Author: Moira O'Connell

5 Restaurants in NYC To Host Your Next Team Meeting

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

New York City is a true haven for small to medium business (and businesses of all sizes, for that matter), and the advantage of living in a  city with so many places where to network is that you will be able to find a massive amount of places where to network and host business meetings of all kinds. Whether you want to host your business meeting in a hip Brooklyn restaurant or want to remain right in the hassle and bustle of Midtown Manhattan, there are many opportunities to turn your next team meeting into a truly unforgettable experience.

Roberta’s: Roberta’s is currently one of the most trendy pizza restaurants in NYC, and the vibes are really fun: this isn’t your average NYC slice, but a rather gourmet, Neapolitan-inspired pizza that will blow your mind. The locale is huge and you can book large areas for even the largest meetings.

Courtyard by Marriott: a very upscale place that does not only offers great food and a cozy space, but also amazing facilities such as great free WIFI and a full-scale business center for all of your meeting needs, right in the middle of Manhattan!

Tutus: this cozy bar also serves amazing food, inspired by classic American fare with a southern touch. The restaurant is located in one of Brooklyn’s hippest neighborhood, Bushwick, and it is just a 5 minutes walk away from a mainstream subway line, making it a perfect spot for a meeting. There is a nice large room in the back, which can also be booked for meetings and other special events.

Cipriani: Probably one of the most expensive and well-known restaurants in NYC, this is a great place for anybody looking to impress on a business meeting.

Shake Shack, Madison Square Park: A meeting in a fast food restaurant? Ok, this might sound rather unorthodox, but meeting in the middle of stunning Madison Square Park on a sunny day is absolutely priceless. During the weekdays, you could grab a meal and sit outside with your team, enjoy the energy of a good day for some amazing experiences and for a unique NYC memory.

 

Check Out These Awesome Books About Human Resources

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

Human Resources encompasses a set of truly vital processes for your business, but the odd thing is that HR is often overlooked, particularly by smaller businesses. You might think that if you have a great idea and a great product, you are set and ready to carve your space in your market niche, but driving a business and making any product or service successful is a herculean task, let alone if you embark on this journey without a great team behind your back! HR is not only about finding the right people to work with and bring an influx of talent into your own company, but also about turning these talented minds into an amazing team and form common goals. The name “Human Resources” is pretty revelatory in itself. This list of 5 engaging, clever and thought-provoking books will finally help you seize your most precious business resources: the humans that are a part of your business!

  1. Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi
    • This particular book is very informal, but don’t let the friendly and discursive tone fool you: “Never Eat Alone” is a goldmine of sound business advice, which explores several areas of HR management, starting from the important concept that your business is made of people, and people have needs, feelings, priorities and goals. Any successful business should address the above things and make them work in the favor of the business.
  2. Managing Human Resources, Scott A. Snell and George W. Bohlander  
    • This particular publication offers a very hands-on take on managing human resources, as its title simply advertises. This book will take you from the Alfa to the Omega of HR, and you might find yourself discovering aspects of human resources that you never even considered before reading this book
  3. HR Strategic Project Management SPOMP, Leon M. Hielkema
    • This particular publication is almost like an extended tutorial: it is easy to understand, hands-on and very in-depth on many issues, but in a way that you do not need to be particularly business savvy to be able to understand.
  4.  Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, 50Minutes.Com
    • This book is particularly interesting, because it takes an in-depth look not only at HR, but at the psychology behind it, revealing how needs and the rewards of achieving these needs will influence the power of your business and the productivity of your team
  5. First, Break All the Rules, Gallup Press
    • Thought-provoking, innovative and even fun to read, this book will teach about great HR practices and strategies by portraying some amazing example of successful people who truly set out to leave a mark in their particular industry. What do they all have in common? Innovative HR management.

 

Rock Paper Team: Team Building in NYC

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

What They Do: Rock Paper Team offers a diverse array of customized and fun team building activities in New York City to help you build stronger teams

How They Do it: They have over 10 different types of activities to help create an amazing group experience. With 15 years of experience in NYC-based team building, Rock Paper Team creates dynamic and customizable activities to make you team more productive and happy.

What makes them Special: Rock Paper Team’s motto is “Fun with a Purpose.” They have a huge variety of activities and you can mix and match in order to perfectly fit your company and team. From Metal Making, Sand Sculpting, Giving Back to Interactive Workshops, Rock Paper Team has something for everyone 

Quote from the Website: “For people who work together, it’s good to discover skills, strengths, and synergies. Even better to have fun in the process. Rock Paper Team creates customized events that uncover talents while building laughter and affection. Team developers to our core, we organize activities that bring your teams closer—and make your workdays productive and delightful.”

