Strengthening Team Collaboration

ABSOLUTE FACTS When it comes to building a team, I’ve learned that skills alone don’t cut it. Passion, curiosity, and a willingness to grow matter just as much - if not more. I’d rather bring someone on board who’s still learning but genuinely eager to be part of the journey than a perfectly polished candidate who lacks energy. Skills can be taught; attitude is harder to shape. So, what do I pay attention to during hiring? It’s not about having all the right answers or trying to impress. Instead, I look for: 1/ Engagement and Curiosity: Does this person ask thoughtful, engaging questions? Are they interested in more than just the role itself? 2/ A Mindset for Growth: Can they adapt and learn? Are they open to new challenges and have they shown this in the past? 3/ Empathy and Collaboration: How do they talk about their past team experiences? Do they understand the importance of working well with others? Hiring for attitude isn’t about overlooking talent - it’s about finding people who can thrive in a collaborative environment. Skills can always be developed, but the right attitude is what makes teams work, especially over the long run. The right team dynamic can make or break a project. So I focus on hiring people who fit the culture and are ready to learn. Skills can come later. 🔥Victoria Repa

Your leadership team is underperforming. (And cracking the whip harder won't fix it.) Here's what nobody tells you about accountability: The harder you push, the less they deliver. I've watched CEOs destroy their executive teams this way: 🔥 Public callouts in meetings 🔥 Micromanaging every decision   🔥 Threats disguised as "motivation" 🔥 Fear-based deadline pressure Result: Your best leaders become corporate zombies. They show up. They comply. They stop caring. The expensive truth: Fear creates compliance. Clarity creates commitment. And you need commitment to win. Real story from last month: → CEO constantly berated his team for missing targets → 3 VPs quit in 6 months → Company lost $2M in transition costs alone Different CEO, different approach: → Created radical clarity around expectations → Listened without judgment → Built safety to admit mistakes early → Revenue up 40% in 12 months The difference? One used accountability as a weapon. The other used it as a framework for excellence. The 4 frameworks that create compassionate accountability: 1. RACI Matrix - Ends the "whose job is this?" chaos (Everyone knows their lane AND their value) 2. OKRs - Aligns hearts and minds (Shared goals create shared ownership) 3. EOS Accountability Chart - One person, one seat (Clear ownership without overlapping egos) 4. OGSM - Strategy meets reality (No more "I thought you meant..." conversations) But here's the key: These aren't hammers to hit people with. They're maps to help people win. The paradox of leadership: High standards + High support = High performance High standards + Low support = High turnover Your leadership team doesn't need more pressure. They need more clarity. Because when accountability comes from compassion, not control: → Problems get solved, not hidden → Leaders take ownership, not cover → Teams push forward, not back Stop managing through fear. Start leading through frameworks. Your leadership team is capable of greatness. But only if you create the conditions for it. Save this. Share it with your team. Because the best leaders don't create followers. They create owners. And ownership starts with clarity. P.S. Want a PDF of my Accountability Cheat Sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dpWsuT4b ♻️ Repost to help a CEO in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more leadership insights. — 📢 Want to lead like a world-class CEO? Join my FREE TRAINING: "How to Work with Your Board to Accelerate Your Company’s Growth" Thu Jul 10th, 12 noon Eastern / 5pm UK time https://lnkd.in/dCJ-nCxM 📌 The CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 20+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dgRr89bM

Most people are taught how to be high performers. But too few are taught how to perform in a team. And that’s a problem, because in most roles, you’re not an individual contributor. You’re part of a larger entity, working with others to build something. Yet, I see founders spend hours refining their product or systems,  But don't devote time to team development. At HomeServe, I approached team performance with purpose,  And it was one of the best decisions I made. Here are 7 tools I’ve used (and still use) to build high-performing teams,  Based on real lessons from building a £4.1bn business: 1️⃣ Start With Why (Simon Sinek) ↳ Before you focus on what or how...get clear on why. WHAT – The product you sell or the service you provide HOW – What makes you different WHY – Your deeper purpose or belief Every great team needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning. 2️⃣ The 70-20-10 Rule (McCall, Lombardo & Eichinger) ↳ How people actually learn on the job: 70% from challenging experiences 20% from coaching and mentoring 10% from formal training Most teams over-invest in training, and under-invest in real development. I'm amazed at how few founders or CEOs have a coach or mentor. 3️⃣ The Trust Triangle (Frances Frei, Harvard) ↳ Trust isn’t built with perks. It’s earned in three ways: Authenticity – Are you real? Logic – Do your decisions make sense? Empathy – Do you care? Without trust, you can’t build speed or loyalty. 4️⃣ The 5 Stages of Team Development (Tuckman Model) 1. Forming – Team gets together 2. Storming – Conflicts surface 3. Norming – Ground rules form 4. Performing – Results roll in 5. Adjourning – Project ends or evolves Don't panic during ‘storming’. It’s necessary friction. 5️⃣ The Johari Window (Luft & Ingham) ↳ Self-awareness is a team sport. Open – You know, they know Hidden – You know, they don’t Blind Spot – They know, you don’t Unknown – No one knows (yet) This helps surface feedback, build confidence, and avoid surprises. 6️⃣ The Energy/Impact Matrix (Inspired by McKinsey) ↳ Map every team member’s impact vs. energy. Use it to: Make smart hiring/firing decisions Spot burnout early Retain high performers High-performing teams don’t tolerate drift. 7️⃣ The RAPID Decision-Making Model (Bain & Company) ↳ High-performing teams make fast, clear decisions. Recommend – Suggest the course of action Agree – Those who must sign off Perform – Executes the decision Input – Provides relevant facts or opinions Decide – Final decision-maker This clears up delays, dropped balls, and blame. Building a great team is about building an environment where talent can actually thrive. I go deeper into team-building in my new book. Order it today: https://lnkd.in/eRYDKXdT ♻️ Repost if you believe team performance should be built, not assumed. And for more on how I scaled teams to build a £4.1bn business, Follow me Richard Harpin.

