Delusion of Success & Feed Forwards

As we are nearing our Employee Survey, Leadership Surveys and Performance appraisal cycle for this year, I came across very contemporary articles on Human Performance change mgmt.

Delusion of Success: The article requests successful people to check the 4 beliefs that help them conjure-up their success image (others may call this self-aggrandizement if you pronounce out in open.) and asks leaders to introspect. The author lucidly describes how some of these beliefs carried too far may be detrimental for success and leads us to believe that we can move material objects on the table with our mind … Some of the interesting human paradoxes such as superstition trap, internal-locus-of control, cognitive dissonance, commitment Vs Compliance are well explained here so one can avoid it by experiencing it. However, this does not necessarily mean that one should not have a positive thinking aspiring to change things in this world lest one believes in moving objects by thinking of course! But also that ppl who don’t take these challenges are not necessarily failures. Jokes apart this is a great article and timely read to give and take good feedback.

Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback: There are many times we seek to give “downward feedback” boss always to his/her reportees or vice-versa based on past facts. Very often this can be a stressful moment for both especially when the story telling method that we often adopt had abstracted and dissipated the real facts. (Do you remember this popular story-telling psychological game where 10 ppl were asked to stand in a circle and someone tells a small fact and his/her judgment in his immediate neighbors ear as a story and when the story came back to the person it has completely changed?). The author provides 11 reasons to provide feed forward instead of feedback. Happy reading!

High Performance: Trust, Territorial games and Social Networks....

Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey: This is a best seller since the “7 Habits ….” Book from Stephen Covey. It talks about how important being trustworthy is. The book goes ahead and talks of 13 characteristics by which one can build trust to improve performance. In subtle ways the author tries to impose on us that trust can help in increasing our performance and reduce the cost of doing business. J..Ironic, I didn’t want to pick this book right away to read, thinking that this is yet another Stephen Covey book on Self-Improvement (I had grown to hate such books J). But then there was these feedback sessions I got into with few people at work: well ofcourse you could imagine I initiated this discussion to articulate my observations that having trust is so important/critical at our workplace. I had been introspecting ever since not only on the feedback given to me but also my own articulated thought and chose to hit this book. I thought this is really very relevant to what we do and strive for daily: We need to trust our stakeholders and be worthy of being trusted as well. That is the only way we can perform and meet the expectations of our Stakeholders. Think about it for a moment:
who are the people/organization/social network whom you trust and who are the people/organization/social network you don’t trust and
how has been your performance in these situations?
If the above thought sparked in you distaste or a pleasant recalls then pick up this book and read. This book is meant for you J…otherwise just read the articles and book excerpts I’ve attached here.


