Right Attitudes

Ideas for Impact

Group Dynamics

The Business of Popular Causes

By Leave a Comment

Starbucks:Championing Progressive Causes, While Undermining Unionization Efforts Starbucks has long been celebrated for its progressive image and support of social justice causes. But when it comes to unionization and better benefits, the company’s actions tell a different story. Internal policies—like cracking down on union activities—raise doubts about how committed it truly is to the values it champions.

Starbucks is a prime example of a wider trend: companies quickly embrace progressive causes, but only when they don’t hurt the bottom line. This is Bandwagon Branding—when businesses latch onto the latest popular cause, whether it’s social justice, climate change, or equality, to align with dominant public values. They roll out hashtags, social media campaigns, and limited-edition products to show support. But once the spotlight fades, they quietly move on to the next issue. Remember when founder-CEO Howard Schultz launched the “Race Together” initiative, letting baristas at 12,000 locations write it on cups to spark conversations about race?

This cycle—big gestures, minimal change, quick pivots—reveals a harsh truth: corporations are profit-driven. Their true loyalty is to shareholders, not social causes. Corporate virtue-signaling often rings hollow.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. The Loss Aversion Mental Model: A Case Study on Why People Think Spirit is a Horrible Airline
  2. Your Product May Be Excellent, But Is There A Market For It?
  3. Decoy Effect: The Sneaky Sales Trick That Turns Shoppers into Spenders
  4. The Unlikely Barrier to True Diversity
  5. The Greatest Trick a Marketer Can Pull

The Double-Edged Sword of a Strong Organizational Culture

By Leave a Comment

The Double-Edged Sword of a Strong Organizational Culture Peter Drucker’s famous phrase, “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” underscores the vital importance of nurturing internal cultures within organizations. A robust organizational culture possesses a powerful influence, shaping the work environment, molding employees’ mindsets, and ultimately determining the organization’s overall success. The pursuit of cultivating workplace cultures has led to a plethora of models and methodologies, propagated by business schools and leadership consultants.

However, the enthusiasm for strong cultures as a cure-all for leadership challenges should be balanced with an understanding of the complexities they introduce.

While strong cultures offer undeniable advantages, they can unintentionally encourage groupthink, stifling diversity of thought and hindering adaptability to changing circumstances. Dissenting voices and alternative values may be marginalized or even excluded, all in the name of maintaining cultural consistency and safeguarding cultural alignment. This can create substantial pressure for individuals to conform.

Idea for Impact: Well-established cultures often resist change and deviations from established norms, sometimes regarding non-conformists as threats to the existing order. Strike a delicate balance between cultural cohesion and a deliberate focus on diversity and inclusion.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Why You May Be Overlooking Your Best Talent
  2. Let Others Shine
  3. The Unlikely Barrier to True Diversity
  4. Can’t Ban Political Talk at Work
  5. The Duplicity of Corporate Diversity Initiatives

Embracing Cultural Sensitivity: A Case Study of Akira Kurosawa’s Oscar Speech

By Leave a Comment

Consider the acceptance speech delivered by the renowned director Akira Kurosawa when he received the Honorary Award at the 62nd Academy Awards in 1989. This award recognized his lifetime achievements and his significant impact on filmmaking, both in Japan and internationally.

I am very deeply honored to receive such a wonderful prize, but I have to ask whether I really deserve it. I’m a little worried, because I don’t feel that I understand cinema yet. I really don’t feel that I have yet grasped the essence of cinema. Cinema is a marvelous thing, but to grasp its true essence is very, very difficult. But what I promise you is that from now on I will work as hard as I can at making movies and maybe by following this path I will achieve an understanding of the true essence of cinema and earn this award. George [Lucas], Steven [Spielberg]. Thank you.

In the Western world, some may perceive this language as a display of false modesty. It appears that the legendary Kurosawa, whose cinematic genius revolutionized storytelling, downplays his abilities and achievements, seemingly deflecting praise.

Let’s Be Cautious Not to Impose Norms We Call Our Own

While Kurosawa’s speech might come across as insincere or disingenuous, it’s important to consider cultural relativism. Different cultures have varying values, norms, and philosophical perspectives. What might be seen as a positive sentiment in one culture can be perceived differently in another.

Respecting Diversity: Avoiding Imposing Personal Norms As this case study illustrates, the concept of humility in Asian cultures may differ from that in Western cultures. Many Eastern cultures approach humility not merely as an understanding of personal limits, but as a way to let go of the self, understand one’s place in the larger scheme of existence, and connect with a greater reality. (In contrast, Western traditions, for they’re based in Abrahamic traditions, often conceptualize humility as submission to God.) Eastern traditions encourage adopting a particular perspective on life, focusing on understanding the small role one plays in a vast universe, appreciating others, and recognizing their inherent worth. For instance, in Buddhism, one of the elements of the eight-fold path is “right intention,” which involves freeing oneself from selfishness, partly achieved through humble thought.

