HUMILDAD – Edgar H.

Schein – Preguntar con humildad – ESPAÑOL

El sutil arte de pedir en vez de exigir
Clasificación editorial
7

Reseña
El experto en desarrollo organizacional Edgar H. Schein, quien tiene medio siglo de
experiencia como consultor, comparte sus saberes para enseñarle a desarrollar la
importante práctica de preguntar con humildad. Aunque el texto puede parecer al principio
un tanto reiterativo sobre ciertas ideas, a medida que la lectura avanza, dichas nociones
se van revelando con mayor detalle y profundidad. Mediante una exposición clara y
amena, apoyada en nociones de los negocios, la sociología y la psicología, así como en
ejemplos y ejercicios, Schein guía al lector de manera didáctica en el aprendizaje del arte
de plantear preguntas con humildad. getAbstract recomienda esta útil obra a las personas
en posiciones de liderazgo, a los ejecutivos de todo nivel y a quien desee comunicarse
mejor y generar relaciones más sanas y efectivas tanto en su entorno profesional como
personal.
Ideas fundamentales
 En el mundo actual, cada vez más interconectado, interdependiente y diverso,
establecer una comunicación eficaz resulta de enorme valía.
 Dicha comunicación debe promover la comprensión entre actores variados, y debe
fundarse en el respeto, la confianza y el reconocimiento de los otros.
 Es importante aprender a estructurar preguntas más eficaces que nos permitan
comunicarnos mejor, lo que promueve mejores relaciones tanto en lo personal
como en lo organizacional.
 Una comunicación exitosa reconoce que las personas pueden ser las depositarias
de saberes que pueden ayudarnos a realizar o mejorar una tarea. Ello requiere
humildad.
 Preguntar con humildad permite lograr la apertura entre interlocutores y se basa
en la curiosidad y en el interés por la otra persona.
 Para generar un clima adecuado para practicar el preguntar con humildad, evite
las afirmaciones dogmáticas, practique la escucha y el agradecimiento.
 Hay tres modelos de humildad según el estatus: básica, optativa y “aquí y ahora”.
 Para preguntar con humildad, puede optar por un enfoque colectivo inclusivo en
términos de “nosotros” en vez de “usted o yo”.
 A diferencia de otros tipos de interrogantes, la pregunta humilde no pretende
establecer un control sobre la comunicación.
  La pregunta humilde se basa en el aquí y ahora.
Resumen
La importancia de preguntar con humildad
En la actualidad, vivimos en un mundo cada vez más complejo, interconectado,
interdependiente y diverso, donde interactuar con personas de otras actividades
profesionales, distintas ocupaciones y variadas nacionalidades y culturas es cada vez
más frecuente. Por ello, es crucial establecer una comunicación confiable y eficaz, basada
en la construcción de buenas relaciones, entre los diversos actores de una situación, en
especial entre los miembros de distintos niveles jerárquicos.
“Debemos mejorar nuestra capacidad de preguntar y afirmar menos cosas dentro de una
cultura que sobrevalora las afirmaciones dogmáticas””.
Esta comunicación debe permitir y facilitar la comprensión mutua, con base en el respeto
y en la aceptación de que los demás pueden tener conocimientos o información que
podríamos aprender para hacer una tarea o para hacerla de mejor manera. A fin de
generar relaciones positivas y organizaciones efectivas, es fundamental aprender a
estructurar y comunicar preguntas más eficaces. Dado que no todas las preguntas son
iguales ni equivalentes, puede poner en práctica una manera concreta de plantear
preguntas, llamada “la pregunta humilde”, que se define como “el arte sutil de conseguir
que otros se abran, que formulen preguntas cuya respuesta usted no conoce, de forjar
una relación basada en la curiosidad y en el interés por la otra persona”.
“Lo que optamos por preguntar, cuándo lo hacemos, cuál es nuestra actitud subyacente
cuando lo hacemos, son elementos clave para crear relaciones, para la comunicación y
para la realización de tareas”.
Aprender a plantear preguntas humildes ayuda mejorar el frecuente patrón de
comportamiento en el que, debido a unos métodos de comunicación deficiente y la falta
de relaciones sólidas basadas en el respeto y la confianza, muchas veces los empleados
subalternos prefieren asumir opciones arriesgadas con tal de no molestar a sus
superiores con noticias potencialmente negativas. Se debe generar un ambiente de
confianza y respeto, y los líderes de los niveles altos deben aprender a plantear preguntas
humildes. Con ello, propiciarán una comunicación efectiva y bidireccional entre los actores
de los diversos niveles jerárquicos o que participan en una situación dada.Hay que
plantearse cómo crear un clima en el que los individuos expresen sus opiniones, brinden
información e incluso corrijan a quienes ocupan puestos más altos cuando estos estén a
punto de equivocarse. La respuesta radica en aprender a realizar menos afirmaciones que
resulten dogmáticas y a desarrollar nuestra capacidad de plantear preguntas adecuadas,
de la manera adecuada. Aprender a escuchar antes de hablar y agradecer la respuesta,
es primordial. Las preguntas han de abrir el canal de información antes de brindar
recomendaciones o consejos.
Decir y preguntar
Hay diferencias importantes entre asumir una de dos de actitudes: decir y preguntar. Al
decir algo se posiciona al interlocutor en una posición de inferior: se implica de antemano
que no sabe algo que debería de saber. Cuando se pregunta, los roles cambian
temporalmente: se asume que uno no posee una información que el interlocutor sí tiene.
Si además de obtener información se desea mejorar la relación entre las partes que
participan en la conversación, es mejor preguntar, hacer la pregunta humilde que expresa
disposición de escuchar al otro y voluntad de aprender de él.
Tres tipos de humildad
Para comprender la pregunta humilde, deben distinguirse tres tipos de humildad, que se
clasifican según el estatus:
1. “Humildad básica” – Las culturas establecen diversas normas respecto al estatus
de las personas, ya sea por su edad, posición social heredada al nacimiento o
méritos, entre otros modelos. Mas, por lo común, todos reconocemos que, en tanto
“seres humanos, nos debemos cierto respeto básico y debemos actuar con cierto
grado de cortesía”.
2. “Humildad optativa” – Al estar ante la presencia de personas cuyos éxitos
admiramos y/o que son socialmente reconocidos, podemos experimentar
humildad. Esta es optativa pues podemos elegir estar o no en presencia de dichas
de personas. La cultura ocupacional puede definir los protocolos o las conductas
adecuadas para expresar respeto en tales circunstancias.
3. “Humildad aquí y ahora” – Es el tipo de humildad clave para comprender la
naturaleza de la pregunta humilde. Es la que se experimenta al saber que se
depende temporalmente de alguien porque dicha persona sabe algo que uno
requiere para poder realizar algo o lograr un objetivo. En este caso también se
puede elegir, pues se tiene la opción de evitar dicha interdependencia temporal;
sin embargo, en consecuencia, no se aprendería lo que se desea saber. Esta
forma de humildad no se fundamenta en el estatus de los participantes, sino en el
reconocimiento de que hay una interdependencia entre las partes en ese momento
preciso.
“Es triste que a menudo las personas prefieran fracasar a admitir su dependencia de
otros””.
En el trabajo en equipo, es muy importante que el líder o la persona en la posición
jerárquica alta practique la pregunta humilde con sus subordinados, y que estos también
practiquen la “humildad aquí y ahora”. Así se fortalecen las relaciones de equipo entre
jefes y subordinados y se promueve un flujo efectivo de información en momentos clave.
Este ejercicio implica que, en ciertas circunstancias y según el contexto, usted se sienta
cómodo incluso planteando preguntas humildes, como “¿Lo estoy haciendo
correctamente? Díganme si hago algo mal”, sin avergonzarse.
El arte y la ciencia de preguntar
La manera, el contenido, el lugar y las circunstancias influyen en el éxito de plantear una
pregunta de manera efectiva. La pregunta humilde va más allá de hacer una pregunta
directa, y debe transmitir tanto curiosidad como interés, así como el deseo de una forma
de comunicación más abierta. Es importante discernir entre una pregunta humilde, que
implica y demuestra interés, curiosidad y respeto, y otro tipo de preguntas. La diferencia
radica en la intención y el sentimiento al momento de preguntar. Hay que tener cuidado de
no plantear “preguntas directivas, retóricas, vergonzantes o las afirmaciones con forma de
pregunta”. Asimismo, hay que tomar en cuenta la situación, los actores y el contexto, y
actuar de manera sensible en función de ellos.
“A veces, una pregunta abierta formulada en el momento oportuno es todo lo que hace
falta para iniciar la resolución efectiva de problemas””.
La pregunta humilde como una forma de cultura comunicativa también puede dar pie a un
proceso de cambio para la mejoría y el crecimiento de los involucrados. Para practicar el
preguntar con humildad, inspírese en la humildad que le causan las personas que usted
respeta y admira, así como en la manera en que usted depende de los demás, en un
proceso de mutua ayuda.
“La pregunta humilde, por definición, es más personal, porque se centra en manifestar
curiosidad por la otra persona e interesarse en ella, pero la elección del tema puede
centrarse en ámbitos que van desde lo laboral hasta lo más íntimo””.
Mediante el ejercicio de poner atención y ser sensible a las situaciones y las interacciones
que se presenten en su vida cotidiana, identifique cuando se presentan oportunidades
para mejorarlas y cómo puede usar una pregunta humilde para obtener el apoyo de sus
subordinados. La pregunta humilde puede ayudarle a plantear preguntas difíciles y a
lograr que su equipo de trabajo se comprometa mediante la motivación de sus miembros,
al saberse valiosos y reconocidos.
“Las preguntas antagónicas pueden ser humildes si el motivo que tiene usted al
formularlas es ser útil, y si la relación ya ha creado la confianza suficiente como para
permitir que el preguntar con humildad otro se sienta ayudado en vez de cuestionado””.
Entre otras técnicas que puede aplicar para preguntar de manera humilde, puede
“explorar el nosotros en vez de optar por una actitud ’usted o yo’”; formular preguntas
abiertas que requieran más que un sí o no como respuesta; pedir ejemplos; dilucidar
antes de preguntar cuál es la información que usted requiere y qué tipo de planteamiento
puede ayudar a que la obtenga. Cuando esté en grupo, es importante fijar normas de
mutuo acuerdo para la dinámica del intercambio comunicativo y cuidar de escuchar cada
participante. El moderador debe recordar que le toca “controlar el proceso, no el
contenido”. Dado que preguntar con humildad y responder de la misma manera implica un
proceso relacional, cuando usted está en la posición de responder, primero asegúrese de
comprender plenamente lo que se le pregunta y no dé por sentado que quien plantea la
interrogante ha formulado la pregunta correcta para lo que esa persona quiere saber.
Maneras de preguntar
La pregunta humilde se diferencia de otras maneras de interrogación en que no pretende
controlar el flujo de la comunicación más allá de lo que se desea, en una situación
específica. Al reflexionar cómo se puede ser útil a los demás, es posible distinguir estas
cuatro maneras de interrogar:
1. “La pregunta humilde” – Al potenciar la curiosidad y el interés por el otro con
respeto, los prejuicios y las ideas preconcebidas se minimizan. Hay un ambiente
de reconocimiento. “La pregunta humilde no influencia ni el contenido (…) ni la
forma en que lo dice”.
 2. “La pregunta diagnóstica”– A diferencia de la pregunta humilde, la pregunta
diagnóstica solo se concentra en aquello por lo que siente curiosidad en concreto.
Esto “influye en el proceso mental” de su interlocutor y puede subdividirse diversos
tipos de preguntas, por ejemplo en “sentimientos y reacciones”, en “causas y
motivos”, en “la acción” y en “preguntas sistémicas” que interrogan sobre la
situación en general.
3. “La pregunta antagónica” – Usted introduce sus ideas a manera de pregunta y,
en consecuencia, quien plantea la pregunta está asumiendo el control del proceso
conversacional y de su contenido. Si, más que preguntar, se está aconsejando, es
posible provocar una resistencia en el interlocutor. Estas preguntas incluyen las
mismas subcategorías temáticas que las del punto anterior. Pero una pregunta
antagónica puede ser humilde si su fin es el de ser útil, considerando que haya
suficiente confianza y el contexto adecuado.
4. “La pregunta orientada al proceso” – La conversación se centra en sí misma y
la pregunta se sitúa en el aquí y ahora, en lugar de seguir el flujo de la
conversación. La humildad de la pregunta depende “de los motivos [de quien] sitúe
el foco en la conversación”. Una pregunta orientada al proceso puede mostrar
cualquiera de las tres características: humilde, diagnóstica o antagónica.
Retos culturales
La cultura puede ser el inhibidor principal de la pregunta humilde. La cultura
estadounidense está muy orientada al pragmatismo, al individualismo y al éxito como
medida de estatus. Aunque estas son solo algunas características y las cosas están
cambiando, existe cierta tendencia a valorar más alcanzar objetivos que forjar relaciones.
Esto puede contraponerse en situaciones de trabajo intercultural en las que se debe
colaborar con miembros de culturas para las cuales las relaciones y la confianza tienen
una importancia intrínseca. Otro reto a tener en cuenta es la valoración que se da a la
noción de tener la razón y de tener el conocimiento. Esto puede traducirse en
afirmaciones que tienen como fin aventajar a los demás. Al preguntar y también al
responder, la información que fluya ha de ser relevante y adecuada al contexto y a los
intereses de los interlocutores. Antes de dar un consejo, piense y considere a su
interlocutor. En un mundo cada vez más diverso, interdependiente e interconectado
resulta más necesario, y a la vez, más complejo, establecer relaciones para conseguir
objetivos. La pregunta humilde, que se basa en el aquí y ahora, es una herramienta de la
mayor utilidad.
Roles, personalización e innovación
En especial los líderes deben aumentar su capacidad de plantear preguntas con
humildad. Una herramienta útil es poner atención al tipo “de relaciones de rol” de una
situación y a la posición de estatus que usted tiene respecto de las personas con las que
interactúa. Es fundamental reconocer que su interlocutor es una persona, no solo el
representante o actor de un rol social. A este proceso de reconocimiento se le llama
“personalización”. Aunque la pregunta humilde es personalizada, tenga en cuenta que “lo
que se considera personal queda determinado por las normas que se desprenden de las
historias organizacionales, las culturas ocupacionales y las nacionales”.
“Los ingredientes que suelen faltar en la mayoría de conversaciones son la curiosidad y la
disposición para formular preguntas cuya respuesta aún no conocemos””.
Lo mismo aplica para la noción de confianza, así como para la permisibilidad de los
tópicos sobre los que se puede hablar o no, según el contexto y los interlocutores. Tenga
en cuenta estos elementos contextuales para practicar de manera efectiva y exitosa la
pregunta humilde. Puede apoyarse en el uso de un “lenguaje normal basado en una
cultura común”, y reflexionar sobre sus propios prejuicios y su conducta tras un evento
comunicativo. Pregúntese cómo mejorar y aprender sobre otras culturas (organizativa,
social, nacional). Pregunte antes de afirmar o actuar. Use sus capacidades imaginativas y
creativas e innove en las situaciones que pueden mejorarse. Genere “islas culturales” con
sus interlocutores, en las que la confianza, la apertura y el reconocimiento generen
cohesión, y lidere practicando el arte de preguntar con humildad.
Sobre el autor
Edgar H. Schein es profesor emérito del MIT Sloan School of Management, experto en
desarrollo organizacional y autor, entre varios otros libros, de Organizational Culture and
Leadership y Process Consultation Revisited: Building the Helping Relationship.

HUMILDAD – Edgar H. Schein – La pregunta humilde – ESPAÑOL

El amable arte de preguntar en lugar de decir
Clasificación editorial
8
Reseña
Edgar H. Schein, profesor jubilado del Instituto Tecnológico de Massachusetts, explora la
manera en que la cultura estadounidense prioriza el sentido práctico y la competencia por
encima de la cortesía y el respeto. Schein fomenta el delicado arte de hacer que alguien
le cuente cosas, de hacer preguntas cuyas respuestas aún no conoce, de construir una
relación basada en el interés en la otra persona. Para contrarrestar un ambiente de
trabajo a menudo carente de cortesía, getAbstract recomienda este libro a ejecutivos,
gerentes, líderes y a quien quiera saber cómo hacer una pregunta con cortesía y
realmente desee conocer la respuesta.
Ideas fundamentales
 Preguntar con humildad significa hacer preguntas cuyas respuestas aún no
conoce y construir una relación basada en el interés en el otro.
 La cultura estadounidense es decir en lugar de preguntar.
  Cuando usted dice en vez de preguntar, puede ofender o hacer menos a los otros.
 Preguntar crea mejores relaciones porque usted antepone las necesidades de los
otros a las suyas.
 Emplee preguntas de diagnóstico para obtener aclaraciones y descubrir los
sentimientos, las reacciones, las causas, los motivos, las acciones futuras y el
panorama general.
 La pregunta de confrontación consiste en decir a las personas qué hacer o dar
consejos formulándolos como una pregunta.
 La pregunta orientada a procesos se centra en la propia pregunta.
 Los problemas surgen cuando los límites cambian, por ejemplo, cuando las
relaciones orientadas al cumplimiento de tareas se convierten en personales.
 Los obstáculos que impiden preguntar humildemente incluyen el estatus, el rango,
el rol y la configuración psicológica interna.
 Practique la humildad al ir más despacio, ser más consciente, desarrollar un mayor
conocimiento de su entorno y hacer preguntas.
Resumen
Una pregunta humilde
La cultura de Estados Unidos alienta el decir en lugar de preguntar. Pero ello dificulta las
relaciones; al decirle a las personas qué hacer, asume que son incompetentes o carecen
de información y que usted es el experto. Hacer preguntas fomenta mejores relaciones.
Cuando pide la opinión de los demás usted se vuelve humilde y les da poder. Esto cultiva
las interacciones productivas a largo plazo.
“La pregunta humilde es el delicado arte de hacer que alguien le cuente algo, de hacer
preguntas cuyas respuestas aún no conoce, de construir una relación basada en la
curiosidad y el interés en la otra persona””.
Cuando pregunta en vez de decir, su colega puede guiar la conversación, y esto genera
confianza. Si se entera de algo que no sabía o incluso, algo que no quería saber, usted ha
aprendido algo del intercambio. El acto de decir interrumpe la comunicación. En la
vorágine de la jornada laboral, las personas hacen preguntas, aunque suelen estar
orientadas a la acción y no son preguntas humildes.
“La cultura de ‘hacer y decir’ no nos enseñan cómo cambiar de ritmo, ir despacio, evaluar
lo que hacemos, observarnos a nosotros mismos y a otros, probar nuevos
comportamientos y crear nuevas relaciones””.
La humildad se presenta en tres formas: básica, opcional e inmediata. En todas las
culturas, humillar a alguien es una ofensa social. Evitarlo significa practicar la humildad
básica. Algunas culturas tienen sistemas de clases o jerarquías Los miembros de las
clases superiores disfrutan de mayor rango y diferente tratamiento que aquellos de las
clases inferiores; pero incluso en tales sistemas, las personas se tratan con un nivel
básico de respeto y cortesía. La humildad opcional se presenta en las culturas donde las
personas se ganan el prestigio en lugar de ser concedido como un derecho de
nacimiento. Cuando el logro de alguien pudiera humillar a alguno de los observadores,
éstos pueden elegir entre la admiración o el desprecio, convirtiendo su humildad en algo
opcional, pues son libres de decidir cómo reaccionar.
“La vida en la sociedad civilizada es recíproca, y todos aprendemos las normas de la
cultura en la que crecemos, y cuándo y cómo ser recíprocos””.
La pregunta humilde forma parte de la humildad inmediata. Si alguien tiene algo que usted
necesita, puede volverse humilde y pedir ayuda, o puede negarse a preguntar y no
conseguirlo. La humildad inmediata puede ser difícil de percibir en las interacciones entre
pares con un estatus similar. A las personas con un estatus elevado se les dificulta la
humildad inmediata, pues significa reconocer que en ocasiones dependen de los
subordinados y de otros miembros del equipo con un estatus inferior.
Otras formas de preguntar
Otras formas de preguntar incluyen las preguntas de diagnóstico, las preguntas de
confrontación y las preguntas orientadas a procesos. Para que la pregunta sea humilde,
tiene que ser genuina. Al formular una pregunta no promueva sus intenciones. Minimice
sus ideas preconcebidas, despeje su mente y maximice su capacidad de escucha.
Algunas buenas frases de partida para hacer preguntas humildes incluyen: ¿qué pasa?,
¿qué desea? y ¿puede poner un ejemplo?
“Una pregunta discreta, algo parecido a ‘¿cómo se siente cada uno de ustedes acerca de
la dirección que estamos tomando?’, provoca decisiones mucho mejores que las
mociones, el apoyo y los votos””.
Las preguntas de diagnóstico examinan sentimientos y reacciones o causas y motivos.
Preguntar a las personas cómo se sienten o cómo están reaccionando ante una situación
podría exasperarlas; éstas podrían considerar tales preguntas como intrusivas. Según el
contexto, las preguntas de diagnóstico pueden o no ser humildes. La pregunta de
diagnóstico requiere que se realicen varios tipos de preguntas, entre las que se incluyen:
 Aclaratorias – Involucran dirigir la conversación e influir el proceso mental del
otro.
 De causa y motivo – Investigan las acciones y sus consecuencias; por ejemplo,
¿cuál podría ser la causa de esto? y ¿por qué cree que pasó esto?
 Orientadas a la acción – Se enfocan en planes de acción pasados o futuros. Aquí
se podrían incluir: ¿cómo llegó aquí? y ¿qué ha intentado hasta ahora?
 Sistémicas – Le ayudan a comprender la situación como un todo y le dan una
idea de los pensamientos, las acciones y los sentimientos de las otras personas.
Por ejemplo: ¿cómo cree que ella se sintió cuando usted hizo eso? y ¿qué cree
que hará él si usted continúa?
“Hacer preguntas es tanto una ciencia como un arte””.
Las preguntas de confrontación transmiten sus ideas en forma de pregunta y raramente
son humildes. Cuando formula una pregunta para dar un consejo, las personas se sienten
a la defensiva y pueden determinar si se preocupa por ellos o si solo está intentando
introducir sus propios puntos de vista.
“Incluso una conversación ordinaria es una danza compleja que implica decidir a cada
momento lo que se dice, cómo se dice y cómo responder a lo que dice el otro””.
La pregunta orientada a procesos es la más difícil y, posiblemente, la más gratificante.
Traslada el centro de su exploración a la propia pregunta. Tales preguntas pueden ser
humildes, de diagnóstico o de confrontación. Por ejemplo, podría preguntar
humildemente: ¿esto es demasiado personal? o ¿hemos ido demasiado lejos?, en lugar
de enfrentar a su contraparte con preguntas como: ¿por qué está tan a la defensiva? o
¿está molesto? Las preguntas orientadas a procesos permiten a ambas partes reajustar
sus expectativas. Preguntar con humildad requiere tiempo y dedicación.
Hacer y decir
La predilección por hacer y decir es el principal inhibidor de la pregunta humilde. La
sociedad estadounidense se basa en el individuo, considera más importantes los
derechos y las libertades de cada persona que los de un grupo o sociedad. Los
estadounidenses y muchos otros occidentales son prácticos y orientados a la acción;
valoran más cumplir con el trabajo que crear relaciones. La humildad inmediata es difícil
de lograr en sociedades tan fragmentadas por el rango y el estatus. La cultura de esta
sociedad no reconoce fácilmente que un individuo dependa de los demás.
“El arte social de hacer una pregunta ha sido extrañamente descuidada””.
Los estadounidenses son competitivos y desean ganar; se impacientan al hacer negocios
con culturas que valoran más las relaciones que la productividad. En Estados Unidos el
estatus y el prestigio se obtienen mediante el cumplimiento de tareas, y una vez que usted
está por encima de alguien, tiene autorización para decirle qué hacer. Esto ocasiona
problemas cuando las personas exitosas no están dispuestas a escuchar o aprender de
las personas con un estatus inferior.
“El ritmo, el tono de voz y otras señales revelan al oyente sus motivos””.
Los estadounidenses valoran más el acto de decir que el de preguntar porque pedir ayuda
o aclaraciones indica debilidad. Se supone que usted sabe lo que hace, especialmente si
dirige o lidera a otros. Stephen Potter, autor de Juegología, dijo que las culturas
occidentales suelen practicar el arte de jugar astutamente y siempre llevar la delantera. Él
consideraba que los estadounidenses compiten al hacer un comentario inteligente, y
trastocar una frase, incluso si esto avergüenza a otra persona en la conversación. En
esencia, los estadounidenses creen que la vida es una competencia con ganadores y
perdedores evidentes, y tienen poca paciencia para escuchar información que creen
conocer.
“Cuando hablamos, esperamos educar, impresionar, ganar puntos, entretener; cuando
escuchamos, deseamos recibir educación, impresionarnos y entretenernos””.
La cultura estadounidense está cambiando a medida que las personas se percatan de
que el mundo es cada vez más complejo e interdependiente. Las personas que confían
entre sí trabajan bien en conjunto, pero requieren tomarse el tiempo para construir los
cimientos de la confianza.
Los obstáculos para la pregunta humilde
El estatus, el rango, el rol y la configuración psicológica interna inhiben la pregunta
humilde. Los superiores y los subordinados siguen sus propios códigos de conducta.
Normalmente, los subordinados obedecen las normas de deferencia que regulan su forma
de actuar frente a sus superiores, mientras que los superiores generalmente obedecen
normas de conducta o de comportamiento apropiadas frente a sus subordinados. Las
personas notan cuando alguien es incapaz de seguir estas reglas no escritas, por
ejemplo, cuando un jefe reprende a un empleado públicamente.
“Las preguntas que confrontan pueden ser humildes si su motivo es ayudar y si la relación
cuenta con suficiente fundamento de confianza para permitir que el otro se sienta
ayudado, más que confrontado””.
Su rol y su estatus determinan cómo se relaciona con otros. Las relaciones pueden estar
orientadas a las tareas y giran en torno a las transacciones que ocurren cuando usted
necesita algo de alguien, o bien pueden estar orientadas a la persona, cuando se agradan
o comparten los mismos intereses. Los problemas surgen cuando los límites cambian, por
ejemplo, cuando las relaciones basadas en tareas se convierten en personales.
“En el proceso de crear una relación, la cuestión más difícil es en qué medida revelar algo
que normalmente ocultaríamos, sabiendo que, a menos que seamos más sinceros, no
podremos construir la relación””.
La investigadora Amy Edmondson, estudió la forma en que los equipos de cirugía
cardiovascular trabajan juntos en una operación a corazón abierto. Durante el almuerzo,
muchos equipos segregan y los colegas de profesión se sientan según el rango y el
estatus. Solamente los miembros de un equipo exitoso se sentaron juntos. Este equipo
realizaba procedimientos quirúrgicos más complejos porque todos aprendían como un
equipo y eliminaban los obstáculos. Melissa Valentine realizó investigaciones similares en
salas de emergencias. Para reducir el tiempo de espera de los pacientes, uno de estos
sitios creó pequeños módulos, cada uno con un médico, una enfermera y un técnico
disponibles. Mediante la rotación por estos módulos, cada profesional llegó a conocer
personalmente a sus colegas. Algunos hospitales rechazaron este sistema porque
requería más intimidad de la que el personal estaba preparado a aceptar.
“Se necesita ... disciplina y práctica para acceder a nuestra ignorancia y concentrarnos en
la otra persona””.
Joe Luft y Harry Ingham crearon el concepto de la ventana de Johari – un modelo de las
cuatro áreas del Yo socio-psicológico – para explicar las fuerzas psicológicas internas que
pueden obstaculizar la pregunta humilde. Algunas cosas son conocidas solamente por el
Yo, mientras que otras son conocidas solo por los demás. Ciertos temas evidentes, como
el clima, son parte del Yo libre. Sin embargo, las personas, sin saberlo, envían señales
mostrando el Yo ciego; aquí se incluyen el lenguaje corporal, el tono de voz, las frases
hechas, la forma de vestir y el comportamiento. Su Yo oculto alberga información personal
potencialmente embarazosa de la que usted es consciente, pero que no debe revelar
porque podría ofender o lastimar a otros. El Yo desconocido se refiere a talentos,
pensamientos y sentimientos ocultos aún desconocidos por otros y también por usted.
El ciclo ORJI
El comportamiento humano sigue el ciclo ORJI:
 Observación – Es un proceso activo que involucra todos sus sentidos y procesos
cognitivos. Los humanos son propensos a enfocar la negación, un mecanismo de
defensa, en lo que no desean ver. También utilizan la proyección e interpretan las
cuestiones según lo que desean ver. Muchas personas niegan sus sentimientos o
los reprimen, un impulso reforzado por una cultura orientada a las tareas. Este es
el paso más crítico del ciclo. La observación permite a las personas mostrar
humildad al enlentecerlos y alentarlos a hacer preguntas.
 Reacción emocional – Las reacciones se basan en las observaciones y a veces
emergen antes de que algunos procesos mentales procesen una observación.
 Juicio – Las personas siempre llegan a conclusiones mediante el procesamiento y
el análisis de datos.
 Intervención – Esto significa comportarse abiertamente a fin de hacer que algo
suceda. La intervención, ya sea apresurada o meditada, ocurre cuando las
personas actúan según su juicio.
Aprender a ser humilde
Usted puede aprender a ser humilde. Ejercitar la habilidad de preguntar humildemente le
ayudará en su vida personal y en el trabajo, especialmente si usted es un gerente o un
ejecutivo. Los líderes deben reconocer a sus subordinados para lograr la comunicación y
la confianza. Amplíe su percepción y su entendimiento para identificar cuándo y dónde
podría hacer menos diciendo y más preguntando. Usted se encontrará luchando contra la
ansiedad provocada por el hecho de aprender y desaprender: aprender nuevas
habilidades es difícil y puede provocar desasosiego. A menudo, abandonar los malos
hábitos y desarrollar los buenos es incluso más difícil.
“A veces no deseamos construir una relación positiva, sino tener una ventaja y ganar””.
Vaya despacio y cambie el ritmo. Desarrolle una mayor consciencia de su entorno.
Aprenda a valorar las relaciones personales por encima de administración de tareas.
Acérquese a los demás. Por ejemplo, invite a sus compañeros de trabajo a almorzar para
conocerlos mejor. Hágase preguntas humildes: ¿qué está sucediendo aquí?, ¿cuál sería
la acción más conveniente a tomar?, ¿qué estoy pensando, sintiendo y deseando?
Considere de quién depende y quiénes dependen de usted. Practique la concientización.
Aprender una nueva habilidad – dibujo, pintura, actuación o similares – lo hará humilde y
ampliará sus horizontes. Experimentar una nueva cultura mediante los viajes refina sus
habilidades de preguntar con humildad.
En el lugar de trabajo, reconozca la presencia o la ausencia de la pregunta humilde. Una
a los miembros del equipo mediante actividades informales. Una compañía suizo-alemana
hacía que sus ejecutivos participaran en deportes arcanos que nadie conocía – como el
tiro con ballesta – a fin de unir a las personas independientemente de sus diferentes
rangos.
Sobre el autor
El profesor Edgar H. Schein, jubilado de la Escuela de Administración Sloan, del Instituto
Tecnológico de Massachusetts, es autor de varios libros, incluyendo Helping y The
Corporate Culture Survival Guide.

