Episode 82: Navigating the Dynamics of Teamwork and Tough Conversations with Liane Davey

Guest Bio

For the past 25 years, Liane has researched and advised teams on how to achieve high performance. Known as the “teamwork doctor,” she’s worked with teams from the frontlines to the boardroom, across a variety of industries, and around the globe from Boston to Bangkok. In working with hundreds of teams, including 26 Global Fortune 500 companies (and counting), she has developed a unique perspective on the challenges that teams face – and how to solve them.

Beyond her work in the boardroom, Liane is a New York Times Bestselling author of You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done and The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track. She is also a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and has been sought by several media outlets, including CNN, NPR, USA Today, The Globe & Mail and Forbes, for her expertise on increasing productivity, enhancing engagement, developing leaders, and as one client put it, “dealing with the damn drama!”

As a keynote speaker, Liane has spoken for audiences as big as 2000 and as intimate as 20.  Regardless of the size, she delivers the perfect combination of education and entertainment that leaders and teams need to get unstuck and make an impact on their organizations. She gets even the most serious audiences laughing by telling it like it is—including stories about many of the unbelievable situations she’s experienced working with (and on) teams. (And, by the way, she’s not afraid to admit that she learned most of these lessons the hard way). In between the laughter and stories, she provides a proven model and framework, along with the latest research, so that attendees walk away with the tools to start making their teams better from the moment they leave the room.

Liane’s clients include Amazon, Walmart, TD Bank, RBC, AMD, Google, Bayer, KPMG, Aviva, Maple Leaf Foods, and SONY Interactive Entertainment. Liane has experience and expertise across a wide range of industries, but with each client, she customizes her keynotes so that your audience feels like she “gets” you and has been working with your organization for years.

Recap & Takeaways

Key Takeaways

• • • 00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation
    • 02:55 Liane Davey’s Journey into Team Dynamics
    • 04:43 The Complexity and Dynamics of Teams
    • 06:31 The Organic Nature of Teams and Organizations
    • 09:52 The Impact of Leadership on Team Dynamics
    • 12:42 Promoting a Culture of Productive Conflict
    • 18:09 The Importance of Learning from Mistakes
    • 25:06 The Power of Asking the Right Questions
    • 25:41 The Role of a Coach in an Organization
    • 27:03 The Importance of Authentic Leadership
    • 27:45 Challenges Faced by Middle-Level Leaders
    • 28:57 The Art of Giving Feedback
    • 30:31 The Power of Questions
    • 30:50 The Downside of Traditional Brainstorming
    • 32:20 Managing Emotional Energy in Conversations
    • 35:13 The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership
    • 39:11 The Role of Curiosity in Leadership
    • 44:15 The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership
    • 44:53 Conclusion: The Importance of Hard Conversations