REVIEW: Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars (2006) by Patrick Lencioni (3-stars)

I’ll be honest: I’m not usually a fan of the “business fable” format, and this one has all the classic early‑2000s fable tropes. The personal‑life padding, the pregnancy storyline, the protagonist’s wife designing his logo — none of that adds anything. It feels dated and unnecessary, like the book is trying to make the protagonist “relatable” in a very specific, very last‑century way. But in 2006, people often needed these ideas wrapped in a story to actually absorb them. The fable structure made the message feel safe enough for leaders who would have tuned out a more direct approach.

And despite the saccharine framing, the book has a can‑do energy that, for a moment, made me wonder whether going freelance as a consultant was a viable option. It’s written to make you feel like you can walk into a messy organization, diagnose the dysfunction, and rally people around a shared purpose. That tone is part of why the book works, even if the personal‑life filler is something we could all do without.

The moment that actually matters: listening

The strongest part of the book isn’t the crisis or the characters or the manufactured drama. It’s the moment the protagonist realizes he actually has to listen to people. Not the performative “I hear you” version, but the real “tell me what you think the problem is” version. That’s the turning point. He stops trying to impose a solution and starts trying to understand the motivations, fears, and incentives of the people involved. Once he does that, he can help them find a common cause that isn’t just “stop being political” or “work better together.” People don’t align because someone tells them to. They align when they see themselves in the problem and the solution.

Workshops that actually work

Another part of the book that lands well is the use of workshops. Breaking people into groups, giving them space to talk, and letting them surface the real issues is simple but powerful. It reminded me immediately of how a group director organized our team at a large software company that was transitioning from traditional off‑the‑shelf products to cloud‑based SaaS. He didn’t lecture at us or hand down a vision from a podium. He put us into groups, gave us real problems to solve, and let us figure out the patterns ourselves. It worked. We saw real, recognized success because people were engaged, aligned, and actually talking to each other.

And then the team was split up because the organization insisted on grouping people by role. Program managers with program managers, designers with designers. The exact opposite of what had been working. The book captures that dynamic perfectly. Cross‑functional collaboration works, but organizations keep reorganizing themselves away from it.

The environments that suffer most are the ones where people are just mean

One thing Lencioni does well is highlight how much damage people do when they rely on stereotypes, reductionist labels, or just plain meanness. The environments that suffer the most in the book aren’t the ones with the biggest strategic problems. They’re the ones where people stop seeing each other as human beings and start treating each other like caricatures. That part felt very real.

You can have the best strategy in the world, but if people are dismissive, snide, territorial, or operating from assumptions about “those people over in that department,” nothing moves. The fictional drama exaggerates it, but the underlying pattern is familiar to anyone who has worked in a large organization.

And this is where Sense and Respond quietly overlaps. Even though it’s a very different kind of book, the author stresses the importance of people getting along socially and actually connecting. Not in a forced team‑building way, but in the sense that teams who like and respect each other simply work better. They share information. They surface problems earlier. They don’t default to defensiveness. Both books, in their own ways, point to the same thing: the social fabric of an organization matters more than the process diagrams.

The part the book doesn’t say out loud: communication skills are the real issue

Here’s where I diverge from the book. The story resolves because the protagonist listens, empathizes, and helps people articulate their needs. But the book never names the actual skill set behind that shift. This is where Nonviolent Communication comes in.

If more people in corporate environments understood how to express their needs clearly, hear other people’s needs without defensiveness, separate observations from interpretations, and navigate conflict without escalation, a lot of the so‑called silos and politics would evaporate. Not all of it, because incentives and structures still matter, but the day‑to‑day friction would drop dramatically.

Most organizational gridlock isn’t caused by strategy. It’s caused by miscommunication, assumptions, and emotional reactivity that no one has the tools to name or address. The book hints at this through the story, but it never says it directly. The real lesson isn’t “create a rallying cry.” It’s “learn how to communicate like an adult.”

Why the book still works

Even with the storytelling format (which I still think is unnecessary), the book works because it taps into something real. People want to fix broken systems. They want to feel connected to a purpose bigger than their department. They want to contribute without getting caught in territorial nonsense. The book isn’t a manual for organizational design and it’s not a deep dive into incentives or systems thinking, but it is a reminder that people want to work in environments where they feel heard and aligned.

Sometimes a story is enough to get someone to see that.

Where to go next

If someone finishes this book and wants to go deeper into the part that actually matters -- the human part -- I’d point them toward Nonviolent Communication. Not the corporate‑sanitized version found in many books, but the real thing. It’s the best framework I’ve seen that gives people a usable way to express needs, hear other people’s needs without spiraling, and navigate conflict without turning it into a referendum on someone’s character.

Both Silos and Sense and Respond hint at this. They show the symptoms. NVC gives you the underlying mechanics. It’s the difference between “we need to break down silos” and “here’s how to talk to each other in a way that doesn’t create them in the first place.”

If more people in corporate environments had even a basic grounding in NVC, a lot of the friction, misinterpretation, and territorial behavior that slows organizations down would disappear. Not all of it — incentives and structures still matter — but enough that the work would move faster and the culture would feel less like a minefield.

It’s not a magic fix. It’s just the part we keep skipping. I also kept thinking about how many people insist on keeping their “work life” and “personal life” completely separate, as if those two selves don’t influence each other. If someone is rigidly compartmentalized in their own life, they will bring that same separation into the workplace. And I don’t need to know the details of someone’s cancer treatment or their partner’s high‑risk pregnancy to understand that people need space and time to handle the realities of their lives. The point isn’t the specifics. The point is recognizing that people are whole humans, and organizations function better when they acknowledge that instead of pretending everyone is a blank, interchangeable worker during business hours.

REVIEW: Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars (2006) by Patrick Lencioni

RATING: 3-stars

REVIEW: Multipliers by Liz Wiseman (3-stars)

I recently finished Liz Wiseman’s 2025 book, Multipliers, and while I appreciate the intent behind the framework, I walked away feeling like I’d read a well‑packaged version of ideas that have been circulating in leadership circles for years. It’s not that the book is wrong — it’s that it’s not new. And in some cases, it oversimplifies the very real complexity of how people and organizations actually work.

Research to Support a Framework: My training in sociology makes me suspicious of repeated claims of quantification of things like "productivity."  Wiseman repeatedly cites percentages of “productivity” people report under different types of leaders. But the more I read, the more I wondered: How exactly are we measuring this?

The appendices describe structured interviews and multiple rounds of coding, but the core data is still self‑reported perception, not actual productivity. And in knowledge work, “productivity” is a slippery concept. Some of the best thinking happens:

• in the shower
• on a walk
• during a commute
• while knitting or exercising
• in the quiet space between meetings

If someone says they’re operating at “70% of their capability,” what does that even mean? It certainly doesn’t map cleanly to output. Insight doesn’t happen on a clock, and the brain’s default mode network  (the part responsible for creative leaps) activates when we’re not visibly “producing.” So if you're always "busy" -- can you actually be productive or are you just following the ruts in the road?

So the numbers make for good storytelling, but they’re not metrics. They’re sentiment.

The more I read, the more it felt like Wiseman started with the Multiplier/Diminisher idea and then went out to collect stories that fit the model. There’s nothing wrong with that, and most leadership books do it, but it’s different from discovering a pattern organically.

Once you’ve worked inside large organizations, you’ve seen dozens of these frameworks come and go. At Abbott, for example, we had the “in the box / out of the box” model -- another metaphor wrapped around basic human behavior.

Some of Wiseman’s recommendations are genuinely solid:

• run 30‑day experiments
• give people ownership
• ask better questions
• encourage people to bring solutions, not just problems

But these aren’t new ideas. They’re foundational leadership practices. They show up in Agile, Lean, design thinking, and every decent management training program of the last 30 years.