HUMILDAD – Edgar H. Schein – Humble Inquiry The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of
Telling – INGLES
Editorial Rating
8
Recommendation
Retired MIT professor Edgar H. Schein makes a solid case for humility. He explores the
way American culture prioritizes action, practicality and competition over courteousness
and respect. Schein encourages openness and curiosity about others in the form of
“Humble Inquiry” – “the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you
do not already know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest
in the other person.” To counter a working environment often short of manners and
civility, getAbstract recommends this slim but powerful book to executives, managers,
leaders and anyone who wants to know how to ask a polite question and who really wants
to know the answer.
Take-Aways
 “Humble Inquiry” means “asking questions to which you do not already know the
answer” and “building a relationship based on...interest in the other person.”
 American culture focuses on “Telling” instead of “Asking.”
 When you tell instead of ask, you can offend or demean others.
 Asking builds better relationships because you put others’ needs before your own.
 Use “diagnostic inquiry” to ask clarifying questions to find out feelings, reactions,
causes, motives, future actions and the big picture.
 “Confrontational inquiry” means telling people what to do or giving advice while
phrasing it as a question.
 “Process-oriented inquiry” focuses on the inquiry itself.
 Problems arise when boundaries change, such as when “task-oriented”
relationships become personal.
  Barriers to humble inquiry include status, rank, role and internal psychological
makeup.
 Practice humility by slowing down, becoming more mindful, developing greater
awareness of your surroundings and asking questions.
Summary
“Humble Inquiry”
American culture encourages “Telling” instead of “Asking.” But telling hinders relationships,
because when you tell people what to do, you assume they’re incompetent or lack
information and that you’re the expert. “Asking” fosters better relationships. When you ask
people for their input, you humble yourself and empower them. This nourishes long-term,
productive interactions.
“Humble inquiry is the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you
do not already know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest
in the other person.”
When you ask instead of tell, your partner can lead the conversation, and that builds trust.
If you hear something you didn’t know or even something you didn’t want to know, you’ve
still learned from the exchange. Telling shuts down communication. People hurrying
through the workday do ask questions, but often their questions are biased toward action
and are not humble inquiries.
“The culture of ‘Do and Tell’ does not teach us how to change pace, decelerate, take stock
of what we are doing, observe ourselves and others, try new behaviors [and] build new
relationships.”
Humility comes in three forms: “basic, optional and here-and-now.” Across all cultures,
humiliating another person – causing someone to lose face – is a social offense. Avoiding
it means practicing basic humility. Certain cultures have class systems or hierarchies;
people born into a particular status level never lose that status. Members of upper classes
enjoy higher rank and different treatment than members of lower classes. Even within such
systems, people treat each other with a minimum, basic level of respect and civility.
“Life in civilized society is reciprocal, and we all learn the rules of the culture in which we
grow up of when and how to reciprocate.”
Optional humility occurs in cultures where people earn prestige rather than being granted it
as a birthright. When someone’s achievements might humble those who observe them, the
observers can choose to be admiring or disdainful, making their humility “optional,”
because they have choices about how they react.
“A low-key question along the lines of ‘How do each of you feel about the direction we are
going in?’ produces far better decisions than motions, seconds and votes.”
Humble inquiry is a part of “here-and-now humility.” If someone has something you need,
you can humble yourself and ask for help, or you can refuse to ask and not get what you
need. Here-and-now humility can be difficult to perceive during peer interactions in which
everyone shares equal status. Consider an operating room. If everyone treats doctors as
deities, patients suffer. People of high status find it challenging to “become here-and-now
humble,” because that means recognizing that, at certain times, they are “dependent on
subordinates and other lower-status team members.”
More Forms of Inquiry
Other forms of questioning include “diagnostic inquiry, confrontational inquiry and process-
oriented inquiry.” For inquiry to be truly humble, it must be genuine. When you ask a
question, don’t promote your agenda. “Try to minimize your own preconceptions, clear
your mind at the beginning of a conversation and maximize your listening as the
conversation proceeds.” Good starting phrases for a humble inquiry include: “What’s
happening?”, “What brings you here?” and “Can you give me an example?”
“Questioning is both a science and an art.”
Diagnostic questions examine “feelings and reactions” or “causes and motives.” Asking
how people feel or how they’re reacting to a situation could push their boundaries; they
might consider such questions intrusive. In fact, depending on the context, diagnostic
questions may or may not be humble inquiries. Diagnostic inquiry calls for asking several
types of questions, including:
 “Clarifying” – These queries involve “steering the conversation and influencing the
other person’s mental process.”
 “Cause and motive” – Such questions probe for actions and their consequences,
for instance, “What may have caused this?” and “Why do you suppose this
happened?”
 “Action-oriented” – These inquiries focus on past or future plans of action. They
could include, “How did you get here?” and “What have you tried so far?”
 “Systemic” – These inquiries help you assemble your “understanding of the total
situation” and give you a picture of other people’s thoughts, actions and feelings.
Examples include, “How do you think she felt when you did that?” and “What do
you think he will do if you follow through?”
“Even ordinary conversation is a complex dance involving moment-to-moment decisions
on what to say, how to say it and how to respond to what the other says.”
Confrontational questions relay your ideas in question form and they are rarely humble
inquiries. When you give advice phrased as a question, people feel defensive. Listeners
can tell whether you care about them or if you are just trying to insert your own views.
Process-oriented inquiry is the most difficult and potentially most rewarding kind of
questioning. It shifts the focus of your probing onto the inquiry itself. Such inquiries can be
humble, diagnostic or confrontational. For example, you might humbly ask, “Is this too
personal?” or “Have we gone too far” instead of confronting your counterpart with, “Why
were you so defensive just now?” or “Are you upset?” Despite potentially being awkward,
process-oriented inquiries allow both parties to readjust their expectations. Humble inquiry
takes time and practice.
“Doing and Telling”
Western culture’s preference for doing and telling is the “main inhibitor” of humble inquiry.
Society in the United States is based on the individual. This mind-set considers each
person’s rights and freedoms more important than those of a group or society at large.
Americans and many other Westerners are practical, action-oriented and individualistic;
they value getting the job done over building relationships. Here-and-now humility is hard
to achieve in societies so fragmented by rank and status. American society doesn’t readily
acknowledge an individual’s dependence on others.
“The social art of asking a question has been strangely neglected.”
Americans are competitive and want to win; US politicians and salespeople build
relationships with their constituents and consumers, but only as a means to an end.
Americans become impatient doing business with cultures that value relationships more
than productivity. They don’t want to sit through get-to-know-you dinners before getting
down to brass tacks. In the US, “status and prestige are gained by task accomplishment,
and once you are above someone else, you are licensed to tell them what to do.” This
causes problems when high achievers are unwilling to listen or learn from lower-status
individuals.
“Timing, tone of voice, and various other cues tell the listener about your motives.”
Americans value telling more than asking because requesting help or clarification denotes
weakness. You’re supposed to know what you’re doing, especially if you manage or lead
others. Stephen Potter, author of Gamesmanship, said in the 1950s that Western cultures
live in a state of “gamesmanship” or “one-upmanship.” He believed that Americans keep
score by “making a smart remark, putting down someone who has claimed too much and
turning a clever phrase, even if it embarrasses someone else in the conversation.”
Consider the pre-election presidential debates. Observers became more concerned with
who “won” the debate than with the issues the candidates discussed. Americans
fundamentally believe life is a competition with clear winners and losers. They have little
patience with listening to information they think they already know.
“In the telling mode, we hope to educate, to impress, to score points, to entertain; when
we are in listening mode, we want to be educated, impressed and entertained.”
The culture of the US is changing as people realize that the world is becoming more
complex and interdependent. Americans across a range of occupations – airline pilots and
their crews, surgical teams, sports teams, conductors and their orchestras, and others –
see how much they rely on their team members. People who trust each other work well
together, but first they must slow down and take the time to build the critical foundation of
trust.
Barriers to Humble Inquiry
Status, rank, role and internal psychological makeup inhibit humble inquiry. Subordinates
and superiors follow their own codes of conduct. Subordinates generally obey “rules of
deference” that govern how they act in front of their superiors, while superiors generally
obey “rules of demeanor” or appropriate rules of behavior in front of their subordinates.
People notice when someone fails to follow these unwritten rules, such as when a boss
publicly berates an employee.
“Confrontational questions can be humble if your motive is to be helpful and if the
relationship has enough trust built up to allow the other to feel helped rather than
confronted.”
Your role and status determine how you relate to others. Meeting your friend for dinner is a
different experience than going to the doctor or buying a new dress. Relationships can be
“task-oriented,” and revolve around transactions that happen when you need something
from someone. Or, relationships can be person-oriented, when you like each other or
share the same interests. Problems arise when boundaries change, such as when task-
based relationships become personal.
“In a relationship-building process, the most difficult issue is how far to go in revealing
something that normally we would conceal, knowing at the same time that unless we open
up more, we can not build the relationship.”
Researcher Amy Edmondson investigated how cardiac surgical teams work together on
open-heart surgery. At lunch, many teams segregate, with professional peers sitting
according to rank and status. One successful team’s members sat only with each other.
This team performed more complex surgical procedures because everyone learned
together as a team and eliminated barriers. Melissa Valentine conducted similar research
in emergency rooms. To reduce patient wait times, one ER created small “pods,” each with
an available doctor, nurse and technician. By rotating through the pods, each professional
came to know their colleagues personally. Some hospitals “refused the pod system
because it would force more closeness than the staff was ready for.”
“It takes...discipline and practice to access one’s ignorance, to stay focused on the other
person.”
Joe Luft and Harry Ingham created the concept of the Johari window – a grid of the “four
parts” of the “socio-psychological self” – to explain internal psychological forces which can
impede humble inquiry. Some things are known “only to self,” while some are known “only
to others.” Certain safe topics, like the weather, are part of the “open self.” However,
people unknowingly send signals showing “blind self,” including body language, tone of
voice, figures of speech, dress and behavior. Your “concealed self” harbors potentially
embarrassing personal information you’re aware of but “are not supposed to reveal
because it might offend or hurt others.” The “unknown self” refers to hidden talents,
thoughts and feelings that others don’t know about you and you don’t yet know either.
“The ORJI Cycle”
Human behavior follows the ORJI cycle:
 “Observe” – Observation is an active process involving all your senses and
cognitive processes. Humans are prone to focus their “defense mechanisms of
denial” on things they don’t want to see. They also use “projection” and interpret
matters according to what they do want to see. Many people deny their feelings or
suppress them, an impulse that a task-oriented culture reinforces. This is the most
critical step in the cycle. Careful observation lets people show humility by slowing
down and encouraging questions.
  “React emotionally” – Reactions are based on observations and sometimes kick
in before someone mentally processes an observation.
 “Make judgments” – People reach conclusions by processing and analyzing data.
 “Intervene” – This means behaving “overtly in order to make something happen.”
Intervention, whether rash or considered, occurs when people act on their
judgments.
Learning Humility
You can learn to be humble. Practicing humble-inquiry skills will help you in your personal
life and at work, especially if you’re a manager or executive. Leaders must acknowledge
their subordinates in order to communicate and establish trust. Expand your “perception
and insight” to “identify when and where you might do less telling and more asking.” You
will find yourself battling the anxieties of learning and unlearning: Learning new skills is
difficult and may provoke anxiety. Unlearning bad habits and developing good ones is
often even harder.
“Sometimes we don’t want to build a positive relationship; we want to be one up and win.”
Slow down and change tempo. Develop greater awareness of your surroundings. Learn to
value personal relationships over task management. Reach out to others. For example,
invite your work colleagues to lunch to get to know them better. Use humble inquiry on
yourself. Ask: “What is going on here? What would be the appropriate thing to do? What
am I thinking and feeling and wanting?” Consider whom you depend on and who depends
on you. Practice mindfulness. Learning a new skill – drawing, painting, acting or the like –
will humble you and broaden your horizons. Experiencing a new culture through travel
polishes your humble-inquiry skills.
In the workplace, recognize the presence or absence of humble inquiry. Bring team
members together with informal activities. One Swiss-German company had its executives
participate in arcane sports no one knew – like shooting a crossbow – to bring people
together regardless of different ranks.
About the Author
Professor Edgar H. Schein retired from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is the
author of several books, including Helping and The Corporate Culture Survival Guide.

HUMILDAD - Edgar H. Schein – El liderazgo humilde El poder de las relaciones, la

apertura y la confianza – ESPAÑOL
Clasificación editorial
8
Reseña
Cuando los líderes siguen modelos autocráticos anticuados, pueden hacer de sus
organizaciones lugares sin alegría, transaccionales, coercitivos y adormecidos. Estos
líderes perpetúan una cultura que carece de confianza, franqueza y amabilidad. En el
mundo VUCA (volátil, incierto, complejo y ambiguo, por sus siglas en inglés) de hoy, el
liderazgo versátil tiene más sentido que el modelo desgastado de los arrogantes héroes y
disruptores corporativos que supuestamente son invencibles. Edgar H. Schein, un erudito
en administración, y su hijo Peter A. Schein, un experto en organizaciones, explican cómo
lograr un cambio cultural a través del liderazgo humilde. El tema retoma de sus libros
anteriores, Humble Consulting y Preguntar con humildad. Guían a los líderes para crear
una cultura de colaboración, compromiso y confianza. Su orientación será especialmente
útil para coaches, mentores y gestores de recursos humanos que trabajan en el desarrollo
del liderazgo.
Ideas fundamentales
 Los cuatro niveles de liderazgo son: 1) Nivel menos 1, inhumano; 2) Nivel 1,
impersonal; 3) Nivel 2, totalmente humano, y 4) Nivel 3, vinculado.
 El nivel 2 exige un liderazgo humilde, abierto, personal, comprometido y confiado.
 Los líderes humildes ven el valor de cada individuo.
 Este enfoque de liderazgo prospera en una cultura corporativa transparente con
sólidas relaciones entre la fuerza laboral.
 El liderazgo humilde es colaborativo.
 No tiene nada que ver con la tradicional jerarquía vertical o la actuación heroica de
líderes designados.
 Los líderes humildes construyen relaciones fuertes y entienden la dinámica de
grupo.
 Toda relación, incluidas las relaciones de gestión, se basa en expectativas mutuas
y alineadas entre los individuos.
 Una cultura de gestión arcaica, autoritaria y punitiva puede fácilmente abrumar a
los líderes humildes.
 Su objetivo debe ser transformar su cultura corporativa para hacer que el liderazgo
de Nivel 2 sea aceptado, esperado y sostenible.
Resumen
El liderazgo humilde
En las organizaciones que se basan en la competitividad despiadada, los empleados a
menudo consideran a sus líderes como superestrellas heroicas que superan sus desafíos
de manera brillante. Pero las compañías no se benefician de posicionar a sus líderes
como maestros de la jerarquía y héroes.
“El liderazgo existe en todos los rincones y niveles de todas las organizaciones””.
En lugar de ello, deben recurrir a un modelo diferente: el liderazgo humilde, colaborativo,
cooperativo, orientado al grupo y basado en relaciones. Esta táctica contemporánea de
liderazgo depende de relaciones abiertas y de confianza dentro de los grupos. Sus rasgos
de identidad –franqueza, confianza y apertura– se convierten en las características que
definen la cultura corporativa de los líderes humildes. En un triste contraste, muchas
organizaciones tradicionales tienen la carga de un liderazgo basado en roles, autoritario,
disciplinario y transaccional, empañado por una falta de confianza o apertura.
“Tenemos que pensar (…) más ampliamente sobre el futuro del trabajo en sí, para
considerar cómo nuestros conceptos de relaciones de Nivel 2 y liderazgo humilde
resultarán necesarios para una eficacia sostenida””.
Las organizaciones inteligentes saben que los líderes que valen la pena pueden surgir de
cualquier nivel de la empresa. Dependiendo de sus circunstancias, talentos y
capacidades, la cualquiera puede dar el paso y liderar, aportando conocimientos y
experiencia sustanciales.
El “continuo de la relación” de los líderes
El liderazgo generalmente significa conseguir que otras personas se unan a usted para
asumir nuevos y mejores retos. Los líderes operan en cuatro niveles diferentes de relación
que representan normas sociales comunes. Desde el punto de vista organizativo, la
relación continua incluye:
1. Liderazgo Nivel Menos 1 – Este estilo de liderazgo opresivo se basa en la
intimidación, la dominación y el poder. No reconoce la humanidad común de la
gente. Piense en los prisioneros y sus guardias o en los jefes de talleres de
explotación y sus trabajadores.
2. Liderazgo Nivel 1 – Este estilo transaccional, distanciado, como máquina e
impersonal, se basa en los roles y las reglas designados de la cultura gerencial
básica. Un ejemplo son los jefes tradicionales y sus equipos. A veces, los líderes
de Nivel 1 tratan de hacerse pasar por líderes de Nivel 2, pero rara vez lo logran
por mucho tiempo. La gente siente su falta de autenticidad. En un esfuerzo por
seguir siendo relevante, pero cada vez más incapaz de hacerlo, el liderazgo de
Nivel 1 recae en las competencias individuales. Considera a los empleados como
recursos humanos prescindibles.
3. Liderazgo de Nivel 2 – En contraste, los líderes de este nivel reconocen a los
empleados como individuos. Saben que todo el mundo es valioso. Practican un
liderazgo personalizado, humilde y confiado, que es colaborativo y cooperativo. El
Nivel 2 no se basa en roles jerárquicos. Sustituye la subordinación por la
colaboración. Ejemplos incluyen colegas cercanos en equipos corporativos. El
liderazgo de Nivel 2 no es solo para ejecutivos. Hoy día, médicos, maestros y otros
profesionales están aprendiendo que las relaciones amistosas y personales con
sus colegas y aquellos a quienes sirven son más efectivas y duraderas que las
formales y distantes.
 4. Liderazgo de Nivel 3 – La gente experimenta este elevado liderazgo vinculante
en sus relaciones más cercanas. Ejemplos incluyen parejas amorosas o grupos de
trabajo intensos, como los equipos de las US Navy Seals. Los grandes equipos
operan en el Nivel 3, ya que los niveles 1 y 2 no pueden dar el calibre necesario de
desempeño. Los ejecutivos a menudo asumen que el liderazgo de Nivel 3
fomentará problemas en las operaciones comerciales en curso.
Las competencias individuales dentro de la dinámica de grupo
El liderazgo tranquilo, firme y humilde se alinea y sintoniza con las circunstancias caóticas
del mundo moderno de manera más efectiva que el anquilosado liderazgo impersonal. El
liderazgo humilde, que se basa en la dinámica de grupo, es sensato y natural. La gente lo
acoge y se adapta a él fácilmente. Los líderes humildes saben que la dinámica de grupo
supera al individualismo reacio. Muestran una habilidad particular para dinámicas de
grupo y la lógica grupal. La interacción en grupo frecuentemente requiere de las
habilidades que definen a los líderes humildes, como entender cuándo abordar una
situación desde la definición del contexto, el estado del consenso, la presentación de
planes o la toma de decisiones. El ambiente de grupo también es propicio para establecer
metas, pedir ideas, hacer una lluvia de ideas y construir un entendimiento sistémico.
“Lo puedo ver”
Un líder de Nivel 2 reconoce la presencia total de otras personas, lo que no quiere decir
que él o ella quiera ser su amigo ni socializar. En cambio, estos líderes entienden que
ambos están comprometidos en una relación de negocios mutua. Son conscientes de la
individualidad de las personas que dirigen, en sintonía con su humanidad y conscientes
de lo mucho que la empresa depende de ellos. Por ejemplo, el director ejecutivo de un
gigantesco conglomerado químico internacional trabaja a diario de manera íntima con 11
jefes de división y otros gerentes de confianza. Hizo a estos 11 asesores responsables
conjuntamente de la salud financiera y operativa y del desempeño general de la empresa.
El director ejecutivo y este equipo comparten la responsabilidad del futuro de la empresa y
no solo el director ejecutivo.
“El liderazgo siempre se refiere a una tarea que puede ser mejorada y a un grupo cuyos
valores y cultura determinarán lo que es mejor””.
Estos 12 ejecutivos se reúnen regularmente para trazar la estrategia. Cada tres años, los
asesores cambian de responsabilidades. Cada uno se traslada a una división diferente,
por lo que con el tiempo todos desarrollan una comprensión completa del negocio. Esto
les impide convertirse en defensores aislados y de mente cerrada de un departamento en
particular. Su responsabilidad conjunta promueve el diálogo honesto y las decisiones de
grupo sin estrés.
“En lugar de ir al trabajo preguntándose cómo va a resolver un problema usted solo, ¿qué
tal si va a trabajar comprometido a solucionarlo con un colega [o] equipo”?
Este novedoso acuerdo de trabajo ejemplifica los vigorizantes cambios de Nivel 2 que se
están implementando en muchas organizaciones. Las empresas a menudo emprenden
estos cambios de forma experimental para probar nuevos métodos. Las fuertes relaciones
personales de los líderes con sus empleados se convierten en un elemento unificador.
Pasar del Nivel 1 al Nivel 2
La mayoría de las personas saben cómo crear relaciones de Nivel 2 con sus amigos y
familiares, pero transformar las relaciones de Nivel 1 en Nivel 2 requiere trabajo. Los
nuevos líderes de Nivel 2 necesitarán desarrollo personal y profesional para lograr este
cambio. Deben hacer lo siguiente:
 Leer y pensar – Procesos de grupos de estudio y la dinámica de los sistemas
complejos.
 Aprender a diseñar relaciones de trabajo – Evalúe sus redes y relaciones en el
lugar de trabajo. Recuerde que las relaciones son siempre interactivas. Cree un
mapa de relaciones con usted en el centro. Coloque los nombres de las personas
en su trabajo y vida personal sobre, al lado o debajo de su nombre para indicar
cuánto esperan de usted. Varíe el grosor de las líneas que lo conectan con cada
persona para indicar su grado de conexión mutua percibida. Por ejemplo, la línea
para su familia sería bastante gruesa. La línea para su director ejecutivo podría ser
un hilo. Este mapa, que proporciona una visión general clara de su nivel de
conexión personal con las personas en su lugar de trabajo, puede guiarlo para
conectarse e interactuar con ellos.
 Desarrollar sus habilidades de comportamiento – Las conversaciones
construyen relaciones. Para lograr una comunicación de Nivel 2, haga preguntas
que sean un poco más personales de lo normal, pero manténgase consciente de
los límites de las normas culturales. Ambas partes pueden revelar un poco más
sobre sí mismas. El proceso de construcción de las habilidades necesarias para
establecer relaciones profesionales más estrechas no sigue una fórmula
establecida. Confíe en sus instintos.
“Irónicamente, el mejor indicador de que (…) un liderazgo humilde puede proliferar es que
los problemas complejos y desordenados son cada vez más comunes y la importancia del
crecimiento es tan alta como nunca””.
Una relación sólida se basa en cierta simetría en las expectativas mutuas, es decir, puede
predecir de manera confiable cómo se comportará la otra parte. Este conocimiento
impulsa la confianza. El liderazgo humilde depende de la “personización”, lo que significa
basar una relación en la humanidad de una persona, no en su papel asignado. Implica
compartir información personal de una manera honesta e interactiva. El desafío consiste
en establecer el grado de personización que funcione para ambas partes.
Un nuevo modelo de liderazgo
Los desafíos actuales requieren liderazgo de Nivel 2 porque:
1. Las tareas son exponencialmente cada vez más difíciles – Las actividades y
tareas de la organización son cada vez más complicadas y desconcertantes. Las
empresas se enfrentan a los retos del auge de la tecnología y la creciente
diversidad.
2. La cultura gerencial es miope y a menudo contraproducente – Los avances de
la ingeniería, los tecnológicos y la automatización eliminan la mayoría de los
 errores de producción. Sin embargo, los problemas de calidad y seguridad
confunden a los fabricantes debido a las deficiencias de gestión que surgen de
estructuras de liderazgo anticuadas. El liderazgo humilde puede solucionar estos
problemas.
3. Los cambios generacionales reformulan los valores sociales y laborales –
Los empleados más jóvenes quieren que sus empresas tengan un propósito y
sean social y ambientalmente responsables. Quieren que sus trabajos tengan
sentido. Los gerentes convencionales usualmente no se preocupan por estas
creencias, pero los líderes humildes reconocen su importancia.
Las habilidades blandas
Las habilidades blandas tienen poco o ningún peso en las culturas de Nivel 1, pero son
esenciales para el Nivel 2. Para ilustrar la falta de habilidades blandas del líder de Nivel 1,
considere la típica reunión basada en la jerarquía, a menudo la perdición de los negocios.
Una reunión eficiente debe funcionar como una máquina: comienza y termina a tiempo.
Se ciñe estrictamente a un orden del día. Se designan personas que las organizan y
dirigen. A menudo se trata de una asignación juiciosa de acciones y resultados.
“Una vez que uno ha hecho la transición de las relaciones de Nivel 1 a Nivel 2, el nuevo
ambiente se siente más cómodo, más real y más efectivo””.
Las reuniones gestionadas con rigidez encarnan una jerarquía corporativa sin espacio
para la personización. Los nuevos empleados a menudo se preguntan por qué están ahí,
qué se espera de ellos, si pueden hablar libremente y si hay agendas ocultas.
Para que las reuniones de negocios sean menos formales y más productivas, aplique las
habilidades blandas del liderazgo humilde, especialmente cuando hay nuevos empleados
presentes. No etiquete toda reunión como junta. Utilice reuniones casuales para que los
asistentes se conozcan entre sí y el propósito de la reunión sea sin presiones ni
expectativas. Compartir una comida representa “partir el pan”, que es la forma en que la
gente se ha reunido amigablemente durante miles de años. No designe la organización de
reuniones psicológicamente seguras a consultores de recursos humanos o externos; los
líderes humildes realizan esta tarea ellos mismos.
El futuro del liderazgo humilde
A medida que las organizaciones futuras evolucionen, el liderazgo humilde evolucionará
junto con ellas. Es probable que esta coevolución se desarrolle conforme a seis
parámetros:
1. Contexto sobre contenido – En parte debido a la creciente importancia de la
inteligencia artificial, el contexto y el proceso importarán aun más que el contenido
y la experiencia.
2. La heterogeneidad cultural – El tribalismo y los prejuicios inconscientes que lo
acompañan son cada vez más dominantes en la sociedad. El liderazgo humilde
debe sortear este fenómeno.
3. Poder distribuido – El poder distribuido del liderazgo humilde asegura que ningún
individuo reúna tanto poder como para ser abusivo.
 4. La personalización masiva – El liderazgo humilde es adaptable. Adapte sus
estrategias de liderazgo para satisfacer las necesidades dispares de todas sus
partes interesadas, clientes y empleados.
5. El diseño organizacional dinámico – A medida que los negocios móviles en
línea se vuelven más dominante como la forma en que las personas se conectan
entre sí, el liderazgo humilde tendrá que adaptarse continuamente a esta nueva
dinámica.
6. La presencia virtual – Las grandes organizaciones son cada vez más globales.
Para seguir siendo relevantes, efectivos e influyentes, los líderes humildes deben
desarrollar una fuerte presencia virtual. Los empleados alrededor del mundo
necesitan saber que su líder está a su disposición cuando lo necesiten y que
siempre está dispuesto a atender sus inquietudes.
Sobre los autores
Edgar H. Schein, PhD, es profesor emérito de la Sloan School of Management del MIT.
Su hijo Peter A. Schein es cofundador y director de operaciones del Organizational
Culture and Leadership Institute.

