Social Animal: #1--Overview

Overview: It’s no startling surprise to find out that we’re all social animals, each belonging to our tribes, whatever we call them—families, companies, churches, or political parties. However, David Brooks, vaunted journalist and author, scrapes off the layers of paint atop that old truism down to its bare metal, exposing three key insights: 1) the power of the unconscious; 2) the centrality of emotions; and 3) the deep interpenetration and interconnectedness of our minds. Using the power of a narrative to weave in Brooks’ prodigious experience in politics and people, as well as the depth of his observations and interpretation of scientific research, the reader gets a decent story packed with solid facts. It’s a bit like reading excellent historical fiction; but, this book is about how we live today. Using two fictional characters, Harold and Erica, to carry the narrative and provide the scaffold for his story, Brooks borrows from the tradition of parable and fable, thus weaving extraordinary scientific research into a story we can actually remember. And these two characters emanate from two very different social classes—Harold from the upper middle class and Erica from a family of immigrants. As such, they come at life very differently, yet somehow connect with each other in what might be described as a rich cocktail of humanity. The author raises the old Greek notion that we suffer our way to wisdom. Such wisdom operates below the surface of our conscious in our intuitions, emotions, and biases that formulate our thoughts while we navigate the choices of life. In essence, we’ve all been given a gift of the unconscious—but until now have not realized its power so well. Brooks talks about a lot of skills that operate as we play out these three insights of unconsciousness, emotions, and interconnectedness. This week, I’ll explore his book in detail

Starfish and Spider: Post #6

The Hybrid Organization: Neither centralized nor decentralized organizations are good or bad. In fact, there are some interesting models out there that show how the two can live happily ever after (or at least live together without fighting all the time). Look at eBay and Amazon for examples. Notice how eBay has employed (free of charge) its very own users/customers to monitor their system with “user ratings” that provide input and keep sellers honest (core to eBay’s success). All this is done by the customers. Also, Amazon’s user-generated book reviews are powerful influencers for consumers. The users/readers themselves from around the world supply the brainpower. Sun Microsystems, IBM and Google have also let their customers have a say in what they do. And if you look at companies with active social websites, you have a glimpse of others dipping their toes into being a hybrid organization.

Starfish and Spider: Post #5

Taking on Decentralization: The authors offer a few tips for taking on decentralized competitors. In short, they suggest: 1) Centralize them (how introducing property rights changes the equation); 2) Decentralize yourself (if you can’t beat them join them). To this last point, consider al Qaeda or the Taliban as very good examples of starfish….albeit ones with clearly evil intent. If a conventional army tries to fight them, you can see the results. Just look at Vietnam for a projection of the possibility of success. What beats such “evil” starfish will be other starfish—drones, Special Forces, etc.—not conventional warfare.

Delivering Happiness: Introduction

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh (Business Plus, 2010). Reviewed by Steve Gladis, Ph.D.

Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) has written both his autobiography and a case study for the new economy: The Internet-based economy. Both are equally interesting and compelling journeys. At the ripe old age of 24 and after learning some tough business lessons, Tony sold LinkExchange for a tidy sum of $265 million, built a tribe of friends who had a great time living and playing together, learned to play poker, and became an venture capitalist (through Venture Frogs) in emerging companies. Eventually, he and Alfred, his life-long business partner, invested in an online shoe company start up, Zappos.com, founded by Nick Swinmurn, who had bet his future on the idea that “…e-commerce will continue to grow. And it is likely that people will continue to wear shoes in the foreseeable future.” Written in a conversational style that’s both authentic and engaging, the book stands as a primer for anyone starting a business from the ground up. His comparing business and poker, developing corporate values and culture, and delivering happiness to your employees and customers are the stuff that should be taught in any MBA program. Kudos, Tony. Nice work all around.

The Business of Happiness: An Introduction

The Business of Happiness (Regnery, 2010) by Ted Leonsis and John Buckley Reviewed by Steve Gladis, Ph.D.