The User Manual Trap: One section encourages leaders to identify their “native strengths” and create a personal user manual so others know how to work with them. In theory, this is great. In practice, it can go very wrong.

I once worked with a CMO who had a user manual that was… memorable. Snarky, rigid, demanding, and completely inflexible. Instead of creating clarity, it broadcasted:

“Here are all the ways I refuse to adapt. Please adjust yourselves accordingly.”

A tool is only as healthy as the person using it. And a user manual can reveal more about a leader’s blind spots than their strengths.

Culture is the real missing ingredient in this book, and this is the part most leadership frameworks gloss over.

You can teach people any model you want: Multipliers, Radical Candor, Situational Leadership, “in the box,” “above the line,” whatever the flavor of the year is — but unless the organization has:

• psychological safety
• aligned incentives
• leaders who model the behaviors
• trust
• clarity
• and buy‑in at every level

…nothing changes.

Frameworks don’t transform organizations. People create culture, and there are many conditions required for cultural shifts.  Rarely are culture changes top-down. Without the right environment, a leadership model becomes vocabulary, not behavior.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

If someone wants a leadership book that actually grapples with complexity, I’d recommend:

• David Marquet’s Turn the Ship Around - a true operating model for distributed decision-making (see my review http://www.livegreenwearblack.com/2017/12/review-turn-ship-around-true-story-of.html) 
• Daniel Coyle’s The Culture Code - a grounded look at psychological safety, belonging, and high‑performing teams (see my review http://www.livegreenwearblack.com/2018/02/review-culture-code-secrets-of-highly.html)

Both authors understand that leadership isn’t a set of behaviors you adopt, it’s a system you design.

Multipliers isn’t a bad book. It’s just not a deep one. It offers a tidy framework, some useful language, and a handful of practices that can help leaders reflect on their impact. But the real work of leadership - the messy, human, systemic work - lives far beyond any model. If you want to change an organization, you don’t start with a framework. You start with culture, safety, and trust. Everything else is just packaging.

REVIEW: AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep: Leading and Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Sean O'Callaghan (3-stars)

 The authors attempt to draw parallels between theological premises with AI -- landing squarely on the heart of Value Sensitive Design (VSD) and Human-Centered AI (HCAI).  They aim for their audience to learn to engage with AI in specific ways that contribute to human flourishing, countering dystopian fears of AI replacing humans.

This book serves as a sound primer on AI for non-technical readers. The authors provide extensive background on theological premises, the nature of intelligence, transhumanism, and basic concepts like fact-checking information online. It reminds me of annotated bibliographies from graduate-level history courses: over 30% of the ebook ARC consists of selected references and endnote annotations. While the author has clearly researched the topic and includes a wide array of older, secular references, he quotes Yuval Noah Harari—a figure known for misogynistic, bigoted, and anti-religious views. For less widely-read individuals, this may not be an issue, but it raises questions about why a theologian would include someone whose beliefs contradict the book's goals.

Ultimately, this book is akin to "Omnivore's Dilemma" but with guidelines like: be judicious in your use of AI due to its real-world consequences (e.g., resource consumption altering landscapes) and intellectual/social impacts (e.g., perpetuating biases, affecting attention spans). As they write, "Technology is not neutral. It is value-laden."

They encourage their readers to use AI wisely—such as for translating content—but don't rely on it for creating sermons or songs of praise. Creation of praise is a human act; machines cannot pray. "Worship is something done for God and by humans." Such praise should be "authentic, unassisted, and unsullied by technology." One cannot become a Christian simply through desire or reading—"Christian formation and discipleship require deep rootedness in a faith community."

The authors recommend the following: 

• "Lectio Divina" --  Deep reading and reflection, including private prayer and group discussion, to ensure information becomes part of one's inner self.
• Active Interaction with People --  Reclaiming the art of conversation, switching off AI (e.g., social media fasts), and setting routines so homes do not revolve around AI.
• Focal Practices -- Engaging in activities like reading actual books uninterrupted, practicing music, playing sports, creating arts or crafts, or walking in nature.

By seeking tangible, concrete practices, we recenter human experience on the immediate, material world and people—in other words: mindfulness.

Here's the plan that the authors recommend:

1. Embodied habits:  cooking meals, nature walking, fishing, birding, painting, pottery, knitting, visual arts and crafts at least once a week.
2. Place habits to "anchor humans into a particular terra firma" such as gardening and homemaking (which encompasses hospitality, creating a warm welcoming atmosphere).
3. Time-bound habits: silent listening, prayer, sitting by a window quietly without devices, planned breaks from devices/social media, and observing the liturgical calendar which "is a richly communal and ecclesial way of engaging in time-bound habits."
4. Social habits: taking communion, sharing meals with others (like potlucks), mentoring others. 

Overall, choosing intentionally those habits and activities which "rehumanize us against the dehumanizing effects of technology."  Even as a non-Christian, I fully support these kinds of recommendations.

"We need to have grown-up conversations in our seminaries and churches to prepare" and "to really understand the technology and to live Christian lives in this new world."   Finally - the authors affirm "we remain dedicated to a human-centered perspective, which emphasizes the materiality of creation and the creatureliness (the corporeality or embodiment) of humans."  Machines are not people and never will be.

REVIEW: AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep: Leading and Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Sean O'Callaghan

RATING: 3-stars

REVIEW: Real Flow: Break the Burnout Cycle and Unlock High Performance in the New World of Work by Brandi Olson (4-stars)

This book covers three important topics critical for the health of an organization and, ultimately, its success. The integral, systems approach is a mainstay of digital transformation - but that topic can be difficult to tackle. Brandi Olson approaches the topic in accessible language, with excellent illustrations -- both graphics and metaphorical.

Much of what she describes is not new: Max Weber and Emile Durkheim, among others, wrote about these kinds of issues over 100 years ago.

Olson issues a challenge: "you (and everyone else) will need to stop settling for the appearance of productivity and performance rather than the real thing."

The author describes the challenges faced in organizations and low-key leads up to a discussion of the roots of corporate culture in a white supremacist, colonialist mindset which not only results in overworked, burned out employees but which also perpetuates the same dysfunctional system, reinforcing the lack of diversity of cultures, people and ideas.

"Burnout is energy-consuming and self-perpetuating. It fosters a monoculture: if everyone is operating on a burned-out and overworked level, no one has the brain capacity to think that perhaps things could and should be different."

Most organizations respond to symptoms -- burned out employees are compelled to use up their vacation time before the year-end, company potlucks or online "coffee/happy hour" chats (or worse: Yammer) substitute for connection and culture. More is seen as "better" and forcing employees to jump between many different projects always leads to no clear successes or improvements.

What organizations fail to realize is that “peak performance means making the greatest possible impact over the longest period of time.” That means addressing root causes -- finding the smallest changes you can make that will have the biggest impact (Pareto principal), implementing changes incrementally and iteratively to have time to reflect on the impact throughout the ecosystem (ie "butterfly effect"), and avoiding toxic perfectionism ("better > best").

"Flow is the experience of energy, creativity, and value moving from ideas to results throughout your entire organization." This is achieved by making your work visible throughout the organization -- put it on KanBan boards, for example (or open up access in Confluence to all enterprise users).

In John Doerr's "Measure What Matters," he similarly advocates for cross-functional sharing of goals so that individuals, teams, departments and divisions can work together to ensure they all help each other meet their goals (and thus all the company/enterprise level goals).

When an organization is "flooding" -- they are taking a shotgun approach which may inevitably result in some losses: limiting growth opportunities, trapping people in a "wash, rinse, repeat" or dooming teams to failure like Lucy's chocolate factory speed-up.