HUMILDAD – Edgar H. Schein – Humble Leadership The Power of Relationships,

Openness, and Trust – INGLES
Editorial Rating
8

Recommendation
In a world characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, versatile
leadership makes more sense than the shopworn model of lofty corporate “heroes and
disruptors” who are supposedly invincible. Edgar H. Schein, a management scholar, and
his son Peter A. Schein, an expert on organizations, explain how to achieve cultural
change through “humble leadership.” The theme picks up on their previous books, Humble
Consulting and Humble Inquiry. Their guidance will be especially useful to coaches,
mentors and HR officials who work on leadership development.
Take-Aways
 The four levels of leadership are 1) “Level Minus 1, inhumane”; 2) “Level 1,
impersonal”; 3) “Level 2, totally humane”; and 4) “Level 3, bonded.”
 Level 2 calls for “humble leadership,” which is open, personal, engaging and
trusting.
  Humble leaders see every individual as valuable.
 This leadership approach thrives in a transparent corporate culture with robust
workforce relationships.
 Humble leadership is collaborative.
 It has nothing to do with “vertical hierarchy” or the “heroic performance” of
designated leaders.
 Humble leaders build strong relationships and understand group dynamics.
 Every relationship, including managerial relationships, relies on aligned mutual
expectations.
 An archaic, authoritarian and punitive management culture can easily
overwhelm humble leaders.
 Their goal should be to transform their corporate culture to make Level 2
leadership accepted, expected and sustainable.
Summary
“Humble Leadership”
In organizations that run on cutthroat competitiveness, employees often regard their
leaders as “heroic” superstars who brilliantly meet their challenges. But companies don’t
gain from positioning their leaders as masters of the hierarchy and designated heroes.
“Leadership exists in all corners and levels of all organizations.”
Instead, they should turn to a different model: Collaborative, cooperative, group-
oriented and relationship-based “humble leadership.” This contemporary leadership tactic
“hinges on open and trusting relationships” within groups. Its hallmarks – candor, trust
and openness – become the welcome, defining characteristics of humble leaders’
corporate cultures. In dismal contrast, many traditional organizations carry the burden
of role-based, authoritative, disciplinary and transactional leadership marred by a lack of
trust or openness.
“We have to think…more broadly about the future of work itself, to consider how our
concepts of Level 2 relationships and humble leadership will prove to be necessary for
sustained effectiveness.”
Smart organizations are no longer hierarchal. They know worthwhile leaders can emerge
from any tier in a company. Depending on their circumstances, talents and capabilities,
everyday people can and do step up and lead, often contributing substantial knowledge
and expertise.
The Leaders’ “Relationship Continuum”
Leadership generally means getting other people to join you in taking on “new and better”
challenges. Leaders operate at four different levels of relationship representing common
societal norms. Organizationally, the relationship continuum includes:
 1. “Level Minus 1” leadership – This oppressive leadership style relies on
intimidation, domination and power. It doesn’t recognize people’s common
humanity. Think of prisoners and their guards or sweatshop bosses and
their workers.
2. “Level 1” leadership – This transactional, arms-length, machine-like,
impersonal style relies on the designated roles and rules of the “basic managerial
culture.” Examples include traditional bosses and their team members. Sometimes,
Level 1 leaders try to masquerade as Level 2 leaders, but they seldom can
perpetuate this fraud for long. People sense their lack of authenticity. Striving to
remain relevant, but increasingly unable to do so, Level 1 leadership devolves to
individual competencies. It views employees as expendable “human resources.”
3. “Level 2” leadership – In contrast, leaders at this level recognize employees as
individuals. They know everyone is valuable. They practice personalized, trusting
humble leadership, which is collaborative and cooperative. Level 2 doesn’t rely on
hierarchical roles. It replaces subordination with collaboration. Examples include
close colleagues on corporate teams. Level 2 leadership isn’t for executives
only. Today, doctors, teachers and other professionals are learning that
friendly, personal relationships with their colleagues and those they serve are more
effective and enduring than formal, distant ones.
4. “Level 3” leadership – People experience this elevated “bonded” leadership in
their closest relationships. Examples include loving couples or intense work
groups, such as teams of US Navy Seals. Great teams operate at Level 3, since
Levels 1 and 2 can’t nourish the necessary caliber of performance. Executives
often assume that Level 3 leadership will foment problems in ongoing business
operations.
“Individual Competencies” Within Group Dynamics
Calm, steady, humble leadership aligns and attunes to the chaotic circumstances of the
modern world more effectively than ossified impersonal leadership. Humble leadership,
which relies on group dynamics, is sensible and natural. People welcome it and adapt to
it easily.
“Leadership always refers to some task that can be improved and to some group whose
values and culture will ultimately determine what is better.”
Humble leaders know that group dynamics outweigh rugged individualism in today’s
workforce. They show particular expertise at group dynamics and “group
sensemaking.” Group interaction frequently calls on the skills that define humble leaders,
such as understanding when to step into a situation by defining the context, checking for a
consensus, laying out plans or making decisions. The group environment is also conducive
for “setting goals, asking for ideas, brainstorming” and “building systemic understanding.”
“I See You”
A Level 2 leader recognizes other people’s “total presence” – which is not to say that he or
she wants to be your friend or hang out socially. Instead, these leaders
understand that you are both engaged in a mutual business relationship. They are aware
of the individuality of the people they lead, attuned to their humanity and conscious of how
much the firm depends on them.
“Even, or especially, in the US military, the old model – organizations as machines led by
heroes – is the past, not the future.”
For example, the CEO of a giant, international chemical conglomerate works on an
intimate daily basis with 11 trusted division heads and other managers. The CEO made
these 11 advisers jointly responsible for the firm’s financial and operational health and
overall performance. The CEO and this team share responsibility for the firm’s future – not
the CEO alone.
“Hierarchy is a structural characteristic of organizational life, but what actually goes on
between someone higher and someone lower is not automatically prescribed.”
These 12 executives meet regularly to plot strategy. Every three years, the advisers switch
responsibilities. Each person moves to a different division, so over time they all develop a
thorough understanding of the business. This prevents them from becoming insular, close-
minded champions of any one department. Their joint accountability promotes honest
dialogue and stress-free group decisions. During meetings, everyone speaks openly. They
also retain group-oriented process consultants who help them work together effectively.
“It is possible to have a closer, more open and trusting relationship in the work situation
while being quite sensitive to boundaries of privacy and propriety.”
This novel working arrangement exemplifies the invigorating Level 2 changes now
underway within many organizations. Companies often undertake these changes
experimentally to test new methods. Leaders’ strong personal relationships with their
employees become a unifying element in these new arrangements.
Moving from Level 1 To Level 2
Most people understand how to create Level 2 relationships with their friends and
relatives. Transforming Level 1 relationships into Level 2 relationships takes work.
New Level 2 leaders will need personal and professional development to help bring
about this change. They should:
 Read and reflect – Study group processes and the “dynamics of complex
systems.”
 Learn to design “work relationships” – Assess your workplace networks and
relationships. Remember that relationships are always interactive. Create a
“relationship map” with yourself in the center. Place the names of the people in
your work and personal life above your name, beside or below your name to
indicate how much they expect of you. Vary the thickness of the lines connecting
each person to you to indicate your “degree of mutually perceived connection.” For
example, the line to your family would be quite thick. The line to your CEO
might be a thread. This map, which provides a clear overview of your level of
personal connection with the people in your workforce, can guide you in connecting
to and interacting with them.
  Develop your “behavioral skills” – Conversations build relationships. To achieve
Level 2 communication, ask questions that are a bit more personal than normal,
but stay aware of the boundaries of cultural norms. Both parties can mutually
reveal a little more about themselves. Make eye contact and listen well. The
process of building the skills required for closer professional relationships doesn’t
follow a set formula. If you know your intuition is reliable, trust your instincts.
“Instead of heading into work wondering how you alone can solve the problem, what if you
went to work committed to sorting it out with a partner [or] team?”
A strong relationship relies on “some symmetry in mutual expectations,” that is, you can
reliably predict how the other party will behave. This knowledge drives trust. Humble
leadership depends on “personization,” which means basing a relationship on a person’s
humanity, not on his or her assigned role. It involves sharing personal information in an
honest, interactive way. The challenge is establishing how much personization works for
both parties.
A New Model for Leadership
Today’s challenges require Level 2 leadership because:
1. Tasks are getting harder “exponentially” – Organizational activities and tasks
are growing more convoluted and perplexing. Businesses face the challenges of
booming technology and increasing diversity.
2. “Managerial culture is myopic” and “often self-defeating” – Engineering
advances, technological breakthroughs and automation eliminate most production
errors. Yet quality and safety issues confound manufacturers due to management
deficiencies emerging from outmoded leadership structures. Humble leadership
can fix these problems.
3. “Generational changes” reshape “social and work values” – Younger
employees want their firms to be purposeful and socially and
environmentally responsible. They want their jobs to have meaning. Conventional
managers usually don’t care about these dynamics, but humble leaders recognize
their importance.
“The Soft Stuff”
Soft skills carry little or no weight in Level 1 top-down cultures, but are essential to Level
2 leadership. To illustrate the Level 1 leader’s lack of soft skills, consider the typical
hierarchy-based meeting – often the bane of business life. Efficiently run meetings should
work like machines: They start and finish on time. They stick closely to agendas.
Designated individuals organize and run them. They often involve the “judicious if not
brutal assignment of action items and deliverables.”
“Ironically, the single best indicator that…humble leadership can proliferate is that messy
complex problems are becoming more common and the importance of growth is as high
as ever.”
Relentlessly managed meetings embody a corporate hierarchy with no room
for personization. New employees attending these such meetings often wonder why
they’re attending at all, what management expects of them, whether they can speak freely
and if there are hidden agendas.
“Once one has made the transition from Level 1 to Level 2 relationships, the new
environment feels more comfortable, more real and more effective.”
To make business meetings less formal and more productive, apply the soft skills of
humble leadership, especially when new employees are present. Don’t label get-
togethers as “meetings.” Use “informal check-ins” so attendees learn about each other
and the purpose of the gathering without pressures or expectations. Sharing a meal or
snacks represents “breaking bread,” which is the way people have come together
amicably for thousands of years. Don’t designate organizing psychologically safe meetings
to HR or outside consultants; humble leaders perform this task themselves.
The Future of Humble Leadership
As the future organizations evolve, humble leadership will evolve along with them. This
coevolution is likely to unfold along six parameters:
1. “Context over content” – Partly due to the growing importance of artificial
intelligence, “context and process” will matter even more than “content and
expertise.”
2. “Cultural heterogeneity” – Tribalism and its attendant unconscious biases are
growing more dominant in society. Humble leadership must work around
this phenomenon.
3. “Distributed power” – Morally compromised leaders abuse their power. Humble
leadership’s distributed power makes sure that no individual gathers enough power
to be abusive.
4. “Mass customization” – Humble leadership is adaptive. Tailor your leadership
strategies to meet the disparate needs of all your stakeholders, customers and
employees.
5. “Dynamic organizational design” – As mobile online business becomes more
dominant as the way people connect with each other, humble leadership will have
to adjust continually to this new dynamic.
6. “Virtual presence” – Large organizations are increasingly global. To remain
relevant, effective and influential, humble leaders must develop a strong virtual
presence. Employees worldwide need to know that their leader is available to them
when needed and is always ready to address their concerns.
About the Authors
Edgar H. Schein, PhD, is professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology’s Sloan School of Management. His son Peter A. Schein co-founded and is
chief operating officer of the Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute.
HUMILDAD – Edgar H. Schein – Asesorar con humildad Cómo proporcionar
verdadera ayuda más rápido – ESPAÑOL
Clasificación editorial
7
Cualidades
 Analítico
 Aplicable
 Bien estructurado

Reseña
Los asesores ya no pueden operar como antes: asumir el papel de médico corporativo,
diagnosticar los desafíos de la organización y proporcionar prescripciones detalladas. La
asesoría tradicional es inadecuada para el entorno empresarial actual, dice Edgar H.
Schein. Él cree que un nuevo modelo de asesoría es necesario. El “padre de la asesoría
de procesos” pasó 50 años enseñando e investigando la cultura organizacional. Su
modelo de asesoría con humildad ayuda a los consultores a analizar problemas complejos
y ayudar a sus clientes a establecer soluciones pequeñas y productivas. Schein cree que
el cliente y el asesor, sin ser demasiado amigables, deben desarrollar una relación abierta
y de confianza para ser socios eficaces. getAbstract recomienda su manual instructivo y
perspicaz a asesores, consejeros, entrenadores e incluso a padres de familia.
Ideas fundamentales
 La asesoría tradicional es inadecuada para los enormes desafíos empresariales
actuales.
 La asesoría con humildad no requiere un diagnóstico detallado, una intervención
ambiciosa, soluciones apresuradas o reacciones irreflexivas.
 Los asesores humildes entienden los problemas complejos y ayudan a los clientes
a establecer soluciones pequeñas y productivas.
 Preguntan a cada cliente: “¿Qué problema trata de resolver?”
 Con la asesoría con humildad el cliente y el consultor desarrollan una relación
abierta y de confianza para convertirse en socios eficaces.
 El asesor humilde es un ayudante.
 El ayudante ilumina la complejidad de la situación e inicia rápidos movimientos de
adaptación para el cliente.
  Estas pequeñas intervenciones conducen, de manera secuencial, a otras.
 El movimiento adaptativo más efectivo es ayudar al cliente a reconocer
los aspectos confusos del problema y entender que las soluciones convencionales
no ayudarán.
 La asesoría con humildad también resulta de utilidad para
entrenadores, consejeros y padres de familia.
Resumen
Problemas organizacionales
Los problemas a los que se enfrentan las organizaciones hoy día son complejos,
ambiguos y confusos. No ceden fácilmente a las soluciones técnicas y a menudo
involucran diferentes tropos culturales, grupos constituyentes, suposiciones, objetivos no
alineados y silos desconectados. Estos problemas son generalmente inestables y
cambian de manera constante. Las compañías a menudo tratan de reunir a las personas
adecuadas para coordinar sus pensamientos y acciones con el fin de arreglar las cosas
rápidamente. Incluso conseguir que estas personas entren en la misma habitación puede
ser difícil, si no imposible. Muchas veces, no pueden comunicarse. Casi siempre estarán
en desacuerdo.
“Los clientes a menudo piensan que saben cómo quieren que se aborde un problema, y
como están pagando por ello, creen que saben lo que el consultor puede y debe hacer
por ellos””.
Los problemas complejos no ceden ante el diagnóstico y la intervención consultiva
estándar. Esta estrategia que hace perder el tiempo a menudo se centra en las cuestiones
equivocadas. La mayoría de los problemas organizativos requieren un nuevo enfoque de
asesoría, coaching y pensamiento: el enfoque es la asesoría con humildad (AH). Se le
llama así porque reconoce la complejidad de los problemas a los que se enfrentan los
clientes, así como la dificultad de avanzar productivamente. El objetivo de la AH es lograr
que el consultor –o “ayudante”– ayude al cliente a lograr algo que no puede lograr por sí
solo. Depende del cliente decidir si el ayudante fue, de hecho, útil.
“La profundidad de una relación es una decisión mutua basada en el nivel de comodidad
al que cada parte llega a través de la interacción””.
Este método de consulta evita las soluciones apresuradas y las reacciones irreflexivas.
Utiliza diagnósticos iniciales, movimientos adaptativos e intervención limitada. Los
movimientos adaptativos son intervenciones pequeñas que conducen secuencialmente a
otras intervenciones pequeñas. Los movimientos adaptativos específicos que un consultor
sugiere dependerán del problema particular del cliente. El movimiento adaptativo más
efectivo es ayudar a los clientes a reconocer los aspectos confusos de su problema,
entender que las soluciones convencionales no les ayudarán, y aceptar que necesitan
“solucionadores de problemas” diferentes y conversaciones frescas.
Respuestas útiles
La asesoría con humildad ofrece respuestas rápidas y útiles a alguna parte de un gran
problema o al gran problema en sí. Los movimientos adaptativos no son herramientas
tradicionales de consulta. Los ayudantes que usan estrategias de AH calculan qué
respuestas iniciales funcionarán mejor. Gracias a la AH, los ayudantes no tienen que
angustiarse de no saber qué hacer en un inicio. Con la AH, el ayudante puede ser
vulnerable. Esta estrategia no es solo para los consultores. Entrenadores, consejeros y
padres de familia pueden usar esta metodología. La asesoría con humildad depende de
que el ayudante construya una relación de confianza con el cliente y elimine su distancia
profesional inicial. Construir una relación cálida y amable, sin ser demasiado amistosa,
ayuda a mostrar al cliente que el ayudante no está a cargo y no tiene la intención de
estarlo.
El primer contacto
En su primer contacto con un cliente, comunique que ha venido a ayudar. No es deseable
enviar un mensaje de que ha llegado para diagnosticar la situación de la empresa y
proponer una solución. Tampoco quiere transmitir un mensaje peor: que pretende
promocionarse a sí mismo, sus ideas y sus habilidades. En vez de eso, pregúntele al
cliente: “¿Qué problema está tratando de resolver?” Exprese humildad en las
interacciones con su cliente. Deje claro que desea trabajar con él para solucionar los
problemas juntos, no para tomar el relevo e imponer su solución. Los principio de la
AH son que el ayudante se preocupa por el cliente, se compromete a ayudarle, siente
curiosidad por saber a qué se enfrenta y está decidido a comprender lo que el cliente
piensa sobre el problema. Para apoyar a sus clientes, ayúdeles a clarificar su compleja
situación actual y comprenderla. Explique que los movimientos rápidos y adaptables
ofrecen las soluciones más efectivas. Este enfoque es más práctico que un diagnóstico
detallado y una intervención multifacética.
Las tres C
La AH no usa una conversación exploratoria o un diagnóstico. En su lugar, participe en
una discusión franca y positiva que fomente una relación fuerte. La gestión de esta
conversación requiere que el consultor tenga la mentalidad que encarna las tres C:
1. Compromiso – Esté preparado emocionalmente para ayudar a los clientes,
quienes sentirán una falta de compromiso.
2. Curiosidad – Sea curioso acerca de quiénes son sus clientes y a qué se
enfrentan. Sus clientes sabrán si usted no está genuinamente interesado en su
problema.
3. Cuidado – Los clientes quieren saber que usted está de su lado. Comunique su
lealtad demostrando su preocupación por ellos como individuos. Comience a
cuidar de sus clientes poniendo atención a lo que dicen y piensan. Preste atención
a la manera en que explican su empresa y sus problemas, y haga caso omiso de
lo que aparece en los folletos y en los materiales de información corporativa que
recibió antes de la reunión. Los clientes se sentirán importantes y honrados de ser
el centro de su atención.
Las relaciones
La asesoría con humildad depende de la creación y el mantenimiento de relaciones de
calidad: un conjunto de expectativas mutuas sobre el comportamiento futuro del otro
basadas en interacciones pasadas. Las personas en una relación comparten una simetría
de expectativas, conocimiento que reconforta a todos los involucrados. Las personas en
una relación también comparten la responsabilidad de mantenerla. Una persona en una
relación puede trabajar duro para mantenerla fuerte, pero si la otra persona no iguala este
esfuerzo, la relación se resiente. En una relación débil, nadie se siente involucrado
emocionalmente. En una relación fuerte, la participación emocional es robusta.
“Estamos enfrentando problemas nuevos y complejos, nuevos tipos de sistemas de
clientes y un nuevo sentido de urgencia en nuestros clientes””.
Las personas mantienen cuatro niveles de relaciones:
1. Nivel Menos Uno – Estas relaciones son hostiles o explotadoras.
2. Nivel Uno – Las emociones desempeñan poco o nada en estas relaciones
impersonales. Todos entienden intuitivamente lo que los demás esperan de ellos:
por ejemplo, “Yo te doy algo; tú dices ‘Gracias’”. Las relaciones de Nivel Uno se
vuelven confusas cuando la gente solicita la ayuda de los llamados “ayudantes
profesionales”, por ejemplo, médicos, abogados, trabajadores sociales y
consejeros. La distancia profesional separa a los ayudantes de las personas que
solicitan su ayuda. Los ayudantes creen que deben reaccionar de manera
impersonal cuando los clientes comparten información personal. Los clientes se
sienten en desventaja y eso inhibe la confianza y la apertura. La mayoría de los
consultores operan en el Nivel Uno con sus clientes. El Nivel Uno puede funcionar
para un consultor que entiende el problema del cliente de inmediato y tiene las
habilidades para solucionarlo.
3. Nivel Dos – El cliente ya no es un “caso”, alguien que el ayudante mantiene a una
distancia profesional. El ayudante trata al cliente como una persona importante, no
como un extraño. A cambio, el cliente se siente cómodo y se abre a aceptar ayuda.
En las relaciones de Nivel Dos, los ayudantes preguntan periódicamente:
“¿Realmente ayuda lo que estamos haciendo?”
4. Nivel Tres – Es un estado avanzado de conexión; el Nivel Tres abarca amistades
cercanas, amor e intimidad. Las preocupaciones éticas hacen que el Nivel Tres
sea inapropiado para el trabajo de consultoría, ya que puede conducir a la
confraternización, el nepotismo y otros comportamientos que son corruptos en un
entorno empresarial. Esta es la constricción que proscribe las relaciones íntimas
entre terapeutas y pacientes o entre colegas en el trabajo.
“Una relación orientada a tareas de Nivel Dos es necesaria para crear suficiente confianza
para que los verdaderos motivos, problemas y preocupaciones del ayudante y del cliente
salgan a la luz””.
En el momento del contacto inicial, el ayudante y el cliente, que por lo general no se
conocen, operan en el Nivel Uno. Si el ayudante dice las cosas incorrectas durante esta
conversación inicial, la relación permanecerá atascada en este nivel. Decir las palabras
correctas puede ser inmediatamente útil y puede ayudar al consultor a desarrollar una
relación positiva y productiva en el Nivel Dos. Los gerentes que se proponen ayudar a sus
jefes, subordinados y compañeros deben salvar la distancia profesional habitual.
Necesitan establecer relaciones de Nivel Dos con sus colegas y consultores.
Escuchar
Los asesores humildes deben ser ávidos oyentes que muestran dos tipos de empatía. En
la Empatía Uno, los ayudantes de AH escuchan atentamente para aprender sobre el
problema del cliente. En la Empatía Dos, siguen escuchando atentamente, pero ahora
tratan de descubrir qué es lo que irrita al cliente sobre su problema. Por ejemplo, el cliente
dice: “Me preocupa el nivel de compromiso de mis empleados. ¿Podría ayudarme a
construir una cultura de compromiso?” En la Empatía Uno, procure entender lo que el
cliente quiere decir con “compromiso” y “cultura”. En la Empatía Dos, pregunte: “¿Por qué
le preocupa esto?”
“Los jefes y subordinados pueden tener que encontrar formas de personalizar sus
relaciones entre ellos para facilitar más confianza y comunicación abierta””.
El ayudante de AH no es distante ni emite dictámenes fríos sobre lo que el cliente debe
hacer. Para lograr una relación de Nivel Dos, el ayudante interactúa con el cliente. No se
exceda; personalice la relación con su cliente en grados. Si usted se vuelve demasiado
personal demasiado rápido, el cliente puede aprovecharse de usted. Evite ser demasiado
amigable o informal con su cliente –por ejemplo, comer juntos– porque corre el riesgo de
crear una sensación de estar en una relación de igualdad de la que se puede arrepentir y
que lo hace menos efectivo como ayudante.
El diálogo útil
En la AH, el ayudante y el cliente realizan una exploración conjunta dialógica. En este tipo
de discusión sin restricciones, ninguna persona sabe exactamente hacia dónde se dirigen
las cosas o qué movimientos adaptativos pueden surgir. Se trata de una conversación
abierta y de recopilación de información, no de la discusión competitiva y orientada a la
resolución de problemas convencional en la que los consultores y los clientes a menudo
caen como resultado de la presión de tiempo o de opciones de conversación limitadas. La
asesoría con humildad se basa en diez propuestas de trabajo:
1. Para ayudar realmente al cliente, el ayudante debe determinar su problema
específico.
2. Un diálogo franco con el cliente es la única manera de asegurar esta información.
3. Para entablar un diálogo exploratorio y revelador, el ayudante debe establecer una
relación de Nivel Dos con el cliente que vaya más allá de la relación típica de Nivel
Uno.
4. Construir una relación a Nivel Dos requiere personalizar la relación, sin exagerar.
5. La investigación humilde hace que esta relación sea especial. Implica preguntas
personales y expresar sentimientos y pensamientos personales.
6. Durante el contacto inicial, el ayudante explica la necesidad de desarrollar una
relación personal que alcance el Nivel Dos.
7. El ayudante y el cliente deben participar en un diálogo conjunto.
8. Determine si el problema es un solo problema o un conjunto de problemas
superpuestos que requieren más de una solución.
 9. El ayudante y el cliente deben decidir conjuntamente las acciones necesarias para
abordar el problema o problemas del cliente y deben desarrollar prioridades.
10. Si el problema del cliente es simple, el ayudante puede adoptar una postura
consultiva tradicional. Si el problema es complejo, ayudante y cliente deben
planificar juntos los movimientos de adaptación. Saben que ello por sí solo
puede no resolver el problema, pero sí apuntar al movimiento de adaptación a
intentar.
El proceso
Como ayudante en el Nivel Dos, no caiga presa de la “seducción del contenido”, es decir,
de la consideración de cómo actuaría usted en el lugar del cliente. Usted no es su cliente;
no entiende su negocio o cultura corporativa de la manera en que este lo hace. Su papel
es ser un catalizador, dar ayuda y coaching. No intente hacerse cargo del problema; los
clientes deben resolver sus problemas. Esto significa que el cliente, no usted, tiene que
manejar el trabajo de diagnóstico y las soluciones sugeridas. Un ayudante eficaz incluye
directamente a los clientes en la determinación de lo que salió mal y cómo abordarlo.
La colaboración
Trabaje con los clientes para desarrollar acciones útiles de adaptación. Ayúdeles a evaluar
las posibles consecuencias. Ofrezca sugerencias sobre el proceso. Los clientes rara vez
consideran las ramificaciones de los cambios que quieren introducir y cómo podrían
afectar su cultura corporativa. Conocen sus objetivos, pero pueden no estar seguros de
cómo alcanzarlos o de cómo empezar. Muéstreles la mejor manera de proceder. Ayúdeles
a encontrar nuevas maneras de identificar y solucionar problemas.
Sobre el autor
El psicólogo social Edgar Henry Schein, PhD, es experto en desarrollo organizacional.
Anteriormente enseñó en la Sloan School of Management del MIT. También
escribió Preguntar con humildad.