Territorial Games: Understanding & Ending Turf Wars at Work by Annette Simmons: A very interesting book I picked up to understand the behavior of people and my reactions (I’m not promulgating my sainthood here) in an engagement that I had been a part of recently. The author very lucidly explains the territorial games that smart people play stupidly so often to make our lives grueling and affecting high-performance in organizations. The author talks about 10 type of territorial games people play to prove how strong their animal instincts are for survival in corporate world. I’m listing here these characteristics and my own experiences down below, I’m sure you have your own (this is not meant to be a vituperative attack…please treat the examples and situations as coincidental if it resembles):
Occupational Game: People playing this game stake claim to projects, information, people, relationship even if they have not been handed out such privileges. Typical scenario I’ve observed here is that the person says that this project is mine and I own it. All success on this should be attributed to me. They don’t have a feeling of shared ownership and eyes with suspicion everything/everyone. E.g. It is my project and I’m the only person interested in its success or failure.
Information Manipulation: People playing this game withhold the information. The information they withhold makes them feel powerful. They don’t even realize it is useless to withhold information from their own stakeholders J. E.g. I wont tell you who your replacement for this engagement; though I know who it will be.
Intimidation: I’m sure we have all seen this often, raising a voice or shouting in a room to make a point (whether there is one or not). This needs no examples.
Powerful Alliances: Manipulating a situation by claiming their closeness to your boss (for example). People playing this game create/use the perception of being close to someone and exploit the situation/opponents to one-upmanship. E.g. Our Manager and I went for drinks today and I told him/her everything abt. the situation
Invisible Wall: Creating an artificial block for you to achieve a certain outcome. For example: one could say you cannot accomplish this because you are not sitting in the same location as the client J
Strategic non-compliance: These people agree to follow the process you laid out in front of everyone but behind the scenes do everything to scuttle it. Sometimes they can go as mean as saying that they do not have time to act on it and prolong their compliance till the value of compliance becomes insignificant. E.g. I’ll note Vote after setting my Objectives ;-)..
Discredit: Have you faced vitriolic attacks on email or over phone from someone whereby your competence and credibility is questioned. E.g. How abt telling you that you don’t know how to speak English (Communicate!!!) and don’t know sign language J
Shunning: Subtly ignoring a person from a decision making sphere where his/her valuable inputs could give them any credit. E.g. Don’t invite him/her to this meeting.
Camouflage: Distracting someone from the core issue. E.g. Talk about how sick you were 2 weeks back when your deliverable is due today.
Filibuster: Outtalking someone…I mean keep talking so much that the other person does not get a chance to make his point noted. Needs no examples…

Also the author comes up with a brilliant, and practical ways of countering such games and disengaging them. If you have ever been in situations where you have manipulated people/situation/events or been manipulated ; you would have either admired at yourself/the ability of people to setup such games and play it. Well, of course you could even regurgitate (like I do depending on how intense those experiences have been J for you). If it evoked similar passions or emotions in you then pick this book and read it so you can learn/unlearn or atleast know how these games are played. If you cannot get your hands on this book then just print the attached excel I’ve provided here and run through this exercise. Its fun I assure you….

The Social Atom: Why the Rich get Richer and Poor gets Poorer by Mark Buchanan: The best book of all I want to read if this book is available on the pavement in Jayanager shopping complex in Bangalore….or else I would include you or remove you from the circulation list (depending on what you want) if you present me this book J…

Managing Paradoxes and True-North Leaders

The Strategy Paradox by Michael E Raynor: This is a 2007 best seller under the Business & Strategy topic. I was reading and viewing discussions at some contemporary topic in Davos World Economic forum, including Mark Fosters Chief Executive of MCIM Webcast from Swiss Airport on EMM (Emerging Market Multinationals) the next spin of Multi-polar world. I thought ACN thinking on the next phase of Multi-Polar world reflects so much of what Michael E Raynor talks about in his book on how success or failure of even the best company lies in their ability to maintain strategic flexibility. For those of us who have read “The Blue Ocean strategy”, “Innovators Dilemma” and “Good to Great” ; this book seems an anti-climax. According to this author, even the best thought out and executed strategy fails, due to small changes in the industry/business ecosystem, he explains this with powerful case studies of product failures. I enjoyed this well-researched book and thought you would like it too.

Bill George – Thought Leader Interview by Amy Bernstein: Are you comfortable under their skin? Do you like yourself? Are you frustrated and exasperated with current situation? Is the leadership exhibited by you came out of learnings from your life experiences? Or coz’ you had difficult life experiences and hence bound to be a great leader? Are you just trying to emulate someone or some organization leadership style? If the questions and answers interest you, read the attached thought leadership interview with Bill George. I remember reading the book review sent by my colleague on “True North” few months back…never managed to see it on the roadside yet so I think I can’t afford to buy it yet…but this excerpt here is from the author of True North- Bill George former CEO of Medtronics. In summary, there are 5 successful leadership characteristics: Pursuing purpose with passion, practice solid values, lead with their hearts, establishing enduring relationships and finally demonstrates self-discipline. Read this and think abt it next time you hear the word “leadership”. Maybe this leads you to your epiphany..J….