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Build Better Teams | Team Building, Leadership, Employee Engagement, Strategic Planning & LEGO Serious Play
Build Better Teams | Team Building, Leadership, Employee Engagement, Strategic Planning & LEGO Serious Play
Shannon Russell | Leadership Facilitator, Team Building Expert, Strategic Planning Consultant & Certified LEGO Serious Play Facilitator 20 episodes Nov 9, 2026
Build Better Teams is a podcast for HR professionals, executives, managers, business owners, and event planners seeking to strengthen teams through better communication, collaboration, employee engagement, and strategic planning. Hosted by Shannon Russell, a strategic leadership facilitator and certified LEGO Serious Play facilitator, it offers practical strategies, real-world case studies, and innovative facilitation techniques. The episodes share behind-the-scenes stories from leadership retreats, strategic planning sessions, and LEGO Serious Play workshops, along with actionable ideas for improving workplace culture and building high-performing teams.
Episodes
How to Improve Employee Engagement With LEGO Serious Play Team Building | #29
Are your employees truly engaged, or are they simply showing up to meetings?Think about your last team meeting. Did everyone contribute ideas, share their perspectives, and participate in solving problems? Or did the same two or three people do most of the talking?There's a big difference between attendance and participation, and that difference can have a significant impact on employee engag
How to Set Clear Team Goals and Build Accountability That Actually Works | #28
Is your team busy all day but still not moving in the same direction?Everyone is working hard, meetings are happening, and projects are getting done. Yet somehow, priorities are unclear, deadlines are missed, and team members aren't always aligned.The problem might not be motivation. It might be a lack of clarity.In this episode of the Build Better Teams Podcast, host Shannon Russell, a strat
Why Great Leaders Need Support Too | #27
Who supports the leader when everyone else is looking to them for answers?Leadership can be rewarding, but it can also feel incredibly lonely. Whether you're managing a small team or leading an entire organization, you're expected to make decisions, solve problems, motivate employees, and guide your team through challenges. But who is supporting you?In this episode of the Build Better Te
What Is Company Culture? How Leaders Build Stronger Teams at Work | #26
What does company culture really mean?It isn't free snacks, casual Fridays, company happy hours, or the values written in an employee handbook. Company culture is the experience your employees have working together every day. It's how people communicate, how decisions are made, how conflict is handled, and whether team members feel supported, respected, and heard. In this episode of the
Beyond the Name Tag: Creative Networking and Team Building Ideas That Actually Connect People | #25
Tired of networking events that consist of name tags, awkward small talk, and the same old question: “So, what do you do?”There’s a better way to help people connect.In this episode of the Build Better Teams Podcast, strategic leadership and team-building facilitator Shannon Russell takes you behind the scenes of two recent interactive networking events where participants skipped the traditional i
Leadership Retreat Ideas: Creative Activities to Build Stronger, More Aligned Teams | #24
Planning a leadership retreat or executive offsite? Don't bring your leaders together just to spend eight hours sitting around a conference table listening to presentations.In this episode of the Build Better Teams podcast, strategic leadership and team-building facilitator Shannon Russell shares creative leadership retreat ideas and activities designed to get leaders out of their seats, away
Imagination at Work: How Play and Creativity Help Leaders Build More Innovative Teams | #23
What happens when we stop using our imagination at work?After recently stepping onto the TEDx stage, strategic leadership and team-building facilitator Shannon Russell is reflecting on the idea at the center of her talk: The Imagination Recession.As adults, we become focused on productivity, efficiency, deadlines, and getting more done. Somewhere along the way, many of us stop making time to play,
Building Better Leaders: How Empathy and Self-Awareness Create Stronger Teams | #22
Why do organizations promote great employees into management roles and then expect them to automatically know how to lead?Being excellent at your job doesn't necessarily mean you know how to manage people, delegate effectively, communicate with empathy, or build an engaged team.In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell sits down with leadership development coach and Lightspark Le
Behind the Scenes of a Strategic Planning Workshop with LEGO Serious Play | #21
What makes a strategic planning session actually lead to change?In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell takes you behind the scenes of a recent three-hour strategic planning workshop she facilitated for a leadership team in Oklahoma City using the LEGO® Serious Play® method.Instead of spending hours talking through PowerPoint slides, taking notes, and leaving with more questions tha