Idea for Impact: Cultural sensitivity is essential to avoid unintentional offense. Interpreting sentiments and communication within the cultural and philosophical context of the individuals involved is crucial for effective cross-cultural understanding and respect.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. There’s Real Danger in Religious Illiteracy
  2. Labeling Damage
  3. Racism and Identity: The Lie of Labeling
  4. Ethics Lessons From Akira Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low’
  5. The Secret to Happiness in Relationships is Lowering Your Expectations

There’s Real Danger in Religious Illiteracy

By Leave a Comment

There's Real Danger in Religious Illiteracy From Harvard’s Religious Literacy Project:

Understanding complex religious influences is a critical dimension of understanding modern human affairs. In spite of this awareness, there remains a widespread illiteracy about religion that spans the globe. There are many consequences of this illiteracy, but the most urgent is that it fuels conflict and antagonisms and hinders cooperative endeavors in all arenas of human experience.

In our multi-faith societies, it’s essential not only to understand our own faith traditions (or lack thereof) but also to grasp the traditions of others. Religion carries significant weight in many people’s lives, shaping individual and collective history, politics, and social dynamics through beliefs, practices, and traditions.

Unfortunately, widespread myths and factual inaccuracies about religious beliefs and texts often lead to misunderstandings and ignorance, fostering fear and prejudice.

Idea for Impact: Take the time to learn about different religions. It gives you a peek into people’s perspectives, values, and what drives them. Plus, it helps you recognize and deal with your own biases and stereotypes.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Embracing Cultural Sensitivity: A Case Study of Akira Kurosawa’s Oscar Speech
  2. Labeling Damage
  3. Racism and Identity: The Lie of Labeling
  4. Could Limiting Social Media Reduce Your Anxiety About Work?
  5. The Problem of Living Inside Echo Chambers

Employee Surveys: Perceptions Apart

By Leave a Comment

Employee Surveys: The View From The Top, And The View From The Bottom Employee engagement surveys offer a stark illustration of the disconnect between the viewpoints of lower-ranking employees and top management. The Economist notes that bosses often believe their companies are compassionate, but their subordinates tend to hold a different perspective.

A [meta study on engagement surveys] found that bosses often believe their own guff, even if their underlings do not. Bosses are eight times more likely than the average to believe that their organisation is self-governing. (The cheery folk in human resources are also much more optimistic than other employees.) Some 27% of bosses believe their employees are inspired by their firm. Alas, only 4% of employees agree. Likewise, 41% of bosses say their firm rewards performance based on values rather than merely on financial results. Only 14% of employees swallow this.

The disconnect between senior management and rank and file employees often arises from limited direct interaction, information filtering, hierarchical barriers, and differing workplace cultures. Senior leaders don’t always fully grasp the day-to-day challenges and concerns of front-line workers.

From my viewpoint, many HR professionals tend to be overly optimistic when evaluating employee engagement, which can diverge from reality. This is partly because rank-and-file employees often perceive HR as less reliable in addressing their concerns, given the belief that HR prioritizes the organization’s interests. Concerns about transparency and inconsistent policy enforcement within HR exacerbate this perception.

Idea for Impact: From the lofty heights where they preside, leaders (and HR folk) can’t make out a world from which they hide.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Employee Surveys: Asking for Feedback is Not Enough
  2. Can’t Ban Political Talk at Work
  3. Giving Feedback and Depersonalizing It: Summary of Kim Scott’s ‘Radical Candor’
  4. These are the Two Best Employee Engagement Questions
  5. Don’t Manage with Fear

Labeling Damage

By Leave a Comment

Labels not only stereotype individuals but also limit and stifle them. Even so-called positive labels like “little miss perfect” perpetuate harmful stereotypes and can be internalized. Labels create walls around people, making it difficult for them to break free from preconceived notions.

Instead of oversimplifying people’s traits and characteristics with labels, let’s celebrate individuality by avoiding labels altogether. Let’s embrace the complexity of each person and acknowledge their unique qualities.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Racism and Identity: The Lie of Labeling
  2. There’s Real Danger in Religious Illiteracy
  3. Embracing Cultural Sensitivity: A Case Study of Akira Kurosawa’s Oscar Speech
  4. Stop Stigmatizing All Cultural ‘Appropriation’
  5. Beyond Mansplaining’s Veil

Racism and Identity: The Lie of Labeling

By Leave a Comment

This video examines how categorical labeling and the us-versus-them mentality it fosters are at the heart of division and, subsequently, intolerance and non-acceptance.

From birth, the world force-feeds us these labels, and eventually, we all swallow them. We digest and accept the labels, never ever doubting them, but there’s one problem. Labels are not you, and labels are not me. Labels are just labels. Who we truly are is skin deep. Who we truly are is found inside.

Labels forever blind us from seeing a person for whom they are, but instead force us to see them through the judgmental, prejudicial, artificial filters of who we think they are.

Labels Aren’t Just Idle Placeholders

Labels determine what we see. As essayist James Baldwin cautions in The Price of the Ticket (1985,) “As long as you think you are white, there is no hope for you. Because as long as you think you’re white, I’m forced to think I’m black.”

