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HELP! Book Review.

Dec 212011

HELP!: How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Little Bit More Done by Oliver Burkeman

If the title (or the cover) makes you smile, then you will enjoy the book. For not only is this a sober review of self-help (personal and professional) literature which also sits well in the genre it is mocking, but it is also a funny book.

HELP! addresses most of the areas covered by self-help, pop psychology and pop business books such as Productivity, Wellbeing etc. My favourite chapter title has to be “Follow Me: Gurus, God-Men and other questionable characters.” This chapter starts with the author’s visit to the Church of Scientology and continues with his observations on concepts and books such as Emotional Freedom Technqiues, “The Secret” and numerous ones built around the number seven.

Oliver Burkeman might well be preaching to the converted, but he manages to extract the most achievable methods and those concepts based around common sense. Here are my favourite.

FORGET ABOUT PASSION

Is looking for your “passion” more hassle than it’s worth?

I’m very lucky that I have built my professional career around things that I care about and enjoy. Many people say I’m passionate – perhaps what they mean is that I am over-excited too often. I know many people who just really like their work; or some who are just happy there; and some for whom work is a means to an end. They are all happy, yet none of them are following their “passions”.

Burkeman goes even further and warns of the dangers of always searching for passions that are out there, rather than exploring different ways of doing what you’re already doing that will bring you satisfaction. In any case, he much prefers Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of “flow”, the complete immersion in an activity that makes time whizz by. I agree. I can’t say that I am passionate about spreadsheets but time never seems to go as fast as when I’m tackling my accounts. And you know what? I do enjoy it.

We don’t need new information on how to be happy anywhere near as much as we need a dose of perspective.

NOT BEING A SPECIALIST IS O.K.

This one is very close to my heart. I have so many professional interests… I am quite good at some, o.k. at most and I have acknowledged that I’ll never be any good at the others so have adopted them as hobbies.

So why shouldn’t I celebrate that I have a broad range of interests and skills? Well, for one, it makes it really difficult to talk to people about what I do. It’s makes it difficult to market my services. Sometimes I get too wrapped up in what I’m talking about (some would say “passionate”) and I run the danger of coming across as unfocused.

So I was glad to be reminded, that, actually, it’s o.k. not to be a specialist. Having a conversation about this the other day, someone said: “But surely having a broad range of careers is the way forward, Charles Handy talked about a portfolio career.” Yes, he did and I welcomed it ten years ago. What he didn’t mention is that sometimes you have to hide some portfolios and choose which to show to whom. Only sometimes though.

THE SECRET IS OUT:

Psychological studies support [...] that the people we follow as leaders are the ones who decide they’ve got what it takes to lead.

Enough said.

INDIVIDUALS: TAKE CONTROL.

Lastly, I also welcomed the reminder that, even though the world seems to have gone a bit mad and information is constantly demanding our attention, we are still in control (or at least, can still be in control) of whether we process it or not.

“Information overload” is a questionable complaint: if we couldn’t handle vast amounts of information, we’d have a breakdown each time we stepped into nature or a busy street. The real trouble is that we have defined too many things as worthy of having the power to distract us. The best time-management strategies are about reclaiming this power.

Recommendation

This book might not change your life, but then, that’s not what it promises. However, it will remind you of the need to question those who promise to turn your life around in 200 pages. Furthermore, it can also serve as a pointer to plenty of other interesting stuff and, after consideration, you might even find that some of the ideas can indeed help you to “become slightly happier and get a little bit more done.”

Above all, I hope it will make you think and I hope it will make you smile.

P.S. Thanks Amazon, for your Kindle Daily Deal – otherwise I wouldn’t have come across or purchased this great title.

If you have read the book and disagree (or agree!) with anything I have mentioned, feel free to leave your comments below.

Embracing Emotions

Book, Wellbeing No Responses »

Jul 072011

I’m currently reading “Difficult Conversations” by members of the Harvard Negotiation Project. I have only just started reading it and one of its main messages has already stuck in my mind. Emotions are involved in difficult conversations. In fact, emotions are involved in many conversations. Whether we choose to express them or not (and how we choose to express them if we do) is a different matter.