Olson offers a lot of practical tips to get people thinking differently about how to identify the challenges and keep track of the work: switch from small screens & spreadsheets to big whiteboards or walls, establish "work in progress" (WIP) limits. Olson's analogy on how a WIP functions:

"Have you ever been to one of those gigantic waterslides where you first spend 25 minutes climbing up six stories, only to whoosh down the slide in approximately 93 seconds? Have you ever noticed that, in order to keep everyone safe, they have a one person on the slide limit?"

Work that has been started but not finished is a big liability - it represents unrealized value (and may end up as waste). This is why prioritization is critical -- but rather than prioritize, many organizations would prefer to continue piling up the work and ignore the costs in turnover as people burn out from constantly being spread too thin or having to switch projects too frequently.

"Productivity without outcomes is not real productivity." Building a bridge is an output while people safely crossing that bridge is an outcome. Migrating a website to a new content management system is an output while enabling marketing team members to update their own pages quickly is an outcome. "Outputs answer the question, How will we do it? Outcomes answer the question, Why does this matter?" -- or "When can we open the champagne?"

Olson also talks about the importance of focus and the damage of "multi-tasking" -- an organization that is flooding is multitasking across the enterprise, busy without achieving meaningful outcomes.

Let's jump ahead to characteristics of white supremacy work culture outlined in “White Supremacy Culture” --

1. Perfectionism - focusing on what doesn't work, punishing people for mistakes, not leaving room for learning and continuous improvement.
2. Sense of Urgency - everything is a "high priority" where I work, probably where you work, too. "There is little time for thoughtful decision-making, short-term fixes come with long-term costs."
3. Quantity over Quality - conflict avoidant environments with a focus on productivity and output over EQ and the underlying mechanics that enable the establishment of teams with high levels of trust where creativity can flourish.
4. Document-Driven Communication - leaves little time for conversations and exploration.

A key takeaway:

"By making work visible, limiting work in progress, and being clear on prioritization, you can create time, focus, and energy for teams to have difficult conversations, get to know each other personally, build trust, and identify significant opportunities for learning how to do and be better."

As the author states: the future of work is PEOPLE - who need to be in environments designed to for cross-functional collaborative teams where they can develop trust and work toward shared outcomes:

• The team must have all the cross-functional skills and expertise to do the work from start to finish
• The team must work together long term
• The work must be transparent so the team can be in flow

There is no such thing as "best practices" -- start by identifying what you do now, create a map of your ecosystem. Make improvements - better not best., and don't obsess with a "big bang" of fixing "all the things."

"If everything changes at once, you’ll overwhelm the system and slow down learning."

"...empower people to do their best work, solve problems, and be better leaders—no matter where they are in the organization."

"better is always better than best."

REVIEW: Real Flow: Break the Burnout Cycle and Unlock High Performance in the New World of Work by Brandi Olson 

RATING: 4-stars

© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.

REVIEW: On Emotional Intelligence (HBR's 10 Must Reads) by Harvard Business Review (3-stars)

This compact volume contains 10 articles on EI intended as a primer for those new to the subject matter -- published in 2013, it includes some items that were actually quite old at the time (published in 1996, for example)

1. What Makes a Leader? by Daniel Goleman (1996)
2. Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee (2001)

In the first article, Goleman resents the theme of the book: emotional intelligence is the most important skill for leaders, and while some of these are innate, they can all be learned or improved through coaching and attention. He details the overarching groups of skills from an emotional intelligence perspective successful leaders:

• Self-awareness —knowing one’s strengths, weaknesses, drives, values, and impact on others 
• Self-regulation —controlling or redirecting disruptive impulses and moods
• Motivation —relishing achievement for its own sake
• Empathy —understanding other people’s emotional makeup
• Social skill —building rapport with others to move them in desired directions

Key to all understanding is taking inventory of one's values, goals, strengths and weaknesses to determine a strategy for change and self-improvement. Learning new habits is difficult -- so it must include honest self-assessment and feedback from others, along with a plan and alternatives to supplant the undesired/existing patterns.

The second article dives into a bit more detail about how a leader serves as a "limbic attractor" -- setting the mood for the entire team in terms of outlook, perception and motivation. Nobody wants to work for a grouchy jerk -- and negativity from the top isn't just bad for team performance, it can infect the entire team or organization and create a toxic environment.

"High levels of emotional intelligence, our research showed, create climates in which information sharing, trust, healthy risk-taking, and learning flourish." (p 24). An upbeat environment "fosters mental efficiency" and results in better decisions, as well as financial performance.

As with the first article -- the way to identify and make changes is through 360-feedback (in all domains of one's life), identify your values and goals ("Who do you want to be?") and devise a plan for closing the gap. The article dives into a bit more neuroscience about how humans, as social animals, have an "open loop" system that means we match moods to those around us. Further, while most temperaments are set by the mid-20s, you can change those habits -- or "fake it til you make it"

"The more we act a certain way—be it happy, depressed, or cranky—the more the behavior becomes ingrained in our brain circuitry, and the more we will continue to feel and act that way." (p 36).

This is why, the authors argue, it is so important to have a "learning agenda" -- something that you can hold yourself to as we literally don't have the brain power to make changes without it. Holding yourself accountable works for so many things -- think about New Year's resolutions or the power of making changes for weight loss or smoking with a buddy or group that holds you accountable. Neuroscience is showing that we can change even those things we thought were indelibly imprinted on our own brains -- if we really want to do so, it requires self-awareness, a plan and support from those around us.

This first pair of articles are the precursors to the very excellent "Primal Leadership" (first published 2002, revised 2013).

3. Why It’s So Hard to Be Fair by Joel Brockner (2006)
Emotional intelligence is critical to change management -- this article examines the importance of "process fairness" in strengthening performance and reducing risk. This is different from "outcome fairness" -- and is driven by three key factors: 1) how much input do employees feel they have in the decision-making process? Are their needs and input valued? 2) Do employees believe that decisions are implemented fairly and with consistency and with accurate data? Can mistakes be corrected? Are plans shared in advance so that employees can have time to absorb, ask questions and adjust? 3) Finally, how do managers treat employees in this process? Do they share information, listen respectfully and answer questions?

The steps for establishing process fairness start with education and training. Help managers understand the impact of emotions on their organization -- you can't just avoid talking to people about the reasons behind a layoff because you feel guilty about it, you have to step up and share information in a truthful and transparent way. Even when managers do consider input from employees -- that's not enough if they aren't articulating how the input was valued or considered against all other data. The team wants to feel heard and considered.

Employee engagement is an ever increasing priority for companies -- a critical part of that is sharing information and including them in the decision-making process. This engagement drives the performance and directly impacts a company's bottom-line.

4. Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions by Andrew Campbell, Jo Whitehead, and Sydney Finkelstein (2009)

Even good leaders can make bad decisions - and that's often a result of making decisions in a silo without feedback or data. Leaders -- and all people -- make decisions at a deeply unconscious level through pattern recognition and with a process called "emotional tagging." This may prevent us from, say, stepping in front of a bus -- but it can also result in making bad decisions (such as Quaker Oats' acquisition of Snapple).

The authors provide a list of "red flag" situations to help improve the decision-making process through a more systematic analysis of biases, options and information. These include: examination of the range of options; identifying the key decision-makers; choosing the most influential decision-maker as the focus; check for biases, inappropriate-self interest or distorting attachments; check for misleading memories and strong emotional associations; repeat the analysis with the next most influential person and then review the list of red flags you have identified.

5. Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups by Vanessa Urch Druskat and Steven B. Wolff (2001)

A team may be largely comprised of emotionally intelligent individuals, but without establishing an emotional intelligence for the team -- it may not function very well. The authors describe models for creating processes within teams to incorporate individual emotions and to create a team-intelligence that connects across functions or departments for greater performance and creativity. This article relies a lot on IDEO -- and I was in those teams in the late 90s, so it would be interesting to see a more up-to-date article on group EI after the first dot-com crash when running around with foam finger darts and standing up and howling at your desk were considered acceptable office behavior.

The primary benefit of creating group norms is to allow the team to identify tension, disharmony and other issues and to resolve those issues via process. One of the examples that was really fun was from IDEO: when someone starts to criticize an idea before it's fully articulated, other team members pelt that person with small stuffed animals. Another advantage of group EI is in creating relationships with other groups -- both inside and outside the organization -- by establishing a liaison or ambassador to keep track of the overall satisfaction and confidence of the relationship and course correct as needed.

6. The Price of Incivility: Lack of Respect Hurts Morale—and the Bottom Line by Christine Porath and Christine Pearson (2013)

Despite 20 years of discussion of emotional intelligence in the workplace, this more recent article warns us that incivility in the workplace is on the rise -- though I might argue it's not just the workplace but everywhere. Unfortunately - incivil behavior garners a negative response and unfortunately, not everyone is self-aware enough to realize that they are being incivil in the first place.

In line with the earlier articles about a leader's role in setting mood and energy -- the authors advise that leaders can be the role model and counteract rudeness at work from the top. One great example of this was a manager who realized that venting about rude people to some of his trusted colleagues was basically creating a model for them to continue that incivility elsewhere. He reined it in and changed his behavior to help improve the environment.

Studies show that there are high costs for incivility -- creativity suffers, quality of work decreases, people limit their effort and even spend less time at work. They are less committed when they feel people are rude to them on their team and often leave the company or take out their frustration on customers.

The authors recommend the same steps as in Goleman's first article: model good behavior, ask for feedback, track your progress (even keeping a journal to track your own civility/incivility and changes you want to pursue). In managing the team -- always hire for civility -- and follow gut instincts, find out more if someone isn't sure about "fit" on the team. Teaching civility can be done through role-play and video recording, and creating group norms about shared expectations (ie "don't look at your iPhone during a panel interview"). Finally - it is important both to reward good behavior and punish bad behavior.

7. How Resilience Works by Diane L. Coutu (2002)

Here's another article that was written just after the first dotcom crash and 9/11 -- a lot of people felt the devastating effects of these events. The author talks here about what defines resilient people: they accept what they cannot change, find meaning in terrible times and are able to improvise with whatever is at hand. She provides some great examples -- including the well known Victor Frankl, who survived many years in a concentration camp by telling himself he would give talks after he was freed telling people how it was possible to survive such an experience (and he did!).

"This dynamic of meaning making is, most researchers agree, the way resilient people build bridges from present-day hardships to a fuller, better constructed future. Those bridges make the present manageable, for lack of a better word, removing the sense that the present is overwhelming." (p 113)

Being in touch with your core values, and operating in accordance to those values -- along with sustaining a level of curiosity about how to make things work -- are critical to resilience.

8. Emotional Agility: How Effective Leaders Manage Their Negative Thoughts and Feelings by Susan David and Christina Congleton (2013)

If you've been exposed to any mindfulness and meditation literature -- you have probably heard the term "monkey mind" or maybe "inner critic." This article -- while not using those terms -- is all about how to identify those unwanted thoughts and avoid getting pulled into the vortex of negative, doubting and non-productive thoughts.

The authors outline steps from "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy" (ACT): Recognize your patterns; Label your thoughts and emotions; Accept them; Act on your values. The labelling is as simple as "I'm having a thought that guy intentionally cut me off in traffic" -- and then instead of responding as if that thought is true, reflect on your values: I take pride in being a good, predictable, safe driver instead of flipping out (I'm totally using a non business example here to make a point).

Again - we are offered the advice to identify our most important values -- as an objective basis for choosing responses to situations and thoughts that come into our minds. Taking a pause when you feel an emotion and choosing a response results in greater mastery of oneself and has many benefits in relationships and decision-making.

"It’s impossible to block out difficult thoughts and emotions. Effective leaders are mindful of their inner experiences but not caught in them. They know how to free up their internal resources and commit to actions that align with their values." (p 126).

9. Fear of Feedback by Jay M. Jackman and Myra H. Strober (2003)

This ominous title makes me afraid to read the article! Daniel Goleman & his co-authors described "CEO Disease" -- where business leaders have no idea of their effect on those around them because those people are afraid to provide truthful feedback. Jackman & Strober go a step farther -- they talk about how a fear of feedback generally results in many maladaptive behaviors such as procrastination, self-sabotage, jealousy, denial and brooding (back to the previous article about emotional agility!).

The reasons people avoid feedback include: Fear - people just don't like being criticized; Procrastination - often includes hostility or anger, or feeling of helplessness; Denial and Self-sabotage - often unconscious; Brooding can result in passivity, paralysis and isolation as a person avoids or obsesses on something rather than discussing it openly; Jealousy is maladaptive because of the basis in suspicion, envy, rivalry and possessiveness.

A common theme here is self-awareness -- recognizing your emotions and responses, label them and take steps to make a decision instead of a reaction. Seek support from people who will provide you a friendly ear and encouragement in this self-examination and learn to reframe the feedback.

"The proactive feedback process we recommend consists of four manageable steps: self-assessment, external feedback, absorbing the feedback, and taking action toward change." (p 136)

Take the time to reward yourself for making the changes as an incentive -- "nowhere is it written that the feedback process must be a wholly negative experience."

Freeing yourself from knee-jerk reactive behaviors can have a positive effect on other areas of your life as well!

10. The Young and the Clueless by Kerry A. Bunker, Kathy E. Kram, and Sharon Ting (2002)

Have you ever been part of a team lead by a new, young manager who really didn't "get it"? Maybe this person was nice personally but didn't do a great job at resolving team dynamics issues, connecting with people outside the team or even coaching and caring her direct reports?

For the finale of this reader, a restatement of the critical role of EI and soft leadership skills to the success of a manager. The authors describe the importance of slowing down the ascent of young managers and providing them with opportunities to develop those soft skills in ways that will strengthen them personally and improve their performance and longevity in a company.

While some EI skills are innate -- much of these skills are learned through time and experience, older people have more EI skills than younger people. They advise these steps: 

1. Deepen 360-degree feedback
2. Interrupt the ascent
3. Act on your commitment
4. Institutionalize personal development
5. Cultivate informal networks.

The examples used in the article are really excellent -- and show a depth of caring and coaching that most managers probably don't receive. One example, a young manager who rose quickly based on performance, was seeking a promotion to VP but her boss didn't think she was ready. Instead, he offered her a special yearlong cross-functional/departmental assignment that would broaden her skills on promise of promotion and financial reward. She did well in this task and when she did get her promotion -- she had built up a network within the company, developed influential relationships and was perceived as a valuable addition to that level.

See "Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder" by Chip Conley (2018) for more information on how older workers can help younger people develop those EI skills.

REVIEW: On Emotional Intelligence (HBR's 10 Must Reads) by Harvard Business Review 

RATING: 3-stars

© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.

REVIEW: The Empathy Effect by Helen Riess (5-stars)

A very thorough and enjoyable read that thoroughly covers many aspects of empathy, though the writing can be a bit rambling and overly conversational, which had merits – I stopped more frequently to digest the material than I would with a more structured writing style (and it took me much longer to read this book as a result).