Play Is a Leadership Strategy: How Creative Team Building Drives Innovation and Employee Engagement | #20
What if play wasn't a distraction from work, but one of the most powerful leadership strategies you could use to build a stronger team?In this episode of Build Better Teams, strategic leadership and team-building facilitator Shannon Russell explores why play at work can increase creativity, improve employee engagement, strengthen communication, and help teams innovate in ways traditional meet
The 10 Best Questions Leaders Should Ask Their Team Members | #19
Do you really know the people on your team?Not just their job title or daily responsibilities, but their hidden strengths, untapped skills, career goals, and what truly motivates them?In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell shares 10 powerful leadership questions that can transform your one-on-one meetings, improve employee engagement, strengthen workplace communication, and help yo
Team Management vs. Leadership: 5 Ways to Build High-Performing Teams That Last | #18
Is managing your team enough to create a high-performing workplace? Not anymore.Today's leaders are navigating hybrid work, remote employees, multiple generations in the workplace, AI, and changing employee expectations. Simply managing projects and checking off tasks isn't enough to build engaged, collaborative teams.In this episode of Build Better Teams Podcast , Shannon Russell explor
Why Networking Makes You a Better Leader: How Meaningful Relationships Build Stronger Teams | #17
Does the word networking make you cringe? You're not alone.For many professionals, networking feels forced, transactional, and awkward. But what if networking wasn't about collecting business cards or making sales? What if it was simply about building meaningful relationships that make you a better leader?In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell explores why networking has
The Communication Gap at Work: Why Teams Stay Quiet and How Leaders Can Fix It | #16
Why isn't your team speaking up?If you've ever left a meeting wondering why no one challenged an idea, shared feedback, or contributed to the conversation, you're not alone. Many leaders mistake silence for agreement, when in reality, it often signals a communication gap.In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell explores why workplace communication breaks down, how psyc
Leadership Lessons from Sports: Team Culture and Volunteer Engagement with Lara Schroeder | #15
What can workplace leaders learn from sports teams, volunteers, and nonprofit organizations?Quite a lot.In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell sits down with sports management consultant and facilitator Lara Schroeder, founder of Spark Solutions, to discuss leadership, strategic planning, communication, team culture, and the importance of creating systems that help organizations th
The Psychology of High-Performing Teams: How Psychological Safety Improves Employee Engagement and Team Performance |#14
What makes high-performing teams different from everyone else?According to Google's groundbreaking Project Aristotle study, the answer isn't talent, experience, or intelligence. It's psychological safety.In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell explores the psychology behind successful teams and explains why trust, belonging, and open communication are essential for im
How to Build a High-Performing Team Without Doing Everything Yourself with Lindsay White | #13
Are you trying to grow your business while feeling overwhelmed by everything on your plate?In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell sits down with leadership strategist and founder of High Voltage Leadership, Lindsay White, for a powerful conversation about leadership, delegation, hiring, workplace culture, founder burnout, and building high-performing teams.With more than 20 years o
What Netflix’s Company Retreat Gets Right About Team Building: Employee Engagement, Workplace Culture & LEGO Serious Play | #12
What can a hilarious Netflix comedy teach us about workplace culture, employee engagement, and effective team building?In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell breaks down the new Netflix series Company Retreat and explains why the show accidentally highlights one of the biggest problems with traditional corporate retreats and leadership offsites.From awkward icebreakers and forced b
Creative Team Building Workshop Ideas That Engage Employees | #11
Are your team-building events truly engaging your employees, or are they just another meeting everyone forgets by the next day?In this episode of Build Better Teams, host Shannon Russell explores creative team-building workshop ideas that help organizations improve communication, increase employee engagement, and build stronger workplace collaboration through active participation.Shannon shares wh
How to Improve Employee Engagement Without More Meetings | #10