The new era for foreign aid is here - whether we like it or not - for governments, for humanitarians delivering aid, and for people in need. To maintain progress with fewer resources, the aid system must prioritise its work where it is most needed and can be most impactful.    This requires new thinking on where aid is spent, what it is spent on, how it is delivered, and how it is funded.   The IRC’s newest report, “A New Era for Aid,” lays out a roadmap for initial steps by: 1. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭-𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: The IRC has identified 13 countries most at risk from the fallout of aid cuts, based on levels of humanitarian need, pre-existing reliance on US aid, exposure to debt distress, and vulnerability to conflict and climate shocks. 2. 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: With fewer resources, support to proven, cost-effective interventions across sectors will be key. 3. 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝: Prioritising the impact of aid means delivering not where it is easiest, but where it is hardest - reaching communities often overlooked but most in need. 4. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: Local aid responders play a critical and effective role in humanitarian response and recovery, more targeted and tailored to the needs of affected communities, and often cheaper. 5. 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠: With ODA projected to shrink by 20% in 2025, donors should ensure that aid is spent in ways that bring the greatest possible benefits to those impacted by crises. Read more in our report below and on Rescue.org: https://lnkd.in/ejB8n2wQ

Stop nodding along in meetings. Start having impact: Too often, meetings are filled with phrases like: ❌ “That sounds great” ❌ “Let’s table it for another time” ❌ “Let’s circle back when we have more info” From 10 years in high performing teams, here’s what I’ve learnt about meetings: Top performers aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions. Here are 13 questions you can ask to leave a mark: 1/ "What do we have to deprioritize to do this well?" ↳ Use to help create focus. ↳ Shows you understand we can't do everything at once. 2/ "What happens if we do nothing?" ↳ Use to overcome inertia. ↳ Helps identify true priorities. 3/ "Who's done this well that we could learn from?" ↳ Use when projects have been done before. ↳ Shows you want to use others’ learnings. 4/ "What's the simplest way to explain this?" ↳ Use to create clarity. ↳ Shows you understand the importance of simplicity. 5/ "What went wrong last time?" ↳ Use when repeating past initiatives. ↳ Shows you want to learn from experience. 6/ "How will we know if this is working?" ↳ Use when success isn't clearly defined. ↳ Shows you care about real results. 7/ "Who's going to own each workstream?" ↳ Use when responsibilities are unclear. ↳ Prevents the "someone else will do it" problem. 8/ "How does this affect our current priorities?" ↳ Use when new work might disrupt current priorities. ↳ Shows you're thinking about the whole picture. 9/ "Who might we upset by this choice?" ↳ Use when changes could impact others. ↳ Shows you consider how others might feel. 10/ "If we had half the budget, how would we do this?" ↳ Use to find creative solutions. ↳ Shows you can spark new ideas. 11/ "What aren't we seeing here?" ↳ Use when consensus comes too easily. ↳ Shows you look at problems from all angles. 12/ "How does this help us reach our primary goals?" ↳ Use when projects drift from objectives. ↳ Makes sure we're not getting sidetracked. 13/ "What's our plan for the worst-case scenario?" ↳ Use when planning risky initiatives. ↳ Shows you think ahead. Remember: Impact can from asking the right questions. You don't have to be the smartest one in the room. Just ask the questions that make others think differently. P.S. Which of these will you use in your next meeting? — ♻ Repost to inspire your network to have more impact at work. ➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

Atlassian has been fully distributed for almost five years. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ve learned a lot about how to keep teams thriving across time zones—and we’re applying those insights every day.  ➡️ Asynchronous work: Async tools are at the core of how we operate. Confluence is our virtual hub where we share stories, celebrate new hires, and collaborate effortlessly. We also use Loom to share videos and give feedback on our own time—avoiding those dreaded “this could have been an email” moments. In fact, we’ve saved nearly half a million meetings using Loom! ➡️ Designing workdays: We’ve learned to structure workdays for focus, collaboration, and meetings (only when absolutely necessary). Teams work across no more than two time zones, ensuring at least four hours of overlap to get things done together. ➡️ Intentional connection: Data shows that real connection happens when teams meet regularly—not sporadically in an office. We provide Intentional Togetherness Gatherings (ITGs), curated experiences, and focused in-person time to collaborate. ➡️ Adapting for different needs: It’s not one-size-fits-all. For example, new hires and grads often benefit from more frequent in-person meetups, so we make sure to offer opportunities for them to connect early on. https://lnkd.in/g2sSbe3v