We’ve used the lie of labeling to define and separate people for millennia. We emotionally and intellectually enslave ourselves when we believe the lie of a label. Then we enslave others. Even forcing people to self-identify by labels reinforces separation, stereotyping, and divisiveness.

Rigid stereotypes of out-group norms follow. Such attitudes are harmful because they overlook the full humanity and uniqueness of all people. When our perceptions of different races are distorted and stereotypical, it’s demeaning, devaluing, limiting, and hurtful to others.

Idea for Impact: Let’s Stop Sidestepping the Human Behind the Labels

What we need now—more than ever—is an individual and collective shift from tolerance to acceptance (it’s possible to be tolerant without being accepting, but it isn’t possible to be accepting without first being tolerant.) In so doing, we can work to create a society in which everyone is valued, appreciated, and embraced.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Labeling Damage
  2. There’s Real Danger in Religious Illiteracy
  3. Embracing Cultural Sensitivity: A Case Study of Akira Kurosawa’s Oscar Speech
  4. Stop Stigmatizing All Cultural ‘Appropriation’
  5. Beyond Mansplaining’s Veil

Giving Feedback and Depersonalizing It: Summary of Kim Scott’s ‘Radical Candor’

By Leave a Comment

It takes finesse to tell your boss and colleagues what you really think and address conflicts with urgency. When individuals are hesitant to talk frankly to each other, unresolved conflict can wreak havoc on productivity and culture.

'Radical Candor' by Kim Scott (ISBN 1529038340) Former Google and Apple executive Kim Scott’s bestselling Radical Candor (2017) can help if you struggle with delivering honest feedback with the subtlety that suits the relationship. To avoid turning criticism into a personal attack, Scott suggests phrasing feedback using a “situation-behavior-impact” recipe (identical to the Manager Tools’ Feedback Model I’ve recommended for years): describe the situation where the problem behavior appeared, the other’s specific actions, and their impact. Instead of “You’re sloppy,” tell, “You’ve been working nights and weekends, and it’s taken a toll on your accuracy.” Scott also extends directions on how to educate to deal with conflict, strike positive solutions, and foster a fertile conflict mindset that everybody embraces.

Recommendation: Speedread Radical Candor. If you condone the narrative inconsistencies, excessive name-dropping, and banal Silicon Valley tenor, this text will teach you how tactful conflict and giving honest feedback can be an impetus for positive change. Bruised egos and problems nipped in the bud are better than the alternative—stalled projects, mediocre work, and resentment that festers on.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Fear of Feedback: Won’t Give, Don’t Ask
  2. Never Criticize Little, Trivial Faults
  3. Never Skip Those 1-1 Meetings
  4. Employee Surveys: Perceptions Apart
  5. Fire Fast—It’s Heartless to Hang on to Bad Employees

Why You May Be Overlooking Your Best Talent

By Leave a Comment

Many organizations have a hard time articulating their culture. They can’t explain what they mean when they evoke the phrase “culture fit.” Sometimes it’s just an excuse to engage employees better whom managers feel they can personally relate.

Affinity bias is a common tendency to evaluate people like us more positively than others. This bias often affects who gets hired, promoted, or picked for job opportunities. Employees who look like those already in leadership roles are more likely to be recognized for career development, resulting in a lack of representation in senior positions.

This affinity for people who are like ourselves is hard-wired into our brains. Outlawing bias is doomed to fail.

Idea for Impact: If you want to avoid missing your top talent, become conscious of implicit biases. Don’t overlook any preference for like-minded people.

For any role, create a profile that encompasses which combination of hard and soft skills will matter for the role and on the team. Determine what matters and focus on the traits and skills you need.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. The Double-Edged Sword of a Strong Organizational Culture
  2. The Unlikely Barrier to True Diversity
  3. The Duplicity of Corporate Diversity Initiatives
  4. Labeling Damage
  5. Racism and Identity: The Lie of Labeling

Employee Surveys: Asking for Feedback is Not Enough

By Leave a Comment

Nothing undermines employee trust faster than inviting employees to provide feedback about their work experience and then not following up.

Don’t take the employee satisfaction survey results at face value. Don’t discount the importance of the findings by brushing them off, “the data were what we expected” or “there were no real surprises here.”

Show that you’ve listened to what employees are saying. Initiate strategic conversations with selected employees and explore critical issues in more depth. Establish cross-functional teams to react to the survey’s findings. Let the team consist primarily of non-senior employees. A senior manager could sponsor and support—not manage—the team and see an action plan through.

Idea for Impact: Employee surveys, focus groups, and discussions that don’t change how an organization functions ultimately undermine employees’ faith that their leaders really care what the employees think. Close the communication loop.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Employee Surveys: Perceptions Apart
  2. Should Staff Be Allowed to Do ‘Life Admin’ at Work?
  3. Fire Fast—It’s Heartless to Hang on to Bad Employees
  4. Giving Feedback and Depersonalizing It: Summary of Kim Scott’s ‘Radical Candor’
  5. Can You Be Terminated for Out-of-Work Conduct?