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November 2025
Building Teams That Work FROM DYSFUNCTION TO SHARED SUCCESS
I recently picked up “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable” by Patrick Lencioni, and it gave me a lot to think about. The reason I reached for the book is simple. Over the years, I’ve learned that culture matters more than technical expertise. A person with all the skills in the world can drag the team down if they aren’t a good fit. As our firm has grown, I’ve noticed how much more important firm culture has become. When we were small, staying on the same page was easier. Now with more people, it’s easier to miss something, and the cost of a weak culture is much higher. The book lays out five ways a team can lose its way, and as sobering as it was, I recognized every one of them. The first is an absence of trust. Without trust, people hold back. They avoid being vulnerable, and real disagreements never come out in the open. That leads to the second dysfunction: a fear of conflict. When no one is willing to voice their thoughts, frustrations
The last dysfunction is inattention to results. This one often shows up as ego, when protecting one’s image or status becomes more important than helping the team succeed. I know there have been times when I didn’t clearly spell out how each person’s work tied to our overall goal. Without that connection, people naturally drift into silos, and the focus on shared results fades. What struck me most was how these dysfunctions feed into the others. Without trust, there is no healthy conflict. Without conflict, people can’t fully commit. Without commitment, accountability slips. And without accountability, results take a back seat. One weakness sets off the next until the whole team stumbles. For me, that process shifted how I define a successful team. I used to think a lack of conflict was a good thing. If everyone seemed to agree, I assumed we were working well together. Now I see that silence can be a warning sign. Disagreeing takes courage, but no team can move forward together without that courage.
leak out sideways through passive-aggressive behavior.
These lessons also apply beyond the walls of our firm. Whenever we work with a client, we form a team together. Trust comes from showing up as real people and listening. Healthy conflict means we don’t just hand out answers but invite honest conversations. Commitment means we and our clients share the same goal and stay focused on it. And accountability means doing what we’ve promised and measuring our progress along the way. The effort to build a stronger team is an ongoing project. We have to protect culture daily in how we talk to each other, make decisions, and hold each other accountable. What encourages me is seeing how small shifts, like a little more genuineness in a meeting or a clearer connection to a shared goal, can transform how a team works. Ultimately, I want to foster a culture where trust runs deep, results matter, and everyone can bring their best to the table.
Lack of commitment is the third dysfunction. The author writes that people won’t fully commit to a team decision without the chance to voice their perspective. Honest debate has to come first, or there’s no real buy-in. The fourth dysfunction is avoidance of accountability. I know that one well. Early in my career, I thought being “nice” meant steering clear of tough conversations. But accountability depends on those conversations. People can’t be held accountable or grow unless expectations are clear, and team members have a chance to recalibrate and learn when they fall short.
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Before Smartphones, There Was Water
GETTING OUT OF BED LONG BEFORE THE SNOOZE BUTTON
Members of Generation Z may find it difficult to believe that people used plug-in alarm clocks to help them get up on time in the morning. However, that seemingly archaic means of timekeeping has nothing on how people managed wake-up time before cellphones and even electricity, as we use it today, became staples of daily life. In the 4th century BCE, the Greek philosopher Plato created a method to ensure students at his academy, which once counted Aristotle among its pupils, woke up at the correct time each day. To perfect a foolproof system, he turned to a surprising tool: water. He constructed a set of clocks that operated using two basins. One basin would slowly empty into the other throughout the night; when the second basin was full, rattling pebbles or whistling air awakened students from their slumber. Known as klepsydra (or “water thief”) clocks, these timekeepers were astonishingly accurate. About a century later, Greek inventor Ctesibius of Alexandria expanded on Plato’s design by incorporating mechanics that produced sounds not unlike those of the more modern cuckoo clock. Ctesibius’s version remained popular until the pendulum clock emerged in the 1650s.
Although Plato often gets credit for creating aquatic- based alarms, some variation of the klepsydra concept allegedly dates back to at least the 16th century BCE. Archaeologists uncovered a tomb inscription detailing how an Egyptian
court official of the era devised a similar system. Regardless of its definitive inventor, the water clock roused people long before phone apps, proving that nature often provides solutions to problems centuries before human technology catches up.
While the water clock was undoubtedly an imaginative masterstroke, it is still reasonable to argue that the “snooze” button remains the most critical time-related creation known to man.
Ice Cream in Your Pocket?
YOU CAN’T EVEN MAKE UP THESE STRANGE FOOD RULES
Finger-Licking Fun … or Else!