Ted Leonsis is a happy guy, but not because he has a lot of money. Rather, he has a lot of money because he’s happy. If you read his autobiography, The Business of Happiness, you’ll get a chance to see how he found happiness through this journey from New York to Massachusetts, and eventually to DC and Virginia. His odyssey, from becoming an English major at Georgetown, to the high-tech business, to a start up, to AOL, to the Capitals, (now the Wizards) and possibly to outer space if he hits all the points on his “life list.” Scared by a near fatal plane crash, he compiled his list of 101 things he wanted to do before dying. This book takes the reader on an interesting journey through Leonsis’ professional life (including AOL and the AOL-Time Warner M&A mess) and then through what I would call his spiritual life—his journey to happiness. The biography itself was interesting, and the real payoff comes from the secrets he discovered along the way. His six secrets that led him (and presumably could move us) toward happiness and success: 1) Your Life List; 2) Multiple Communities of Interest; 3) Finding Outlets for Self-Expression; 4) Gratitude; 5) Giving Back; 6) A Higher Calling.

This week I’ll review each of these in more depth.

Drive by Dan Pink: FINAL Post

Dan Pink’s attempt at helping hands-on people “get it” is contained in the section of the book called “The Type I Toolkit.” Note: Type I people are those motivated by intrinsic, not extrinsic, carrot-and-stick motivators. I’ll admit that this section seems a bit tacked on—often the requirement of a publisher to make a hardback page length. However, I especially enjoyed some of his examples about how to apply it in daily life as a leader and as a parent—the ultimate leader.

I don’t know that Motivation 3.0: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose will become the 21 Century’s Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—but it comes very close for me. For one thing, it explains some of the extreme generational differences we’re seeing in the classroom and workplace.

In short, Dan Pink has just helped us understand a powerful emerging theory in a simple, straightforward manner. Kudos, Dan. Keep writing.

Drive by Dan Pink -Post #3

Drive : The 100-foot-level view for leaders considering Motivation 3.0:

Foremost for leaders: Work with people and teams to develop a collaborative vision and then get out of their way!

1. Autonomy: Give people autonomy to do what they want (task); when they want to do it (time); in a way they want to do it (technique); and to collaborate with whom they want (team).

2.Mastery: Let people practice to attain mastery, which fosters engagement. When goals are clear, feedback is immediate and people work on tasks they’re interested in, time flies by and they get into what’s called “flow” or being in the zone—like shooting foul shots or three-pointers, when you’re good at it! Three laws help getting into this state: Mastery is a mindset (what I believe, I can achieve); Mastery is often painful (though enjoyable, like writing, running, or whatever you love); and, Mastery is an “asymptote” (something approachable but never attained 100%--like perfection).

3. Purpose: Allow people to define purpose, something larger than the product, process, or even themselves by allowing them to set new kinds of goals (for profit AND for good); use new kinds of words (“purpose,” “greater good” and “sustainable”); and establish new kinds of policies (ethical and work policies in sync with purpose-driven goals).

NOTE: This week I'll be reviewing Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink (Riverhead Books a division of Penguin Group, New York, 2009)

Drive--how motivation works today -Post #1

This week I'll be reviewing Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink (Riverhead Books a division of Penguin Group, New York, 2009)

Drive offers the reader a new theory of motivation—one that resonates with today’s reality. Why is Google so innovative, and how do they attract the best and brightest to work there? How did 3M come up with those sticky notes that I use all the time? And why is Best Buy thriving while Circuit City, formerly a Good to Great darling, is now in chapter 11? Look closely at today’s most productive organizations (Google, Best Buy, Amazon), and you’ll see a new “operating system” working—often humming behind the scenes—especially when you look at organizations populated with engaged, happy, and productive people. Pink calls that new operating system Motivation 3.0—based on intrinsic drivers, not carrots and sticks (of an older, more linear, manufacturing-like Motivational 2.0 system). Specifically, Pink’s model, Motivation 3.0, depends on three constructs (like a three-legged stool): Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose, which I’d call A-M-P—as in: “I’m all amped up!”

Marshall Goldsmith: Reputation

#5.Reputation: Who Do People Think You Are?

Reputation is the third element in establishing your MOJO. It’s where
you add up who you are (identity) and what you’ve done (achievement)
and toss the combined sum out into the world to see how people respond.
Your reputation is people’s recognition— or rejection— of your identity and
achievement. Sometimes you’ll agree with the world’s opinion. Sometimes
you won’t. However, how people perceive you over time becomes your reputation. Thus, consistency yields reputation. What you do day in and day out establishes your reputation in the minds of others. Consistent trends, not individual events (consistency not single heroic events) establish a lasting reputation. When it comes to how others view you, consider that it took you a long time to create the problem, so it takes a while to solve it so others see the change. Even if you know that you’ve changed, it’s not enough for you to feel it—for reputation to change, others must see and feel it. His model of reputation depends on others “seeing” the change. So, a change in your reputation requires self awareness (do you really see yourself as other see you) and discipline (sticking with change long enough for others to see the change).