The book begins with an overview of empathy as a term and dives deep into the neuroscience behind this hard-wired human trait.  Empathy allows us to not just acknowledge/validate (sympathize) with someone else’s feelings, but to feel what they are feeling and relate to the experience of another person.  The authors briefly touch on true empathy and misplaced or sham empathy, as well (ie, helicopter parents who are unable to bear any expression of perceived discomfort of their children).

Early in the book, we are presented with a 7-point tool for developing better empathy, called “E.M.P.A.T.H.Y.” 

E for eye contact

M for muscle facial expression

P for posture

A for affect (emotions)

T for tone of voice

H for hearing the whole person

Y for your response

“With deep empathic listening comes an empathic response that starts on a physiological level because of our shared brain activity.”

This tool was tested out on physicians to help them better relate to patients and understand not just the “complaint” but the “concern” – resulting in greater patient satisfaction as well as more effective treatment by the physician.  

The authors dive into childhood cognitive development and empathy, discuss parenting and empathy and the ways that parents provide a “mirror” to help children develop empathy and form secure attachments.  Empathy in education is discussed – using as a case a “last resort” high school where staff are directed to use empathy and compassion, and failing or delinquent students are “punished” with study hall, counseling and support services.  This made me consider the style of education in my experience where corporal punishment in the form of detention hall (sit straight, eyes forward, no sleeping, no eating, no talking, no moving, no studying/reading) was the first response to any infraction.  

Learning and educational methods are critical for teenagers who learn best from “Project based learning”  -- a great place to learn to collaborate, form relationships and absorb information by directly doing things.  This leads into a discussion around the ways that new technologies – esp cell phones, Internet use – are changing our brains by developing habits that tap into primal responses and keeping us from being able to develop deeper relationships by depriving us of access to the emotional context of our interactions.

The authors also devote a substantial portion of the book to discussing the role of literature and art in providing opportunity for people to interpret and project what the artist (or subjects of the work) were thinking or feeling.   “Art is incomplete without the perceptual and emotional involvement of the viewer.”  Art allows (or even requires) us to move out of our own perspectives and open to other ways of perceiving or seeing the world.

“The power of art lies in its ability to stimulate both cognitive (thinking) and affective (feeling) empathy.”

From here, the authors examine leadership – and the ways that empathic leadership can change the brain chemistry of leaders and followers via an “interconnectedness of thoughts and feelings” that establishes a “social intelligence.”  A good leader is pays attention to the health of her relationships with his constituents/followers and is able to create bonds that underlie a culture of trust and collaboration.  Empathy is critical to this process.

There’s a bit of a ramble about the 2016 presidential election and the problems created and expressed by both major party candidates that resulted in manipulation into a false “in-group” and a sense of exclusion on either side.   The remainder of the book reviews different responses to “out group” types, including homeless, the mentally ill, substance abusers, LGBTQ folks, etc.  

The important takeaway here is that those times when you feel the least empathetic are critically important for you to be empathetic – and requires self-awareness, impulse control and self-examination feelings to determine what is blocking an empathic response.  

Finally, there’s an entire chapter on self-empathy and mindfulness and the importance of this as a reflection on how you treat others.  You treat others as you treat yourself – if you listen to the chatter in your brain (not all your thoughts are you) and have a harsh inner critic, that will result in similar approach or responses to others.  From self-kindness springs empathy for others.  This is an excellent lesson to keep!

REVIEW: The Empathy Effect  by Helen Riess 

RATING: 5-stars

© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.

REVIEW: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 by John C. Maxwell (4-stars)

 John Maxwell's tone is always very "can do" -- in the first chapter, he's clear that leaders are not "born", your title, seniority and experience won't make you a leader automatically.  He's very clear that to become a leader requires a lot of work, but if you choose a path of self-awareness, selflessness and dedication to growth -- you can become a leader.  It's a process, not a destination -- and leaders must always be open to learning and listening.  

Maxwell's style is a bit different from other leadership books -- he's very practical about the process and provides very clear guidelines for self-inquiry, gaining input from others, and loads of comparison lists that provide both food for thought and a strong sense of where he's coming from in his thinking.

In the first chapter, for example, he offers a list of the differences between a "boss" and a "leader" in his discussion of positional leaders -- who have authority but who are not "leaders."

For example:

"Bosses drive workers; leaders coach them.

Bosses depend on authority; leaders depend on goodwill.

Bosses inspire fear; leaders inspire enthusiasm.

Bosses say, "I"; leaders say, "We."

Bosses fix the blame for any breakdown; leaders fix the breakdown.

Bosses know how it is done; leaders show how.

Bosses say, "Go"; leaders say "Let's go." (p16)

His levels of leadership are similar to many others: Position, Permission, Production, People Development, Pinnacle.  However, it is possible to occupy different levels of leadership with different people or in different situations in your life at the same time. 

Additionally - leadership is not like PacMan:  you have to keep working to maintain the other levels that you've achieved, you can't just coast on reputation, for example.  

Maxwell repeatedly stresses the importance of focus and clarity of vision -- Chapter 2 is dedicated to Priorities.  Everyone who works in a corporate environment knows how hard it is to get work done when everything is a "high priority" - or when your boss keeps changing your priorities and then holds you accountable for dropped projects that s/he deprioritized weeks ago.

Maxwell's key principles here are of the common sense variety, but folks who are operating out of fear or ego lose sight of them:   "smarter not harder" for higher returns or greater productivity; you really can't that you can't have it all; good is the enemy of best.  Prioritizing is critical to progress toward a vision or goal.  

"Proactive means choosing. Reactive means losing" -- another great comparison chart follows here:

• Initiators:  prepare, plan ahead, put priorities in their calendars, pick up the phone, etc
• Reactors: repair, live in the moment, put other's requests in their calendars, wait for the phone to ring, etc

Another way to better prioritize work is to ask:  what is required of me that nobody else can do? what will have the highest return/impact? what is most rewarding?   The implication being that leaders need to learn to better delegate -- and a theme throughout the book is to work to your strengths, and to develop others around you.  Being clear in your priorities, delegating allows a leader to offer opportunities to develop strengths of others.

But, at the big picture level:  "Your long-term career goal should be to align the tasks that answer your requirement, return, and reward questions."

Another great recommendation is to build in time for transition between appointments -- this is something that is hard to enforce in some environments but critical, according to Maxwell, for improving self0-awareness, EQ and renewing your energy level.  

Throughout this chapter he's very keen on the "80/20" principle -- and uses it as a general rule for exercises to increase focus and reduce clutter -- "What are 20 percent of people/possessions/activities that I get the most value out of?" and so on.  It's simplistic but for those who haven't sat down to think in this way, it could be very useful.

Chapter 3 focuses on character and includes a great story about Pope Francis which surprised me.  there are a ton of great questions about "Am I a healthy leader..."  to help increase one's awareness of character.  For example:  "To what extent do I feel superior to those who work for me?"  and so on.  

If you aren't happy with your character, or things you've done in the past - you can start anew each day -- though he doesn't talk about neuroplasticity, he does have a strong belief in people being able to change their character through self-awareness, self-discipline and good decisions that support the development of others.  Character is critical because it builds trustworthiness and you can't lead if people don't trust you.

Trust is something that is the leader's responsibility to develop -- and leaders take risks in both directions; every interaction is an opportunity to build trust.  

To build character, Maxwell focuses on these four dimensions:  authenticity, self-management, humility, and courage.  "Character is not about intelligence - it's about making the right choices."

"You cannot manage others if you don't learn to manage yourself" is a concept that Maxwell reiterates throughout the book -- including a full chapter on Self-Discipline.  From self-discipline, you can establish consistency, live according to your values and demonstrate that you are trustworthy to others -- and this increases your ability to lead others.

