To Build or Develop – That is the Question
By Ginny Telego If you have ever had the chance to see the Budweiser Clydesdales in person, you know that it is amazing to watch how this team of 8 horses work together in sync to make what they do look effortless. “Teams” of horses have been productive in cultures all over the world for […]
Debunking Stubborn
“That horse is stubborn!” This is a common point of discussion in our leadership and team development workshops when a horse does not seem to be interested in doing what is being asked. Think for a moment about a time when you were communicating something to another person and they seemed to ignore you. It’s […]
What Patagonia and TOMS Shoes Can Teach Us About Our Equine Assisted Business
“Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” Patagonia Mission Statement In the eight years that I’ve had my equine assisted learning business, I have been challenged with the same thing that most others in this field have struggled with—how do I make this […]
Transparency and Power
Think about a time when someone kept information from you in order to control a situation. It happens everyday in organizations of every kind – for profit and non-profit. Withholding information is not always bad – there are times when leaders must refrain from sharing sensitive information with their team in order to protect the […]
Creating Emotional Safety For Your Team
Have you ever been in a meeting that just “felt” uncomfortable? You know – where you could feel the tension among the participants? This could be the result of participants who do not feel that they can express their ideas without a fear of negative response. In other words, he or she does not feel […]
Why Does My Team Frustrate Me?
Recently I was talking with a middle school teacher who is teaching a class focused on helping students learn about their strengths and how working with others who have different strengths can be beneficial as team members. As we discussed the challenges that students have with “tolerating” people who do things differently than they do, […]
Get Out of the Classroom to Improve Employee Engagement
A 2015 study from Gallup reports that 70% of employees are not engaged and a primary reason is ineffective managers (“State of American Managers, Gallup, 2015). Why are managers ineffective? Reasons can vary but most likely it’s because they don’t have strengths and skills that support building and maintaining effective teams. Too often, employees are […]
Moving Your Team Forward
“Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.” – Patrick Lencioni A group of individuals from the same organization walked out into the small pasture with the task of moving a group of 4 horses from one corner of […]
A Leader’s Journey to Self-Awareness
By Ginny Telego In developing our equine assisted professional development programs, my colleague and I regularly read books, blogs and research studies to stay abreast of current trends in workforce development. Most of what we read about leadership and team development focuses on building trust, being transparent in communication and an ability to adapt to […]
Action Learning Outside the Conference Room
What if leaders and managers across your organization had the ability to adapt quickly, understand their team better and work together to solve organizational challenges? In today’s world, these skills are not only desirable, but they are necessary in order for organizations to thrive. Traditional leadership and team development programs have not been enough to […]