HUMILDAD – Edgar H. Schein – Humble Consulting How to Provide Real Help Faster
– INGLES
Editorial Rating
7
Recommendation
Consultants can no longer operate as they once did: Assume the role of corporate doctor,
diagnose organizational challenges and provide detailed prescriptions. Traditional
consultancy is inadequate for today’s daunting business environment, says Edgar H.
Schein. He believes a fresh consultancy model is in order, and so he delivers it. The
“father of process consultation,” he spent 50 years teaching and researching
organizational culture. His “humble consulting” model helps consultants parse complex
issues and help their clients institute small, productive fixes. Schein believes the client and
consultant, without being too chummy, must develop “an open, trusting relationship” to be
effective working partners. getAbstract recommends his insightful, instructive manual to
consultants, counselors, coaches and even parents.
Take-Aways
 Traditional consultancy is inadequate for today’s daunting business challenges.
 Humble consulting (HC) doesn’t require a detailed diagnosis, ambitious
intervention, “quick fixes” or “knee-jerk reactions.”
 Humble consultants understand complex issues and help clients institute small,
productive fixes.
 They ask each client, “What problem are you trying to solve?”
 With humble consulting, a client and a consultant develop an “open, trusting
relationship” in order to become effective working partners.
 The humble consultant is a “helper.”
 The helper illuminates the situation’s complexity and initiates quick “adaptive
moves.”
 These “small interventions” sequentially lead to further small interventions.
 The most effective adaptive move is helping the client to acknowledge the
problem’s “messiness” and to understand that conventional solutions won’t help.
 Humble consulting also works for coaches, counselors and parents.
Summary
Organizational Problems
The problems that confront organizations today are complex, ambiguous and confusing.
They don’t yield easily to technical solutions and they often involve different cultural tropes,
constituent groups, assumptions, unaligned goals and disconnected silos. These problems
are generally unstable and in constant flux. Companies often try to gather the right people
to coordinate their thoughts and actions to fix things quickly. Even getting these people into
the same room can be difficult, if not impossible. Many times, they can’t communicate.
Almost always, they won’t agree.
“Clients often think they know how they want a problem approached, and because they
are paying for it, they think they know what the consultant can and should do for them.”
Complex problems don’t yield to standard consultative diagnosis and intervention. This
time-wasting strategy often targets the wrong issues. Most organizational problems require
a fresh approach to consulting, coaching and thinking. The approach is “Humble
consulting” (HC). It’s called “humble” because it acknowledges the complexity of the
problems clients face, as well as the difficulty of moving ahead productively. The goal of
HC is to have the consultant – or “helper” – assist the client in achieving something the
client can’t accomplish alone. It’s up to the client to decide if the helper was, indeed,
helpful.
“The depth of a relationship is a mutual decision based on the comfort level that each
party arrives at through interaction.”
This consulting method avoids “quick fixes” and “knee-jerk reactions.” It uses initial
diagnoses, “adaptive moves” and limited intervention. Adaptive moves are “small
interventions” that sequentially lead to other small interventions. The specific adaptive
moves that a consultant suggests will depend on the client’s particular problem. The most
effective adaptive move is to help clients acknowledge their problem’s “messiness,”
understand that conventional solutions won’t help, and accept that they need different
“problem solvers” and fresh conversations.
Useful Responses
Humble consulting features fast, useful responses to some part of a large problem or to
the big problem itself. Adaptive moves aren’t traditional consultative tools. Helpers using
HC strategies figure out which initial responses will work best. Thanks to HC, helpers don’t
have to fret that initially they “don’t know what to do.” With HC, the helper can be
vulnerable. This strategy isn’t just for consultants. Coaches, counselors and parents can
use this methodology fruitfully. Humble consulting depends on the helper building a
trusting relationship with the client, eliminating their initial “professional distance.” Building
a warm, friendly relationship, without excess chumminess, helps show the client that the
helper isn’t in charge and doesn’t intend to be.
First Contact
In your first contact with a client, communicate that you’ve come to help. You don’t want to
deliver a message that you’ve arrived to diagnose the firm’s situation and propose a
solution. Nor do you want to deliver a worse message: that you intend to promote yourself,
your insights and your skills. Instead ask the client, “What problem are you trying to
solve?”
“We are dealing with new complex problems, new kinds of client systems and a new
sense of urgency in our clients.”
Convey humility during interactions with your client. Make clear that you want to work with
the client to fix problems together, not to take over and impose your solution. The essential
assumptions of HC are that the helper cares about the client, is committed to assisting the
client, is curious about what the client faces and is determined to understand what the
client thinks about the problem. To support your clients, help them “clarify” their current
complex situation and understand it better. Explain that quick, adaptive moves offer the
most effective solutions. This approach is more practical than a detailed diagnosis and
multifaceted intervention.
“The Three Cs”
Humble consulting doesn’t use an “exploratory conversation” or diagnosis. Instead,
engage in a candid, positive discussion that fosters a strong relationship. Managing this
vital initial conversation requires the consultant to have the proper mind-set embodying the
three Cs:
1. “Commitment” – Be prepared emotionally to assist clients, who will sense a lack
of commitment.
2. “Curiosity” – Be genuinely curious about who your clients are and what they are
up against. Your clients will perceive any lack of curiosity and will know if you aren’t
genuinely interested in their problem.
3. “Caring” – Clients want to know that you’re on their side. Communicate your
allegiance by demonstrating your concern about them as individuals. Begin caring
about your clients – presumably strangers to you at first – by devoting attention to
what they say and think. Pay heed to how they explain their company and its
problems, and disregard what’s in the brochures and corporate background
materials you received in advance of your meeting. Clients will feel important and
honored to be the focus of your attention.
Relationships
Humble consulting depends on creating and nurturing quality relationships: “a set of
mutual expectations about each other’s future behavior based on past interactions.”
People in a relationship share a symmetry of expectations – knowledge that comforts
everyone involved. People in a relationship also share the responsibility for maintaining it.
One person in a relationship may work hard to keep it strong, but if the other person
doesn’t match this effort, the relationship suffers. In a weak relationship, no one feels
emotional involvement. In a strong relationship, emotional involvement is robust.
“Being ‘professional’ and ‘keeping appropriate distance between the helper and the client’
can be a terrible trap.”
People share four levels of relationships:
1. “Level Minus One” – These relationships are hostile or exploitative, like those that
could be part of the experience of “prisoners, POWs, slaves…elderly or emotionally
ill people,” people in unfamiliar cultures and victims of con men or criminals.
2. “Level One” – Emotions play little or no role in these impersonal relationships.
Everyone intuitively understands what others expect of them – for example, “I give
you something; you say ‘Thank you’.” Level One relationships become confusing
when people solicit the assistance of “so-called professional helpers – doctors,
lawyers, ministers and human relations helpers such as social workers, counselors,
and psychiatrists.” Professional distance separates the helpers and the people who
solicit their help. The helpers believe they must react impersonally when clients
share personal information. Clients feel at a disadvantage and that inhibits trust
and openness. Most consultants operate at Level One with their clients. Level One
can work for a consultant who understands the client’s problem and has the skills
to fix it.
 3. “Level Two” – The client is no longer a “case” – someone the helper keeps at a
professional distance. The helper instead treats the client as an important person,
not a stranger. In return, the client feels comfortable and opens up to accepting
help. In Level Two relationships, helpers periodically ask, “Is what we are doing
really helping?”
4. “Level Three” – As an advanced state of connection, Level Three encompasses
“close friendships, love and intimacy.” Ethical concerns make Level Three
inappropriate for consulting work since it can lead to “fraternization, nepotism” and
other behaviors that are “corrupt” in a business environment. This is the stricture
that proscribes intimate relationships between therapists and patients or between
colleagues at work.
“The client asking you for help may…unwittingly ‘content seduce’ you into your official area
of expertise, and thereby get you preoccupied with your own personal skills and agenda.”
At the time of initial contact, the helper and the client, who usually are strangers, operate
at Level One. If the helper says the wrong things during this initial conversation, the
relationship will remain stuck at this level. Saying the right words can be “immediately
helpful” and can help the consultant develop a positive, productive Level Two relationship.
Managers who set out to help their “bosses, subordinates and peers” should bridge the
usual professional distance. They need to establish Level Two relationships with their
colleagues and consultants.
Listening
Humble consultants must be avid listeners who exhibit two different kinds of empathy. In
“Empathy One,” HC helpers listen carefully to learn about the client’s problem. In “Empathy
Two,” they continue to listen intently, but now they move on to trying to discover what
irritates the client about his or her problem. To illustrate, the client says, “I am concerned
about the level of engagement of my employees. Could you help me build a culture of
engagement?” In Empathy One, try to learn what the client means by “engagement” and
“culture.” In Empathy Two, ask, “Why are you worried about this?”
“The Level Two relationship has to be built around the joint task that the helper and client
are engaged in. It is bounded by the cultural rules [of] giving and receiving help.”
The HC helper isn’t aloof and doesn’t issue bloodless edicts about what the client should
do. To achieve a Level Two relationship, the helper interacts with the client. Don’t go
overboard; personalize your relationship with your client in degrees. If you get too personal
too quickly, the client may take advantage of you. Avoid getting too chummy or informal
with your client – for example, enjoying meals together – because you risk creating a
sense of being on an “equal footing” that you may come to regret and that may make you
less effective as a helper.
Helpful Dialogue
In HC, the helper and the client engage in a “dialogic joint exploration.” In this unfettered
type of discussion, neither person knows exactly where things are heading or what
adaptive moves may surface. This is an open, information-gathering conversation, not the
conventional “goal-oriented competitive problem-solving discussion” that consultants and
clients often fall into as a result of time pressure or limited conversational options.
“A Level Two task-oriented relationship becomes necessary in order to create enough trust
that the real motives, issues and concerns of both helper and client surface.”
Humble consulting rests on “ten working propositions”:
1. To truly assist the client, the helper must determine his or her specific problem.
2. A frank and open dialogue with the client is the only way to secure this information.
3. To engage in an exploratory, revealing dialogue, the helper must establish a Level
Two relationship with the client that goes beyond the typical Level One relationship.
4. Building a Level Two working relationship requires personalizing the relationship to
some extent, but don’t go overboard.
5. “Humble inquiry” makes this relationship special. It involves personal questions and
expressing personal feelings and thoughts.
6. During the initial contact, the helper explains the need to develop a personal
relationship that reaches Level Two.
7. The helper and client must participate in a joint dialogue.
8. Determine whether the problem is a single problem or a set of overlapping
problems that require more than one solution.
9. The helper and the client must “jointly decide” on the actions needed to address
the client’s problem or problems and should develop priorities.
10. If the client’s problem is simple, the helper can adopt a traditional consultative
posture. If the client’s problem is complex, the helper and the client should jointly
plan the best adaptive moves. While the client and helper understand this alone
may not solve the client’s problem, they know it may point to the best adaptive
move to try next.
The Process
As a Level Two helper, don’t fall prey to “content seduction” – that is, contemplating how
you’d act in the client’s shoes. You aren’t your clients. You don’t understand their business
or corporate culture in the way that they do. Your role is to be a catalyst and to provide
help and coaching – not to focus on your own abilities and priorities.
“Bosses and subordinates may have to find ways to personalize their relationships with
one another to facilitate more trust and open communication.”
Don’t try to take over the client’s problem. Clients need to solve their own problems. This
means the client – not you – has to handle “diagnostic work” and implement suggested
solutions. An effective helper directly includes clients in determining what went awry and
how to address it.
Collaboration
Work with clients to develop useful adaptive moves. Help them evaluate the possible
consequences of those moves. Offer “process suggestions.” Clients seldom consider the
ramifications of the changes they want to introduce and how they might affect their
corporate culture. Clients know their goals, but they may not be sure how to achieve them
or even how to start. Show them the best way to proceed. Help them find new ways to
identify and fix problems.
About the Author
Social psychologist Edgar Henry Schein, PhD, is an organizational development expert.
He formerly taught at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He also wrote Humble
Inquiry.

HUMILDAD – LIDERAZGO – Edgar H. Schein – La cultura organizacional y el

liderazgo – ESPAÑOL
Clasificación editorial
8
Reseña
Esta obra clásica de Edgar H. Schein es uno de los libros más importantes jamás escritos
sobre la cultura organizacional. Schein, quien acuñó la frase “cultura organizacional”,
ofrece un análisis comprehensivo del tema en un estilo refrescantemente libre de argot
sociológico. Ha organizado el libro lógicamente en tres unidades: define la cultura, explica
las suposiciones culturales y habla del papel de los líderes en la formación, trasmisión y
cambio de las culturas organizacionales. Schein brinda una buena visión general de las
investigaciones más importantes y relevantes del campo, y sus deliberaciones son
centradas y prácticas, con numerosas referencias a casos de la vida real. getAbstract lo
recomienda como una obra indispensable para estudiantes de sociología y para
organizaciones. Los gerentes que busquen información esencial sobre la cultura
organizacional en un libro no necesitan seguir buscando.
Ideas fundamentales
 La palabra “cultura” es abstracta, pero los fenómenos que describe son concretos
y muy poderosos.
 La cultura es lo que diferencia a una organización de un grupo aleatorio de gente.
 La cultura se desarrolla cuando una organización va más allá del mero
cumplimiento con los métodos de sus líderes para compartir los valores de éstos.
  La cultura es el producto de las lecciones que aprende un grupo al resolver
problemas exitosamente.
 Inserte, refuerce y trasmita la cultura organizacional mediante decisiones tales
como a qué prestarle atención, a quién recompensar y cómo distribuir recursos.
 Puede interpretar los artefactos visibles como el modo de vestir, el diseño de la
oficina o los estándares de conducta sólo si entiende la cultura organizacional.
 La cultura puede ser tan profunda que los miembros de la organización podrían no
entender por qué se comportan como lo hacen.
 No haga una valoración cultural excepto para resolver problemas bien definidos.
 El cambio cultural implica tanto desaprender como aprender.
 El trabajo principal del líder es manejar la cultura.
Resumen
La definición de cultura
Los fundadores y líderes de organizaciones establecen grupos para lograr metas. Los
éxitos de los grupos validan las suposiciones y valores de los líderes, que luego
determinan el modo en que la cultura define el liderazgo para las siguientes generaciones.
Aunque la cultura es abstracta, las fuerzas que pone en movimiento son poderosas y
reales. Los eruditos han planteado numerosas definiciones, pero todas comparten la idea
de que la cultura se refiere a los valores que los miembros de un grupo tienen en común.
Pero cultura no implica sólo compartir.
“Las fuerzas que se crean en situaciones sociales y organizacionales y que provienen de
la cultura son muy poderosas. Si no entendemos la operación de estas fuerzas, nos
convertimos en sus víctimas””.
Estos cuatro elementos adicionales deben estar presentes para crear una cultura
organizacional en su empresa:
1. “Estabilidad estructural” – La cultura es la base de la identidad de grupo.
Mantiene al grupo junto y lo define aun cuando los miembros vayan y vengan. Por
eso es tan difícil el cambio de cultura.
2. “Profundidad” – La cultura es tan profunda que los miembros de un grupo
pueden no estar conscientes de ella. Simplemente es la forma en la que uno hace
las cosas y no necesita explicación.
3. “Amplitud” – La cultura afecta todo en una organización, influyendo en cada
función y actividad.
4. “Patrones o integración” – La cultura es lo que hace que las conductas, valores
y rituales del grupo sean coherentes.
“La cultura de un grupo puede definirse como un patrón de suposiciones básicas
compartidas que aprendió un grupo al resolver sus problemas de adaptación externa e
integración interna””.
Cada grupo crea reglas básicas, y éstas se convierten en sus normas. A menudo, esto
ocurre espontáneamente poco después de haberse formado el grupo. Sin embargo, a
veces un individuo establece una organización, y al hacerlo le impone sus valores y
reglas. Esto sólo produce cultura y no cumplimiento, si el grupo logra tener éxito, acepta
los valores y reglas del fundador y las trasmite. El grupo luego presenta su cultura a cada
nueva generación.
Cultura organizacional
Tres elementos contribuyen a la cultura organizacional:
1. “Los artefactos visibles” – Características observables. Estas incluyen
elementos tales como el nivel de formalidad con el que la gente interactúa, el
diseño de la oficina, marcas de estatus y cómo la gente se comporta en las
reuniones.
2. “Las creencias, reglas, normas de conducta y valores asentados” – Algunas
compañías sientan explícitamente sus valores y normas culturales en eslóganes o
frases pegajosas.
3. “Las suposiciones subyacentes básicas, tácitas y dadas por sentadas” –
Explican los artefactos y creencias de la cultura.
“Cada grupo debe aprender a convertirse en un grupo””.
Un grupo cultural tiene propósitos, tácticas, estrategias y mediciones compartidos. Si
entran en conflicto las subculturas en un grupo, podrían perjudicar el rendimiento del
grupo. Por otro lado, en un entorno que cambia rápidamente, el conflicto intercultural
puede hacer que el grupo se adapte y aprenda. El consenso es deseable sólo para
grupos en sus etapas formativas iniciales. A medida que maduran, el consenso incluso
puede detenerlos.
“Las organizaciones son, a fin de cuentas, el resultado de personas que hacen cosas
juntas con un propósito común””.
Estas cinco “suposiciones básicas compartidas” describen el contenido o las dimensiones
de una cultura:
1. “Adaptación externa”
Los fundadores y líderes de grupos deben definir los límites del grupo si quieren que
sobreviva y crezca. De hecho, el éxito o fracaso de los líderes depende de su capacidad
para manejar las relaciones del grupo con el entorno. Si el grupo no tiene éxito en su
entorno, significa que el líder falló. Por tanto, no se puede evaluar la fuerza de una cultura
sin examinar su entorno.
2. “Integración interna”
Un grupo no es simplemente una reunión de gente; las muchedumbres no son grupos.
Las personas se definen como grupo cuando están de acuerdo en lenguaje, calificaciones
de membresía, estatus, poder e influencia, y las reglas que rigen las relaciones entre
compañeros. Los miembros de un grupo deben entender las recompensas y sanciones
por el buen o mal desempeño. Además, deben tener un modo de explicar lo inexplicable –
una mitología o ideología.
“El sentido de pertenecer a un grupo surge en las exposiciones sucesivas a sucesos
claves – aquellos que despiertan sentimientos intensos y con los que hay que enfrentarse
definitivamente””.
Sin estándares o creencias compartidas, los miembros de un grupo se sentirán inseguros
y desconcertados, y el grupo no podrá responder a retos internos o externos. Aunque el
entorno en el que funciona un grupo fija ciertos límites al potencial del grupo, su cultura es
aun más poderosa para definir sus límites y aspiraciones.
3. “Suposiciones sobre la realidad y la verdad”
Las distintas culturas definen la realidad y la verdad de manera distinta – incluyendo “la
realidad física externa” que, en algunas culturas, incluye al mundo de los espíritus.
Especialmente si los miembros del grupo pertenecen a culturas nacionales diferentes,
pueden tener ideas opuestas sobre ciertos asuntos, lo que dificulta trabajar juntos.
“La fuerza y la estabilidad de la cultura provienen del hecho de que ... el individuo se
aferrará a ciertas suposiciones básicas para corroborar su membresía en el grupo””.
Las ideas opuestas sobre la verdad complican la formación de grupos multiculturales. A
medida que los miembros de un grupo interactúan, el grupo podría desarrollar nuevos
valores compartidos, distintos de los que tenían los miembros en un inicio. De otra forma,
una cultura podría volverse dominante. Esto ocurre a menudo en empresas conjuntas
multinacionales. Si ninguna de las culturas cede, la entidad fusionada podría no ser un
grupo. Las suposiciones del grupo sobre la realidad ayudan a sus miembros a determinar
qué información necesitan; cómo recopilarla, priorizarla e interpretarla y, finalmente, a
tomar decisiones.
“El grupo no puede alcanzar sus metas ni cumplir con su misión si no hay un consenso
claro sobre los medios que se usarán para llegar a las metas””.
Además de tener diferentes percepciones de la realidad física, las organizaciones tienen
distintos valores sobre la “realidad social”, es decir, sobre cómo deben los miembros
tratarse unos a otros y asignar poder. Por ejemplo, en sociedades jerárquicas, la gente
podría aceptar la validez de las declaraciones de los ancianos sin cuestionarse. En
sociedades individualistas, los miembros quieren razones y pruebas. El hecho de que una
cultura sea de “alto contexto” o de “bajo contexto” también determina las actitudes de sus
miembros ante la verdad: En culturas de alto contexto, la verdad y el significado dependen
de las circunstancias, condiciones y actores individuales. En culturas de bajo contexto, los
significados son inequívocos y universales.
4. “Suposiciones sobre la naturaleza del tiempo y el espacio”
Las ideas sobre el tiempo distinguen a unas culturas de otras. Las siguientes son las
cuatro principales tendencias acerca del tiempo:
1. Al pasado – Se enfoca en lo que era.
2. Al presente – Se enfoca en la tarea que se tiene a la mano.
3. Hacia el futuro cercano – Se enfoca en alcanzar metas a corto plazo.
4. Hacia el futuro lejano – Se enfoca en el largo plazo.
“La realidad puede existir en los niveles físicos, grupales e individuales y la prueba para
saber lo que es real será distinta según el nivel – pruebas abiertas, consensos sociales o
experiencias individuales””.
Además, la tendencia acerca del tiempo puede ser policrónica o monocrónica. En EE.UU.,
los gerentes tienden a pensar monocrónicamente; separan el tiempo en trozos y hacen
“una cosa a la vez”. Las culturas monocrónicas consideran que el tiempo es escaso y
valioso. Por el contrario, las culturas del sur de Europa, africanas, de Medio Oriente y
asiáticas son policrónicas. A la gente de estas culturas, la noción de que el tiempo es
escaso le parece extraña y no ve por qué debe hacer sólo una cosa a la vez. Los gerentes
japoneses sincronizaron los procesos de producción que los gerentes estadounidenses
hacían en secuencia – e inventaron la administración de inventario del “justo a tiempo”.
Las diferentes tendencias acerca del tiempo pueden complicar las relaciones dentro de
las organizaciones, y en todas las culturas. Por ejemplo, los vendedores tienden a pensar
en el corto plazo, y los investigadores en el largo plazo. La palabra “pronto” puede
significar cosas totalmente distintas en el departamento de ventas y en el de investigación
y desarrollo.
“Uno de los usos más sutiles del espacio es el uso de gestos, la posición del cuerpo y
otras señales físicas para comunicar nuestro sentido de lo que ocurre en un momento
dado y nuestro modo de relacionarnos con los demás en esa situación””.
La tendencia acerca del espacio también difiere entre grupos. Las personas usan la
distancia física para comunicar relaciones sociales; sin embargo, un grado de cercanía
que es aceptable para los miembros de un grupo puede ser impertinente y ofensivo para
otros. Las culturas organizacionales establecieron normas para la distribución del espacio.
Usualmente, a los miembros de mayor estatus se les asignan espacios más grandes y
atractivos.
5. “Suposiciones sobre la naturaleza humana, sobre la actividad y sobre las
relaciones humanas”
Cada cultura tiene creencias sobre lo que es humano y lo que no lo es. De hecho, algunas
culturas justificaban la esclavitud al afirmar que los esclavos no eran seres humanos en
su totalidad. Las culturas también definen la naturaleza humana: Algunas piensan que la
gente fundamentalmente es mala, y otras creen que es buena. Los valores culturales
sobre la naturaleza humana determinan las actitudes de los miembros hacia el trabajo.
Las culturas tienen tres tendencias principales:
1. “La tendencia a hacer” – Es característica de las culturas pragmáticas que
suponen que la naturaleza es controlable y que la humanidad es perfectible. La
 cultura estadounidense, con el énfasis en la acción individual, ejemplifica la
tendencia a hacer. Las organizaciones con una cultura de hacer luchan por crecer
y controlar el mercado.
2. “La tendencia a ser” – Tiene un sentido fatalista que obliga a aceptar en vez de
intentar controlar la naturaleza y a enfocarse en el presente. Las organizaciones
con culturas de ser se adaptan a los hechos externos en vez de intentar crear,
crecer o controlar.
3. “La tendencia a ser y a convertirse” – Enfatiza el desarrollo personal y la
autorrealización. Una subsidiaria de Exxon no quería ascender a gerentes
franceses o italianos por ser “demasiado emocionales”; esto evidencia la
mentalidad poco tolerante que hace suposiciones sobre el crecimiento y el
desarrollo de la personalidad. Por el contrario, Digital Equipment Corporation
fomentaba casi cualquier tipo de autodesarrollo.
La comprensión y trasmisión de cultura
Los investigadores que tratan de analizar las culturas organizacionales deben empezar
por aceptar que su comprensión es necesariamente limitada. Sólo a medida que
desarrollan relaciones profundas con miembros del grupo podrán verdaderamente
comprender la cultura. Aquellos que comparten la cultura podrían sentirse incómodos al
revelar sus suposiciones fundamentales. Tal vez ni siquiera estén conscientes de ellas.
Además, la cultura cambia con el tiempo. Es posible evaluar la cultura, pero generalmente
las encuestas y cuestionarios son inútiles porque son incapaces de revelar los
sentimientos profundos o las conductas complejas. Las entrevistas son un mejor enfoque.
Sin embargo, los líderes no deben hacer evaluaciones culturales si no abordan un
problema claramente definido porque, de lo contrario, arriesgan afectar la cultura, que
puede llevar al caos. Fundamente las evaluaciones sobre problemas concretos que
afectan el funcionamiento y la eficacia de la organización.
“Si la organización no está bajo demasiado estrés externo y si el fundador ... se queda
mucho tiempo, la cultura evoluciona poco a poco y va asimilando lo que mejor funciona
con los años””.
Las culturas organizacionales a menudo se agrupan en torno a los hechos y creencias de
los fundadores, quienes usualmente tienen convicciones firmes sobre los distintos
aspectos de la cultura. Si la actitud de los fundadores es adecuada para el entorno, la
organización tiene éxito. Hay seis tipos de decisiones y conductas que se insertan en la
cultura y la trasmiten:
1. Medida y control de decisiones
2. Respuesta a las crisis
3. Distribución de recursos
4. Capacitación, enseñanza y ejemplo
5. Recompensa y determinación de estatus
6. Contratación, despido y promoción
“Entre más turbulento sea el ambiente, más probable será que la organización más
diversa tenga los recursos para afrontar los sucesos no anticipados””.
Las estructuras, sistemas, historias y rituales organizacionales podrán así reafirmar la
cultura organizacional. A medida que la organización crece y el entorno evoluciona,
cambian las culturas. Los subgrupos y las subculturas proliferan y se diferencian de la
corriente dominante. También cambia la forma en la que la organización expresa sus
valores básicos. Los líderes deben anticiparlo, ya que una de sus funciones más
importantes es guiar a la organización a través de la transformación cultural, un proceso
difícil que requiere tanto “desaprender” como aprender. A menudo, el líder debe
conmocionar al sistema para que cuestione las suposiciones fundamentales.
Sobre el autor
Edgar H. Schein es profesor emérito y conferencista sénior en Sloan School of
Management del Instituto de Tecnología de Massachusetts.