Emotions in the workplace are a tricky subject. We are supposed not to get “emotional”, not to let “the emotions get in the way of our reasoning” and, my personal favourite wishy-washy-what-on-Earth-do-you-mean-by-that: “keep it professional”. The problem is that the “professional” is embodied by a person, with a past, with feelings and with expectations. Therefore, it is very difficult to keep emotions out of work.

Once we admit that we all have emotions and that we are (or should) be allowed to feel, we can be less hard on ourselves for not always knowing how to react in a difficult situation. In “Difficult Conversations” this is addressed under “The Identity Conversation”, that added layer that makes difficult conversations even more difficult, as we worry what our involvement is saying about us.

I’m looking forward to reading “Difficult Conversations”. It’s always interesting to stop and think about why we shy away from certain types of communication and to begin to think about what we can do to make our life with others just that little bit more productive…

Changing how you deal with difficult conversations takes work. But better the ache of muscles growing from an unaccustomed workout than the sting of wounds from an unnecessary fight.

Communicating During Change

Book, Leadership 1 Response »

Jun 012011

Don’t rush to inspire: inform first.

When thinking about what and how to communicate a change initiative to your team, consider that people will react differently to the news; they will assimilate them differently and at different stages. It might therefore be unwise to insist at the beginning of the process that change will bring with it wonderful things, when people might be confused, or even scared.

Karl G Schoemer, in his book ‘Change is Your Competitive Advantage’, defines three types of communication, with relation to leading others through change:

Informative communication
Supportive communication and
Inspirational communication.

Schoemer suggests selecting each different type of communication to suit each individual and the stage in the assimilation of change at which they are at. Or, if you need to create one piece of communication to address many people (a speech or a memo for example) then he suggests using each mode in the order presented above.

Let’s have a look at teach type of communication.

Informative Communication

When hearing about a change, it is difficult to decide what it means to us until we have some details (unless of course, you’re incredibly happy or incredibly fed up with your current situation).

In the early stages of implementing change, it is worth addressing who, what, where, when and how, the plans and schedules currently in place, why the change is necessary and how it will benefit individuals, teams, the organisation and the end users or customers.

Depending on the complexity of the change, you will be able to give more or less details during your initial communications or conversations. If the change is a complex one, then give a timeframe of when more details will be provided.

There is little point in going straight into the “inspirational talk” when your team members don’t really understand the nature of the change. Unlike you, they might have only heard rumours about plans or might not even be aware that change is on its way. Try to bring them up to speed before letting them know how much better off they will be in the long-term. Even before you try to inspire them, you will need to show them some support.

Supportive communication

Showing appreciation to those undergoing change is vital. It takes a lot of effort to change and there are few things as unmotivating as not having your efforts recognised.

Appreciating everyone’s efforts, celebrating good results and acknowledging that change is not always easy, can all go a long way to help morale.

Inspirational Communication

Once your team members know how the change will affect them and are beginning to adapt to the new way of working, they will be more open to hearing you talk about how great the change is going to be for everyone.

This can, of course, be difficult if the change is a restructure that has involved redundancies. In this case, it is worth emphasising the need to find new ways of working as soon as possible in order to arrive at the point where you all feel like you are working at your best. This does not mean of course asking everyone to forget how things were (remember William Bridges’ point “treat the past with respect”), but identify if there are ways in which the team can build on previous successes to find a new optimum way of operating.

I cannot emphasise enough the need for communication. Nothing is as clear cut as the suggestion above, but hopefully this will help you to keep everyone on track. The important thing to remember is that the way in which you communicate will need to change with time and will depend on who you are communicating with – not just due to the different behaviours and personalities in your team, but also due to where they are in the process to change.

For more on the need to accept change in business, I recommend “Change is Your Competitive Advantage”.

Book: Managing Transitions by William Bridges

Book 2 Responses »

Apr 112011

William Bridges’ book focuses on the need to pay attention to the “neutral zone”, that obscure area of uncertainty that we all have to go to as we let go of the way things have been and try to understand how we fit into the new order.