Courage is necessary to back up self-discipline -- so that you can make the right decisions in the face of fear, doubt or fatigue, or even pressure from those around you.  Maxwell repeats throughout that developing character requires learning from and accepting your failures and drawing strength from your weaknesses (or "shadow self"). 

Maxwell repeatedly stresses utility -- it's no good learning about things if you don't put them to use and actually learn from them.  This is the only way you can learn and get on the path of continual personal growth.  People always feel awkward doing things differently -- he's got a great story about Wilt Chamberlin experimenting (successfully) with a different way to shoot baskets from the free throw line but giving up on it because he felt it looked silly!

Without calling it "change management" - he talks a bit about the subject, and stresses that people may feel alone when there are changes required of them, and it's best to look at it as a process rather than event and to allow time for people to adapt and accept the need for the change:  Slow down, make the communication clear & simple, build in time for people to process & accept, then head into action to implement the change.

He recommends the "PLAN AHEAD" acronym which goes as follows:

Predetermine the change

Lay out steps

Adjust priorities

Notify your team

Allow time for acceptance

Head into action

Expect problems

Always point to successes

Daily review of progress

That's a really concise change management plan!

Problem solving is another key skill for leaders -- it's important to always believe there is a solution, and to self-manage so that you don't increase the magnitude of problems that need to be fixed (see also self-discipline/awareness and prioritization).  Ask lots of questions to solve problems and learn to identify potential problems in advance ("Stitch in time, saves nine!").  He recommends creating a framework for solving problems and emphasizes the value of shared problem solving -- asking other others to gain their perspective (ie, "the Socratic method").

Always socialize the ideas to get feedback from the team -- and come up with more than one solution to any problem.  Problem solving is often an evolutionary process that requires iterations and input to see incremental change.  Finally, always look for lessons in problems -- leaders can learn about themselves and their teams from the way they handle problems.

The chapter on "Attitude" continues to reiterate concepts presented earlier about being proactive, engaged and having a plan.  There's a bit of sermonizing about "kids these days" but it's a minor kvetch about nanny government that the author compensates for with a great anecdote about beating procrastination that aligns with much modern neuroplasticity research.  Maxwell saw W. Clement Stone speak in 1967, who advised the audience to follow this regimen:  for 30 days, repeat "Do it" before going to sleep and when waking up.  

This kind of positive affirmation works for many people seeking to change some habit -- I love the idea of fixing procrastination like this.  Other self-help fixes for attitude include expressing gratitude on a regular basis, especially in the face of adversity; quit whining - be proactive; learn from your mistakes and always seek to improve.  

The "Serving Others" chapter encapsulates information shared earlier in the book -- essentially, don't rely on your position or title.  Leaders have to work to connect with people, and serve them by taking an interest and developing them -- and they will reciprocate by following the leader's vision.  Always be asking questions and try to see things from others' perspective -- especially how they see you, or your vision.  Create a safe environment -- and measure your success not by "production" but by how you develop others.

As a leader, it's important to develop your vision -- share it with others and constantly refine that vision.  Equally important is spending time with people who inspire you - and always be paying attention to opportunities and lessons from what you have tried:  "Test -> Fail -> Learn -> Improve -> Reenter".

The final chapter on "Self-Discipline" repeats a lot of content from "Character" - but it's a pretty good pep talk that could stand on its own as an article with lots of positive, self-loving encouragement to focus on doing the right thing over and over for continued success.  The author connects again with self-awareness and focusing on one's strengths to see the best results.   Self-discipline allows you to build new habits based on decisions rather than convenience or emotion -- and it's the first step to being able to help others change their habits and thinking as well.

Maxwell again brings up environment as a critical factor for self-discipline -- surround yourself with people and situations that reinforce your decisions.  If you want to get into shape - you hang out with people at the gym or hiking trail, not smokers who just want to "Netflix and chill" - same goes for leadership.  Spend time with people who have positive attitudes and who are engaged in finding solutions instead of excuses.

He also encourages the reader to prioritize and focus -- and to rethink things so to spend more time on activities that are aligned with personal strengths and passions:

"Quit something you don't do well to do something you do well

Quit something you're not passionate about to do something that fills you with passion.

Quite something that doesn't make a difference to do something that does, and

Quit something that's not your dream to do something that is."

Life is short -- you can always reframe what you're doing to see it as fitting into your passion or life's purpose but really -- don't hit your head against the wall.  If you can identify something that you are good at and love to do -- that's going to make you happier and offer more opportunities to serve others as a leader.

You have to start somewhere -- and create a plan for incremental change and growth.  Maxwell emphasizes the need to focus on personal growth daily -- so much of what he advocates is contrary to the goals of modern society which wants to capture your "eyeballs" and empty your pocketbook.  

Maxwell practices what he preaches -- he's consistent -- and his message is strong and he reiterates key principles throughout the book.   You could pick a single chapter and read it as a stand-alone and because of the thorough reiteration of principles, you would still find some inspiration and value in the chapter.

The book has a little bit of fluff -- there are a lot of repeats of stories of his youthful experiences as a leader and what happened to his first big congregation when he left (it collapsed), and a few other bits of random like a list of light bulb jokes that doesn't really add much.  The book would be shorter but stronger if it focused specifically on the topics and exercises (some of which are really great!).

Quotes:

• "Character makes you bigger on the inside than the outside" 
• "How far you can travel isn't the point; it's how far you are able to take your people. That's the purpose of leadership."
• "Priorities never stay put."
• "Self-discipline moves you from good intentions to good actions. That is what separates words and ideas from actual results."
• "Self-discipline always needs fuel. The strongest fuel comes from inspiration and motivation, which are usually connected with your strengths. What you do well usually inspires you and others. And motivation is a by-product of your passion. If you love to do something, you're almost always motivated to do it." (p199)

Exercises include:

- Pick two people you want to influence, figure out which level of leadership you are currently at with that person and focus on using the guidelines at the end of Chapter 1 to begin earning the level above  your current one and to strengthen your influencer at lower levels.

- Develop the prioritizer within you by answering the 5 key questions, and then think about the people on your team in a very analytical way (there's a spreadsheet) with their names and impact to the team, and a second worksheet on how you can develop those people.  The "three Rs worksheet" also looks promising.

REVIEW: Developing the Leader Within You 2.0  by John C. Maxwell 

RATING: 4-stars

© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.

REVIEW: Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini (5-stars)

This is a thorough examination of different tactics and techniques involved in influence and persuasion -- lots of great information from research and great examples.  

The book is very nicely structured and includes summaries at the end of each chapter, along with questions for discussion.  He even offers sections titled "Defense" to help understand how to diffuse or deflect the different types of influence.  He delves into reciprocation, liking, social proof, compliance to authority, scarcity, and consistency/conformity.

The premise of the book is that humans are all wired in certain ways -- we look for cognitive shortcuts to save time and energy in making decisions.  Sometimes this is useful and sometimes, not so much.  We're wired to accept things that are familiar, and to reciprocate and like people and to want to get along in certain ways.

Cialdini talks a lot about "compliance professionals" -- folks in marketing and sales who understand the concepts he describes in the book, and at the end of the book -- advises us to rebel against those unscrupulous types who seek to manipulate us with false information.  

Since the book was written in 2009 - I was curious to see what Cialdini has written more recently, especially on the recent presidential elections in the US.  It turns out that "Team Cialdini" has written quite a bit  and it's interesting reading (start here: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-presidential-election-was-donald-trumps-to-lose-2016-12-13).

REVIEW: Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini 

RATING: 5-stars

© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.

REVIEW: The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle (5 stars)

 I was lucky enough to get a copy of this as an ARC from NetGalley - and devoured it! 

