Tim Cooper is a principal consultant with The Table Group, founder of Cooper Consulting, and a Working Genius master facilitator. He brings more than 15 years of team leadership experience to his work with CEOs and executive teams, specializing in building healthier relationships and organizational clarity that cascade throughout the organization. He graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in Business and Communications and earned his Master's from Denver Seminary.

What if the problem your team keeps running into isn't a person at all?

Most of us have sat in the meeting where the same frustration shows up again and again. It's tempting to think it must be a people problem.

But there may be an unspoken assumption underneath, a wall nobody can see. So no matter who is in the room, it may not go away.

This week I'm talking with my colleague Tim Cooper, a principal consultant with The Table Group and a Working Genius master facilitator. Tim and I teach Working Genius certification together, and I take notes every time he talks.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT:

• What an invisible wall is. When a team keeps bumping into something it can't name, we tend to turn it into a people problem. Tim explains what changes when a team makes the wall visible instead.

•  Why "it's their problem" is so tempting. Tim shares what he blurted out in his counselor's office years ago, and why it was both mortifying and helpful.

•  Declaring your intent. When you walk into someone's office and ask a question, they may be responding to what they guess you meant. Tim's four Cs give them something clearer to respond to.

•  A shared language for how work gets done. Tim and I talk about how Working Genius gives a team a common framework for how work gets done so it's easier to show up and participate prepared.

•  Conflict and trust. Tim explains why he sees conflict without trust as dirty politics, and why healthy relationships aren't fragile. He also shares two simple questions that help a team build trust before they need the conflict.

•  The idea in the middle of the room. The healthiest teams Tim works with often can't say who the idea came from. They look at the idea together.

•  How a team decides. Tim says commitment is key, agreement is overrated, and we discuss why committing and course-correcting beats chasing the perfect strategy.

• The Four Cs: declare your intent
  • Curious: you want to understand, and the other person can simply answer.
  • Confused: something didn't match what you expected, and the other person knows to answer more carefully.
  • Concerned: this needs a real conversation.
  • Convinced: you've already formed a view and want to say so openly.  

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Pick one conversation this week where you would normally just start with the question. Before you ask it, declare your intent using one of Tim's words: "I'm curious," "I'm confused," "I'm concerned," or "I'm convinced." Here's why it helps. The person across from you is probably guessing at why you're asking, and Tim's point is that we tend to feel sure about what others mean even when we're guessing. A single word gives them something to respond to instead of a guess, and it keeps the conversation about the question, not about how it sounded.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Tim Cooper on LinkedIn
• The Table Group
• The Working Genius
• Previous Working Genius episodes: 
  • Episode 12 - Leverage Your Strengths
  • Episode 31 - Strengths: The Hidden Key to Extraordinary Performance
  • Episode 71 - Stop Solving. Start Wondering with Heather Italiano 
• Plays Well with Others by Eric Barker 

Ready to go deeper? If you want to build real clarity, trust, and cohesion into how your team operates, reach out for a free team diagnostic. Schedule a Consultation.

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Until next time, lead the way!