Success Advice
3 Types of Team Habits That Can Transform Your Work Life
Chances are you spend 80 percent of your workdays with your team. So why not rethink how you work together?

Oprah Winfrey called it one of her most embarrassing moments.
In a live television interview, the renowned film critic Gene Siskel surprised her with his final question: “What do you know for sure?” Confounded, she couldn’t answer.
After Siskel died, at 53, from complications following brain surgery, Winfrey began drawing on his powerful question in her magazine columns and TV interviews, and also wrote a book titled “What I Know For Sure.”
My point? As a longtime business coach, here’s what I know for sure: Most people quit or stay at their jobs because of the other people they interact with daily.
Your true team
No matter the size of your company, you probably spend 80 percent of your workdays with the same four to eight people. And regardless of what the org chart says, those people are your true team, whether it’s in-person or remote.
Thus, if you want to better your work life, begin by bettering your team—and how you work together. Or what I call your “team habits.”
Through my work with a wide range of professionals—from individual contributors to line managers to senior leaders—I’ve identified eight categories, or types, of team habits. All the categories are consequential, but at least initially, I suggest focusing on three—belonging, decision-making, and meetings—and the individual team habits that lie within each one.
Moreover, I suggest starting small. Like individual habits, building team habits doesn’t happen overnight. Nor should it. There is more power in achieving everyday small wins.
In the “Starting small” sections in this article, begin with just one of the team habits suggested. Then, as you achieve results, select another one.
1. Belonging
Belonging is a team’s superpower. Why? Because it’s what turns a group of people into a team.
A group is a collection of individuals. You and I could be part of a group yet not have a genuine sense of belonging. Even if everyone in the group is working toward the same goal, odds are members aren’t aligned around how to achieve that goal.
That’s because groups don’t have the strong directional relationship they need to work together effectively. They lack a true relational pull, or North Star.
A team, on the other hand, is a group that is highly aligned. Members share a sense of purpose and are guided toward something bigger, beyond just being in the relationship.
That shared context, imbued with the glue of belonging, is what causes a team to be effective at achieving their goals.
Still, belonging is fragile. It can be created—or cracked apart—by the daily habits of a team.
Starting small
Agree as one team that it’s a good thing to ask for help. Be intentional in how you include people, particularly introverts who, by their nature, may want to contribute more quietly and deliberately.
Celebrate all individual and team wins as a group. Broach others’ innocent mistakes, both in real time (not weeks or months later) and with grace. Commit to not taking things personally.
2. Decision-making
When deciding what to eat on your lunch break, your choice will have no effect on your team. But when you get back to work and make a particular decision on a team project, you’re bound to affect what the rest of your team is doing.
In teams, decisions are inherently social and emotional. Any choice you make is relevant to someone—or everyone. And such reverberating effects can be mighty.
With a single decision, you can make people’s day or have them tearing their hair out. Ignoring that potential is where many teams (and organizations) get in trouble.
Starting small
Remove bottlenecks by knowing when you do—and don’t—need management’s involvement in a decision. Keep a team decision log with a program like Notion or Confluence. (Best intentions aside, people’s memories won’t do.)
Build incremental time into more complex decisions. Accept “maybe” as an interim answer when it’s appropriate. Recognize that the stakes on many decisions are rarely as high as you think they are.
3. Meetings
Meetings are one of those places where, in the span of an hour, you can see all your bad team habits, one after another in rapid succession. It’s akin to the ever-popular (and satirically minded) corporate poster: “Meetings: None of Us Is as Dumb as All of Us.”
One reason that meetings can be painful is that when you’re in one—especially if it’s going badly—you become hyperaware of the other work you could be doing. It might be finishing an overdue report or returning a key customer’s call.
No matter, you’re not doing it because you’re stuck in that meeting. Not to mention the massive cost of meetings once you factor in participants’ salaries and squandered productivity.
Starting small
Eliminate “crutch” meetings—the ones used to deal with matters that have no place in a team meeting. Do some back-of-the-envelope math on what your regular team meetings may be costing your organization.
Prevent overstuffed meetings by limiting sessions to single-topic categories, such as planning, brainstorming, or celebrating. Agree on a designated facilitator for every meeting—and stick with it.
Allow people to decline a meeting when it makes more sense for them to be elsewhere.
Ready? Begin today to better three types of team habits: belonging, decision-making, and meetings. And be sure to start small, with one simple habit at a time. Soon, you will transform your work life—and know that for sure.
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Personal Development
These 11 Habits Will Make You More Productive, Successful, and Confident
Boost your focus, confidence, and results with 11 powerful habits successful people use every day.

Successful people love to help beginners. They have an incredible work ethic and rarely complain. As a result, others naturally look up to them and want to follow in their footsteps.
