FIREPOWER Teams

02/12/2026

You’ve just wrapped up a powerful Strategic Planning session with Maria Forbes and FIREPOWER Teams. The room was full of clarity. Goals were refined. The owner’s vision took shape. But now comes the critical question:

📣 What happens next?

Strategic planning is the beginning, not the finish line. Without a practical, team-centered follow-through, even the best-laid strategies can stall. That’s why our approach doesn’t stop when the planning session ends. It accelerates a purposeful journey in which team members move from spectators of strategy to owners of ex*****on. Read more on how that shift begins.

You’ve just wrapped up a powerful Strategic Planning session with Maria Forbes and FIREPOWER Teams. The room was full of clarity. Goals were refined. The owner’s vision took shape. But now comes the critical question: What happens next? Strategic planning is the beginning, not the finish line. W...

01/30/2026

📣 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗨𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
FIREPOWER Teams Strategic Growth
Your 2026 People-Powered Season

We’ve never followed the traditional path to strategic growth, and for good reason. Too often, organizations cycle through the same familiar process: teams are invited into strategic planning, buy-in is encouraged, and by year-end, the goals haven’t fully materialized. The result? A reset and another round of planning, year after year.

We disrupt that cycle and jump-start real progress!

Strategic growth begins when teams help define what growth actually means and can clearly visualize their unique contribution to it. Where needed, we translate high-level strategy into language teams can act on, not watered down, but precise and often technical. The language is tailored to individual roles and responsibilities and directly connected to business value.
We educate at every contributor level, walking your people through the journey to transform low-fire teams into a talent-driven force that delivers measurable business success.

𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙨 𝙦𝙪𝙤 — 𝙧𝙚-𝙛𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙞𝙩.
FIREPOWER Teams clients are leaders of privately held businesses who want to get their people on board with growth. We get it done together by putting critical growth goals into the proper context for individual contributors.
[READ MORE: https://firepowerteams.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-FIREPOWER-Teams-New-Chapter-1.pdf ]

Ready to transform hope into strategy? Let’s talk.
Schedule a complementary 30-minute consultation with Maria: https://calendly.com/maria-firepowerteams/30min

11/06/2025

A hopeful vision without systems of engagement fades fast. When you pair vision with clear roles, feedback loops, and strength alignment, optimism turns into traction. Employees see results, engagement rises, and performance compounds.
READ MORE: https://conta.cc/4oPjvKq

Email from FIREPOWER Business Catalyst, LLC   Hope Is Strategic Drive Optimism into Performance Hope + Systems = Momentum A hopeful vision without systems of engagement fades fast. When you pair visio

06/23/2025

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁!
𝘎𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.
When it comes to communication—whether you’re leading a team, pitching an idea, or navigating a tough conversation—what you say matters. But how you say it? It’s what separates good leaders from great ones.

Engaging teams in succession planning is a critical process with inspiring results. You won’t achieve the leverage of human capabilities you need in planning for growth and succession if your messages get lost in translation. At Firepower Teams, we’ve seen firsthand how tone, delivery, and intentional communication can either ignite a team’s momentum or quietly drain it. It’s not about being louder or smoother. It’s about being aligned, authentic, and attuned to your audience.
[Read full article: https://firepowerteams.com/how-you-communicate/]

05/09/2025

To all mothers – we wish you a truly Happy Mother's Day, filled with gratitude and reflection on the incredible journey you're walking.

As mothers, you wear many hats: professional, caregiver, cheerleader, confidante, and often, all the above! You're also a grandmother, a daughter, a sister, a neighbor, a friend – weaving strength and support into every relationship. You know the unique blend of blessings and challenges that motherhood brings.

We recognize and appreciate the strength, resilience, and dedication you bring to everything you do. Today, we hope you take a well-deserved pause. Give yourself permission to disconnect from the demands and responsibilities and bask in the peace and love that you so richly deserve from all the people whose lives you touch. Let today be a celebration of YOU.

Happy Mother's Day from the FIREPOWER Team family!

05/09/2025

Kathy Kolbe, whose unwavering belief in human potential transformed countless lives, passed away peacefully on May 5th, 2025, at the age of 85. In 1975, Kathy founded Resources for the Gifted, her first company, dedicated to helping students of all abilities. This evolved into Kolbe Corp.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/eMej_rJM

03/28/2025

FROM GRIDLOCK TO GROWTH:
𝙒𝙚'𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸! 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲𝗱! Whether it's a key project grinding to a halt or a team dynamic that feels like walking on eggshells, workforce paralysis can suffocate innovation and productivity. But what if the key to unlocking your team's potential growth isn't avoiding conflict but embracing it and learning to navigate it effectively?

In recent weeks, we explored two critical team dynamics: 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁 and 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀. These concepts, while seemingly distinct, are intrinsically linked. Paralysis often stems from a fear of conflict, a reluctance to voice dissenting opinions, or a lack of clear processes for addressing disagreements constructively. Paralysis can also be caused by Conative stress when one or more team members work against their natural problem-solving strengths.

𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
Understanding the theory is one thing; putting it into practice is another. That's why we're excited to offer a range of 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲-𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 designed to equip your team with the practical skills they need to leverage good conflict and resolve workforce paralysis. [𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬... https://lnkd.in/eB2es8m5]

03/11/2025

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮: 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀: 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
Small business owners are continually juggling tasks and managing personalities. Conflicts arise whether we like them or not; team leaders and members inadvertently cause disruptions to productivity and damage morale. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺? That’s where 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺 comes in.