What I think “Managing Transitions – making the most of change” does best, is painting a very clear picture of the role of the individual in organisational change. By addressing the ways in which people in organisations will be affected by change, it paints a very clear picture of the role of the leader: clarifying the way forward and communicating all the way through. And by communicating, of course I mean listening and watching, as well as speaking and writing.

Although the book was first published in the early 90s, part three, “Dealing with nonstop change in the organisation and your life” seems particularly relevant. I encourage you to read the book, especially if you are looking for gems that you can apply directly. Meanwhile, I leave you with Bridges’ suggestions of how to help people “let go” of the past.

Identify who’s losing what.
Accept the importance of subjective losses.
Don’t be surprised at over-reaction.
Acknowledge the losses openly and sympathetically.
Expect and accept the signs of grieving.
Compensate for the losses.
Give people information – and do it again and again and again….
Define what’s over and what’s not.
Mark the endings.
Treat the past with respect.
Show how endings can lead to new beginnings.

Book: Power Presentation – formal speech in an informal world by Patsy Rodenburgh

Book, Wellbeing No Responses »

Mar 292011

Patsy Rodenburg’s voice work is well-respected in the theatre industry. In Power Presentation, she clearly describes the path to successful communication (and self-presentation) by connecting body, breath, voice and intent.

What I like most about this book is that makes no apology for not offering a “quick-fix” to mastering communication. Rodenburg insists on the importance of setting aside time to work consistently on releasing the body’s tensions and exercising your breath muscles.

She also makes clear that not all exercises will work for everyone and that achieving full potential is a personal, ongoing journey:

When an exercise works, you might need it for the rest of your life.

As in one of her other books, ‘Presence’, Patsy Rodenburg introduces the concept of striving to be in the Second Circle when speaking– what in acting terms is referred to as “being present” or “in the moment”. The body is relaxed (but not casual) and “you are connected to yourself and the world around you”. However, if you find yourself in First Circle, you will have withdrawn into yourself and in Third Circle, you will be pushing out into the world. This simplification is used throughout the book and makes it easy to understand when or why we might be knocked off-centre.

The first part of the book consists of a series of exercises looking at body, breath, voice and speech, in that order, pretty much in the same way a classical actor begins their training.

The second part of the book is composed of short sections on Presentation, Meetings, Negotiations, Selling, Interviews and Bad News/Good News. None of them are dealt with in depth but they include some interesting tips and observations. They provide good examples of how the work described in Part One can be applied to professional life.

The book is worth buying if you intend to put some time aside to improve your self-presentation or if you feel like you need to strengthen your voice.

If you have never come across this type of work, then you will need plenty of time to go through the exercises and pace yourself through the book. Most of the exercises require a private, comfortable space (there is a lot of floor-work involved) but Rodenburg knows her readership so she also has plenty of exercises that can be done in small areas, prior to presentations or important meetings.

If you are familiar with this kind of work, it is still worth a read as it will take you back to basics – and if you have a vivid imagination, just reading through might induce some tension release!

If presenting in front of people makes you very anxious, then I suggest you begin by using the book and then consult a voice coach to check that you are on the right track. What is clear in all of Rodenburg’s books is her firm belief that everyone can be an engaging speaker if the voice is released.

Throughout the book, there are short anecdotes about people the author has worked with, giving it a personal touch.

Repetition of this kind of work is key in order for it to become second nature. The book makes very clear that we cannot think of the voice as separate from the body: “The voice is housed in the body and powered by the breath” and their connection can never be ignored.

Just as you can’t ignore the connection between body, breath, voice, speech, words, imagination and emotion. It’s staying connected to yourself and your surroundings that will allow you to present yourself and communicate with others at your best.