Who should you contact: [email protected]

Check out their website here:  https://www.rockpaperteam.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockpaperteam

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperTeam

Team Building With Your Remote Team: 4 Tips

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

When you think about team building, remote work likely isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But, it’s just as important as any one location for building a strong and successful team. No matter where your business is, or how your team might come together, creating a better bond will have the same positive effects on your company. So, how can you build a better remote team to work together?

  1. Schedule Regular Calls

The great thing about working as a team remotely is that technology is so advanced. Scheduling a daily call to check in with each other is easier than ever: You can do it over the phone, through Skype, FaceTime, etc. Try to have these calls reflect both work, and a bit of your personal lives. It’s important to get to know your remote co-workers beyond the work you’re doing.

  1. Use Icebreakers

Icebreakers don’t have to be the old cliche one-liners used on dates and in awkward situations. Make a list of quality icebreakers, and start off every remote meeting with one, making sure everyone gets their answer in. You may be surprised at what people have to say, and you’re learning more about your team every single time.

  1. ‘Hangout’

Similarly to hosting daily calls, try hosting a Google Hangout one day a week where work is on the back-burner for a bit. Friday is a great day to do this, since everyone can be in ‘weekend mode’ already. By hosting a Hangout on a Friday afternoon, where you all can talk about your interests, plans for the weekend, etc., it’ll feel more like water-cooler talk, and can help to further build relationships and trust. You’ll likely find you look forward to these Hangouts week after week.

  1. Meet-Up

Meeting up once or twice a year can be extremely beneficial – even more beneficial if it’s just the remote team that meets up, and not the entire company. Whether it’s for work or specifically designed as a team-building ‘retreat,’ being face-to-face with your team is exceptionally important when possible, and can help to boost the trust you have for one another, even if you only see each other once a year.

As you can see, team building with a remote team is all about communication. The more a remote team can stay in touch with each other, the better. Thanks to technology, that’s easier than ever!

Icebreaker Questions for Better Team Building

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

There are hundreds of perfect icebreaker questions out there, and it’s for a good reason! You’ll love these questions that encourage team building. When you get a group of people together, no matter how talented they may be individually, it can be awkward at first to bring everyone to the same page.


Friendships and working relationships will form over time, but if you want to build the strongest team possible, sometimes it takes a little encouragement. That’s exactly why these icebreaker questions work. Use them to get your team comfortable with each other, and well-bonded. The closer they feel, the better they will work together. As a result, you’re likely to see more success throughout your business, as you create an environment that will ensure everyone loves coming to work each day.

1. What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics?

2. If you could choose any person from history to be your imaginary friend, who would it be, and why?

3. You can have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life – what is it?

4. What fictional world or place would you most like to visit?

5. If you could live in any country, where would you live?

Again, these are just a few questions to get you started. As stated above, there are endless possibilities when it comes to creating questions that will get your team thinking, connecting, and growing together. Use these five icebreakers as a way to jumpstart that bonding experience, and encourage working relationships throughout your business. The more comfortable your team is, the better they’ll be able to work together, and that can start with something a simple as a great icebreaker.

5 Quotes to Inspire Team Building

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

The best way to build a strong business is to first build a strong team. Your company is only as good as the components putting it together. That’s why team building itself remains such an important aspect of what businesses actually do. It’s not enough to simply hire people and train them. Instead, training them to work together for a greater purpose is the key.

For centuries, everyone from famous writers, notable scientists, to athletes and CEOs have recognized the importance of strong teamwork, and just how necessary it is to reach a higher level of success. Because of those successes, most people are all too willing to share their thoughts and opinions on team building, no matter the industry you may be in.

Looking to get your team inspired? Let’s check out five inspirational quotes to rev up your team’s motivation. You can use them as so much more than just ‘quotes to hang on the wall,’ or to send out to your team: Use them as your mantra, and make sure everyone is on board with the message and goal you’re trying to reach together.

  1. “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller (BrainyQuote)
  1. “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Andrew Carnegie (Inc.)
  1. “Unity is strength. . . when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek (Inc.)
  1. “In union, there is strength.” – Aesop (Teampedia)
  1. “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford (Teampedia)

 

 

Five Quotes From Sheryl Sandberg On Teamwork and Effective Communication

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, gave a TED talk in 2010 to share “advice to women aiming for the C-suite.” Since then, she has launched a movement encouraging women to “lean in” and take on the challenges of building strong careers. Her 2013 book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, shines the spotlight on one vital ingredient in team building: communication. Sandberg discusses this topic many times throughout her book because she recognizes that in order to forge team bonds and make change, communication is key. Here are five quotes from Sandberg on the power of teamwork and effective communication.

(1) “Acting like a coalition truly does produce results.”

