In this fascinating episode of A Life and a Living Podcast, Carlos Valdes-Dapena introduces us to the concept of individual motivation as the key to collaboration. As Carlos also demonstrates, collaboration is then key to high-performing teams. It is all connected and our discussion today is eye-opening.

Carlos is the founder of Corporate Collaboration Resources, LLC, an organization and group effectiveness consulting firm. He is also the author of two books on the topic of collaboration and has a background in the corporate world working for Mars, Inc. for 17 years.

We could talk for hours on this subject, but today we focus on team effectiveness and dynamics, the importance of individual motivation, and creating a culture of collaboration. Listen to learn more about how to establish clear collaborative commitments and accountability within your own high-performing teams.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

• Carlos’s Background Working for Mars, Inc. and His Research on Teams
• The Ineffectiveness of Conventional Team Development
• The Discovery of Individual Motivation as Key to Team Effectiveness
• The Coaching Model Carlos Uses
• Achievement, Affiliation, and Power Needs
• Executing a Mind Hack to Tap Into Achievement Drive for Collaboration
• The Distinction Between a Group and a Team
• Teamwork Can Work Magic But Not All Work is Teamwork
• Does the Collaboration Add Value to Individual Motivation?
• Creating Clarity Around Collaborative Commitments and Accountability
• Wasted Money in Organization Team Development
• The Necessity of Organic Strategies
• Creating the Culture of Collaboration
• Why the Top-Down Approach Didn’t Work for Carlos
• How Diversity Fits in a Group and Learning to Embrace Difference
• The Challenge of Finding a Niche in the Organization
• Carlos’s Book Recommendation and Daily Habits

About Our Guest:

Carlos Valdes-Dapena is the founder of Corporate Collaboration Resources, LLC, an organization and group effectiveness consulting firm, and the author of Lessons from Mars: How One Global Company Cracked the Code on High Performance Collaboration and Teamwork. Carlos developed his expertise in collaboration at the highest organization levels. For 17 years he was a senior internal consultant at Mars, Inc. and was involved with brands like M&Ms, Snickers, Uncle Ben's Rice and Wrigley’s gum. There he won the company’s prestigious Global Make the Difference award for his work on the Mars Framework for High Performance Collaboration, the subject of his book.

To reach Carlos, go to his website: https://www.carlosvdapena.com/ 

Connect with Carlos Valdes-Dapena:

• Carlos Valdes-Dapena Home Page
• Carlos Valdes-Dapena on LinkedIn
• Carlos Valdes-Dapena on Facebook
• Corporate Collaboration Website
• Lessons from Mars by Carlos Valdes-Dapena
• Resilience: Virtual Teams by Carlos Valdes-Dapena
• Lessons From Mars Vlog

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