HUMILDAD – LIDERAZGO – Edgar H. Schein – Organizational Culture and

Leadership – INGLES
Editorial Rating
8
Recommendation
This classic work by Edgar H. Schein is one of the most important books ever written
about organizational culture. Schein, who coined the phrase "organizational culture," offers
a comprehensive analysis of the subject in a style refreshingly unburdened by sociological
jargon. He has organized the book logically into three units: he defines culture; explains
cultural assumptions; and discusses the role of leaders in forming, transmitting and
changing organizational cultures. He offers a good overview of the most important and
relevant research in the field, but keeps his discussion focused and practical, with
numerous references to real-world cases. getAbstract recommends this as an
indispensable work for students of sociology and organizations. Managers looking for the
essential information about organizational culture between the covers of one book need
seek no further.
Take-Aways
 The word "culture" is abstract, but the phenomena it describes are concrete and
very powerful.
 Culture is what differentiates an organization from a random collection of people.
  Culture develops as an organization goes beyond mere compliance with its
leaders' methods to sharing the leader's values.
 Culture is a product of the lessons a group learns as it successfully solves
problems.
 Embed, reinforce and transmit organizational culture through such decisions as
what you pay attention to, whom you reward and how you allocate resources.
 You can interpret visible artifacts such as dress style, office design or behavioral
standards only when you understand an organization's culture.
 Culture can go so deep that members of the organization may not themselves
understand why they behave as they do.
 Do not undertake a cultural assessment except to solve well-defined problems.
 Cultural change involves unlearning as well as learning.
 The primary job of the leader is to manage culture.
Summary
Defining Culture
Founders and leaders of organizations establish groups to achieve goals. The groups'
successes validate the leaders' assumptions and values, which then shape the way the
culture defines leadership for following generations.
Although culture is abstract, the forces it puts in motion are powerful and real. Scholars
have concocted numerous definitions of culture, but all share the idea that culture refers to
the values that members of a group hold in common. Yet, culture is not merely sharing.
“The forces that are created in social and organizational situations derived from culture are
powerful. If we don't understand the operation of these forces, we become victim to them.”
These four additional elements must be present to create an organizational culture:
1. "Structural stability" – Culture is the foundation of group identity. It holds the
group together and defines the group even as members come and go. This is why
culture change is so difficult.
2. "Depth" – Culture is so deep that group members may be unconscious of it. It is
simply the way you do things and needs no explanation.
3. "Breadth" – Culture affects everything about an organization, touching every
function and activity.
4. "Patterning or integration" – Culture is what makes the group's behaviors, values
and rituals coherent.
“The culture of a group can be defined as a pattern of shared basic assumptions that was
learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal
integration.”
Every group forms ground rules that become its governing norms. Often, this occurs
spontaneously very soon after the group forms.
However, sometimes one individual establishes an organization and imposes his or her
values and rules on it. This only produces culture, as opposed to compliance, if the group
achieves success, accepts the founder's values and rules, and transmits them. The group
introduces each new generation to the culture.
Organizational culture
Three elements contribute to organization culture:
1. "Visible artifacts" – Observable characteristics. These include such elements as
the level of formality with which people interact, office design, marks of status and
how people behave in meetings.
2. "Espoused beliefs, values, rules and behavioral norms" – Some companies
explicitly state their cultural values and norms in slogans or catch phrases.
3. "Tacit, taken-for-granted, basic underlying assumptions" – These explain the
culture's artifacts and beliefs.
“Every group must learn how to become a group.”
A cultural group has a shared purpose, tactics, strategies and metrics. If subcultures within
the group clash, the group's performance may suffer. Yet, in a rapidly changing
environment, intercultural conflict can enable the group to adapt and learn. Consensus is
desirable only for groups in their early, formative stages. As they mature, consensus can
actually hold them back.
“Organizations are ultimately the result of people doing things together for a common
purpose.”
These five “shared basic assumptions” describe the content or dimensions of a culture:
1. "External Adaptation"
Founders and leaders of groups must define the group's boundaries if the group is to
survive and grow. In fact, leaders succeed or fail depending on their ability to manage the
group's relationship to the external environment. If the group does not succeed in its
environment, the leader has failed. Thus, you cannot assess a culture's strength without
examining its environment.
2. "Internal Integration"
A group is not simply a gathering of people; mobs and crowds are not groups. People
define themselves as a group when they agree on language; membership qualifications;
status, power and influence; and the rules that govern peer relationships. Group members
must understand the rewards and penalties for good or bad performance. In addition, they
must have some way of explaining the inexplicable – a mythology or ideology.
“The sense of groupness arises through successive dealings with marker events – those
that arouse strong feelings and then are dealt with definitively.”
Without shared standards and beliefs, group members will feel insecure and bewildered,
and the group will not be able to respond to internal or external challenges. Although the
environment in which the group functions sets some limits on the group's potential, its
culture is even more powerful in defining its limits and aspirations.
3. "Assumptions about Reality and Truth"
Different cultures define reality and truth differently – this extends even to "external
physical reality," which in some cultures includes the spirit world. Especially if the members
of the group belong to different national cultures, they may have conflicting ideas about
these issues, which makes working together difficult.
“The strength and stability of culture derives from the fact that...the individual will hold on
to certain basic assumptions in order to ratify his or her membership in the group.”
Conflicting notions of truth complicate the formation of multicultural groups. As group
members interact, the group may develop new, shared values that are different from the
original ones of the members. Alternatively, one culture may become dominant. This often
occurs in cross-border joint ventures. If neither culture yields, the merged entity may not
constitute a group. The group's assumptions about reality help members determine what
information they need; how to gather, prioritize and interpret it; and, finally, make decisions.
“All group learning ultimately reflects someone's original beliefs and values, their sense of
what ought to be, as distinct from what is.”
In addition to having different perceptions of physical reality, organizations also have
different values about "social reality," that is, about how members should treat one another
and allocate power.
For example, in hierarchical societies, people may accept the validity of elders'
pronouncements without question. In individualistic societies, members want reasons and
proof. Whether a culture is "high-context" or "low-context" also determines the members'
attitudes toward truth: In high-context cultures, truth and meaning depend on
circumstances, conditions and individual actors. In low-context cultures, meanings are
unambiguous and universal.
4. "Assumptions about the Nature of Time and Space"
Ideas about time distinguish cultures from one another. The following are the four main
time orientations:
1. To the past – Focus on what was.
2. To the present – Focus on the task at hand.
3. Toward the near term – Focus on meeting short-term goals.
4. Toward the far future – Focus on the long term.
“The group cannot achieve its goals and fulfill its mission unless there is clear consensus
on the means by which goals will be met.”
In addition, time orientation may be either polychronic or monochronic. In the U.S.,
managers tend to think monochronically, slicing time into bits and doing "one thing at a
time." Monochronic cultures treat time as scarce and valuable. In contrast, Southern
European, African, Middle Eastern and Asian cultures are polychronic. To people in these
cultures, the notion that time is scarce seems strange, and they don't see why you should
do only one thing at a time. Japanese managers synchronized production processes that
American managers were performing in sequence – inventing "just in time"
inventory management.
“Reality can exist at physical, group and individual levels, and the test for what is real will
differ according to a level – overt tests, social consensus or individual experience.”
Different time orientations can complicate relationships within organizations as well as
across cultures. For example, salespeople tend to think in the short term, while
researchers think in the long term. The word "soon" may mean entirely different things in
the sales department and in research and development.
“One of the more subtle uses of space is our use of gestures, body position and other
physical cues to communicate our sense of what is going on in a given situation and how
we relate to the other people in it.”
Orientation toward space also differs between groups. People use physical distance to
communicate social relationships. Yet, a degree of closeness that is acceptable to the
members of one group may feel intrusive and rude to the members of another.
Organizational cultures established norms for the allocation of space. Usually, higher-
status members receive larger, more attractive spaces.
5. "Assumptions about Human Nature, Activity and Relationships"
Every culture has beliefs about what is human and what is not. In fact, some cultures
justified slavery by asserting that slaves were not fully human. Cultures also define human
nature: Some cultures think that people are fundamentally bad, while others think they are
good. Cultural values about human nature shape members' attitudes about work. Cultures
have three primary orientations toward work:
1. "The doing orientation" – Characteristic of pragmatic cultures that assume nature
is controllable and humanity perfectible. American culture, with its emphasis on
individual action, exemplifies the doing orientation. Organizations with a doing
culture strive for growth and market dominance.
2. "The being orientation" – A fatalistic sense that you must accept rather than
attempt to control nature, and that you should focus on the present. Organizations
with being cultures adapt to external facts rather than trying to create, grow or
dominate.
3. "The being-and-becoming orientation" – Emphasizes personal development
and self-actualization. An Exxon subsidiary was unwilling to promote French or
Italian managers, claiming they were "too emotional" – evidence of its narrow
assumptions about the growth and development of personality. In contrast, Digital
Equipment Corporation encouraged almost every type of self-development.
Understanding and Transmitting Culture
Researchers attempting to analyze organizational cultures must begin by acknowledging
that their understanding is necessarily limited. Only as they develop deep relationships
with group members will they succeed in truly understanding the culture. Insiders may be
uncomfortable about revealing their fundamental assumptions. They may not even be
aware of them. Moreover, culture changes over time.
“If the organization is not under too much external stress and if the founder...is around for
a long time, the culture evolves in small increments by continuing to assimilate what works
best over the years.”
It is possible to assess culture, but surveys or questionnaires are generally useless
because they are incapable of revealing deep feelings or complex behavior. Interviews are
a better approach. However, leaders should not undertake cultural assessments unless
they must address a well-defined issue. Otherwise, they risk disrupting culture, which can
create chaos. Ground assessments in concrete issues that affect the organization's
functioning and efficacy.
“The more turbulent the environment, the more likely it is that the more diverse
organization will have the resources to cope with unpredicted events.”
Organizational cultures often coalesce around the deeds and beliefs of the founders, who
usually have powerful convictions about the various aspects of culture. If the founders'
attitudes suit the environment, the organization succeeds. Six kinds of decisions and
behaviors embed and transmit culture:
1. Measurement and control of decisions.
2. Response to crises.
3. Resource allocation.
4. Coaching, teaching and example.
5. Reward and status determination.
6. Hiring, firing and promotion.
Organizational structures, systems, stories and rituals are then able to reinforce the
organizational culture.
Yet cultures change over time, as the organization grows and the environment evolves.
Subgroups and subcultures proliferate and differentiate themselves from the mainstream.
The way the organization expresses its basic values also changes. Leaders should
anticipate this, since one of their most important functions is to guide the organization
through cultural transformation, a difficult process that requires "unlearning" as well as
learning. Often, the leader must shock the system into questioning fundamental
assumptions.
About the Author
Edgar H. Schein is a professor emeritus and a senior lecturer at the Sloan School of
Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Tierney – The Power Of Bad Summary – BUENON

1-Sentence-Summary: The Power Of Bad gives some excellent tips on how to become
happier by identifying your tendency toward negativity and what psychology and research
have to show you about how to beat it.
Favorite quote from the author:

It’s 12:45 am and you’re laying there in bed, wide awake and in horror as you remember
something embarrassing you said when you were 12. It doesn’t help that you just watched
the news tonight and all they talked about was how awful everything is right now.
We live in a world where negative things seem to get all the attention, whether in our own
minds or otherwise. You get a whole bunch of positive thoughts but for some reason, the
one bad one takes control of your brain. Why is this? And how do we fix it?
Social psychologist Roy Baumeister and experienced science writer John Tierney are here
with the solutions in their book The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and
How We Can Rule It. You’ll get some answers on why negativity is so powerful, as well as
science-based strategies to bring more optimism into your life.
Let’s see how much we can learn from this book in just 3 lessons:
1. For every negative experience you have, try to get at least four positive ones.
2. People listen to criticism more even when it’s within a sea of compliments, but it
can help them grow if done correctly.
 3. If you’re around someone with a bad attitude, you’re more likely to develop one
yourself, so you should remove these people from your life.
Negativity isn’t good but learning about it is about to help you become happier! Let’s go!
If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it
whenever you want.
Lesson 1: You need to have five positive experiences to combat the overwhelming
effects of just a single negative one.
How do you measure whether you should stay in a relationship or not? The perfect one
doesn’t exist, after all. Our partners are usually great but once in a while their dark side
comes out. Does that mean you should leave?

One of the authors, Roy Baumeister, once asked himself this same question. To help him
decide, he started tracking the good, bad, and neutral days. Months later the data showed
that for every two good days there was 1 bad.
In other words, only 67% of days were good, so he left the relationship.
Baumeister’s efforts show the power of a positivity ratio, which is how many bad events
there are relative to good ones. It’s an important number, too, because research
shows that it has to be high if you want to succeed.
There’s a famous study by psychologist John Gottman that shows the truth of this. He had
married couples track their positive and negative interactions. In the end, those with an
even number of both broke up. But those who were the happiest had five good interactions
for every bad.
If you’re trying to improve yourself, though, Baumeister suggests you shot for a minimum
of four positives for every negative. So if you miss a run, for example, don’t be too hard on
yourself, just try to make it happen for the next four days.
Lesson 2: Sandwiching criticism between compliments doesn’t work, but when you
deliver feedback correctly it can help others grow.
I recently saw a video while scrolling through Facebook that interested me because I could
relate. It showed a woman standing between two large jars. One began filling slowly with
jelly beans, which eventually reached the brim.
The woman picked up the full jar and held it tight. Then one single jelly bean drops into the
other jar and she immediately drops the full one and picks the other up.
In this example, the jar full of jelly beans represents all of our positive interactions, while
the other is a symbol for the bad ones. The lesson, then, is that we have so much good
going on, but the negative takes over our minds, no matter how small.
Sometimes we need to give people feedback though. You might have heard that you
should say something nice, give the information, and then add another compliment at the
end. This is also known as the feedback sandwich, but it doesn’t work.
One psychologist did a study in which he told students they were reading words that
described their personalities. Although most were positive, a few insults were scattered in
there. Amid all the good, these were all the students could remember.
So when you need to give feedback, remember what doctors do when sharing bad news
with patients. They involve them in the conversation by asking them questions. This two-
way conversation helps them understand that they have more control than they initially
think.
Lesson 3: Remove people that have a bad attitude from your life so that you don’t
catch their infectious negativity.
Eliza Byington knows a thing or two about the power of a bad apple. Where once her office
was tense and gloomy, one day everything changed for the better. What happened? The
grumpiest employee started working from home!
They say that one bad apple will ruin the bunch, and this is true for people too. How you
feel and perform is a function of the attitudes of the people around you. In the famous
words of Jim Rohn:
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Science has a word or two to say about this, too. Patients who have good social
support, that is, a good network of family and friends who are positive, recover
faster.
On the other hand, if those family and friends are negative, they give social undermining
and slow recovery.
Research in the workplace shows similar results. Teams with only one person with a
negative attitude perform as bad as those where everyone is a downer! The authors
suggest watching out for three types of bad apples:
 The Jerk, who is rude.
 The Slacker, marked by laziness.
 The Downer, a person that is always pessimistic.
To limit their effect on your team, start by catching it early before they can make things
worse. Another useful tactic is to change the situation, like a unique task or a different
environment.
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The Power Of Bad Review
I love the lessons this book teaches! It may sound counterintuitive, but The Power Of
Bad is one of the best books on happiness that I’ve ever read. The advice and scientific
research to back it up is motivational to help anyone and everyone get over the bad things
in life to have more of the good!
Who would I recommend The Power Of Bad summary to?
The 29-year-old who is a pessimist at heart but is sick of always being miserable, the 53-
year-old that loves to learn about psychology and how to use it to improve their life, and
anyone that wants a new perspective on how to be happier.

STRESS – Robert M. Sapolsky – Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers The Acclaimed Guide
to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping – BUENON
Editorial Rating
10
Recommendation
Your body is a sophisticated machine. If it were an automobile, it would be a top-of-the-
line, luxury-class vehicle with all of the latest options. There’s just one problem: Your body
was designed for the savannas of Africa, not the streets and sidewalks of some urban
metropolis. This is a major issue due to one of your body’s great fail-safe systems: the
stress-response mechanism, also called the “fight-or-flight syndrome.” This mechanism
provides your body with its best chance to get away safely from sudden peril, such as
when a lion attacks you. It immediately floods your muscles with robust energy. Thus
strengthened, you are far more able to evade the hungry predator. Unfortunately, this
same stress-response also kicks in during psychological stress. In much of modern city life
(even without stalking lions), such stress is often chronic, making your stress-response
mechanism work dangerously overtime, and putting your body at risk of numerous stress-
related disorders and diseases. Robert M. Sapolsky, a leading neuroendocrinologist,
explains it all in this lively and entertaining, yet highly informative book. He writes with
delightful, ironic verve and dry, irrepressible wit. He details how chronic stress can
undermine your health, and explains what you can do about it, even in the urban
jungle. getAbstract feels calmer just suggesting that anyone experiencing stress could
benefit from reading this book.
Take-Aways
 The stress-response mechanism sends energy to the muscles during a short-term
physical crisis. This “fight or flight” response helps you escape from sudden danger.
 Chronic stress can trigger this mechanism and keep it activated for long periods.
 Such sustained stress-response activity can be horribly damaging to your health.
 Even if you exercise, eat well, maintain a proper weight and get plenty of rest, you
still may become seriously, even fatally, ill.
 However, science has not established a link between stress and cancer.
  Preventative stress relief can stave off or reverse many disorders.
 Regular exercise can substantially relieve stress.
 Other stress relief tactics include meditating, getting psychotherapy, releasing
frustration, gaining control over your life or socializing more.
 Most experts say you should not live in denial, but if a major catastrophe rocks your
life, denial can be a particularly effective coping strategy.
 Positive thinking can mitigate stress and its damaging effects.
Summary
Lions and Tigers and Zebras, Oh My!
A zebra on an African savanna lives a less complicated life than the average urban-
dwelling human – but it is in far more danger. A zebra, indeed, all savanna animals, must
routinely contend with severe, acutely physical crises. While grazing, resting or just
ambling along, a zebra must be ready to race away in a split second if a large predator,
such as a lion or tiger, suddenly appears. Similarly, a lion must be instantly ready to stalk
and pursue the zebra. Otherwise, the predator can’t eat. Physically challenging activities
like racing away from predators or attacking prey are hugely stressful.
“There has been a revolution in medicine...It involves recognizing the interactions between
the body and the mind.”
Today, most people do not have to deal with lions. Instead, they face daily psychological or
social disruptions: worrying about taxes, getting along with relatives, feeling inadequate,
being overlooked for promotion, fretting about feeling ill and a million other things. Such
worries represent severe, sustained psychological stress.
“Stress-related disease emerges [because] we so often activate a physiological system
that has evolved for responding to acute physical emergencies, but we turn it on for
months on end.”
Return briefly to that sweltering savanna, home of the alert zebra and the hungry lion. Both
animals possess “physiological response mechanisms” that are perfectly adapted to deal
with their immediate physical emergencies: for the zebra, racing away from the lion, and
for the lion, capturing the zebra. Such stress-response mechanisms enable animals to
deal with short-term, highly stressful physical crises.
“Sustained or repeated stress can disrupt our bodies in seemingly endless ways.”
Once the chase is over, however, the animals’ stress-response mechanisms relax (if the
zebra survives). The stress-responses have done their jobs, and everything goes back to
normal. The animals’ bodies return to homeostasis, a default condition where physiological
traits such as oxygen level, temperature and acidity quickly stabilize. For the zebra, the
lion and the other creatures, once a physical crisis passes, all bodily systems quickly
return to default homeostatic “settings.” The stress-response did its job, the crisis is over
and things can quickly revert to the way they were.
“What goes on in your head can affect how well your immune system functions.”
All animals, including humans, possess this stress-response mechanism. Most people no
longer need to outrun lions, but this same stress-response mechanism unfortunately kicks
in when people feel psychologically stressed and it can remain active indefinitely in people
who feel chronically stressed. This can cause immense physical damage, and can lead to
major stress-related medical problems and diseases.
How Your Body Adapts to Psychological Stressors
Simple worry can trigger an instant stress response. The primary purpose of this
mechanism, also known as the “fight or flight syndrome,” is to deliver vast amounts of
energy to the muscles for fighting or running. (Interestingly, a different response
mechanism can trigger a separate “tend and befriend” response in women.) When the
stress response kicks in, glucose, simple proteins and fats pour out of the liver and fat
cells, and also come from certain muscles, to supply quick energy to the specific muscles
that will keep you alive, for example, leg muscles to run from danger. At the same time,
your breathing rate, heart rate and blood pressure increase to send oxygen and nutrients
at an accelerated rate throughout your body. Digestion is not necessary in a physical
emergency, so it immediately shuts down, as do growth and reproductive functions. Thus,
when the stress-response mechanism kicks in chronically, men find it difficult to maintain
erections, women ovulate less frequently, immunity is inhibited and the “perception of pain
is blunted.”
“Our current patterns of disease would be unrecognizable to our great-grandparents...We
are now living well enough and long enough to slowly fall apart.”
The stress-response mechanism does a superb job of helping an animal in a short-term
physical crisis. But the story is much different for humans. The radical physiological
changes provoked by the stress-response mechanism over a sustained period of chronic
psychological stress can be incredibly damaging. For example, mobilizing vast reserves of
energy during a nonphysical crisis depletes needed vigor, resulting in chronic fatigue.
Elevated blood pressure is great when you’re fleeing a hungry tiger, but having your blood
pressure soar every time you look at your kid’s messy bedroom or sit in traffic fretting
about being late to a meeting is worse than useless.
“Many of the damaging disease of slow accumulation can be either caused or made far
worse by stress.”
Chronic stress is a likely path to eventual cardiovascular disease. Chronically stressed
children can experience suppressed growth. Women’s menstrual cycles can swing wildly
out of whack. Hormones secreted during stress can harm the brain. Constant stress
increases your chances of becoming ill, including with infectious diseases, since the
stress-response inhibits immunity. It is at the root of many “stress”-related diseases.
Hormones and Their Relationship to Stress-Response
The autonomic nervous system is directly involved with stress-response. It includes the
sympathetic nervous system, which originates in the brain and travels through the spinal
column to every part of the body. It mediates the “four F’s of behavior – flight, fight, fright
and sex.” Stress makes this system release hormones, including adrenaline (also called
epinephrine) and norepinephrine. Stress also releases glucocorticoids (steroid hormones)
and glucagons, a hormone from the pancreas. These “chemical messengers” activate your
organs during stress. The autonomic nervous system also includes the parasympathetic
nervous system, which mediates calmness, “everything but the four F’s.”
“Zebras and lions may see trouble coming in the next minute and mobilize a stress-
response...but they can’t get stressed about events far in the future.”
The brain is the “master gland” that mobilizes all activities during stress. When the brain
experiences a stressor (worrying about taxes, getting yelled at), it quickly activates the
stress-response mechanism, flooding the body with hormones, the “workhorses” of your
stress-response mechanism, and raising your body’s glucose levels. The stress-response
also inhibits other hormones, such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone.
“If you’re running 26 miles in a day, you’re either very intent on eating someone or
someone’s very intent on eating you.”
The immediate release of stress-fighting hormones to react to sudden danger can save
your life, but the routine release of such powerful hormones over an extended period is
incredibly harmful. Long-term stress-response is uniformly destructive. It wrecks your
metabolism, bursts blood cells, and elevates blood pressure and heart rate. It can cause
atherosclerosis, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and hypertension. It increases the risk of
gastrointestinal disorders and ulcers, which, by the way, are not a danger to zebras
because their stress is periodic, not chronic. The lion comes: big stress; the lion goes: no
stress. In human beings, chronic stress can affect memory and damage the brain, ruin
your sleep and accelerate aging. It is often a factor in depression. The list goes on and on.
(However, scientists have not yet established a firm link between cancer and stress.)
Treating Stress
Stress affects different people different ways, and so do stress relief methods. Experts
offer many possible stress reduction solutions, and recommend maintaining your “cognitive
flexibility” and perhaps trying various approaches to see if you are better served by
changing the stressor or by adjusting how you perceive it.
“Everything bad in human health now is not caused by stress, nor is it in our power to cure
ourselves of all our worst medical nightmares merely by reducing stress and thinking
healthy thoughts...Would that it were so. And shame on those who would profit from
selling this view.”
Should you concentrate on gaining control of your emotions or consider joining a club to
gain social support? Your choices depend on your personality and circumstances, as well
as the type of stressors you experience. You could adopt one coping strategy today and
another one tomorrow. Just trying something new is often the best strategy. Change can
be energizing and often extremely healthful. Different tactics you can test to try to ease the
harmful effects of chronic psychological stress, include:
 Exercise – Improving your physical conditioning often significantly reduces stress.
Exercise elevates mood, lowers resting heart rate and blood pressure, and
increases lung capacity. Regular exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular and
metabolic diseases, or makes it less likely that stress will exacerbate them.
  Socialization – People who socialize often are less stressed than loners. But
choose your pals wisely. Even a little time with cantankerous people can be very
stressful.
 Control – When nursing-home residents exercise more control over their own
affairs, they become happier and more content. Hospital patients who are able to
self-administer their painkillers also experience less stress. Whenever possible,
gain control of as many aspects of your life as possible, but don’t waste your time
with recriminations about past events or with efforts to control what may transpire in
the uncontrollable future.
 Predictability – Though the future is unknowable, you will feel calmer if you do
know how and when something will occur than if you don’t. Thus, it often is helpful
to establish predictability when possible. On the other hand, sometimes knowing
too much about coming events can also become stressful.
 Meditation – Glucocorticoid levels and blood pressure drop during meditation, but
it isn’t clear whether these salutary effects remain after the meditative experience.
 The “80/20 rule” – The initial 20% of your efforts will reduce 80% of your stress.
As any mental health professional will tell you, getting a person to do something
about emotional problems – even just scheduling an appointment to discuss things
with a therapist – often makes all the difference. Thus it is productive to take action
of some kind to reduce stress. Instituting an immediate change is the best way to
relieve stress quickly. Do something to change your life. Take action now.
 Denial – When life deals you a truly catastrophic hand, something that is far
beyond prevention, control and healing, denial often proves to be the best coping
strategy. In the face of utter disaster, never give up hope that things can improve.
This may sound utterly naive and optimistic, but such a positive attitude will help
you minimize stress.
 Find an “outlet for your frustrations” – Maybe it’s swimming. Maybe it’s
smashing up ratty furniture in the backyard with a sledgehammer. Maybe it’s
singing a song at the top of your lungs. Whatever it is, do it regularly if it helps.
 Repetition of stressful events – Ironically, the more often you do something
stressful, the less stressful it can become. Studies of Norwegian soldiers show that
their epinephrine and glucocorticoid levels are extremely high for hours before and
after their first few parachute jumps. But after a large number of jumps, their
hormone secretion patterns return to normal – except when they actually leap out
of the plane.
 Psychotherapy – Professional help can change your behavior and the way you
handle stress, as well as altering your cholesterol profile and other health
indicators.
In the Absence of Magic Cures, Try for Serenity
Unfortunately, a magic pill for stress management does not exist. You may gain maximum
control and predictability, become a social leader, and engage in numerous stress-fighting
activities, and yet continue to suffer stress. Stress affects everyone differently, and how it
hits you may have as much to do with your prenatal biology and other noncontrollable
factors as with the positive steps you take.
“Hope for the best and let that dominate most of your emotions, but at the same time let
one small piece of you prepare for the worst.”
Many believe that spirituality and religion greatly alleviate stress and improve health. While
extensive literature exists on this subject, the jury is still out regarding the salutary effects
of religion and spirituality on stress. Strive to maintain a default position of “energized
calm” when stressors occur. While such a mental state may be hard to achieve during
psychological stress, this idealized goal offers real benefits.
“When something good happens, you want to believe that this outcome arose from your
efforts, and has broad, long-lasting implications for you.”
How can you achieve such admirable serenity? Christian theologian Reinhold Niebuhr
suggests one path with this immortal prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the
things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know
the difference.” The Quakers offer a profound, old-time saying: “In the face of strong winds,
let me be a blade of grass. In the face of strong walls, let me be a gale of wind.” With
psychological stress, sometimes your task may be to blow down a wall. Other times, it may
be to bend in a strong wind without breaking. Wisdom means knowing when to be the gale
and when to be the blade of grass.
“When the outcome is bad, you want to believe that it was due to something out of your
control, and is just a transient event with very local, limited implications.”
Here’s something far more prosaic: Did your grandparents tell you to stop worrying so
much? Or did your Mom? Such advice may sound banal and trivial, but scientists have
reduced the chances that lab rats will get sick by making them perceive their reality in a
positive way. Indeed, experts who study stress believe that your body’s “physiology is often
no more decisive than [its] psychology.” Maintaining a positive, optimistic attitude in the
face of trouble and stress can make all the difference. Think of the zebra; the lion will come
when and if it comes and, until then, you might as well graze.
About the Author
Robert M. Sapolsky is a professor of biological sciences, neurology and neurological
sciences at Stanford University. He conducts research on stress and neuron degeneration.
In 1987, he received a MacArthur Fellowship “genius” grant.

