Charlie Gilkey on Team Habits: How Small Actions Create Better Teams and Better Work

I’m excited to revisit this conversation with Charlie Gilkey on his book, Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results. Charlie is the founder of Productive Flourishing, a company that helps professional creatives, leaders, and changemakers take meaningful action on work that matters. He is an internationally recognized thought leader on productivity, planning, strategy, and leadership, and is also the author of Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done and The Small Business Life Cycle. Charlie is also an Army veteran and near-PhD in philosophy.

In this conversation, we cover:

• The Power of Team Habits: Charlie explains why great teams aren’t built by simply adding talented people, but by developing intentional habits and systems that shape how people work together.
• Small Problems, Big Consequences: We discuss how seemingly minor issues inside a team can compound over time, affecting morale, communication, trust, and the overall health of the workplace.
• Improving Systems Instead of Blaming People: Charlie shares why leaders should focus on changing broken team dynamics and processes rather than trying to “fix” individual team members.
• Better Communication and Collaboration: We explore practical ways teams can improve meetings, expectations, feedback, and everyday interactions to create more productive and enjoyable work environments.
• Creating Humane High-Performing Teams: Charlie discusses how teams can balance excellence and accountability with empathy, understanding, and respect for the people doing the work.

Charlie’s insights offer a practical roadmap for anyone looking to create healthier, more effective teams. Whether you lead a team, work within one, or are trying to improve how people collaborate around meaningful work, this conversation is packed with strategies for building better habits that lead to better outcomes. Learn more about Charlie and his work at ProductiveFlourishing.com, and check out Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results wherever books are sold.

Connect with Charlie:

• Better Team Habits
• Productive Flourishing

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