But here’s the truth: there’s no success without sacrifice. You’ll need to give up comfort, excuses, and sometimes even social approval to accomplish your goals.
Value comes from solving problems, and these 11 powerful tips will help you become more productive, successful, and confident, starting today.
1. Take Short Breaks After Finishing a Task
Psychology shows it’s important to reward positive behaviour.
After completing a big task or finishing a book, take five minutes to walk, stretch, or simply breathe. This quick reset helps your brain recharge and strengthens focus.
Many great writers swear by morning walks, solitude, and reflection can unlock creativity.
But if you refuse to take breaks, don’t be surprised when burnout hits. Your brain needs recovery time just as much as your body does.
2. Schedule Your Most Important Tasks First
Multitasking kills productivity. If you want to get more done, try time blocking, a method where you dedicate set periods for specific tasks.
Productivity expert Caitlin Hughes explains, “Time blocking involves scheduling blocks of time for your tasks throughout the day.”
For example, if you’re a writer:
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Research your topic at night.
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Write your first draft in the morning (don’t worry if it’s rough).
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Edit in the afternoon, great writing comes from rewriting.
You can’t buy more time. Use it intentionally and without regret.
3. Eliminate Distractions from Your Workspace
Focus is the foundation of success.
According to Inc. Magazine, it takes an average of 23 minutes to recover from a distraction. That’s nearly half an hour of lost productivity every time you check your phone.
Put your phone away. Close unnecessary tabs. And yes, limit your Netflix binges.
Meeting deadlines consistently is one of the fastest ways to stand out and earn respect.
4. Take Full Responsibility for Your Life
Entrepreneur Derek Sivers once said, “Everything is my fault.”
This mindset doesn’t mean self-blame; it means self-ownership. Stop pointing fingers, making excuses, or waiting for others to change.
If your habits (like smoking or drinking too much) hold you back, it’s time to make better choices. Your friends can’t live your dreams for you; only you can.
5. Invest an Hour a Day in Learning New Skills
Knowledge compounds over time.
Whether you read books, take online courses, or practise a craft, consistent learning gives you a competitive edge.
I used to struggle with academic writing, but I improved by studying the work of great authors and applying what I learned.
Your past doesn’t define you; your actions do. Every new skill adds another tool to your arsenal and makes you more unstoppable.
6. Develop a Growth Mindset
Psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck introduced the concept of fixed vs. growth mindset.
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A fixed mindset believes success is based on natural talent.
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A growth mindset believes success comes from effort and learning.
Choose the growth mindset. Embrace challenges. See failures as feedback. In today’s fast-moving digital world, adaptability is your biggest advantage.
7. Learn Marketing to Reach People Who Need You
I once believed marketing was manipulative, until I realised it’s about helping people solve problems.
If your work provides genuine value, marketing is how you let others know it exists. Even Apple spends billions on it.
Don’t be ashamed to promote your skills or business. Without visibility, your ideas will never reach the people who need them most.
Creative professionals who understand marketing and sales have an unfair advantage.
8. Ask Your Mentor the Right Questions
Good mentors can fast-track your growth.
While mentorship often costs money, it’s one of the best investments you can make. Great mentors don’t care about titles; they care about your progress.
If you don’t have access to a mentor yet, books are your silent mentors. Read the best in your field, take notes, and apply what resonates.
9. Build Confidence Through Action, Not Affirmations
Author Ryan Holiday once said, “I don’t believe in myself. I have evidence.”
Confidence doesn’t come from shouting affirmations into the mirror; it comes from proof. Doing hard things, keeping promises to yourself, and following through.
When you consistently take action, your brain gathers evidence that you can handle whatever comes next. That’s real confidence, grounded, earned, and unshakable.
10. Focus on Your Strengths
Your strengths reveal where your greatest impact lies.
If people compliment you on something often, it’s a clue. Lean into it.
A former professor once told me I was creative, and that simple comment gave me the confidence to go all in. I studied creativity, applied it daily, and turned it into my career advantage.
Double down on your strengths. That’s how you build momentum and mastery.
11. Identify and Challenge Your Limiting Beliefs
Your beliefs shape your reality.
For years, I believed I couldn’t be a great writer because of my chronic tinnitus and astigmatism, sensory challenges that made concentration difficult. But over time, I realised those struggles made me more disciplined, observant, and empathetic.
Your limitations can become your greatest motivators if you let them.
Avoid shortcuts. Growth takes time, but it’s always worth it.
Final Thoughts
Becoming productive, successful, and confident isn’t about working harder than everyone else. It’s about working smarter, consistently, and intentionally.
You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Start small: take a break after your next task, schedule your priorities, or spend one hour learning something new.
Every habit you change compounds into long-term success. Remember, true change comes from practising new behaviours.
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