📢 New Guidance Released Today: Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 The Department for Education has officially published the updated Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026, bringing important changes that all safeguarding and education professionals need to be aware of.   This refresh strengthens our collective responsibility to safeguard children and reinforces the need for inclusive, anti‑discriminatory, and child‑centred practice across all agencies. 🔍 Key updates you should know 1️⃣ Clearer definition of who the guidance applies to The 2026 update reinforces that safeguarding responsibilities apply to all children, including those in kinship care, adopted children, looked‑after children, and even unborn children where concerns exist.  2️⃣ Stronger expectations for anti‑racist and anti‑discriminatory practice Leaders and practitioners are now expected to actively challenge racism and discrimination and build more inclusive safeguarding cultures.  3️⃣ Strengthened focus on hidden harms The update expands guidance on: ⚠️ Child sexual abuse ⚠️ Domestic abuse ⚠️ Coercive control ⚠️ Teenage relationship abuse ⚠️ Online harms and group‑based exploitation These areas now feature clearer procedures and multi‑agency expectations. 4️⃣ Multi‑Agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASA) There is now more detail around accountability, data-sharing, evidencing impact, and requirements for annual reports. MASA responsibilities explicitly include children who are looked after. 5️⃣ Introduction of a more seamless ‘Family Help’ offer Early help and Section 17 support are now combined to provide one cohesive pathway for families, emphasising stable practitioner relationships and multidisciplinary planning.  6️⃣ Stronger multi‑agency child protection expectations The guidance reinforces robust multi‑agency assessments, direct work with children, and strengthened Section 47 processes, particularly for child sexual abuse cases.  💬 Why This Matters Early help, effective information sharing, and strong multi‑agency collaboration continue to be central themes, all aiming to achieve earlier identification of need, more consistent support, and better outcomes for children and families.   As safeguarding professionals, these changes shape how we think, plan, and work together every day. 📄 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eBnHEX8w The Department for Education has also updated the Children’s Social Care National Framework - Statutory guidance https://lnkd.in/gnR63Rg2 The updating of the Children’s Social Care National Framework and Working Together to Safeguard Children, statutory guidance, provides clarity on how local authorities, safeguarding partners, relevant agencies, and others can work towards the government’s vision for supporting children, young people, and families.

We don’t talk enough about the reality of clinical trial operations at the site level. A single coordinator might be working on four, five, even ten studies at once each with its own tech stack, its own passwords, its own training modules, its own workflow quirks. Sometimes even within the same sponsor, Study A and Study D run on completely different systems. > Different portals. > Different interfaces. > Different rules. And we act surprised when sites feel overwhelmed. This isn’t a workload problem, it’s an architecture problem. When every study launches with a new EDC, a new eCOA, a new IRT, even when the underlying tasks are identical, we aren’t innovating. We’re multiplying friction. For site staff, the lived experience looks like this: > Six screens open just to complete morning tasks. > Constantly switching systems to confirm what belongs where. > Training decks stacked higher than the protocol itself. > The daily mental tax of remembering, “Which study uses which system again?” This is not the future of clinical research. This is an avoidable bottleneck. Real progress won’t come from adding more tech. It will come from unifying it. > A single portal. > A guided workflow. > One login. One consistent, repeatable experience, regardless of how many trials a site is supporting. When we simplify the operational layer, we unlock the human layer. And that’s when site staff can finally shift from managing chaos to managing care. If you’re running multiple studies right now, which experience feels closer to your reality?

I am going to finally say it. Founder-led hiring alone won't scale, and holding onto it too long actually hurts your company. In our early days, hiring was 100% founder-run. Ishan and I personally handled every step first calls, case studies, final on-sites. We’d spend 6–8 hours per candidate, getting to know them deeply. At that stage, it was the right call. These were the first people on the team. We worked with them every day, and a single bad hire could derail everything. But as the company grew, this process quietly became a bottleneck. Over the last year, we made a deliberate shift away from fully founder-led interviews. We brought in our founding recruiter, Farron, to run initial screens, while functional interviews are now owned by team members in engineering and sales functions. Ishan and I usually only step in during the final round. This change allowed us to run dozens of final-round interviews every month without compromising quality. As more people got involved, we invested heavily in interview training, coaching, and aligning on what “the bar” actually means. Turning instinctive founder judgment into a shared standard took work across Juicebox. The lesson for us has been that founder involvement is critical early on, but scaling hiring means turning judgment into process that doesn't lower the bar.