or two dominant members to claim all the "air time?"  (From Scholtes, Peter R., The Team Handbook, Joiner Associates (1988))

Belbin and the UK Election

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 6 May 2010 21:20:00 -0700

Belbin and the UK General Election

In the run up to the general election, Teambuilding Australia thought it would be interesting to find out how we all see the leaders of the main political parties in terms of Team Role behavior! Are there really any differences between them? Do we observe different behavioral traits?

Is Gordon a Teamworker? Does David act like an Implementer? Does Nick strike you as a Shaper?

The results are in!

As we are nearing Election Day, we have looked at observer responses for Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg and David Cameron. Meredith Belbin has made the following comments:

1. Gordon Brown has the three social roles at the bottom of his Team Role profile. His top three Team Roles are Shaper, Specialist and Monitor Evaluator. This trio suggests someone who will drive his analytical thoughts through to action, on the base of acquired knowledge. His top three observer words (professionally dedicated, hard-driving and analytical) support this image. Outgoing (usually a popular word) has not been ticked at all.

2. David Cameron has the low profile roles as his bottom five. His top three Team Roles are: Resource Investigator, Shaper and coordinator. This suggests someone with energy and a propensity to control others. His top four observer words are calm & confident, competitive, opportunistic and outgoing. His fifth highest word is empire-building, which can sometimes be seen as the down-side of a Co-ordinator.

3. Nick Clegg has the same bottom five roles as David Cameron. The difference is that his top three roles are seen as Co-ordinator, Plant and Resource Investigator. This implies someone who is keen to navigate and explore a new path. His top observer words are calm and confident, adaptable, consultative and broad in outlook. His highest negative word is critical – a Monitor Evaluator word, although he does not have the positive side of the role, which would be required for this characteristic to be accepted with grace.

Belbin Associates 2007-2010 and Teambuilding Australia www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

Words to avoid using at work!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:49:00 -0700

These nine words and phrases will make you sound noncommittal, undependable and untrustworthy.

Let's look at some specific words and phrases that are used by some people to buy time, avoid giving answers and escape commitment. If you use these words and phrases yourself, take a scalpel and cut them out of your thinking, speaking and writing. Words like these only weaken you and make you sound noncommittal, undependable and untrustworthy.

"Try"

Try is a weasel word. "Well, I'll try," some people say. It's a cop-out. They're just giving you lip service when they probably have no real intention of doing what you ask. Remember what Yoda says to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: "Do or do not-there is no try." Take Yoda's advice. Give it your all when you attempt something. And if it doesn't work, start over.

Put passion into your work and give it your best effort, so you can know that you did all you could to make it happen. So if the outcome you were expecting didn't come to fruition, it's not because you didn't do everything you could to make it happen. It just wasn't the right time for it or it wasn't meant to be.

"Whatever"

This word is a trusted favourite of people who want to dismiss you, diminish what you say or get rid of you quickly. "Whatever," they will say as an all-purpose response to your earnest request. It's an insult and a verbal slap in the face. It's a way to respond to a person without actually responding. When you say "whatever" after another person has said his or her piece, you have essentially put up a wall between the two of you and halted any progress in communicating. It's a word to avoid.

"Maybe" and "I don't know"

People will sometimes avoid making a decision and hide behind words and phrases like "maybe" and "I don't know." There's a difference between legitimately not knowing something and using words like these as excuses. Sometimes during a confrontation people will claim not to know something or offer the noncommittal response "maybe," just to avoid being put on the spot. If that seems to be the case, ask, "When do you think you will know?" or "How can you find out?" Don't let the person off the hook so easily.

"I'll get back to you"

When people need to buy time or avoid revealing a project's status, they will say, "I'll get back to you," and they usually never do. If people say they will get back to you, always clarify. Ask them when they will get back to you, and make sure they specify the day and time. If they don't, then pin them down to a day and time and hold them to it. If they won't give you a day or time, tell them you'll call in a day or week and follow up. Make sure you call and get the information you need.

"If"

Projects depend on everyone doing his or her part. People who use "if" are usually playing the blame game and betting against themselves. They like to set conditions, rather than assuming a successful outcome. People who rely on conditional responses are fortifying themselves against potential failure. They will say, "If Bob finishes his part, then I can do my part." They're laying the groundwork for a "no fault" excuse and for not finishing their work.

There are always alternatives, other routes and ways to get the job done. Excuse makers usually have the energy of a slug, the vision of Mr Magoo and the spine of a jellyfish. You don't want them on your mountain climbing team up K-2 or Mount Everest.

"Yes, but ..."

This is another excuse. You might give your team members suggestions or solutions and they come back to you with "Yes, but . . ." as a response. They don't really want answers, help, or solutions. You need to call the "Yes, but . . ." people out on their avoidance tactic by saying something like: "You know, Jackie, every time I offer you a suggestion you say, 'Yes, but . . . ,' which makes me think you don't really want to solve this problem. That's not going to work. If you want to play the victim, go right ahead, but I'm not going to allow you to keep this up and I may have to report you." After a response like that, you can be assured that the next words you hear will not be, "Yes, but . . ."!

"I guess ..."

This is usually said in a weak, soft-spoken, shoulder-shrugging manner. It's another attempt to shirk responsibility-a phrase is only muttered when people half agree with you, but want to leave enough leeway to say, "Well, I didn't really know. . . . I was only guessing." If you use this phrase, cut it out of your vocabulary.

"We'll see ..."

How many times did we hear our parents say this? We knew they were buying time, avoiding a fight or confrontation or really saying no. It's better to be decisive and honest by saying, "I need more information. Please present your case or send me the data-both pro and con-so I can make an informed decision." That way the interested parties will contribute to an in-depth, well-researched "verdict."

This column is an excerpt of Surviving The Toxic Workplace (McGraw-Hill, 2010) by Linnda Durre, a psychotherapist, business consultant and columnist.