CHAOS – Bob Miglani – Embrace the Chaos – INGLES

How India Taught Me to Stop Over-Thinking and Start Living
Editorial Rating
7
Recommendation
Bob Miglani provides a simple philosophy to fight the stress and uncertainty of corporate
life: Accept it and move along. He illustrates relinquishing control and giving up over
analysis with examples from his experiences in India, where he lives. The book excels in
explaining how to avoid exhausting yourself on a fruitless quest for control, but it falls short
when it suggests that most Indians believe the same things. India is a nation of many
beliefs, cultures and contradictions. While the book reflects some aspects of Hindu culture,
it is not a guide to understanding India as a whole. getAbstract recommends Miglani’s
advice to managers and students who seek a more relaxed perspective on management
and life.
Take-Aways
 You have less control than you think, and that may make you anxious.
 Abandon your desire for control. If you want to see how, watch daily life in India.
 Letting go of control exposes you to experiences you would not otherwise have.
 Learn to accept, to not “overthink” and to take action instead of waiting for certainty.
 Regardless of how uncertain, imperfect and complicated things are, accept them.
 Driving on Indian roads teaches you that safety and security is an illusion.
 Even with constant contact through instant messaging, texting and
videoconferencing, a lack of “face-to-face” interactions may make you feel
unfulfilled.
 Stop “overanalyzing,” overplanning or trying to predict what will happen tomorrow.
 Life often calls for walking through a web of “chance” and “coincidence.”
 What you seek is not somewhere out there – in India, for instance – but within you.
Summary
Out of Control
You have less control than you think, and that makes you anxious. You “overthink,”
overanalyze and hope that your future will unfold as you envision. But life is not
predictable. You “can never really conquer the chaos,” you “can only embrace it.”
Accepting that life is uncertain exposes you to experiences you would never otherwise
have and helps you discover abilities you never knew you had. Recognize that the only
aspects of life you can control are your actions and perspectives, so “let go” of the rest.
“Taking action is your only certainty. Get working on what you can do, right here and right
now.”
The everyday lives of Indians in a land of more than a billion people exemplify how to cope
with and relish life by determining realistically what you can control and what you can’t.
Indians manage to find joy and contentment despite the odds. They exemplify three
principles to follow in your effort to let go:
1. “Accept” – Life is unpredictable, uncertain, imperfect and complicated: Accept
that. Stop thinking about obstacles and abandon negativity. For instance, an Indian
taxi driver knows he cannot trust anything but his own abilities and the collective
abilities of other drivers to keep out of harm’s way. He focuses on doing what he
must and doesn’t worry about what other people do – a better approach than letting
chaos overwhelm you.
2. “Don’t overthink” – When you “overthink,” you can lose sight of what you really
want. Overthinking causes you to hesitate, which may do more damage than
undertaking something you think is risky. People and conditions you can’t control
cause a lot of the situations you’ll encounter, so “why create stress...by worrying
about something that might or might not happen?”
3. “Move forward” – India’s roads prove that safety and security is an illusion. They
often lack street signs and traffic lights, and the drivers follow no rules. Indian
drivers move forward in the direction they chose, “whatever may come.” They learn
ways around barriers, rather than focusing on them.
“Searching for God at Five Thousand Feet”
Your plans may not work out. That could bewilder you. You might seek a scapegoat,
whether someone else or yourself. You may blame circumstances and wonder why fate is
victimizing you. You could feel paralyzed and invent reasons why you should not attempt
anything else at all. If so, think about the eight million Indians who visit the Himalayan
shrine Vaishno Devi every year. Pilgrims ascend more than 5,300 feet as they walk more
than seven miles from Katra, a city in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This arduous hike
can take eight hours.
“At the heart of so much of our stress and anxiety...lies a feeling that we have no control.”
The trek can go spectacularly wrong. Visitors must not carry any items made out of animal
skins. They must leave their leather purses behind. If you are prudent, and tuck some
money elsewhere, you’ll be fine. Imagine you visited the shrine, left your purse behind and
find yourself stranded in a little town with no idea how to return to Delhi. Agonizing about
your predicament and the unfairness of it all will not help.
“So often...we feel as though we’re about to move forward, but something holds us back. It
is our own mind.”
If your return flight is delayed before you can reorganize yourself, you could be in serious
trouble. “They’ll never tell you a flight is canceled. They’ll say that it’s not operating today –
I guess because ‘canceled’ is very definitive and nothing in India is ever definitive.” Your
only hope is to jump in and make friends with local people and the staff at the airline. More
often than not, people are willing to help.
Lonely in a Virtual Crowd
You live in a “hyper-connected” society, in constant contact with others via instant
messaging, texting and videoconferencing. Yet you might yearn for “face-to-face”
interactions. To feel connected and satisfied with other people in the real world, begin
“accepting people as they are.” Try not to “fix,” “control” or “judge” your fellow human
beings. “Accept the person” you find, not the one you hope to find.
“We finally stop asking why and turn our attention to the now.”
Retreating into yourself is difficult in India, a compulsively social country. You are expected
to attend celebrations like marriages, naming ceremonies for children, birthdays and
funerals. Such togetherness, while not perfect, helps you cope with an increasingly
unpredictable world and replaces more ritualized religion. Indians are comfortable with
open displays of affection – men often hold hands with their male friends.
“We are held back...out of fear of taking a chance.”
Most Indians are not afraid to tell their friends and family their innermost hopes and
dreams. Such sharing builds strong human connections that give people resilience and
persistence in the face of the most trying circumstances. You learn that “it’s OK to be
pushed outside of your comfort zone.”
Don’t Overthink
Stop “overanalyzing,” overplanning or trying to predict what will happen tomorrow. Not
even a genius can foretell the future. Even making good guesses is hard, because the
world changes so quickly and is so interconnected. Your search for more data can actually
do more harm than good, leading to decision paralysis. Refusing to act until you find an
optimum solution can bring you to a standstill. Instead weigh one option against another.
Constantly trying to plan your next move reduces your consciousness of the present. That
may lead you to miss out on the best parts of life.
“We don’t control what we encounter on the road. We only control how we steer our way
forward.”
Don’t excessively ruminate about other people. Apply that energy to what you can control
– your own actions. Trusting your instincts and judgment will lead you to make better
choices. As you rely on your instincts, they will fine-tune themselves and lead you to your
goals more easily.
Indians learn to “adapt and improvise” because they live in unpredictable circumstances
with few resources. Most Indians have arranged marriages. Relatives and friends select a
suitable bride or groom. In the past, the two did not even meet until their wedding day.
Arranged marriages work because younger Indians grow up with the knowledge that life is
difficult. They believe they can sort out their differences with other people and they don’t
expect a perfect solution.
Simple Celebrations
Society teaches you to believe that you must work hard to provide your family with
comforts without which they cannot be happy. This notion is false. What you work so hard
to provide may not guarantee happiness. Instead, you could be blind to far simpler things –
a shared moment of hilarity, a carefree dance or a simple treat that you and your family
enjoy together.
Indian Weddings
Indian weddings are chaotic. No one ever holds a dress rehearsal, yet everything falls into
place. You must accept minor imperfections like a missing horse, tardy caterers and
relatives who decide to stop to enjoy a drink though everything is woefully behind
schedule. The bride and groom get married and everyone has fun in the meanwhile. If you
focus on things going wrong, you’ll miss out on the magic and unexpected pleasures.
Meditation
Every morning, most Indians spend a few minutes in prayer. They recognize the essential
uncertainty of life and believe in a greater power. Many Indians visit a temple during the
course of the day. Indians encounter as much anarchy and complexity in temples as they
do elsewhere; India has many gods, and people worship them in different ways. When you
visit a temple, you must purify yourself and participate in a number of rituals. Numerous
other worshippers are there with you. In India, praying is individual rather than collective.
Indian meditation and prayer almost force you to cease conscious thought and get on with
doing things.
“Navigate the Chaos”
To work your way through confusion, you must act. Taking charge of your intentions – how
you think and react to situations – provides greater certainty than trying to control
everything around you. To be more confident, stop thinking excessively and start doing.
“With distractions and challenges around every corner, it’s easy to feel as if we’re running
around a hamster wheel and getting nowhere.”
Take Tushar, an Indian pharmaceutical representative in Mumbai who faces a competitive
market where products may not vary widely – except on price. No amount of traditional
sales analysis can change his market or his harsh working conditions. When Tushar
attempted all the prescribed sales methods, he ended up more frustrated. He has to
manage a situation in which he has little control. The only way he could cope was to stop
worrying about things he could do little about. As he says, “Rather, it is better to fix yourself
and your mind than to try to understand other people. You can get lost in trying to think
about what others say, think or do.” He learned from his “guru” that being too concerned
about what other people said or did was pointless. Rather, the guru suggested, he must
focus his energies on trying to become a better person.
Timing
Most people have a problem with timing and want it to be precise. Yet, they wait for the
right partner, right job or the right home. Recognize there is no perfect anything. One way
to learn that is to visit Delhi and try to board a local bus. The Delhi Transport Corporation
runs hundreds of buses. They are always heavily overloaded with, apparently, no space for
new passengers. Their drivers never come to a complete stop. When a bus approaches,
you have to start running alongside and jump on. This is scary, but once you’re safely on
board, the sense of achievement is immensely uplifting. “There is real joy and freedom in
seeing something coming and, no matter how imperfect it seems, reaching out to take
action, and in having some assurance” that when you begin to run and “grab on tight,
helping hands will often help those who help themselves.”
A Higher Force
You may face problems so overwhelming that you want to give up. Deep within you is
something that can help you through: your ability to help someone else. External
disturbances may sometimes drown out this understanding.
“Each day a billion Indians, from poor farmers to Bombay billionaires...awaken to
complicated, chaotic lives. Before they leave their homes...they undertake a ritual that has
been practiced for generations...They fold their hands in prayer, yielding their lives to the
universe.”
Dr. Thakor Patel retired from the US Navy. While in the Navy, he worked on ships that
provided disaster relief. He created a program to provide basic health care to villages in
India. The program trained health care workers, like Prakash, to conduct simple medical
tests and to spread awareness about hygiene. Prakash does not make much money – the
program pays him about $100 a month – and he has little security, because the program’s
funding depends on the generosity of donors in the US. Prakash placed the needs of
others over himself and that drives him to continue working.
God’s Way
Many people visit Indian gurus for answers to questions that plague them. One such guru
lives two hours outside the Indian city of Pune. He will ask you if God answers you when
you worry about a question that perplexes you. If you say God does not answer, he will tell
you that is God’s way of giving you the time and silence to look within yourself. What you
seek is not somewhere out there – in India, for instance – but within you.
No Straightforward Path
You cannot follow some smooth, straightforward path to your goals and happiness. Life
more closely resembles walking through a great web of “chance” and “coincidence.” Don’t
obstruct the flow that got you where you are today. Given life’s “sheer luck, randomness
and chance,” you didn’t reach the present “in a straight line” and the path forward won’t be
straight, either.
The Butterfly Effect
No one has mastery over life. When circumstances force you to a standstill and you give
up wanting control, things will change. If you see yourself “as more than human and feebly
attempt to make predictions, to cast aspersions, to scheme and overplan,” you will “get
stuck, because chaos spares no one.” You can reach your “fullest potential for a fulfilling
and happy life” by relinquishing your egotistical efforts and “accepting the unpredictable
nature of life.”
About the Author
Bob Miglani, whose family moved to the US from India when he was nine, is an executive
at a Fortune 500 firm and the author of several books.
CHAOS – Bob Miglani – Acepte el caos – ESPAÑOL
Cómo India me enseñó a dejar de elucubrar tanto y comenzar a vivir
Clasificación editorial
7
Reseña
Bob Miglani ofrece una filosofía simple para luchar contra el estrés y la incertidumbre de la
vida corporativa: acéptela y avance. Mediante ejemplos de sus experiencias en India,
donde vive, ilustra la renuncia al control y al análisis excesivo. El libro se destaca por la
explicación de cómo evitar agotarse en una infructuosa búsqueda del control, pero se
queda corto al sugerir que la mayoría de los indios cree las mismas cosas. India es un
país con muchas creencias, culturas y contradicciones. Aunque el libro refleja algunos
aspectos de la cultura del país, no es una guía integral para
entenderlo. getAbstract recomienda el consejo de Miglani a gerentes y estudiantes que
buscan una perspectiva más relajada de la administración y de la vida.
Ideas fundamentales
 Usted tiene menos control de lo que cree, y esto puede causarle ansiedad.
 Abandone el deseo de tener el control. Si desea saber cómo lograrlo, observe la
vida cotidiana en India.
 Renunciar al control lo expone a experiencias que de otro modo no tendría.
 Aprenda a aceptar, a no pensar demasiado y a actuar en vez de esperar algo
seguro.
 Independientemente de lo inciertas, imperfectas y complicadas que sean, acepte
las cosas como son.
 Conducir por las carreteras de India le enseña que la seguridad y el hecho de
estar a salvo son una ilusión.
 Incluso con la comunicación constante mediante la mensajería instantánea, los
mensajes de texto y las videoconferencias, la falta de interacción cara a cara
puede dejarlo con una sensación de insatisfacción.
 Deje de analizar o planificar demasiado, o tratar de predecir lo que pasará
mañana.
 La vida en ocasiones requiere que caminemos a través de una gran red de
oportunidades y coincidencias.
 Lo que busca no está en otra parte, sino dentro de su ser.
Resumen
Fuera de control
Usted tiene menos control de lo que cree y esto le provoca ansiedad. Piensa demasiado y
espera que su futuro se desarrolle como lo imaginó. Pero la vida no es predecible. En
realidad usted no puede conquistar el caos, solamente puede aceptarlo. Reconocer que la
vida es incierta lo expone a experiencias que de otra forma nunca tendría, y lo ayuda a
descubrir las habilidades que no sabía que poseía. Reconozca que los únicos aspectos
de la vida que puede controlar son sus acciones y perspectivas, así que desista del resto.
“La acción es su única certeza. Comience a trabajar en lo que puede hacer, aquí y
ahora””.
En un país de más de mil millones, su cotidianidad ejemplifica cómo lidiar con la vida y
disfrutarla, si determina, de forma realista, lo que puede controlar y lo que no. Contra toda
probabilidad, los indios logran encontrar felicidad y satisfacción. Son ejemplo de tres
principios a seguir en su esfuerzo por desprenderse de las cosas:
1. Aceptar – La vida es impredecible, incierta, imperfecta y complicada; acéptela.
Deje de pensar en los obstáculos y en ser negativo. Un taxista de India sabe que
para estar fuera de peligro solo puede confiar en sus propias habilidades y en las
habilidades colectivas de otros. Se concentra en lo necesario; no se preocupa por
lo que otros hacen, lo cual es una mejor decisión que dejarse abrumar por el caos.
2. Sin elucubraciones – Cuando lo piensa demasiado puede perder de vista lo que
realmente desea. Elucubrar lo hace dudar. Puede ser más dañino que emprender
algo que considera arriesgado. Las personas y las condiciones que no puede
controlar causan muchas de las situaciones con las que se encontrará; entonces
¿por qué estresarse al pensar en algo que podría o no pasar?
3. Avanzar – Las calles de India demuestran que la seguridad y el estar a salvo son
una ilusión. Es muy común que no existan señales de tránsito ni semáforos, y que
los conductores no sigan ninguna regla y avancen en la dirección que elijan sin
importar lo que suceda. Los indios aprenden formas de sortear los obstáculos, en
vez de enfocarse en ellos.
En busca de Dios a cinco mil pies de altura
Sus planes podrían no funcionar y esto podría desconcertarlo. Es probable que busque a
un culpable, ya sea usted mismo u otra persona. También podría culpar a las
circunstancias y preguntarse por qué es víctima del destino, o quizás se paralice e invente
razones de por qué no debería intentar nada. De ser así, piense en los ocho millones de
indios que cada año visitan el Templo de Vaishno Devi en el Himalaya. Los peregrinos
ascienden más de cinco mil 300 pies en una marcha de más de siete millas desde Katra,
una ciudad en el estado de Jammu y Cachemira. Esta ardua caminata puede tomar ocho
horas.
“Al centro de gran parte de nuestro estrés y ansiedad ... yace la sensación de que no
tenemos control””.
La travesía puede ir espectacularmente mal. Los visitantes no pueden llevar objetos
hechos de piel de animales, así que deben dejar sus carteras de cuero. Si usted es
prudente y guardó dinero en otro lugar, va a estar bien. Imagine que visita el templo, no
lleva su cartera y se encuentra varado en un pueblito sin saber cómo regresar. Quejarse
por su situación y por lo injusto que es todo no ayudará.
“Demasiado a menudo ... nos sentimos como si estuviéramos a punto de avanzar, pero
algo nos detiene: nuestra propia mente””.
Si su vuelo de regreso se retrasa antes de que pueda reorganizarse, usted podría estar
en serios problemas. Ellos nunca le dirán que un vuelo está cancelado. Ellos dirían: “no
está operando hoy”; quizá porque “cancelado” es muy definitivo y no hay nada definitivo
en India. Su única esperanza es dar un paso adelante y hacerse amigo de los locales y
del personal de la aerolínea. Generalmente las personas están dispuestas a ayudar.
Sentirse solo en medio de una multitud virtual
Usted vive en una sociedad hiperconectada, en contacto permanente con otros mediante
la mensajería instantánea, los mensajes de texto y las videoconferencias. Sin embargo,
tal vez anhele las interacciones cara a cara. Para sentirse satisfecho y conectado con
otros en el mundo real, comience a aceptar a las personas como son. No intente arreglar,
controlar o juzgar al prójimo. Acepte a la persona que encuentre, no a la que espera
encontrar.
“Finalmente dejamos de buscar razones y desviamos nuestra atención hacia el
presente””.
En India, un país compulsivamente social, es difícil refugiarse en uno mismo. Es de
esperarse que usted asista a eventos como matrimonios, ceremonias para dar nombre a
los niños, cumpleaños y funerales. Tal comunión, aunque no es perfecta, le ayuda a lidiar
con un mundo cada vez más impredecible y reemplaza la religión más ritualizada. Los
indios se sienten a gusto con las muestras abiertas de afecto. A menudo, los hombres y
sus amigos varones se toman de la mano.
“De alguna manera cósmicamente impredecible, la vida se desarrolla y las cosas
funcionan, nunca como se espera, pero a veces incluso mejor””.
La mayoría de los indios no teme compartir con amigos y familia sus más profundos
sueños y esperanzas. Se construyen fuertes conexiones humanas que fomentan la
resistencia y la perseverancia frente a circunstancias difíciles. Se aprende que está bien
ser lanzado fuera de la zona de confort.
No elucubre demasiado
Deje de analizar y planificar demasiado o de intentar predecir lo que sucederá mañana. Ni
siquiera un genio puede adivinar el futuro. Es difícil hacer buenas conjeturas pues el
mundo cambia demasiado rápido y está muy interconectado. Su búsqueda de más
información, de hecho, hace más daño que bien si paraliza sus decisiones. Negarse a
actuar hasta hallar una solución óptima puede llevarlo a un estancamiento. Mejor sopese
sus opciones. Intentar planificar constantemente su próximo movimiento reduce su
conciencia del presente y puede llevarlo a perder las mejores partes de la vida.
“El temor a correr riesgos ... nos paraliza””.
No reflexione excesivamente sobre otras personas. Emplee esa energía en lo que puede
controlar: sus propias acciones. Confiar en sus instintos y su juicio lo llevará a tomar
mejores decisiones. A medida que confíe en sus instintos, estos se afinarán y lo guiarán
hasta sus metas más fácilmente.
“No controlamos lo que encontramos en el camino. Sólo controlamos la forma en que
impulsamos nuestro avance””.
Los indios aprenden a adaptarse e improvisar porque viven en circunstancias
imprevisibles, con pocos recursos. La mayoría se casa bajo matrimonios arreglados.
Familiares y amigos seleccionan al consorte adecuado. En el pasado, ni siquiera se
conocían hasta el día de su boda. El matrimonio concertado funciona porque los indios
más jóvenes crecen sabiendo que la vida es difícil. Ellos creen que pueden resolver sus
diferencias con los demás y no esperan una solución perfecta.
Celebraciones sencillas
La sociedad le enseña a creer que tiene que trabajar duro para proporcionar a su familia
comodidades sin las cuales no puede ser feliz. Esta noción es falsa. Aquello por lo que
trabaja tan duro podría no garantizar la felicidad. En cambio, usted podría no apreciar
cosas mucho más simples como compartir un momento de risas, un baile alegre o algo
simple que usted y su familia disfrutan juntos.
Las bodas en India
Las bodas son caóticas. Nunca hay ensayo general y, sin embargo, todo sale bien. Usted
debe aceptar pequeñas imperfecciones como la demora del servicio de alimentación y los
parientes que deciden detenerse a disfrutar de una copa pese al lamentable retraso. La
novia y el novio se casan y, mientras tanto, todo el mundo se divierte. Si se concentra en
lo que va mal, se perderá la magia y los placeres inesperados.
La meditación
Cada mañana, la mayoría de los indios dedica unos minutos a la oración. Ellos reconocen
la incertidumbre esencial de la vida y creen en un poder superior. Muchos visitan un
templo durante el día. Allí hay tanta anarquía y complejidad como en otros lugares; en
India hay muchos dioses y se les adora de diferentes formas. Al visitar un templo, debe
purificarse y participar en una serie de rituales. Numerosos fieles también están allí. Orar
es más bien un acto individual y no colectivo. La oración y la meditación en India casi le
obligan a detener el pensamiento consciente y continuar haciendo cosas.
Navegue en el caos
Para allanar su camino a través de la confusión, usted tiene que actuar. Hacerse cargo de
sus intenciones (cómo piensa y reacciona ante las situaciones) le da más seguridad que
intentar controlar todo a su alrededor. Para ser más seguro, deje de pensar
excesivamente y comience a actuar.
“Con las distracciones y los retos por todos lados, es fácil sentirse como si estuviéramos
corriendo en una rueda de hámster sin llegar a ningún lado””.
Siga el ejemplo de Tushar, un representante de la industria farmacéutica en Bombay,
quien se enfrenta a un mercado competitivo donde los productos no varían
considerablemente, excepto en el precio. Ningún análisis de ventas tradicional puede
cambiar su mercado o sus duras condiciones de trabajo. Cuando Tushar intentó todos los
métodos de ventas prescritos, terminó más frustrado. Se ha de manejar una situación que
no se puede controlar. La única manera de lidiar con esto fue dejar de preocuparse por las
cosas que casi no podía cambiar.
“Cada día, mil millones de indios, desde campesinos pobres hasta multimillonarios de
Bombay ... se enfrentan a vidas complicadas y caóticas. Antes de salir de su casa ...
realizan un ritual que se ha practicado por generaciones. Colocan sus manos en posición
de oración y encomiendan sus vidas al universo””.
En la opinión de Tushar, “modificar nuestra mente y nuestro comportamiento es mejor que
intentar entender a otras personas. Uno puede perderse al tratar de pensar en lo que
otros dicen, piensan o hacen”. Su gurú le enseñó que es inútil preocuparse por lo que
otros dijeron o hicieron y que necesita concentrar sus energías en intentar ser una mejor
persona.
Elegir el momento oportuno
Muchas personas tienen problemas para elegir el momento oportuno, y desean que este
sea preciso. Esperan por la pareja, el trabajo o el hogar adecuados. Reconozca que nada
es perfecto. Una forma de aprender esto es visitar Delhi e intentar abordar un autobús
local. La Corporación del Transporte de Delhi posee cientos de autobuses que siempre
están muy sobrecargados y, aparentemente, no tienen espacio para nuevos pasajeros.
Sus conductores nunca llegan a detenerlos por completo. Cuando se acerca un autobús,
hay que empezar a correr a su lado y saltar para abordarlo. Es aterrador, pero una vez a
salvo en el interior, la sensación de logro es inmensamente edificante. Existe una
verdadera sensación de alegría y libertad en ver algo acercándose y, sin importar cuán
imperfecto parezca, llegar a actuar, y además, tener cierta confianza en que cuando uno
empiece a correr y se agarre fuertemente, una mano amiga ayudará a los que se
esfuerzan, como ocurre a menudo.
Una fuerza superior
Usted podría enfrentar problemas tan abrumadores que hasta querría renunciar, pero muy
dentro de su ser existe algo que puede ayudarle a resistir: su capacidad para ayudar a
alguien más. Los problemas externos a veces pueden desvanecer este conocimiento. El
Dr. Thakor Patel se jubiló de la marina de Estados Unidos, donde trabajó en
embarcaciones que proporcionaban ayuda en casos de desastre. Creó un programa para
ofrecer atención sanitaria básica en aldeas de India mediante el cual se entrenaba a
trabajadores sanitarios, como Prakash, para llevar a cabo exámenes médicos sencillos y
difundir conocimientos sobre higiene. Prakash gana alrededor de 100 dólares al mes y
tiene poca seguridad, porque el financiamiento depende de la generosidad de los
donantes en Estados Unidos, pero Prakash antepuso las necesidades de otros a las
propias y esto lo impulsa a seguir trabajando.
La manera de Dios
Muchas personas visitan a algún gurú en busca de respuestas a preguntas agobiantes.
Uno de ellos vive a dos horas de la ciudad de Pune. Él le preguntará si Dios le contesta
cuando se preocupa por una pregunta desconcertante. Si usted le dice que no, él
responderá que es la manera que tiene Dios de darle tiempo y concederle silencio para
ver dentro de usted mismo. Lo que usted busca no es un lugar en el exterior, sino dentro
de su ser.
No hay camino directo
No se puede seguir un camino sencillo hacia sus metas y felicidad. La vida parece más
una gran red de oportunidades y coincidencias. No obstruya el flujo que lo llevó a donde
se encuentra hoy. Si pensamos que la vida está llena de aleatoriedad y oportunidades,
usted no llegó al presente en una línea recta y el camino hacia el futuro tampoco será
recto.
El efecto mariposa
Nadie domina la vida. Cuando las circunstancias lo obliguen a hacer un alto y renunciar al
control, todo cambiará. Si se cree sobrehumano e intenta inútilmente predecir, diseñar
estrategias y planificar demasiado, quedará atrapado, porque el caos no perdona. Puede
alcanzar todo su potencial para una vida plena y feliz si renuncia a sus esfuerzos egoístas
y acepta la naturaleza impredecible de la vida.
Sobre el autor
Bob Miglani, quien a los nueve años se mudó con su familia de India a Estados Unidos,
es ejecutivo de una compañía de Fortune 500 y autor de varios libros.