Book: The Right Fight

Book, Leadership, Teams 1 Response »

Mar 022011

I first came across this book when I read an article in strategy + business, co-authored by one of the book’s writers. The authors of ‘Getting Tensions Right’ (Ken Favaro and Saj-Nicole Joni) have found that, far from avoiding or suppressing tension in their organisations, “the most successful chief executives have an uncanny ability to turn conflict, dissent and disagreement into progress”. As I am a great believer in collaboration – of the kind that includes listening to those we don’t agree with and learn from their point of view – I especially welcomed the quote from Brian Pittman, former Lloyds TSB Chief Exec:

You need real disagreement first to get true agreement later.

Not all tensions are productive and of course, not all fights are worth fighting, and that is precisely where ‘The Right Fight – -how great leaders use healthy conflict to drive performance, innovation and value’, comes in.

The book will be really useful for all those wanting to instigate change in their organisation or needing to fight for what they believe in. It will also be of interest to assess the challenges we come across in life.

The Right Fight is full of case studies – and I am glad to say that those mentioned in the s + b article are not all included, making the article an interesting complement to the work of Saj-Nicole Joni and Damon Beyer, and not just a summary of the book. Some of the case studies are inspirational stories of success, where individuals and teams have turned around organisations. Others can serve as warnings – when individuals have not been able to see beyond their own points of view and egos.

What struck me most about the case studies, was the range of organisations and projects featured: from usual suspects such as Dell and General Electric, through the Acumen Fund and the Oval Office, to The Lion King Broadway show. And in case the reader has difficulty in relating to the leaders at the top of their game, the authors end the first part of the book with the story of Jack, a middle manager, a story which “takes into account the human side of what it requires to engage in right fights”.

The book begins with examples of fights not worth fighting for and of “right fights fought wrong”. The learning points from the case studies go right to the heart of leadership. For example,

The role of Harvard’s president must be to create an environment where other smart people want to be present, where there is openness to differing views and real collegial give and take when decisions need to happen.

Part Two consists of ‘The Right Fight Decision Principles’ – how to identify whether a fight is worth fighting. (The book ends with a list of questions to help you identify the right fight, which might come in handy if you lose a sense of perspective or can no longer look at the problem with fresh eyes.)

1. Make it Material.
What’s at stake needs to matter.

2. Focus on the future, not the past.
It is important to dissect the past only with a view to improving the future.

Beyond blame and accountability, there is the excitement of possibility.

3. Pursue a noble purpose.
Go back to basics, what is this organisation for?

Following the principles which a right fight must follow, the authors suggest the best rules to apply during the fight.

A) Make it sport, not war.

Most companies tend to conceal or smooth over deep divides in the mistaken belief that the appearance of unity is the best way to get business done. It is far more productive, however, when an effective referee uses the energy present in the tensions between opposing viewpoints to move things forward.

B) Structure formally but work informally.
The importance of professional relationships based on expertise and trust and not hierarchy.

C) Turn pain into gain.
This last point highlights the importance of knowing team members as individuals, to make sure those who lose the fight also benefit from the results in some way. This chapter is also a good reminder of the need to “figure out how to set the bar high enough to require people to stretch, but not so high they have no hope of clearing it.”

I would recommend this book: it is a good reminder that right fights are worth fighting for, that they involve listening to a range of people around us and above all, that they take time.

Executives who engage in right fights constantly balance the tension between what’s good for their team member’s performance and what’s good for the company as a whole.

Structure in Teams

Book, Leadership, Teams No Responses »

Feb 162011

For those of you who strive to work in a truly collaborative, open manner and who are interested in facilitation (as leaders, trainers, team coaches), I recommend the work of Roger Schawrz.

In particular, you might be interested in the short article in this month’s newsletter, which reminds us of the need of structure in teams. Roger Schawrz refers to structure not as hierarchy, but as “relatively stable elements that have a significant impact on how a team functions.” He lists these elements as:

- Clear and compelling purpose and vision

- Effective culture

- Motivating tasks

- Clear roles

- Appropriate membership

- Acceptable behaviours.

I invite you to read the full short article on the Roger Schwarz & Associates website.

In anticipation of my next post on team meetings, I also recommend reading The Skilled Facilitator as a guide of how to get the best out of discussion and deal with conflict in teams.

