Blogs & Articles
Life outside the ‘Consensus Group’: The Danger of Team Rejection
No one wants to feel like an outsider. When someone new joins a team – either in the workplace, or in a recreational environment – they might feel like the odd one out. So, how can you avoid the dangers of team rejection, and ensure a productive problem-solving environment for all?
James C. Anderson Named as Fellow of the Center for Cooperative Problem Solving
James C. Anderson has been named as a Fellow of the Center for Cooperative Problem Solving
The KAI Foundation’s Strong Connection with Virginia Tech University
Virginia Tech University in the USA has become an invaluable partner for facilitating the research, education and application of Kirton’s theory. Now, in 2023, the KAI Foundation’s partnership with Virginia Tech University remains stronger than ever.
8 ways to minimize ‘Problem B’ and maximize creativity
Teams thrive when they make the most of diverse thinking and approaches; they provide better, more creative, and effective service. The challenge is that people with different creativity styles can annoy each other. As the leader, it is your responsibility to facilitate open-thought and wide-ranging discussion.
What makes a good personality assessment tool?
How can you tell if a particular psychometric inventory has scientific merit, or is just based on claims of organizations trying to make a quick profit? In this article, Dr Curt Friedel outlines the key criteria a reputable psychometric inventory should provide as evidence to support its use.
Ensuring Leaders Get the Desired Results from Their Teams
Whenever two or more individuals come together to solve a problem, another problem arises; which is how do we work together? The first problem, of how to bring the group together, is Problem A. In this article Dr Curt Friedel explains how understanding different cognitive styles can help you build better teams.
Why do some people disengage from a group or choose to leave it?
When a someone leaves or becomes estranged from a group, both can be negatively affected. Issues around estrangement are emotional and complex. In this article, Tracy Reader explores how estrangement may be related to personality differences, including problem-solving style.
Valuing cognitive diversity and ADHD in the workplace
Research suggests that like other ‘innovators’, adults diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to come up with novel, unconventional approaches to solve problems instead of moderately adapting the existing systems and processes to find a solution. In this article, Tracy Reader explores how a more inclusive attitude can help organisations.
Opposites make Profits: Finding your Ideal Business Partner
You’ll want to yank out your hair, you’ll bellow in frustration before the week is half done, but when you’ll feel your pockets bulging with profits, you’ll realise that working with an ‘Opposite’ is an effective route to success. In this article, Dr Iwan Jenkins looks at how Adaptors and Innovators working together make a business more successful.
Utilising diversity in problem-solving styles to aid business transformation
Egremont Group is a London-based consultancy firm specialising in the design and delivery of breakthrough transformation programmes. They regularly use KAI theory to help their clients design and lead sustainable change in organisations in the retail, banking and utility sectors. In this article they explain more about their methodology.
How Adaption-Innovation theory can help with workplace wellbeing and staff retention
Following the pandemic, many employees feel undervalued at work. This article by Tracy Reader explores how managers and leaders can improve the wellbeing of their staff to prevent them from leaving.
Improve team performance by studying problems and spotting coping behaviours
Team performance can often suffer if colleagues aren’t getting along well. Team leaders need to identify whether problems are being solved quickly, or if the team is spending more time deliberating over team issues, than dealing with its tasks.
Articles en français
Nous sommes ravis de vous présenter une sélection d’articles en français, correctement traduits!
The Connection between Personality and Engagement in Change
In the process of change, we are moving from a current status of affairs to a desired status of affairs. This movement involves the process of solving a problem, with the implemented solution leading to our desired status. So, change and problem-solving are fundamentally intertwined. In this article Dr Curt Friedel explores the connection between them.