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲
Kolbe doesn’t focus on personality traits or feelings; it zeroes in on conation—how we instinctively solve problems and get things done. Understanding your team’s Kolbe Action Modes (Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, Implementor) can shed light on the root causes of conflict and guide you toward effective resolutions. [READ MORE... https://firepowerteams.com/resolve-workforce-paralysis/ ]

02/24/2025

Part 1: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆.
The recent article by Harvard Business Review1, “How to Encourage the Right Kind of Conflict on Your Team,” highlights the importance of fostering “task conflict” – disagreements about the work itself – while minimizing “relationship conflict.” When owners and their leaders are faced with managing change like growth and exit, we must manage information flow day-to-day. How do owners and their team leaders succeed in having healthy debates without letting them devolve into personal attacks? Conative data provides a powerful framework for navigating change as teams accelerate personal efforts toward growth and succession goals.

Instead of focusing on personalities, Kolbe zooms in on conation—how people instinctively take action. Understanding your team’s individual problem-solving method in a specific, not generalized, manner is essential to avoiding disruptions of task conflict. Interpreting this data forms a performance guide to move the team toward productive inputs, including disagreement. READ MORE: https://firepowerteams.com/leveraging-good-conflict/Pa

02/10/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺?
𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰?
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳?

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
As a small business owner, you wear many hats. You're the visionary, the marketer, the accountant, and often, the HR department. However, having the right people in the right roles is key to your success. It's not just about filling seats; it's about aligning talent with the demands of each department. This is where Kolbe comes in – a powerful tool that can help you unlock your team's natural strengths and optimize your business’s performance.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
We've all seen a detail-oriented person struggling in a fast-paced, idea-generating role or a creative mind bogged down by rigid processes. Mismatches like these lead to frustration, decreased productivity, and, ultimately, higher turnover. This is especially damaging in a small business where every team member's contribution is crucial. READ MORE:

How would it feel to shorten the time to productivity? Why does someone need to do their job the way they do? How can people become productive faster? Introduction: As a small business owner, you wear many hats. You're the visionary, the marketer, the accountant, and often, the HR department. Howeve...

01/18/2025

𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿?

We’ve all been there. January 1 rolls around, and we set resolutions with the best intentions. "This will be the year I double my business," we say.

An article in Forbes states that by mid-February, 80% of people will have made their resolutions a distant memory. Why? Because we have high ambitions hinging on mostly unrealistic and unsustainable methods, setting broad, lofty goals without a roadmap is like trying to sail a ship without a compass—directionless and daunting.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲?
New Year's goals should always start with who you are, how you want to serve, and what you want to enjoy. 𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘋 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘍𝘜𝘓𝘓 𝘚𝘛𝘖𝘙𝘠 𝘏𝘌𝘙𝘌: https://lnkd.in/ev6-4f-i

10/29/2024

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀:
𝗕𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀!

Halloween isn’t just a time for ghosts and goblins; it’s also a perfect moment to explore those spine-chilling hiring stories that haunt every small business owner’s dreams. At FIREPOWER Teams, we’re all about turning 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 by empowering actionable strategies and strengthening teams.

Let’s face the horrors—a bad hire can lurk in the shadows, embodying the kind of nightmares that disrupt teamwork and stifle growth. But fear not! As you learn about these ghastly characters, remember that each horror story comes with a silver lining: a powerful lesson to enhance your hiring process and bolster your team dynamics.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝘁
Traits: Shows promise but disappears without a trace shortly after being hired.
Impact: Wasted resources and disrupted project timelines.
Prevention: Enhance your 90-day Onboarding process to include regular check-ins and clear expectations to help new hires get engaged.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿
Traits: This hire sucks the positivity and energy out of your team, often leaving colleagues drained.
Impact: Reduced team morale and productivity.
Prevention: During interviews, ask behavioral questions that help you gauge a candidate’s influence on team dynamics. Consider including team members in the hiring process to assess chemistry.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗹𝗳 – 𝗝𝗲𝗸𝘆𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗲
Traits: Appears talented and charming in the interview, only to transform into a completely unrecognizable version once hired.
Impact: Trust issues, team conflicts.
Prevention: Conduct thorough reference checks and use your 90-day Onboarding process as a probationary period to evaluate the candidate in various situations.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗭𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗲 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱
Traits: Goes through the motions but lacks initiative and passion.
Impact: Minimal contribution to team goals and lack of contribution to goals.
Prevention: Look for candidates who ask questions about company culture and show enthusiasm for the role because the job description accurately reflects the role’s responsibilities and opportunities for growth.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿
Traits: Casts a spell of negativity and manipulation, stirring trouble in the workplace.
Impact: Communication breakdowns and a hostile work environment causing “quiet quitting” of other team members.
Prevention: Foster a transparent company culture and maintain an open-door policy. During interviews, observe the candidate’s interaction with team members and watch for red flags in communication style and creating cliques.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗺𝗺𝘆 – 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁
Traits: Resistant to change and new ideas, insisting on doing things “how they’ve always been done.”
Impact: Hinders adaptation and progress.
Prevention: Look for candidates willing to learn new things. Ask them about situations where they had to adapt quickly or change their approach to succeed.

𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗔 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗲
Each of these eerie archetypes teaches us that hiring is not just about filling a vacancy but about enriching our teams and aligning with our core values. Hiring should be strategic, and at FIREPOWER Teams, we understand that the right people are the lifeblood of any thriving business. Each new hire should contribute positively to the team’s dynamics and the company’s mission.

Remember, hiring doesn’t have to be a nightmare. With the right tools and insights, you can spot red flags early and attract talent that fits the role and elevates your entire team. Let’s turn these horrors into opportunities.

𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬!

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗲𝘀 ([email protected]) and 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 will fuel your people power, fortify your hiring processes, and build a team that thrives year-round!