Marshall Goldsmith: MOJO vs. NOJO

#3. MOJO vs. NOJO: If some people have this connection with an inner positive harmony that generates positive things in them and radiates out such that others can feel that positive emergence, it follows that the opposite can also be true: NOJO (as Goldsmith calls it). These people are in the wrong jobs, unmotivated and have little happiness—the opposite of MOJO.

MOJO vs. NOJO
Take responsibility vs. Play the victim
Move forward vs. March in place
Run the extra mile vs. Satisfied with the bare minimum
Love doing it vs. Feel obligated to do it
Grateful vs. Resentful
Curious vs. Uninterested
Caring vs. Indifferent

Marshall Goldsmith's MOJO: In the Zone

#2. In the Zone: In sports, when we see athletes at their best—we often say they’re “in the zone.” Such athletes are in touch with themselves, what they’re doing, and the world around them. People in the zone, have a kind of inner strength and confidence that is at once not only experienced by themselves but also others around them—it’s viral. Goldsmith notes that MOJO is vital to our happiness and meaning “because it is about achieving two simple goals: loving what you do and showing it.” He further notes that MOJO manifests itself for others to see.” At its essence and in my words, MOJO is caught not taught!

Final Post in Series--HBR's Top 10 Breakthrough Ideas for 2010: Negotiation

#10 Negotiation: Independent Diplomacy: Why pretend that only nation-states shape international affairs (by Carne Ross). International politics and diplomacy has long been the sole province of established nations like the US, Britain and France. However, such states are not alone in determining the fate of the world. Afghanistan, the Congo, the Sudan, and others impact on the world stage everyday but have no legitimate voice in the world.

The Breakthrough Idea: Develop a system that allows smaller states to have an independent voice in international affairs. This author offers the following: “My experience has taught me this: Outcomes are determined by those who join in, who act. When all is connected and every action has international consequences, everyone can be an independent diplomat.”

HBR's 10 Breakthrough Ideas for 2010: Risk Management

#8, Risk Management: Spotting Bubbles on the Rise: We have the tools to sound the alarm early (by Sendhil Mullainathan). We don’t have in place reliable predictors of asset risk. If we did have such “bubble” spotting metrics for identifying a particular asset class as “at risk,” we would be able to more accurately describe the proper level of value on the balance to ID risk threat.

The Breakthrough Idea: We can’t always prevent financial setbacks, anymore than we can prevent earth quakes or hurricanes. But we can predict financial bubbles through some sort of thoughtful research-based committee. Even a "bubbles committee!" Such a committee would not be unlike w hat the National Bureau of Economic Research does. The goal: “To use the research in behavioral finance to identify bubbles before they form….”

HBR's 10 Breakthrough Ideas for 2010 from: Pharma

#4 Idea: Pharmaceuticals. Getting the Drugs We Need: Simple standards would spur innovation (by Bonabeau, Bingham, and Schacht).

As big pharma hunts down the next blockbuster drugs like Lipitor, the cost of bringing such a drug to market is staggering. Also, generic drugs are coming to market faster. And while this is going on, more boutique pharma companies are producing drugs targeted at smaller more focused markets.

The Breakthrough Idea: One way to make a difference: Create a common standard for sharing drug asset data that would unleash tremendous innovation. The reason: Such data is important and each company has idiosyncratic ways of collecting, storing, and using this information. Thus, any standardization could lead to large scale leveraging for all pharma.

HBR's 10 Breakthrough Ideas for 2010: Finance

#3. Finance: What the Financial Sector Should Borrow: A military approach to keeping the economy safe (by Lawrence Candell). In the world of national defense, to stay ahead of emerging threats, the federal government invests in federally funded organizations (Federally Funded Research and Development—FFRD’s) like Mitretech, Mitlabs, and others. The author, who works at MIT labs in Lincoln, Mass., suggests the same approach for another important national security area: Finance.

The Breakthrough Idea: To prevent another financial meltdown like 2008, the author suggests: “Let’s federally fund an R&D center that, borrowing from the best practices of defense research centers, could design, analyze, prototype and troubleshoot financial innovations, making sure they promoted our [collective] economic security and prosperity.” Pretty good idea I’d say!