When it comes to state laws about food, specific provisions on the books from past years may leave a funny taste in your mouth, and potentially get you in a heap of trouble if you break them. This fact is especially true in parts of the South, where your lunch order may need to come with a side of legal advice. Cones and Captured Horses If you want to stay on the good side of law enforcement in Alabama, always remember that ice cream cones are for licking, not sticking in your back pocket. While it’s pretty safe to assume the thought of engaging in the latter activity hasn’t crossed a single mind in 2025, there was a time when horse thieves would stick ice cream in their pockets to attract equine abductees. Considering that we rarely share the highway with horses these days and most people would prefer not to turn the seat of their pants into a sundae, it’s a safe bet this charge won’t fill up courtrooms for the foreseeable future.
On the subject of making a mess with food items, eating chicken with your hands can be a sticky thrill and is the only way to partake in poultry eating
without running a-fowl of the law in Gainesville, Georgia. If you want to enjoy tasty chicken in that city, stock up on wet wipes and skip the knife and fork, as eating it with utensils is a crime. Although the ordinance banning knives
and forks when consuming chicken was meant as a joke
by the local police department, chucking the rule may draw some disapproving clucks when dining in the place affectionately known by locals and city officials as “the Poultry
Capital of the World,” especially during its renowned Spring Chicken Festival. Perhaps only a good lawyer can help determine whether
the law also applies to vegan “chik’n” options.
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Dividing Homes, Not Hearts
BRAIN GAMES
Co-Parent Like a Pro After Separation
Divorce or separation is often stressful, but it should never be used to draw battle lines for your children. Dissolving a marriage or partnership can be as logistically challenging as it is emotionally draining, especially when developing a positive and effective co-parenting situation. Here are a few suggestions for creating and sustaining clear communication and responsibilities when you and your former spouse/partner no longer live or parent under the same roof. The Key Steps Toward Stability First and foremost, all co-parenting arrangements need a consistent plan for success. A written co-parenting plan should include the custody agreement, travel and/or relocation considerations, financial responsibilities for both parties, schedules (e.g., school pick-up/drop-off times and who is responsible for fulfilling these commitments), and details regarding the child’s education and health care needs. A document of this nature helps solidify both parties’ involvement and holds each accountable for what they’ve agreed to do on the child’s behalf. Additionally, it helps prevent disagreements or misunderstandings that could lead to arguing in front of the child/children, a scenario to avoid as much as possible. While a divorce may present logistical obstacles for one or both parents, it is critical to work toward maintaining the child’s existing friendships and activities, even if they require spending more time with one spouse over the other. For example, if your child’s best friend lives closer to your ex-spouse, accommodating the continuation of this close relationship will help your child maintain a sense of normalcy. The Risks of Reticent Relationships When the end of a marriage or relationship results in a breakdown in communication or cooperation, these fractured ties can have a potentially devastating impact on your child. Common effects of unhealthy co-parenting on children include reduced performance at school, lowered self-esteem, and difficulties in maintaining healthy relationships with others. If communication has devolved into acrimony or has resulted in either side failing to fulfill their parental duties, seeking counseling from a trained professional is one way to help steer the ship in the best possible direction for your child’s health and peace of mind.
SOLUTION
SLOW COOKER BRISKET
Ingredients
• 1 (1-oz) envelope onion soup mix • 1 tbsp brown sugar • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper • 1 3-lb piece of beef brisket (flat cut)
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces • 1 lb baby golden potatoes • 3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 large sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges • 2 1/2 cups beef stock • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs • 8 whole garlic cloves • 2 bay leaves
Directions 1. In a small bowl, combine soup mix, sugar, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle over brisket. 2. Place meat, fat cap side down, into an 8-qt slow cooker. 3. Top brisket with thyme, garlic, bay leaves, carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion. 4. Whisk stock, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch until fully dissolved. Add to slow cooker. 5. Cover and cook on high for 5–6 hours until tender. 6. Remove to a cutting board, fat side up. Remove thyme and bay leaves. 7. Thinly slice brisket against the grain. 8. Serve with vegetables, drizzled with gravy from the slow cooker.
Inspired by ThePioneerWoman.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Lessons From ‘The Five Dysfunctions’
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What Snooze Button? The Ingenious Ways People Used to Wake Up
Who Knew Eating Could Get You in Legal Trouble?