I'm fascinated by the subjects of leadership and teams these days, mostly because I have experienced great team leadership in the past but too infrequently.   After enjoying "Turn This Ship Around" -- this seemed like a great follow-on.

In the first chapter, the author describes an experiment in teamwork and collaboration -- conducted between two different groups:  kindergarteners and college students.  The goal was to build the highest tower with straws and marshmallows.  The kindergarteners WON because they were entirely focused on the outcome, made changes and took feedback without being distracted by status management.  That's something we all learn as we unlearn trust and vulnerability.

The book presents compelling case studies to support three sets of skills for building strong teams.  First, you have to "Build Safety" -- create environments where it is ok to provide feedback regardless of status or role.  Second, "Share Vulnerability" - describes how "habits of mutual risk drive trusting cooparation."  Third, "Establish Purpose" -- by creating a shared culture that clearly defines the group's purpose, goals and how they do things.

Much like the mythical "work" of a romantic relationship or marriage,  the author  maintains that "Culture is a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal."

In building safety, there are some real physical patterns of interaction that help create a bond in a group, these include:

• Close physical proximity
• Profuse amounts of eye contact
• Physical touch (handshakes, fist bumps, hugs)
• Lots of short, energetic exhanges (no long speeches)
• High levels of mixing
• Few interruptions
• Lots of questions
• Intensive, active listening
• Humor, laughter
• Small, attentive courtesies

When is the last time that you were part of a group where you had that kind of experience?  Would you ever want to leave that environment?  He then describes "belonging cues" which are "behaviors that create safe connection in groups."  This is basic NLP stuff combined with basic etiquette:  taking turns, body language, vocal pitch, eye contact.  These help signal energy, individualization and future orientation.  These are all translated as "You are safe here" by the brain.

Just a few of these, once in a while, is not enough -- "We are built to require lots of signaling, over and over. This is why a sense of belonging is easy to destroy and hard to build."

Coyne also dives into the neuroscience that has been on my radar for much of 2018  -- and emphasizes that the amygdala is not just about perceiving threats but also plays "a vital role in building social connections."  Those "belonging cues" are all transformed in your brain to help "set the stage for meaningful engagement."

The WWI "Christmas Truce" is one of the cases in this section -- and it's come up in popular media in my life several times this year alone.   Basically - you throw a bunch of guys into very adverse conditions, and you find that creating environments that are rich in social belonging cues is critical to their survival and cooperation.    However, as the battle dragged on -- this spilled over to "the enemy" -- and soldiers established "micro-truces" around meal times, bed time, using the latrine or picking up the dead, cumulating in a series of Christmas day truces across a pretty widespread geographic area.  Respect the power of the amygdala!

By way of contract, another type of culture that is the opposite of belonging is described -- it was designed to break up cohesion and resulted in very poor work performance from otherwise very smart people in charge of massively destructive and dangerous weapons.  You'd think people would pay attention to something as important as culture, right?

Coyne also addresses a popular conception that highly successful cultures are happy places:  "They are energized and engaged, but at their core their members are oriented less around achieving happiness than around solving hard problems together."

This goes back to "this is a safe place (to give effort" -- creating connection, giving feedback, and communicating the big picture are important.  But with the negative (say, giving feedback on poor performance) there is reward (belonging).

During the Cold War era, an MIT professor named Thomas Allen conducted research into what attributes were shared by successful projects.  In addition to the projects being driven by “clusters of high communicators,” Allen found that the most successful teams sat close to each other and could establish eye contact with each other regularly.  

Plotted on a graph, the increase in interaction against proximity is known as the “Allen Curve.”  Physical “[c]loseness helps create efficiencies of connection” even with digital communication, studies show “we’re far more likely to text, email, and interact virtually with people who are physically close.”

Many studies since have demonstrated the importance of physical proximity – the informal interactions among colleagues are critical to building relationships that foster trust.  In the past several years, it seems like this has resulted in a lot of companies tearing up their office environments to turn them into "open plan" work spaces without figuring out what works best for their teams.  Not all teams are alike, and one size does not fit all when it comes to building strong teams.

To create safety, Coyne offers a few tips, including:

• Overcommunicate your Listening (and avoid interruptions)
• Spotlight your Fallibility Early On - Especially if you are a leader
• Embrace the Messenger 
• Preview future connection -- connecting the dots between where we are now and where we plan to be
• Overdo Thank-Yous - that includes "thanks for letting me coach you" - as a way of affirming the relationship and "igniting cooperative behavior."
• Be Painstaking in the Hiring Process
• Eliminate Bad Apples
• Create Safe, Collision-Rich Spaces
• Make Sure Everyone Has a Voice
• Pick up the trash - make sure leaders are helping with tasks that are "menial" - rolling up their sleeves goes a long way to creating that safety
• Capitalize on Threshold Moments
• Avoid Giving Sandwich Feedback - handle negative and positive feedback as two different processes
• Embrace Fun - "it's the most fundamental sign of safety and connection."

In sharing vulnerability -- teams can demonstrate their willingness to accept the help and support of others in a way that makes the entire team stronger.  The case study of two pilots and a passenger who happened to be a flight instructor crash landing a plane together -- resulting in the survival of 185 of 285 on board.  Simulations run after the event failed to do nearly well as those three people -- resulting in crashes 28 times.  Coyne analyzes the content of their communication and finds that they shared information in a way that was humble and allowed them to perform in the face of catastrophic systems failure (it's a fantastic story!).

Coyne then goes on to analyze the importance of social exchanges in the team environment -- the kind that open up shared vulnerability in a way that creates a "shared exchange of openness" that forms "the most basic building block of cooperation and trust."

The DARPA Red Balloon Challenge is another fantastic case study about how people can cooperate when vulnerability is shared and support invited in a way that is reciprocal and offers mutual benefit.  That is, he points out - the whole point of groups:  "combine our strengths and skills in a complementary way."

The Navy SEALs examples are fantastic -- and you have to buy the book so you can read and understand them.  I especially like the description of how the SEALs were established -- and the type of training they undergo to reinforce team behavior.  They learn how to move together, trust each other and figure things out as they go because they trust each other and they understand how things have to be done.  He also goes into the rules around a complicated improv exercise with a successful comedy troupe where "Every rule directs you either to tamp down selfish instincts that might make you the center of attention, or to serve your fellow actors (support, save, trust, listen)."

Coyne also talks about the importance of overcoming authority bias to create successful groups -- "having one person tell others how to do things is not a reliable way to make good decisions."  This is fascinating because it goes back to the premise of "Turn This Ship Around" where the goal was to  make everyone in the team a leader -- creating a team of leaders who understand the problems that need to be solved and work together without regard for role or hierarchy is important for these successful groups.

The chapter on  "The Nyquist Method" is fascinating -- it's named after a particularly nurturing engineer who created a safe space for his coworkers to share ideas and sparked ideas with them that resulted in greater achievements than if they had worked on their own.  He then reviews other folks who perform similar catalyst roles in other environments - people who mostly just are good active listeners, encouraging others to dig deep and shape the solutions to their challenges.  Again, NLP plays a role here - or "concordances" -  body language that helps increase perceived empathy and in turn creates a safe environment for stronger teams and success.

Coyne is good about reiterating and building on the tips for creating these safe environments and strong relationships throughout his book.  Primarily - listening, being willing to be open and vulnerable, using objective techniques for sharing information (like "Before-Action Review" or "After Action Review").  

Taking us back to the previous point about successful cultures aren't always sunshine and rainbows -- "one of the most difficult things about creating habits of vulnerability is that it requires a group to endure two discomforts:  emotional pain and a sense of inefficiency."  

