Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
Sweet post from Tristan Walker this morning on the subject of startups.
The link is here.
University of Michigan professor Scott Page’s interview in the New York Times – “In Professor’s Model, Diversity = Productivity” can be found here.
Page’s research has shown that diverse groups outperform non-diverse groups in mid-to long term performance; fire drills, no, start-ups and running an organization, yes.… Read the rest
People want to be successful, which is usually a combination of being effective (doing the right thing) and efficient (doing things well), putting folks down a path to achieving favorable results.
Sometimes – as counterintuitive as it seems – that means doing less, not more.
Optimal performance (think weight training, writing a dissertation, running a business) is a combination of intense work and intermittent breaks.… Read the rest
Start-ups are a lot like some relationships; great when when you first meet and date, perhaps a little bumpy and not-so-hot as you spend more time, grow, and start wanting different things from the relationship.
The fact of the matter is that the road is littered with co-founders or co-founding teams that needed to split apart – some stay, some leave – in order for the start-up to grow.… Read the rest
There was a 1960’s coming of age movie about four Midwestern guys titled “Where the Boys Are.” Funny and clever for its time, it was also laden with stereotypical models of life – including the roles of women and men – of that era.
If you squint (“Really hard,” some of my colleagues would suggest) there is a different plot playing out in the corporate world in the United States today.… Read the rest
Many managers dread hiring people.
It’s a dirty little secret, and one of the things that causes people to realize that they are not cut out for management.
There are things you can do to help avoid that dread; they aren’t elaborate, and with a little practice you can make the hiring process easier (dare I say “enjoyable”), hopefully less painful, and more reliable.… Read the rest
“War is hell” said William T. Sherman – and most likely right before he burned down Atlanta (image right) on his famous “march to the sea” during the United States Civil War.
Office politics are a close second, particularly in the types of workplaces that either tacitly permit them or promote them.
In those atmospheres – not unlike some of the world’s cultures – to operate effectively you have to be quasi schizophrenic; keep separated what you think and believe, and what you say you think and believe.… Read the rest