CAOS – TRABAJAR – PLANEAR LA VIDA – Lauren Berger – Póngase las pilas –

BUENON
Abandone el caos, haga el trabajo y diseñe su éxito
Clasificación editorial
8
Reseña
La mayoría de la gente hoy día está excesivamente ocupada y siente constante estrés,
preocupación y ansiedad. La experta en carreras profesionales Lauren Berger ofrece
consejos prácticos y valiosos sobre cómo priorizar sus tareas, proyectos y deberes
diarios, adelantarse a las nuevas obligaciones, evitar distracciones comunes, organizar y
gestionar su vida de forma productiva y disfrutar de mejores relaciones. Berger entrevistó
a expertos en productividad, gestión del tiempo, organización y eficiencia para compilar
este informativo manual de gestión de la vida. Ella enumera sus propias actividades como
una guía útil y proporciona herramientas para establecer objetivos y calendarizar.
Ideas fundamentales
 Muchas personas están excesivamente ocupadas y, como resultado, sufren de
distracciones, presión y estrés.
 La gente quiere poner su vida en orden.
 Planifique cada día la noche anterior; concéntrese primero en sus propias
prioridades.
 Fije tres grandes objetivos anuales; abórdelos paso a paso cada dos semanas
para lograrlos en un año.
 Utilice el calendario y las herramientas de comunicación adecuadas para organizar
su vida.
 Utilice la Técnica Pomodoro para dividir su tiempo de trabajo en periodos
manejables.
 Para cumplir con tareas diarias de manera eficiente, establezca una zona libre de
distracciones.
 Para resolver conflictos, sea proactivo y evite dramas.
 Para manejar mejor su vida, cuide de sí mismo.
Resumen
Muchas personas están excesivamente ocupadas y, como resultado, sufren de
distracciones, presión y estrés.
¿Está agotado, pero sigue retrasado después de trabajar muchas horas? El 61% de los
estadounidenses que trabaja dice que no le alcanza el tiempo para hacer lo que le
gustaría. Para escapar del frenesí, aléjese del ajetreo y cree su propia zona libre de
distracciones. Olvídese de intentar cumplir las expectativas de los demás. Concéntrese en
lo que le importa y desarrolle un plan práctico para lograr sus objetivos.
La gente quiere poner su vida en orden.
Los principios rectores para poner su vida en orden ofrecen soluciones prácticas para
organizar su vida en lugar de sentirse abrumado y estresado. Estos principios son:
 Ámese – Nadie es perfecto, no trate de serlo. Es humano, no se presione
demasiado. Amarse y tratarse bien aumentará su calma y concentración y reducirá
su inquietud.
 Marque límites saludables – ¿Se desvive cada vez que alguien hace una
petición? Establezca límites firmes para su tiempo y energía.
 Supere el fracaso; es inevitable – De vez en cuando, todos fallan. Si las cosas
van mal, no se desespere. Trate cada fracaso como una experiencia de
aprendizaje.
  De todas las personas con las que cuenta, usted debería ser el número uno –
Muchas personas hacen hasta lo imposible para mantener sus compromisos con
los amigos, pero rutinariamente rompen las promesas que se hacen a sí mismos.
Empiece a pensar en usted como su mejor amigo y trátese como tal.
 Vea por usted – ¿Se le va el día haciendo cosas para sus colegas? ¿Qué hay de
usted y sus metas? Piense en usted.
 Determine sus objetivos – Establezca tres objetivos principales. Desarrolle e
implemente planes de acción para alcanzarlos.
 Conozca sus prioridades – Defina sus objetivos para establecer el camino para
lograrlos.
 Conozca sus necesidades – Hágase preguntas como “¿Qué me hace sentir feliz,
triste o molesto? ¿Cómo puedo ser lo más productivo en el trabajo? ¿Cómo me
motivo?”
 Intente terminar sus tareas, no las deje a medias – Los proyectos y tareas
parcialmente hechas lo acosarán hasta que las termine.
 Acoja el aburrimiento – El aburrimiento puede revitalizarlo. Permítase aburrirse.
Tome descansos regularmente.
 Siempre autoevalúese – Identifique qué funcionó, qué no, qué lo hizo feliz, qué lo
desafió y cuál es su objetivo prioritario para el día siguiente.
 La preparación es la clave – No importa a qué se enfrente, estar preparado para
ello le dará la mejor oportunidad de éxito.
 Celebre lo bueno – La vida no es infinitamente maravillosa, así que disfrute de los
momentos agradables cuando pueda.
 Deje de prepararse para estar preparado – Haga lo que tenga que hacer.
 Elija métodos sobre estados de ánimo – El mal humor no logra nada. Adopte
una acción deliberada y metódica para lograr sus planes.
 Use su tiempo sabiamente – El tiempo es su bien más valioso.
 Deje de culpar a los demás – La gente responsable nunca juega el juego de la
culpa.
Planifique cada día la noche anterior; concéntrese primero en sus propias
prioridades.
Para un manejo efectivo del horario y el tiempo, comience sus actividades de planificación
diaria la noche anterior. Complete su lista de tareas para el día siguiente. Concéntrese en
sus propias prioridades. No tenga más de cinco elementos en su lista de tareas.
Empiece su día con un proyecto propio, algo que pueda hacer sin ayuda. Revise su
calendario para asegurarse de que contiene sus tareas y actividades importantes. Envíe
correos electrónicos de confirmación a cualquier persona con la que se vaya a reunir.
Deje tiempo para planificar sus reuniones. Considere qué dirá y cómo actuará en ellas.
Haga coincidir su lista de cosas por hacer con su calendario. Revise sus correos
electrónicos. Implemente su plan del día. No pase más de 15 minutos en una sola llamada
telefónica. Si surgen elementos de acción en sus llamadas, encárguese de ellos de
inmediato. Deje las tareas personales para después del trabajo.
Revise cómo sus días se comparan con sus planes. Si no está haciendo todo, evalúe
cómo lo planea y cámbielo si es necesario. Al iniciar este proceso, no se preocupe por el
fracaso. Hacer grandes cambios en la organización y la gestión de su vida prácticamente
garantiza pequeños fracasos.
“
“Ponerse las pilas en el trabajo significa comenzar la jornada con un plan, mantenerse
organizado y (...) concentrado en sus tareas durante todo el día”.”
No puede dirigir acontecimientos malos e imprevistos, pero puede dirigir cómo reacciona.
Cuando sucedan cosas malas, deténgase, pensamientos y reflexione sobre el hecho.
Piense en cómo transformarlo en nuevas oportunidades o lecciones valiosas.
Fije tres grandes objetivos anuales; abórdelos paso a paso cada dos semanas para
lograrlos en un año.
Establecer objetivos específicos, mensurables, alcanzables, pertinentes y con plazos
determinados. Comience con 10 objetivos para el año y luego redúzcalos a no más de
tres. Memorice sus tres objetivos y manténgalos en su mente.
“
“Tener un conjunto de objetivos manejables que pueda recordar es crucial para
lograrlos”.”
Use el proceso ATMQ para establecer sus objetivos. Desglose sus metas anuales (A) en
sus componentes: trimestral (T), mensual (M) y quincenal (Q). Semanalmente es un
periodo demasiado breve para una eficiente fijación y ejecución de metas.
Cree un plan de acción para lograr sus objetivos. Comience con sus objetivos
bimensuales, ya que se relacionan con sus objetivos anuales. Establezca tres pasos para
lograr cada objetivo quincenal. Su plan de acción es ocuparse de los negocios
quincenalmente para realizar sus metas anuales.
Utilice el calendario y las herramientas de comunicación adecuadas para organizar
su vida.
Numerosas herramientas pueden ayudarle a planificar, programar y gestionar su vida.
Utilice un calendario compatible con su programa de correo electrónico. Por ejemplo, use
Google Calendar si utiliza Gmail. Incluya todos sus compromisos, su horario y sus
objetivos ATMQ.
Organice su buzón de correo electrónico y manténgalo lo más limpio posible. Trate de no
tener más de 100 correos electrónicos en su bandeja de entrada en todo momento.
Ordene sus correos electrónicos por la categoría “de”. Archive los correos electrónicos en
función de quién se los envió.
Si usa una agenda, use bolígrafos de diferentes colores para codificar las entradas. Por
ejemplo, puede usar rojo para las prioridades principales, azul para las tareas
relacionadas con el negocio y la organización, morado para eventos y verde para otras
tareas. En lugar de las agendas convencionales, considere la posibilidad de usar un bullet
journal que pueda personalizar.
Utilice la Técnica Pomodoro para dividir su tiempo de trabajo en periodos
manejables.
Para reservar tiempo de trabajo de calidad y enfoque, adopte la Técnica Pomodoro, que
consiste en segmentar su día en periodos de 25 minutos separados por descansos de
cinco.
Una vez que complete dos periodos de 25 minutos, tómese un descanso más largo de 15
a 20 minutos. Use un temporizador. Esta técnica le ofrece suficiente tiempo para trabajar
sin interrupciones y muchos descansos para mantenerse fresco.
Para cumplir con las tareas diarias de manera eficiente, establezca una zona libre
de distracciones.
Las distracciones pueden tomar muchas formas, como llamadas telefónicas, correos
electrónicos, mensajes de texto o gente que pasa por su oficina, entre otras. Para obtener
el enfoque que necesita, cree una zona libre de distracciones.
Incluya todas sus tareas en su calendario para saber en qué trabajar y cuándo. Piense en
comprar auriculares de alta calidad y úselos para escuchar música de fondo mientras
trabaja. Los auriculares le ayudarán a mantener la calma y les indicarán a sus colegas
que no lo molesten.
Para evitar distracciones, apague el wifi, cierre todas las pestañas y programas que no
esté usando y apague el teléfono. Elimine las alertas de noticias, redes sociales, correos
electrónicos, mensajes de texto, los últimos descuentos en compras y demás. Limite las
interrupciones al establecer límites con sus colegas y empleados.
Los medios sociales ofrecen una serie interminable de interrupciones o interrupciones
potenciales. La autora Lauren Berger encontró que durante un breve momento mientras
intentaba escribir, la aplicación de notificaciones de su teléfono mostraba 57 correos
electrónicos, uno de CNN, siete mensajes de Instagram, una actualización de TMZ, dos
solicitudes de Venmo, una actualización de Postmates, un anuncio de Macy’s, cuatro “me
gusta” de Facebook, una actualización de Starbucks, otra de Topshop, The New York
Times y Hollywood Reporter, y siete mensajes de texto.
La persona promedio ahora pasa más de cinco años de su vida en redes sociales.
Recupere el tiempo. Piense por qué visita ciertas plataformas. Sea juicioso con su tiempo
en línea.
Para resolver conflictos, sea proactivo y evite dramas.
Trate de eliminar de su vida la discordia, los conflictos y las fricciones de todo tipo.
Cuando surja, manéjelo siguiendo estos consejos:
  Evite el drama – Ya no está en la secundaria. Deje de lado los comportamientos
impulsivos que solo empeoran las cosas. Trate con madurez lo que sea que se
enfrente.
 Sea proactivo y orientado hacia las soluciones – Siempre esté dispuesto a
relacionarse con sus compañeros para determinar qué pueden hacer para trabajar
juntos más eficazmente.
 Enfrente la situación – No se esconda de un problema. Lidie con él directamente.
 Las cabezas frías prevalecen – Llegar a una resolución cuando todos están
enfadados o molestos es difícil. Trabajen juntos cuando ambas partes están en
calma.
 Autoevalúese – Examine sus propios motivos en el conflicto.
 Practique la escucha activa – Si usted es el único que habla, no va a llegar a
ninguna parte. Entienda el punto de vista de la otra parte.
 Desafíese para arreglar el problema – No se enfade por el tema; los malos
humores nunca resuelven los problemas. No se deje llevar por ellos cuando haya
un conflicto.
Para manejar mejor su vida, cuide de sí mismo.
Puede crear el mejor horario, gestión del tiempo y plan de acción, pero no funcionarán a
menos que se cuide bien. Debe mantenerse fuerte mental y físicamente. Debe ser capaz
de relajarse. Si no puede relajarse, llegará al agotamiento. Para mantenerse fuerte
mentalmente, busque ayuda si siente que la necesita. Cuando se sienta deprimido, dese
charlas de ánimo. Examine sus sentimientos; pregúntese qué le dicen y por qué ocurren.
Para mantenerse físicamente fuerte, coma bien, haga ejercicio regularmente y duerma
mucho.
A continuación se presentan cinco maneras para relajarse:
 Haga dos planes por fin de semana – Mucha gente es adicta al miedo a
perderse algo. Programe solo dos actividades para cada fin de semana.
 Deje de sentirte raro por pasar tiempo a solas – Toda persona necesita pasar
un tiempo de calidad en soledad.
 Acoja el aburrimiento – El aburrimiento puede darle el empujón para cambiar de
objetivos y proyectos.
 Salga a pasear – Incluso una pequeña caminata alrededor de la manzana le
ayudará a centrarse y reducir el estrés.
 Diga que no – No puede relajarse si está a disposición de todo el mundo todo el
tiempo. Establezca límites firmes.
“
“Cuanto más intentamos ser todo para todos, más nos encontramos sin cumplir nuestras
expectativas y sin lograr nada”.”
Estos conceptos y acciones exigen trabajo duro, paciencia y ensayo y error para
encontrar lo que mejor funciona para usted. Comprométase con el trabajo necesario para
implementarlos. Empiece hoy a cambiar su vida pieza por pieza, día por día.
Puede obtener enormes beneficios al cambiar la forma en que maneja su vida, incluyendo
menos estrés, menos preocupaciones, menos cargas y más control. Puede convertirse en
la mejor versión de sí mismo.
La vida está llena de tareas, proyectos, actividades y compromisos. A menudo, estos
parecen interminables. Es posible que no sea fácil, pero intente apartar tiempo de calidad
cada día para usted y sus necesidades personales. Para ser más feliz en general, es
prioritario que encuentre un equilibrio entre el trabajo y el esparcimiento.
Sobre la autora
Lauren Berger es CEO y fundadora de CareerQueen e InternQueen, dos sitios web
dedicados a ayudar a las personas a lograr sus carreras soñadas. Su canal de YouTube
tiene más de 1,2 millones de vistas. También escribió los éxitos All Work, No
Pay y Welcome to the Real World.

Jay Shetty – Think Like a Monk – BESTS

Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day
Editorial Rating
9
Recommendation
Do you know your true calling? Former Vedic monk Jay Shetty shares advice he draws
from both scientific research and ancient spiritual texts to help you live a happy,
meaningful life. He guides you in learning to embrace detachment and overcome negative
self-talk and toxic influence; in building healthy relationships and self-esteem and
overcoming your ego; and in living mindfully with compassion and gratitude. Shetty
believes each person has his or her own “dharma” – a Sanskrit word that roughly
translates into “purpose” or “calling” – and that it’s never too late to discover yours.
Take-Aways
 Stop performing roles and tune out negative distractions.
 Negativity is contagious and has harmful effects on your mind and body.
 Stop defining yourself in relation to others and overcome toxic influences.
 Embrace detachment and live with intention.
  Discover your calling by serving others with skill and passion.
 Free your creativity with morning and evening routines.
 Harness the power of your mind and build healthy self-esteem.
 Perform acts of service with compassion and gratitude.
Summary
Stop performing roles and tune out negative distractions.
People tend to adopt different roles and personas when navigating distinct contexts. But
making others’ expectations more important than your personal values can leave you
depressed, insecure and dissatisfied. Living an authentic life is a better choice, even if
doing so means you risk losing relationships.
Assess the values that have steered your life so far, then identify the source of each value
– for example, perhaps your school taught you the value of knowledge while the media
taught you to value physical appearance. Eliminate distractions to reflect on whether you
want to live a life in pursuit of these values or update them. Audit the time and money you
invest each day, reflecting on whether your actions support your values.
For example, do you spend countless hours browsing social media instead of interacting
with your family? Try to embody higher values from the ancient Hindu Bhagavad Gita,
which include gratitude, charity, honesty and integrity. Perform a “companion audit”:
Reflect on the people you spend the most time with and whether their values align with
yours. Be mindful of letting those close to you influence you and filter out negative external
influences.
Negativity is contagious and has harmful effects on your mind and body.
When people engage in negative thoughts and behaviors, it’s often because they feel
something threatens a “core emotional need,” for love, peace, or understanding and
respect. Negativity can lead you to judge, manipulate and attempt to control those around
you, or to blame your problems on others. People often embrace a victim mentality, then
spread their negativity to others. For example, if you complain you are having a horrible
day, you may trigger others to complain as well. A natural tendency to conform and agree
– a phenomenon called “group-think bias” – prompts people to adopt one another’s
negativity.
“Every day we are assaulted by negativity. No wonder we can’t help but dish it out as well
as receive it.”
When you engage in negative thinking, you will likely show more aggression toward
random people. If you engage in negative thinking long-term, the resulting stress can
shrink your hippocampus – the region your brain uses for reasoning and memory.
Negativity also prompts your brain to release the stress hormone cortisol, which can impair
your immune system. Mindfully reflect upon upsetting events, noticing your thoughts and
feelings as they arise. By writing about your emotions, you can trigger mental and physical
healing and growth.
Stop defining yourself in relation to others and overcome toxic influences.
Don’t judge negative behaviors in others or expend energy finding solutions for them. Deal
with negative people and situations by removing yourself from the emotional immediacy of
the situation and finding a more objective viewpoint. Let go of your desire to cling to
negative emotions or possessions that trigger negative thoughts. Find three uplifting
people to counterbalance the effects of every negative person in your life. Release
yourself from your ego-based desire to “save” negative people by offering to listen to them.
Don’t define yourself in relation to those around you. Comparison only triggers envy,
greed, anger and jealousy.
“The more we define ourselves in relation to the people around us, the more lost we are.”
Take the following steps to reach a state of greater awareness and deprive negative
thoughts of their power:
 Identify the negative, or toxic, influences around you – List your negative
thoughts and reflect on what triggers them. For example, did you criticize a friend’s
appearance because you felt sensitive about your own?
 Pause before engaging in negativity – Freedom doesn’t mean indulging in any
desire, such as the wish to complain, just because you can. Freedom means
releasing yourself from the control of desires.
 Mindfully label your feelings – Instead of making unproductive, vague
statements about how you feel – such as, “I’m angry” – mindfully reflect on your
feelings and describe them with specificity. For example, you may experience
anger because you felt something or someone offended or disappointed you.
 Forgive those who’ve hurt you – When relationship partners forgive each other,
emotional stress on the relationship lessens, and both partners experience greater
well-being.
 Learn to forgive yourself – Overcome feelings of shame and guilt.
Embrace detachment and live with intention.
Transform your relationship with fear by changing what you fear. Most people fear the
challenges and stresses that accompany change, rather than fearing what matters:
missing opportunities. Change your perception of fear. When people are fearful, they often
react by freezing, panicking, fleeing from the problem or suppressing their feelings. If,
however, you learn to accept and “work with” your fear, you will soon find yourself
marveling at your ability to deal with these negative stressors. Overcome your fear by
confronting its source: attachment. Confront your need to control your circumstances and
cultivate a state of detachment. Identify the things that trigger your fears, and accept the
impermanence of everything around you.
“Fear motivates us. Sometimes it motivates us toward what we want, but sometimes, if we
aren’t careful, it limits us with what we think will keep us safe.”
Reflect on your goals and intentions and on the reasons you formed them; the Sanskrit
word for this process is “sankalpa.” People’s core motivations – fear, desire, sense of duty
and love – can determine their intentions. If, for example, fear is a core motivation in your
life, that might lead to the intention to protect your family. Question your intentions,
determine your core motivations, and ask whether your intentions are in alignment with
what you want to manifest in the world. Free yourself from external notions of success,
and create intentions that fill your life with meaning and purpose. Practice the ancient
yogic breathing practice “prānāyāma” to cultivate awareness of your breath, and apply
calming, meditative techniques to reflect upon your thoughts and feelings.
Discover your calling by serving others with skill and passion.
Direct your passion and skills towards something useful to others to discover your
“dharma”: a Sanskrit term for your calling or life’s purpose. Identify your strengths, or areas
in which you thrive, and use them to serve others. Don’t do things simply because you’re
good at them. The Bhagavad Gita says that performing another person’s dharma perfectly
is worse than aligning with your own dharma imperfectly. Make sure you pursue something
that sparks your passion, performing tasks you love and can execute well. Don’t worry if
others seem to have found their dharma earlier in life and you still struggle to find purpose.
Many people discover their dharma after cultivating greater self-awareness and developing
their strengths.
“Dharma isn’t just passion and skills. Dharma is passion in the service of others.”
The Bhagavad Gita divides people into four personality types, called “varnas,” which
shape their dharma:
1. Guides – They enjoy learning continuously and sharing their knowledge.
2. Creators – They enjoy bringing new things into existence, such as a start-up.
3. Leaders – They enjoy influencing and providing for people.
4. Makers – They enjoy the process of building tangible things.
Free your creativity with morning and evening routines.
Begin each day with resolve, focus and purpose by creating a morning routine. Get
inspiration from the rituals of monks: Wake up an hour earlier than usual and go to bed
early enough to get a full night’s sleep. Allocate time to make yourself a cup of coffee or
perform a gratitude mediation. Creating routines makes space in your day for deep,
sustained focus on tasks that engage you.
“Rules and routines ease our cognitive burden, so we have bandwidth for creativity.
Structure enhances spontaneity. And discovery reinvigorates the routine.”
Create an evening routine that prepares you for the next day. Identify and mentally prepare
for what you want to tackle first. Choose your version of monastic attire, such as a robe,
and wear that each morning to eliminate unnecessary decision-making. Be mindful of your
thoughts. Say three positive sentences to yourself as you fall asleep. Creating and keeping
routines grounds you and creates structure, giving your mind the space for creativity.
Harness the power of your mind and build healthy self-esteem.
The Samyutta Nikaya, a Buddhist scripture, describes the activities of the mind using the
visual metaphor of monkeys swinging from tree to tree: When you have a so-called
“monkey-mind,” unfocused thoughts race through your brain, many of which relate to your
anxieties and fears. People identify with their thoughts, but Buddhists teach that the self is
separate from the mind. Buddhists gain mastery over the mind by practicing detachment:
They observe thoughts objectively, rather than over-identifying with them – which can lead
to impulsivity as you react before thinking things through. Train your mind to rein in the
desires of the senses for instant gratification and short-term pleasures.
Overcome negativity and self-doubt by reframing your mind-set: When an inner voice tells
you that you’re failing, focus on how hard you’re working and how much you’re improving.
Practice self-compassion, extending the same love and respect you show other people
toward yourself every time you engage in negative self-talk.
“Our thoughts are like clouds passing by. The self, like the sun, is always there. We are
not our minds.”
Overcome your ego and practice humility. Doing so helps you understand your strengths
and weaknesses. The ego and self-esteem are not the same: Egotistical people think they
know everything and want everyone to like them; people with healthy self-esteem
understand they can learn from others and can handle some people disliking them. Solicit
feedback and celebrate small wins to build healthy self-esteem.
Perform acts of service with compassion and gratitude.
Understand the principle of karma: Your actions will return to you. When you perform acts
of love, acts of love will return to you from a variety or sources. When you hold on to
negativity, you reduce your positive influence on the world. Be intentional about your
romantic life and mindful of where you invest your energy: If you’re single, give yourself
permission to prioritize your self-development, career, friends and sense of tranquility.
Cultivate meaningful relationships with people with whom you connect emotionally and
spiritually – these relationships are more enduring than those with people who attract you
because of their appearance, material possessions or intellectual capabilities. Build and
reinforce trust each day: Fulfill the promises you make; give genuine complements and
constructive feedback to those you love; and show solidarity to friends when they’re facing
challenges or suffering the consequences of poor decision-making. Practice gratitude each
day: Focus on what you have and what others have given you, rather than what you lack.
“Seeing the purpose of life to be sense gratification – making ourselves feel good – leads
to pain and dissatisfaction. Seeing it as service leads to fulfillment.”
The Bhagavad Gita holds that the greatest purpose in life is service. Figure out the ways
you’re best suited to serve others, and direct your attention toward those acts. Service
doesn’t create a debt in the recipient – service is reciprocal. When you serve someone,
you heal yourself from emotional and mental challenges, such as depression and anxiety.
Monks believe that a compassionate life of service is a meaningful life.
About the Author
Jay Shetty is a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning storyteller, podcast
host of On Purpose and former monk. In 2019, he was AdWeek’s Young Influentials cover
star. In 2017, Forbes named him to their 30 Under 30 List for his game-changing impact in
media. His videos have been viewed more than eight billion times and he has more than
40 million followers across social media.

