Mike Robbins

In light of black history month, I’ve been thinking a lot about our country’s history and how we all play a role in our future moving forward. In the past few years, we have witnessed the shootings of unarmed African American teenagers at the hands of police, the rise of white nationalism, and many concerning … Read more

I woke up early this morning in a little bit of a daze. I thought about the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others yesterday and my initial thought was, “Oh, it was just a bad dream.” Then a few more breaths and I realized, “Nope, not a bad dream, a … Read more

While we are still in the first few weeks in January, the annual “new year, new you” phenomenon is all around – online, in the media, in our social media feeds, and more. And while this time of year can be a great catalyst for positive change in our lives, what if we made a … Read more

Negativity can be the downfall of even the most talented teams.  Over the past 18 years as a consultant, I’ve worked with many organizations that had great people, quality products or services, and innovative ideas, but the environment in which they worked was filled with so much negativity, they weren’t able to reach their full … Read more

Trust is vital to the success of a team and to the health of the culture.  When teams trust one another, they can create a sense of psychological safety, which means the group is safe enough for people to take risks, speak up, make mistakes, resolve conflicts, and be themselves – knowing that they won’t … Read more

When we stop hiding our true selves and become vulnerable, our work environment is more enjoyable—and productive—for all. Have you ever wanted to speak up about an issue or situation at work, but were afraid to? Or wanted to share something about yourself, but worried people might judge you? Or pretended to understand something professionally … Read more

Crying is something that many of us have resistance to and judgment about, especially at work. Why is this? A lot of us have been shamed or criticized for crying, or simply coached not to do it. Some of this can be specific to our background, culture, age, industry, position, and other unique factors. And … Read more

A great example of how teamwork and culture can impact results in a significant way is the San Francisco Giants from a few years ago.  I’ve been honored to speak several times to their front-office staff, as well as to some of their players and coaches during spring training in recent years. I first partnered … Read more

In the past few weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about the courage it takes to step out, take risks, and put ourselves out there. Even though I know how important this is for growth, in business, and for life – I still find it tricky, scary, and challenging at times. I also realize it’s … Read more