How to Build Teams That Can Excel Under Pressure

My son joined a wildland firefighter crew this summer. It’s risky work, and needless to say, I’m a nervous mama. But one of the things that gives me confidence is that they are serious about teamwork. After all, excellent teamwork is not only essential to their success; it can be essential to their safety.?

Thankfully, most of us don’t feel that our safety depends on the quality of our teamwork. But we know our success surely does. As the famous African proverb reminds us: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”?

At the Conferences for Women, we believe in going far together. That’s why we’re excited to be hard at work this summer planning our fall conferences in?Philadelphia,?Austin, and?Boston, and next year’s spring conference in?Silicon Valley. More simply, we believe in community, the spirit of which many celebrated this Fourth of July.?

So with that in mind, we offer tips on teamwork this month from some of our favorite Conference for Women speakers, including Chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen ;? Stacy Brown-Philpot , former CEO of Taskrabbit , who long ago recognized the vital role well-being plays on teams; and?Dr. Swati Mohan , who leads teams at NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration where, as she puts it, people solve hard problems that haven’t been solved before.?

We hope they inspire you!?

Warmly,?

Lisa B.

How to Increase Your Team’s Influence

“Everyone plans too much. If you keep writing plan after plan, people freeze when things go into mayhem, into chaos, and suddenly you find that something has happened that you don’t have a plan for. They stop. They don’t know what to do because they never thought about that before. It’s better not to plan so much and adapt more. Adapt, and the plan writes itself as you start doing it.”?Read more.

CHEF JOSé ANDRéS, Founder of World Central Kitchen

Three Simple Ways to Improve Employee Well-Being?

“I don’t check my email before I brush my teeth. That means I pray and meditate, and play with the dog before responding to anyone. If we don’t lead by example on self-care, our teams will follow us and not practice self-care either.”??Read more.

STACY BROWN-PHILPOT, former CEO of TaskRabbit

How to Create Teams that Excel Under Pressure?

“When we embrace diversity, it allows us to expand our limits. Different people can bring different perspectives and ways of problem-solving. At NASA, we are solving hard problems that haven’t been solved before. Engaging diversity allows us to think outside the box.”?Read more.

DR. SWATI MOHAN, aerospace engineer and Guidance and Controls Operations Lead on the NASA Mars 2020 mission

Teamwork Tips from Stefanie Nacar, VP, Head of US Marketing & Access at MorphoSys

Stefanie Nacar leads?commercial strategy and execution across her company’s approved and late-stage hematology/oncology portfolio. She took some time to thoughtfully respond to our burning questions about effective teamwork, navigating tensions that can come with diverse perspectives, and core lessons in relationship-building.

Read the Q&A here.?

Get your tickets to this year's?December 14 Conference! We're back in Boston for a full-day classic conference featuring breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and powerful keynote appearances by:?The Rt. Hon. Jacinda Ardern,?Margaret Atwood,?Radhika Jones,?Michelle Yeoh,?and more special guests.

Limited tickets remain.?Learn more and register today at maconferenceforwomen.org.

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The following organizations share in our Conference mission to ensure equity and the advancement of women in the workplace.