Book: “The Wisdom of Crowds” by James Surowiecki

Book Comments Off

Jan 292011

There is something in me that always makes me want to ignore current trends or even sometimes go against them. I am no great ‘rebel’ but I am always suspicious about the reasons of why certain things become popular. I rarely read the latest bestseller until someone I trust recommends it to me. At least with age, I have learnt to hold my tongue until I have tasted a product.

So, my friend David said I should read The Wisdom of Crowds. Seeing as he was the one who introduced me to Malcolm Gladwell, I gave it a go. And lately I have seen the book mentioned by other authors a few times, so I thought I’d dip back into it and extract some thoughts…

I am all for making decisions in groups and wholeheartedly agree with Surowiecki’s statement that:

group deliberations are more successful when they have a clear agenda and when leaders take an active role in making sure that everyone gets a chance to speak”.

So I thank Mr S for his reminder about the dangers of ‘group polarization’.

I am very familiar with ‘group think’ – a phenomenon that happens when individuals in groups prioritize showing agreement with the rest of the group over reaching a suitable decision – and I suppose group polarization is a phenomenon along the same lines.

Group polarization is the tendency of individuals to become more radical in their views when aligned to the rest of the group. So, in groups of risk-averse people, individuals will become more cautious while the opposite will happen in groups made up of those prone to taking risks.

As with all concepts presented by Surowiecki in his book, this one is backed up by research and illustrated by specific cases. So, if you are in charge of facilitating group discussions or are interested in the process by which groups make decisions, then I invite you to have a think about the risks and benefits of group decision-making as you read ‘The Wisdom of Crowds’.

Book: The Extra One Per Cent by Rob Yeung

Book No Responses »

Jan 242011

I do like Rob Yeung. Of course, I have never met him, but I have read three of his books and I do like the tone of them. Simple, straight forward and personal, in that his own values come through.

So I was looking forward to ‘The Extra One Per Cent – how small changes make exceptional people’. Of course, the suggested changes might be small but not easy to make – as for some it might require re-programming how they see the world around them and indeed, their own role in carving their own path to success, whatever that “success” is.

(In fact, the book might inspire more than one person to stop and define what personal success means to them.)

“We can all benefit from disentangling what is genuinely important to us from the values of those around us.”

The Extra One Per Cent will surely prove inspiring to entrepreneurs and those people who have big goals in mind, as it is full of success stories and ways of dissecting big plans to make them viable, as well as building self-confidence.

I particularly liked the reminder of the importance of relationships in attaining your goals. In his chapter on “Daring” (one of the capabilities of exceptional people), he describes a stepwise approach to working towards your goals. Then, in considering each step, he suggests thinking about “Who can/should help you?”. As someone who has never had a problem in asking for or giving help, I think this is fantastic (and essential) advice.

And while on the subject of goals, I also welcome his suggestion of being guided by positive goals rather than negative goals (e.g. “I want to run more workshops” rather than “I want to avoid having only one client”) and much prefer his PAST mnemonic (what a great word, mnemonic…) for effective goals: Positive, Ambitious, Specific, Timed – a more energy-charged term than the widely used SMART.

As someone who advocates for making room for creativity at work, I really welcome a few of his other points:

- “Creativity” does not mean “artistry”,
- One can experience “flow” and develop one’s creativity in any kind of job, it just has to be right for you.

Creativity comes about as the result of activity. Individuals who make time to question, speculate and learn about the world tend to be more creative.

The scientist in me continues to ask all the time: “How do you know?”, “Where is the proof”? And indeed, this is something that Rob Yeung does well, by supporting most of his suggestions and advice with research from studies and experiments (all neatly referenced at the back of the book for further reading). Of course plenty of the material comes from anecdotes, his own experience and gut feeling – else the book would lose its soul!

So, if you are looking for a light read, full of research, practical advice and inspirational stories, do go The Extra One Percent. And, as always, if you can think of any other literature along the same lines, please post your recommendation here!