Slow Cooker Brisket
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Divorce Isn’t Easy, but Co-Parenting Can Be
The Chocolate Event That Had Kids Crying, Not Smiling
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When AI Marketing Goes Horribly Wrong Willy’s Ruined Chocolate Experience
Never fail to deliver on a promise of chocolate to children.
(in some instances) a single jellybean served in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. The scenery was cheap, while the actors struggled to perform through hastily provided scripts. One character, The Unknown, was a masked and frighteningly attired figure that prompted youngsters to recoil and cry in fear. Perhaps most disturbingly, there was no chocolate to be found. Naturally, people called the police amid demands for refunds, and the lackluster affair was shut down. Subsequent revelations that creators used AI to generate the online marketing images and that the $44 event was not an officially sanctioned “Wonka” undertaking also brought into question House of Illuminati owner Billy Coull’s background, including his history of publishing AI-generated books on conspiracy theories and taboo subjects. Although Coull’s fraudulent and exploitative marketing scheme was reprehensible, it’s far from his worst transgression. Around the time House of Illuminati was shuttered in late 2024, he was forced to register as a sex offender after it was revealed he had followed up his “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” fiasco by sending unwanted explicit messages and images to an unidentified woman.
House of Illuminati, a London-based event company, learned this lesson the hard way when it hosted what angry parents and disappointed kids in Glasgow considered one of the biggest scams in children’s entertainment history. The disastrous day went from offering scant amounts of lemonade and jellybeans to prompting cries of terror and calls to Scottish police, and artificial intelligence was at least partially to blame. In early 2024, social media feeds in the U.K. were abuzz with vibrant images promoting “Willy’s Chocolate Experience,” an immersive event boasting chocolate fountains, costumed characters, and “a day of pure imagination and wonder.” Naturally, people assumed the event was a tie-in with the then-recently released film “Wonka” and a nod to the imaginary world created by the classic 1971 movie “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.” Unfortunately, what attendees experienced when “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” arrived that February was far from a fairy tale. Instead of rivers of sweets, they were treated to half-filled cups of lemonade and
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SAFEGUARDING YOUR BUSINESS: Tips for Enforcing Non- Competition Agreements
Hey folks! In the ever-evolving landscape of today’s economy, key employees are constantly on the move, and as a small-business owner, the thought of a key player leaving to work for a competitor or launching their own business can be worrisome. In this article, we’ll guide you through essential tips to strengthen and enforce your non-competition agreements, providing a shield for your company in the face of potential challenges. The legal terrain surrounding non-competition agreements is subject to change, and it’s crucial to stay current. In 2017, and then again in 2019, the Nevada legislature revamped the laws governing non-competition agreements. If you haven’t updated your agreement recently, you may be missing out on new rights and failing to meet updated requirements. Take the time to revisit and update your non-competition agreement form to ensure it aligns with the latest legal standards.
Non-competition agreements are designed to safeguard your company’s confidential information. To bolster their effectiveness, it’s imperative to update and strictly enforce your company’s confidentiality policies. Treat your sensitive information as if it’s truly confidential, implementing and enforcing reasonable precautions consistently. This proactive approach enhances your ability to protect proprietary information in the event of an employee departure. During the termination process, it’s essential for employers to fulfill their obligations outlined in the non-competition agreement. Courts are less likely to enforce these agreements if employers fail to meet their end of the deal. Consistency and transparency in adhering to the terms of the agreement, especially during employee terminations,
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strengthen your legal standing should the need arise. Enforcing a non-competition agreement often requires presenting evidence in a legal setting. Given that customers may be hesitant to participate in legal proceedings, documentation becomes paramount. Keep detailed records, including emails, communication logs, and other relevant documents, to build a strong case if the need arises. Thorough documentation can serve as crucial evidence, helping you protect your company’s interests. Time is of the essence when it comes to enforcing non-competition agreements. The moment you become aware that a former employee is violating the agreement, prompt action is crucial. Waiting for days, weeks, “Time is of the essence when it comes to enforcing non- competition agreements. The moment you become aware that a former employee is violating the agreement, prompt action is crucial.”
or months can weaken your position and jeopardize the effectiveness of the agreement. Act swiftly to protect your rights and minimize potential damages. In the dynamic landscape of business, protecting your company from the risks associated with key employees leaving requires proactive measures. By updating non-competition agreements, reinforcing confidentiality policies, upholding your end of the agreement, documenting everything, and taking swift action, you enhance your ability to safeguard your business. If you need assistance fortifying or enforcing your non-competition agreement, don’t hesitate to reach out for expert guidance. Your business’s future may depend on it.
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