Are your team meetings increasing… but employee engagement is still low?In today’s workplace, more meetings are not the answer to better communication, stronger collaboration, or higher employee engagement. In fact, too many meetings can lead to disengagement, burnout, and lack of productivity.In this episode of Build Better Teams, we break down how to improve employee engagement without adding mo
How to Build a Team as a Solopreneur (Even If You Work Alone) | #9
Do you ever feel like you’re building your business completely alone?In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell shares a powerful case study on how solopreneurs, remote workers, and business owners can build a “team” even without employees.If you’re working from home, running your business solo, or feeling stuck without collaboration, this episode will shift how you think about team bu
Why Your Team Isn’t Communicating (And How to Fix It) | #8
Why does team communication break down even when everyone is in the same meeting?In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell breaks down the real reason teams struggle with communication, collaboration, and engagement, and why more meetings are not the solution.If you’ve ever led a meeting where a few people dominate the conversation while others stay quiet, you’re not alone. Most teams
How to Improve Team Communication and Uncover Employee Fears - A Case Study | #7
What happens when your team is afraid to speak up?In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell shares a powerful real-world case study of how a global pharmaceutical company used a LEGO® Serious Play® workshop to uncover hidden fears, improve team communication, and create true alignment during a major organizational change.When offices were closing, teams were merging, and uncertainty w
The Secret to Better Team Alignment? Think With Your Hands | #6
What if your next strategic planning session didn’t involve a single slide deck?In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell shares how LEGO® Serious Play® workshops are transforming the way teams approach strategic planning, collaboration, and employee engagement.If your meetings feel repetitive, your team struggles to align, or only a few voices dominate the conversation, this episode
Stop Wasting Money on Offsites: How to Plan a Team Building Workshop Where Everyone Wins | #5
Are you planning a team offsite or leadership retreat? Before you book the venue or plan the activities, ask yourself this one question...what do you want to change after the event? In this episode of Build Better Teams, we break down how to design a team building workshop offsite that goes beyond a “fun day” and actually improves team engagement, workplace culture, and team alignment.Because the
How LEGO® Serious Play® Team Building Workshops Improve Team Collaboration and Employee Engagement | #4
🔗 Learn more or book a strategy call: https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com.In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven workplace, teams are more connected than ever. But are they truly collaborating?In this episode #4 of Build Better Teams, we explore the “analog advantage” and why stepping away from screens to participate in workshops like LEGO® Serious Play®, can dramatically improve team collaboration
Strategic Planning That Actually Works: A Step-by-Step Guide for Leaders | #3
In this episode of Build Better Teams, we break down how to run a strategic planning session that actually leads to clear decisions, team alignment, and real results.Most strategic planning workshops fails for one simple reason. Too much discussion, not enough decision.Hosted by Shannon Russell, Strategic Leadership and Team Facilitator certified in the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology, this episod
How to Plan a Team Building Workshop That Drives Real Results | #2
Why do many team building workshop ideas often fail? And which ones actually work when it comes to team alignment and employee engagement? In this episode of Build Better Teams, we break down why most team building activities fail to create real change, and what leaders, HR professionals, and organizations should be doing instead.Because team building should do more than check a box. It should im
Why Teams Struggle with Alignment (And How to Fix It with Better Leadership and Strategic Planning) | #1
Have you ever left a meeting wondering what was actually accomplished?Or walked away from a leadership retreat with great ideas but no real clarity or next steps?In this first episode of Build Better Teams, we break down why so many teams struggle with alignment, communication, and execution, even when they have talented people and strong ideas.Hosted by Shannon Russell, Strategic Leadership and T
Build Better Teams Trailer: Team Building, Leadership Development and Strategic Planning That Actually Works
Welcome to Build Better Teams, the podcast for leaders, HR professionals, and organizations who want stronger collaboration, clearer strategy, and more engaged teams.Hosted by Shannon Russell, Strategic Leadership and Team Facilitator certified in the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology, this podcast delivers practical, real-world strategies for hands-on team building, leadership development, and stra
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