(2) “The ability to listen is as important as the ability to speak. Miscommunication is always a two way street.”

(3) “Authentic communication is not always easy, but it is the basis for successful relationships at home and real effectiveness at work.”

(4) “Motivation comes from working on things we care about. It also comes from working with people we care about.”

(5) “The laws of economics and many studies of diversity tell us that if we tapped the entire pool of human resources and talent, our collective performance would improve.”

Meditate to Boost Team Members and Forge Team Bonds

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

Could meditation be helpful for team building? Phil Jackson, a renowned National Basketball Association (NBA) coach, sat for a conversation with Oprah Winfrey on the Super Soul Sunday television show. During their chat, he talked about using mindfulness and meditation in his coaching practices. Click here to check out the full interview. Elba Mueller, a meditation expert and life coach, seems to agree with Jackson’s idea of using mindfulness and meditation for team building purposes. She shared “five ways meditation can benefit businesses” in a blog post on the Chopra Center website.

1. Practicing meditation can provide “clarity and focus.” When team members possess these two qualities, they are in a better mental state to bond and to solve problems.

2. Companies that provide classes on mindfulness and meditation can promote feelings of “employee loyalty.” Loyalty can form the building blocks for building a happy and unified team.

3. In a group setting, communication is key. A team member who knows how to be mindful and thoughtful will be better equipped to communicate their ideas and galvanize a group to work towards realizing those visions.

4. Meditation can be helpful towards one’s overall state of well-being and health. Team members who experience less sickness will have more time to commit to getting things done at the office.

5. When one is enjoying good health, they may also feel more energetic and productive. That energy could be very useful in strengthening team bonds and making contributions towards team goals.

New Co-Working Space for Women Opens in NYC

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

The Wing, a new co-working space designed exclusively for women, is opening in NYC. The Wing is located in the famous Ladies Mile Historic District, the Broadway stretch that turned into the prime shopping destination for New York women in the 19th century. Having served as a sign of women empowerment in the past, the location is now revitalized by the Wing’s female team who strive to develop it into a flexible space encouraging communication and personal growth.

The Wing’s founder, Audrey Gelman, has professional experience as a political and public relations consultant and came with the idea after struggling to find a place where she could do her job while feeling ‘at home’. In a society where the rules have been historically written by men, the Wing offers an alternative – a home-base for all women, designed for genuine connection and utter convenience. The Wing’s team strives to establish the location as the prime offline destination where women of all ages and backgrounds can build their careers, skills, and relationships in an environment encouraging a sense of female empowerment.

Currently, the Wing offers more than just co-working space. On location, women can find a living room to relax, unwind and get ready to conquer the world, secure storage facilities, various programs and events dedicated to inspire and educate, as well as numerous opportunities to grab a delicious snack, a charging station, and even a lactation room. Women can apply and take advantage of all the amazing amenities and base of the Wing for a monthly fee of $185, or an annual fee of $1950, with all memberships offering being annual commitments.

3 Fun Ways to Motivate Your Teams

Posted on | by Moira O'Connell

Everyone knows that team building is an important part of keeping a business afloat, and successful. Your organization is only as good as the employees running it day in and day out, and the more confident, comfortable, and motivated they are independently, and as a group, the more benefits will arise within your business. Let’s take a closer look at a few different ways you can motivate your team to do their best, and work together to become more successful than ever.

  1. Include Everyone

Whether your employees are excited about ‘team building’ events, or a little hesitant to get involved, be sure to include everyone in the group whenever you plan something. It doesn’t have to be a huge event – in fact, it could be something as small as a ‘Secret Santa’ gift exchange at Christmas, or an in-office giveaway. Do what you can to make sure as many people as possible are involved. It will help to boost spirits, and it’s likely to get someone who may have originally been uninterested on board.

  1. Have Fun

This is probably the biggest component to this short, but important list. Having fun wherever you work practically ensures that your employees are not only going to be in good spirits, but do a better job for you. No one wants to come to work everyday and feel miserable. Having team events, holding parties, or just randomly inserting fun things into the day (like getting pizza for the office, etc.) can make a huge difference. Don’t be afraid to let loose once in awhile. Your happy employees will reward you for it with better work.

  1. Be Flexible

Some of the most successful companies today allow their employees to essentially ‘work when they want.’ Now, that doesn’t mean they only come into the office for an hour each week. But, there aren’t strict rules about when to come in, and when to go home. Not only does this tend to encourage a creativity flow, but it takes off the grinding pressure that many employees who work a 9-5 job typically face. When someone doesn’t feel pressured and stressed about their work, their production can soar.

There are plenty of ways to motivate your teams, and make them strong advocates for your business and its success. These are just a few tips to get started, but put them into place, and you’re bound to see growth within