Finally, the section on "Establish Purpose" is really fun to read -- as he goes to lengths to repeat, a lot of the slogans and catch phrases seem hokey or corny or obvious but the fact is that teams who create compelling, clear goals and articulate them like that are described as "high purpose environments" because they know what they are doing as a team.  These catchphrases establish a link between a goal or behavior and "consistently create engagement around it."

He also talks about  how positive feedback can create a "virtuous spiral" of success (and no need to mention how the opposite happens as well!).

These kind of heuristics "provide guidance by creating if/then scenarios in a vivid, meorable way" and function "as a conceptual beacon."  These kinds of clearly articulated catch phrases make it easier to make decisions in support of specific team goals, such as "You can't prevent  mistakes but you can solve problems graciously" or "If someone is rude make a charitable assumption."

The final tips include: Name and rank your priorities; Be 10x as clear about these priorities as you think you ought, determine where your team aims for proficiency (and for creativity), embrace the use of catchphrases, measure what really matters, use artifacts, focus on bar-setting behaviors -- and go buy this book if you want to learn more about what all those things mean!

REVIEW: The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle 

RATING: 5 stars

© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.

REVIEW: Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders by L. David Marquet (4-stars)

To be honest - I have never had a strong interest in military-oriented reading material, fiction or non-fiction.  Aside from my interest in pre 20th century piracy on the high seas (more of social class/mobility angle here) - I haven't really read any books about life on boats or submarines.

David Marquet has written an incredibly clear and easy to understand book - that happens to be about submarines and their crews.  The details about life on the submarine are sometimes a bit more than my interest can tolerate but overall the message about process and changing the structure from leader-follower to leader-leader is crystal clear.   His writing style is incredibly well structured and meticulous -- all the examples work really well for his story.

As noted in the introduction, the core belief is that we can all be leaders - and the best way to get to that is to have a leader who can help identify the shared goals and vision for the team, and then let them do their work, providing feedback on what is working best as a way to attain excellence (vs avoiding mistakes).  This is a system of empowerment that is focused on outcomes, and which worked so well for the author in his command that he DOUBLED the number of chiefs (who then transferred off to other ships the next day to new roles). 

He discusses situations where team members automatically executed incorrect instructions from their leader or where mistakes were made because someone was operating on "auto pilot."  Changing the processes to focus on the outcomes and goals rather than process/method made a huge difference.

The key concepts in this book include:

1.  Achieve excellence - don't just avoid errors.  

2.  Use "I intend to... " to turn passive followers into active leaders.  Avoid disempowered phrases such as "Request permission to . . . I would like to . . . What should I do about . . . Do you think we should . . . Could we . . ." (and I was always told "hopefully").   In empowering the officers to be responsible for their work - "the goal for the officers would be to give me a sufficiently complete report so that all I had to say was a simple approval."

3.  Enhance opportunities for informal communication -- encourage team members to "THINK OUT LOUD is a mechanism for CONTROL" and ORGANIZATIONAL CLARITY.  Author says "when I heard what my watch officers were thinking, it made it much easier for me to keep my mouth shut and let them execute their plans."  This is related to "deliberate action."  For example - where there is a process that has a significant impact (whether it's torpedoes or sending out an e-mail blast) - it helps to talk through what you intend so that a peer can catch any potential mistakes before the actual action.  "Take deliberate action. We learn (everywhere, all the time). Don’t brief, certify."

4.  Search for organizational practices or procedures that would need to be changed in order to effect the change required - that means updating any documentation, handbooks, wiki etc.

5.  "Fake it til you make it" - or, as the author says "Acting your way to new thinking" as a mechanism for control.  Even if you feel bad - smile - that will eventually make you feel better (it's proven).  If you have doubts and don't fully commit to a new thing - it will come through so fake it til it feels natural and only then will you be able to determine the efficacy.

6.  Short early conversations make efficient work (another mechanism for control) - this is basically like a daily standup in Agile - it helps to talk through any questions and get an idea of where potential misunderstandings or misdirections may lie.  A standup isn't intended to solve all the problems - you may create more meetings out of this but it's a good touchpoint!

7.  "RESIST THE URGE TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS is a mechanism for CONTROL."   The leader has to create space for open decision by the entire team; in crisis situations - you can have the team brainstorm and then as a leader vet the best option for action.

8.  "ELIMINATING TOP-DOWN MONITORING SYSTEMS is a mechanism for CONTROL."  Marquet emphasizes the use of mechanisms that actually give ownership and describes a log of work requests that was owned and maintained but not accessible by the entire team so they could actually see the backlog of work and get things done.  He also says to avoid systems where senior personnel are determining what junior personnel should be doing as their day to day tasks - giving them goals and then reviewing their tactics (ie the "I intend to" reports).

9.  "EMBRACE THE INSPECTORS is a mechanism for CONTROL, organizational control."  Use the opportunities provided by inspection to learn where improvements can be made. 

10. "WE LEARN (EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME) is a mechanism for COMPETENCE."  This was a great  section on learning from mistakes without coming down really hard on the team members - everything is a learning opportunity. 

11.  "DON’T BRIEF, CERTIFY is a mechanism for COMPETENCE." - this was fantastic because instead of the chief reading off the process while everyone else's eyes glazed over, the person who would be doing the task would identify the steps that he would be taking and the others would certify that process was correct (technical competence).

12. "CONTINUALLY AND CONSISTENTLY REPEAT THE MESSAGE is a mechanism for COMPETENCE."

13.  "SPECIFYING GOALS, NOT METHODS is a mechanism for COMPETENCE." and CLARITY.  Two excellent examples were around fire drills - which weren't going well because of process (ie "I'm not in charge of this area/shift") to make everyone responsible and the crew members CLOSEST to the fire would be responsible for taking action.  On the ship, stealth (ie, not making loud noises) is critical so any time some loud noise is made - it can affect the sonar.  The goal of a stealth ship was emphasized and everyone was required to report noises instead of the sonar team trying to find the source of a transient noise.  This resulted in identifying a lot of other issues that they were able to fix and move even closer toward excellence. 

14. "BUILDING TRUST AND TAKING CARE OF YOUR PEOPLE is a mechanism for CLARITY."  Providing them opportunities and materials to improve themselves both in their professional and personal goals builds a much stronger, competent and empowered team.

15.  "USE YOUR LEGACY FOR INSPIRATION is a mechanism for CLARITY."  Note achievements and legacy - these are helpful for guiding the team.

16.  "USE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DECISION CRITERIA is a mechanism for CLARITY."  Development of guiding principles (see the book - fantastic list created by his chiefs) is critical to empowering a team.

17.  "USE IMMEDIATE RECOGNITION TO REINFORCE DESIRED BEHAVIORS is a mechanism for CLARITY." The author would provide immediate positive feedback vs submitting a form and waiting for a process to give the reward/recognition to the individual.  He also points out that "Simply providing data to the teams on their relative performance results in a natural desire to improve."

18.  "BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND is an important mechanism for ORGANIZATIONAL CLARITY."  The author worked with his officers in weekly one-on-one mentoring sessions to discuss goals and what they wanted their evaluations to look like 1, 2 and 3 years hence -- working with them to develop goals that cascaded down from the organization's goals.  This turned into an opportunity for 2-way feedback and the end result was that his officers were able to achieve those goals by the end of their terms.

19.  "ENCOURAGE A QUESTIONING ATTITUDE OVER BLIND OBEDIENCE is a mechanism for CLARITY."

All in all - a really solid book with a ton of great examples from the author's experiences.  I'd LOVE to read a book written by one of the enlisted men on that ship to see his perspective and to see how that has carried over to other assignments on different vessels that may have had a top-down structure of leadership.

REVIEW: Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders by L. David Marquet 

RATING: 4-stars

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