Jay Shetty – 8 Rules of Love – BESTS

All You Need Is Love
by David Meyer
Podcaster, best-selling author and former Hindu monk Jay Shetty offers profound
self-help and relationship advice in the form of Hindu principles.
Podcaster and best-selling author Jay Shetty – host of the On Purpose with Jay
Shetty podcast – learned about love during his three years as a Hindu monk. Gleaning
insights from his wife Radhi, whom he credits as one of his greatest teachers,Shetty seeks
to demystify love by distilling it into a daily practice.
A Learner’s Mind-Set
Make love an intentional daily practice. Let go of self-doubt, anger and greed, and commit
to a journey of self-discovery.
Embrace a continuous cycle of learning to love yourself and others. In fact, before you can
love someone else, you must learn to enjoy spending time alone. If being alone makes you
uncomfortable, learn a new skill, travel by yourself or volunteer in your community. Solitude
helps you develop a stable sense of self, preventing you from molding yourself to a
partner’s ideals or losing your authenticity in a relationship.
Love is not about staging the perfect proposal or creating a perfect relationship. It’s about
learning to navigate the imperfections that are intrinsic to ourselves, our partners and life
itself.JAY SHETTY
Think of karma as a mirror. Repetition of negative relationship dynamics reflects your past
impressions and unconscious patterns. For example, if your parents had a volatile
relationship, your karma may be to pursue similarly dramatic relationships because you
think such volatility is the one true form of love.
If your parents failed to meet your needs, you may look to other adults to fill those needs in
your relationships. Learn to fulfill your own emotional needs, treating yourself as you would
like others to treat you.
Deep Romantic Love
Aspire to find a partner who aligns with your authentic self and true values but realize that
real love is imperfect and so are you. Experiencing deep romantic love involves more than
having fun for a few nights or hooking up. Try to go patiently through all stages of love until
you can truly commit to and trust another person.
Trust doesn’t happen overnight. It develops slowly over time. Through honesty and
vulnerability, you can build an emotionally and physically safe loving relationship.
You and your partner can be gurus and students of one another. Love is a great
teacher. Being a guru doesn’t mean putting yourself on a pedestal. Instead, it
means offering guidance, wisdom and love without judgment, ego or expectation.
A partner you can grow with will usually possess self-awareness, mental flexibility, the
ability to enjoy solitude, curiosity about you, willingness to make an effort to understand
you, and an understanding of his or her emotions. This kind of partner inspires you to
pursue self-improvement and supports you and others on their growth journeys.
Both partners should endeavor to be worthy teachers for each other by embracing a
service mind-set, instead of a control mind-set. For example, rather than asking your
partner why he or she failed to carry out a commitment to do something, consider asking if,
in any way, you can help your partner achieve this goal.
We say we want to grow old together, but we forget to give significance to the growing
part.JAY SHETTY
Model the behaviors you wish your partner would embrace, such as curbing your spending
if you’d like to encourage thriftiness. Demonstrate curiosity and a “beginner’s mind” by
being open to guidance and advice. Your partner has wisdom to share, but don’t “lose the
thread of your own story” or neglect your interests, even if your partner doesn’t share
them. Growing together means nurturing your – and your partner’s – values, goals and
personality.
Embracing your purpose, or dharma, requires connecting your natural interests and talents
with “a need that exists in the universe.” You can’t show up for your partner or children if
you sacrifice your own purpose. Such a sacrifice would prevent you from giving them the
best version of yourself. Think of your dharma as a journey, not a destination. Living a
purposeful life means letting your passion flow through you.
When you align with your dharma, you can work toward financial stability, personal growth
and self-development. You’ll experience more genuine connections with others and,
ultimately, a genuine sense of inner liberation.
You can’t connect to another person on a deep level without
occasional disagreements. Rather than avoiding conflict, focus on resolving areas of
misalignment when they arise. Deal with disputes before they turn into bigger issues.
Never try to “win” an argument. Your partner’s losses are your losses. Approach
disagreements together as a team, and reframe conflicts as shared goals.
Breakup and Love
If your relationship includes any form of abuse – physical, verbal, emotional, financial,
sexual or digital, or behaviors like stalking – find a way to leave safely. For most other
issues, you won’t bear any shame if breaking up serves your growth. Show compassion
for your partner if you initiate the breakup. Do it face-to-face. Make eye contact, and be
truthful.
Don’t comfort your former partner following the breakup, because partners must heal on
their own. If your partner leaves you, resist trying to demonstrate what a mistake he or she
is making. Set your former partner free.
We are connected, and when we serve others, we are serving ourselves.JAY SHETTY
Approach your recovery from heartbreak thoughtfully. Give yourself space and stillness to
grieve and reflect. Focus on rebuilding your self-worth. Remember that you are the only
person who can define your value.
When people feel lonely, they often mistakenly focus on receiving love. When you express
love, you experience more love. When you enter a room, tell yourself, “I’m just going to
give love.” You will lead a more joyful life.
Love doesn’t manifest only in romantic relationships. Expand your “radius of love” outward
to include all living beings.
Hard-Earned Sincerity
Shetty shows how to cultivate and sustain deep, meaningful relationships while embracing
a never-ending journey of personal growth. Not all of his advice is new or groundbreaking,
but Shetty presents it with an air of hard-earned sincerity. In other words, someone who
has clearly put effort into his personal growth now lives his primary message of sending
love into the world by seeking to help you grow. Like Brené Brown, for example, he seems
too intelligent to vest in mere self-help. His advice transcends that genre while being
practical, applicable and potentially life changing.

PURPOSE – The Purpose Effect – INGLES

Building Meaning in Yourself, Your Role, and Your Organization
Dan Pontefract
Editorial Rating
8
Recommendation
Dan Pontefract, author of Flat Army, explains how companies can establish meaningful
goals, provide energized workplaces, and contribute to their communities and society.
Such “purpose-driven” firms put principles ahead of profits, but they find in the long run
that being purpose-driven is good for business. Pontefract shows firms how to reach a
meaningful “sweet spot” where three important roles come together: each employee’s
“personal sense of purpose,” the company’s purpose and the role-based
purpose employees feel when their jobs align with their priorities and beliefs. Those who
seek a sense of direction for their organizations and business students will benefit from
this detailed, practical, inspirational book.
Take-Aways
 “Purpose-driven” firms put principles above profits. They focus on their customers,
employees, team members, community and society, as well as profits.
 The “Purpose Effect” has three components:
 “Personal purpose” centers on each employee’s identity and commitment.
 “Organizational purpose” concerns a firm’s “principles, ethics, leadership and
culture.”
 “Role purpose” focuses on turning each worker’s job into a “calling.”
 The alignment of these elements creates an energizing “sweet spot.”
 The Purpose Effect inspires employees by making their jobs meaningful.
 Purposeful organizations follow the “Good DEEDS” acronym: “Delight, Engage,
(Be) Ethical, Deliver” and “Serve.”
 To use it, make customers feel great, engage with your employees, operate
ethically, always be fair and serve all stakeholders.
 Purpose-driven companies set out to earn profits and improve society.
Summary
Behind the Scenes Making Sausage
Johnsonville Sausage LLC, headquartered in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, produces
meatballs, sausages and bratwurst. It employs 1,500 people it refers to as “team
members.” It sells more than $1 billion in meat products annually.
In 2015, a fire destroyed Johnsonville’s plant in nearby Watertown. One hundred
Johnsonville members had no place to go to work and nothing to do. Johnsonville’s
management decided to keep paying them their full salaries. In return, it asked its
members to volunteer for community work for 20 hours each week and to spend another
20 hours each week on self-education. These activities occupied its Watertown workers for
nearly a year until a new plant opened.
“When the culture of an organization is harmonious – when team members feel as though
their opinion and contributions matter – a causal relationship between increased team
member commitment and bottom-line improvements becomes a likely outcome.”
Johnsonville Sausage has been a special place to work ever since Ralph C. Stayer
founded the company in 1945. Its “culture statement” says that Johnsonville’s goal is to
“become the best company in the world,” something it characterizes as a “moral
responsibility.” The firm serves “the best interest” of its stakeholders and the “personal
growth” of its members. Johnsonville’s intranet publishes the “personal development
commitments” of each member.
“When an individual performs in a role so that meaning and fulfillment [are] demonstrated,
good things can happen for all stakeholders.”
A drive to implement the “Highest Impact on Customer Service” (HICS) is the foundation of
Johnsonville’s business strategy. Team members work continually to implement it.
Johnsonville’s purpose transcends profits. Its culture statement represents the firm’s
deeply held ethos, by which the company lives daily – even in the toughest times.
“While purpose in the workplace is imperative, leaders are potentially overlooking its
significance to the overarching health of our civilization.”
Johnsonville executive Cory Bouck explains, “It would be morally wrong to hold people to
incredibly high standards without also giving them every opportunity and resource to
stretch and grow themselves in order to be able to deliver against those high standards.”
“Purpose-Driven” Firms
Many notable organizations across a broad range of industries have set an example of
how purpose-driven companies act. Consider these examples:
 In-N-Out Burgers, a fast-food chain, pays new employees an above-the-minimum
wage.
 Gravity Payments, a credit-card processing company, pays every employee at least
$70,000, based on a Princeton study finding that $75,000 represents the ceiling for
emotional well-being. Gravity’s CEO lowered his salary by $90,000.
 Fairphone, which makes mobile phones, uses “conflict-free minerals” to
manufacture “ethical” cellphones.
 Ikea manufactures a wide range of furniture, following a core business plan that
calls for “prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.”
 In 1982, Johnson & Johnson quickly ordered stores to remove 31 million bottles of
Extra Strength Tylenol from their shelves when a criminal poisoned a few bottles
with arsenic, killing seven people. The company reportedly lost more than $100
million, but cemented its long-term reputation for caring about its consumers.
The “Purpose Effect”
Purpose-driven firms base their activities on the Purpose Effect, which concerns the
organization’s purpose beyond making money, the roles that its team members play within
the organization and their individual motivation. The organization, individual team
members and society all benefit when each element is in place.
“When an organization and its team members are indeed on the same page – when the
sweet spot is being demonstrated by all parties – a collective sense of community can be
felt.”
The Purpose Effect engages and fulfills team members and engages them. In this
atmosphere, people do better work. If an organization’s purpose conflicts with employees’
purposes, they will be unhappy at work. But the Purpose Effect ensures that all workers
feel that their jobs represent more than just paychecks. They want their work to be
meaningful and to give them a genuine sense of purpose. As management expert Peter
Drucker explained, “To make a living is no longer enough. Work also has to make a life.”
The Components of the Purpose Effect
The Purpose Effect emerges at the intersection of three essential factors:
1. “A Personal Sense of Purpose”
Each team member should have a special, motivating purpose that addresses “what, who
and how.” Personal purpose calls for knowing who you are in terms of three aspects: First,
develop yourself. Be determined to improve and grow. Ask, “What am I doing to evolve
myself?” Second, define what your life should be, and redefine it regularly. Ask, “Who am I
in life and at work?” Third, decide every day to act in a moral, ethical and responsible way
in keeping with the person you choose to be. Ask, “How will I operate and be perceived by
others?”
2. “Organizational Purpose”
This is why your company exists. Organizational purpose defines who and what the
company is to itself, team members, customers, its local community and society as a
whole. Organizational purpose concerns “principles, ethics, leadership and culture.”
Organizational purpose requires the implementation and deliverance of solid “fair
practices” to all team members. This involves compensation (pay your people fairly);
performance management (substitute “coaching and mentoring” for “in-depth scrutinizing”);
and “recognition” (58% of all team members want more workplace appreciation).
3. “Role-Based Purpose”
Every organization assigns people to certain roles to meet its goals, and every team
member’s role should be meaningful. Most people define themselves according to their
work; that’s why their roles at work are so important. Employees’ role purpose should
completely align with their “personal and organizational purpose.” For role purpose to
emerge, companies must treat their employees well.
“The sweet spot is less a gentle overlap between three categories of purpose, and more
the result of dynamic tension between three often contradictory demands.” (Box of
Crayons consultancy founder Michael Bungay Stanier)
Team members who have a sense of the purpose about their roles don’t think of their jobs
as meal tickets. Instead, each person views his or her job as a “calling.” This is how you
want your employees to feel about their work. University of Ottawa research indicates that
76% of people who see their jobs as callings are “always engaged” at work.
The “Sweet Spot”
The sweet spot of purpose is where the three areas come together in a “reciprocal
relationship.” A balanced sweet spot emerges only when these main components work
together. This aligned structure supports members of the staff, “teams, the organization,
customers, owners and, perhaps most importantly, society as a whole.” The sweet spot
isn’t a final destination. Instead, it’s “an outcome of the alignment between personal,
organizational and role purpose.” To reach the sweet spot, organizations first need a
declaration of purpose.
“An organization without purpose [could] miss out on keeping or hiring high-performing
individuals.”
The declaration of purpose of Deere & Company (previously known as John Deere, still its
trade name) states, “We are committed to serving those linked to the land, thereby helping
to improve living standards for people everywhere.” Whole Foods’ purpose is, “Helping
support the health, well-being and healing of both people – customers, team members and
business organizations in general – and the planet.” Patagonia’s purpose is to “Build the
best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement
solutions to the environmental crisis.”
“Win-Win-Win”
Many companies have a shortsighted focus on profit alone. Such organizations should
broaden their perspectives. Mana Ionescu, the founder of Lightspan Digital, a purpose-
driven Chicago firm that offers professional content marketing and social media services,
says that companies need win-win-win strategies.
“In a world where anything or anyone can be owned, manipulated and exploited for profit,
everything and everyone will eventually be.” (University of British Columbia law professor
Joel Bakan, “The Corporation”)
These tactics create profits as well as giving customers solid value, making significant
contributions to society, and providing meaningful, rewarding and satisfying work for their
employees. However, win-win-win will work only if all team members, no matter what their
individual roles and authority, perform as both “leaders and followers.”
“An individual who seeks a personal sense of purpose in life…is constantly developing,
defining and deciding his values, priorities, attributes and general ways of conducting
themselves.”
The culture of a win-win-win organization is “open, connected, collaborative, participative”;
it’s based on “general reciprocity.” This means that all team members work together for the
common good and understand the organization’s goals of achieving a high level of service
as well as a profit. Everyone in a win-win-win organization should have a “purpose mind-
set.” That is, all team members should feel passionate about their work and their
performance. Everyone should commit to developing a “meaningful and
engaging” workplace.
The “Job Mind-Set”
The purpose mind-set stands in marked contrast to the job mind-set, which shapes the
actions of employees who do their jobs simply to earn paychecks, and the “career mind-
set,” under which employees focus primarily on advancing their careers so they can earn
more money and accumulate more power and prestige.
“Companies in which more employees perceive their workplaces as ethical report higher
retention rates, more positive work and supervisory relationships, better dispute resolution,
and enhanced productivity.” (Keyes)
Both of these money and power-oriented mind-sets undermine the purpose mind-set.
When you educate your employees about their personal, organizational and role purposes,
address these negative mind-sets directly. Explain why they aren’t in alignment with how
people think in a purpose-driven organization.
“Personal Declaration of Purpose”
Each team member should create his or her personal declaration of purpose that answers
the all-important question, “Who am I in life and at work?” This brief written document
provides each person with an “ongoing definition” that changes depending on evolving
circumstances. You can’t achieve balance – the sweet spot – among your personal,
organizational and role purposes unless you know the personal purpose that brings
meaning to your life.
“Good DEEDS”
Organizations that are formally or informally dedicated to their purpose subscribe to the
goals outlined by the Good DEEDS acronym:
 “Delight your customers” – Remember, customers are the top priority; strive to
make them happy.
 “Engage your team members” – Helping your team members flourish will create
a sense of communitas, denoting a “feeling and spirit of togetherness.”
 “(Be) ethical within society” – Make a positive contribution, and have no
negative effect on people or the environment.
 “Deliver fair practices” – Offer top value for a reasonable price.
 “Serve all stakeholders” – An organization’s stakeholders include its “customers,
team members, the community and owners.”
Purpose Is Good Business
McKinsey & Company advises companies to “integrate environmental, social and
governance issues into their business model – and act on them.” Purpose-driven
companies achieve “positive productivity gains,” and they enjoy “short- and long-term
growth” and “financial benefits.” Deloitte reports that 73% of team members in purpose-
driven organizations feel “fully engaged” in their work.
“By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work 12
hours a day.” (journalist Robert Quillen)
Companies that operate with purpose are on the path to becoming productive, successful
enterprises with engaged team members. Their focus is to improve society as well as to
increase profits. This isn’t just smart business; it’s also the moral, ethical thing to do.
Futurist Buckminster Fuller probably said it best: “Make the world work, for 100% of
humanity, in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without
ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.”
About the Author
Dan Pontefract is “chief envisioner” of TELUS Transformation Office, a consulting firm
that helps organizations enhance their corporate culture and collaboration practices. He
also wrote the bestseller Flat Army: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization.

PURPOSE – El efecto propósito

Cómo crear significado en usted mismo, el papel que desempeña y en su empresa
Dan Pontefract
Clasificación editorial
8
Reseña
El consultor Dan Pontefract, que también escribió el éxito de ventas Flat Army: Creating a
Connected and Engaged Organization, explica cómo las compañías pueden establecer
metas significativas, ofrecer lugares de trabajo energizantes y realizar contribuciones
significativas a sus comunidades y a la sociedad. Estas compañías guiadas por un
propósito, ponen los principios antes que las ganancias, pero, a largo plazo, descubren
que guiarse con un propósito es bueno para los negocios. Pontefract les muestra a las
compañías cómo alcanzar un punto óptimo significativo en el que se conjuntan tres
factores importantes: el sentido de propósito personal de cada empleado, el propósito
organizacional de la compañía y el propósito con base en roles que los empleados sienten
cuando están en posiciones que se alinean con sus creencias y prioridades
personales. getAbstract considera que las personas de negocios que busquen un sentido
de dirección para sus empresas, al igual que los estudiantes de negocios, se beneficiarán
de este libro detallado, práctico e inspirador.
Ideas fundamentales
 Las empresas guiadas por un propósito ponen los principios antes que las
ganancias. Se enfocan en sus clientes, sus empleados o integrantes del equipo, la
comunidad, la sociedad y también las ganancias.
 El Efecto Propósito tiene tres componentes:
  El propósito personal, centrado en la identidad y el compromiso de cada
empleado.
 El propósito organizacional, que tiene que ver con los principios, la ética, el
liderazgo y la cultura de una empresa.
 Y el propósito según el rol, que se enfoca en convertir el trabajo de cada empleado
en una vocación que se alinee con su sentido de propósito personal.
 La alineación de estos tres elementos crea un punto óptimo energizante.
 El Efecto Propósito hace que los trabajos de sus empleados sean significativos.
 Las organizaciones con propósito siguen los conceptos de deleitar, comprometer,
ser ético, entregar y servir.
 Para que sea efectivo, haga que sus clientes se sientan muy bien, comprométase
con sus empleados, opere de manera ética y sea siempre justo.
 Las compañías con propósito buscan obtener ganancias y mejorar la sociedad.
Resumen
Lo que no se ve en la fabricación de salchichas
Johnsonville Sausage LLC, cuyas oficinas centrales están en Sheboygan Falls,
Wisconsin, produce embutidos. Emplea a mil 500 personas a las que se refiere como
integrantes del equipo. Vende anualmente más de US$1 mil millones en productos de
carne.
“Cuando la cultura de una organización es armónica –cuando los integrantes del equipo
sienten que su opinión y sus contribuciones valen– una relación causal entre un creciente
compromiso de los integrantes del equipo y mejoras en el balance es un resultado
probable””.
En el 2015, un incendio destruyó la planta de Johnsonville en Watertown. Cien empleados
de Johnsonville se quedaron sin trabajo y sin nada qué hacer. La gerencia de Johnsonville
decidió seguir pagándoles su salario completo. A cambio, les pidió a sus empleados que
fueran voluntarios en trabajo comunitario 20 horas a la semana y que dedicaran otras
20 horas a la semana en autoeducarse. Los trabajadores de Watertown se ocuparon en
estas actividades casi un año hasta que la nueva planta abrió.
“Cuando un individuo se desempeña en un papel de modo que significado y satisfacción
quedan demostrados, pueden pasar cosas buenas para las partes interesadas””.
Salchichas Johnsonville ha sido un lugar especial para trabajar desde que Ralph C.
Stayer fundó la compañía en 1945. En su declaración de cultura, manifiesta que la meta
de Johnsonville es convertirse en la mejor compañía del mundo, lo que queda
caracterizado como una responsabilidad moral. La compañía atiende a los mejores
intereses de sus partes interesadas y al crecimiento personal de cada uno de sus
integrantes. La intranet de Johnsonville publica los compromisos de desarrollo personal
de cada uno de los integrantes.
“Aunque el propósito es imperativo en el lugar de trabajo, los líderes potencialmente
ignoran su significado para la salud global de nuestra civilización””.
El impulso por implementar el Mayor Impacto en el Servicio al Cliente (MISC) es el
cimiento de la estrategia de negocios de Johnsonville. Su propósito trasciende las
ganancias. Su declaración de cultura representa los valores por los que la compañía vive
diariamente, incluso en los tiempos más difíciles. Cory Bouck, ejecutivo de Johnsonville,
explica que sería moralmente incorrecto hacer que las personas cumplan estándares
increíblemente altos sin que también se les dieran todas las oportunidades y los recursos
para desarrollarse y crecer, a fin de poder estar a la altura de tales estándares.
Empresas guiadas por propósitos
Muchas organizaciones notables en un rango amplio de sectores han puesto el ejemplo
de cómo actúan las compañías guiadas por un propósito. Considere estos ejemplos:
 La cadena de comida rápida In-N-Out Burgers paga a sus empleados un salario
por encima del mínimo.
 Gravity Payments, una compañía de procesamiento de tarjetas de crédito, le paga
a cada empleado al menos US$70 mil al año, con base en un estudio de Princeton
que halló que US$75 mil es el límite superior para el bienestar emocional. El
director ejecutivo de Gravity se redujo el sueldo a US$90 mil.
 Fairphone, que fabrica teléfonos móviles, utiliza minerales libres de conflicto para
fabricar teléfonos éticos.
 Ikea produce muebles siguiendo un plan de negocios central que requiere que los
precios sean tan bajos que el mayor número de personas posible pueda pagarlos.
 En 1982, Johnson & Johnson rápidamente ordenó que se retiraran de las tiendas
31 millones de botellas de Tylenol Extra Fuerte cuando un criminal envenenó unas
cuantas botellas con arsénico y mató a siete personas. Se dice que la compañía
perdió más de US$100 millones, pero consolidó su reputación a largo plazo por
preocuparse por sus clientes.
El Efecto Propósito
Las empresas guiadas por un propósito basan sus actividades en el Efecto Propósito, que
tiene que ver con el propósito de la compañía más allá de ganar dinero, los papeles que
los integrantes del equipo desempeñan dentro de la organización y su motivación
individual. La organización, los integrantes individuales del equipo y la sociedad, todos se
benefician cuando cada elemento está en su lugar. El Efecto Propósito compromete y
satisface a los integrantes del equipo. En este ambiente, las personas realizan un mejor
trabajo. Si el propósito de una organización entra en conflicto con los propósitos de los
empleados, estos estarán a disgusto en el trabajo, pero el Efecto Propósito asegura que
todos los trabajadores sientan que sus trabajos representan más que sus cheques de
pago. Quieren que su trabajo sea significativo y les dé un sentido de propósito genuino.
Como lo explica el experto en administración Peter Drucker, ganarse la vida ya no es
suficiente: el trabajo también tiene que construir la vida.
Los componentes del Efecto Propósito
El Efecto Propósito surge en la intersección de tres factores esenciales:
1. Un sentido de propósito personal
Cada integrante del equipo debe tener un propósito motivador especial que atienda el
qué, quién y cómo. El propósito personal requiere saber quién es usted en términos de
tres aspectos. Primero, desarróllese: esté determinado a mejorar y crecer. Pregúntese:
¿Qué estoy haciendo para evolucionar? Segundo, defina cómo debería ser su vida y
redefínala regularmente. Pregúntese: ¿Quién soy en la vida y en el trabajo? Y tercero,
decida cada día actuar de forma moral, ética y responsable para estar a la altura de la
persona que eligió ser. Pregúntese: ¿Cómo voy a operar y cómo me van a percibir los
demás?
2. El propósito organizacional
Esta es la razón de la existencia de su empresa. El propósito organizacional define quién
y qué representa la empresa para sí misma, los integrantes del equipo, los clientes, la
comunidad local y la sociedad en su conjunto. Este propósito tiene que ver con los
principios, la ética, el liderazgo y la cultura. Requiere la implementación y el cumplimiento
de prácticas justas sólidas para todos los integrantes del equipo; esto implica
compensación (pagar a sus empleados de manera justa), administración del desempeño
(sustituir el sistema de coaching y mentores por el escrutinio a profundidad) y
reconocimiento.
3. El propósito basado en roles
Toda organización le asigna a sus empleados ciertos roles para cumplir sus metas, y el
papel de cada integrante del equipo debe ser significativo. La mayoría de las personas se
define de acuerdo a su trabajo; de ahí que su rol en el trabajo sea tan importante. El
propósito del rol del empleado debe alinearse completamente con sus propósitos
organizacionales y personales. Para que ese propósito surja, las empresas deben tratar
bien a sus empleados. Los integrantes del equipo que tienen un sentido de propósito
según el papel que desempeñan no consideran sus trabajos como meramente
alimenticios. En vez de eso, cada persona ve su trabajo como una vocación. Esto es lo
que usted quiere que sus empleados sientan respecto a sus trabajos. Investigaciones en
la Universidad de Ottawa indican que el 76% de las personas que ven su trabajo como
vocación siempre están comprometidos con el trabajo.
El punto óptimo
El punto óptimo del propósito es en donde los tres factores se juntan en una relación
recíproca. Un punto óptimo equilibrado surge solo cuando estos componentes principales
trabajan en conjunto. Esta estructura alineada apoya a los integrantes del personal, los
equipos, la organización, los clientes, los dueños y a la sociedad en su conjunto. Este
punto óptimo no es un destino final, sino el resultado de la alineación entre los propósitos
de rol, organizacionales y personales. Para alcanzar este punto óptimo, las
organizaciones primero necesitan una declaración de propósito. El propósito de Whole
Foods es apoyar la salud, el bienestar y la sanación, tanto de las personas, como del
planeta.
Ganar-ganar-ganar
Muchas compañías tienen una visión limitada únicamente a obtener ganancias. Estas
organizaciones deberían ampliar sus perspectivas. Mana Ionescu, fundadora de Lightspan
Digital, una empresa de Chicago guiada por propósito que ofrece servicios profesionales
de contenido de marketing y medios sociales, dice que las compañías necesitan
estrategias de ganar-ganar-ganar. Estas tácticas crean ganancias y le dan a los clientes
valor sólido, realizan contribuciones significativas a la sociedad y proporcionan un trabajo
significativo, gratificante y satisfactorio para sus empleados. Sin embrago, ganar-ganar-
ganar solo funcionará si todos los integrantes del equipo, sin importar cuáles sean sus
roles individuales o su autoridad, se desempeñan como líderes y seguidores.
“En un mundo en donde cualquier cosa y cualquier persona pueden convertirse en una
propiedad, ser manipulados o explotados por ganancias, con el tiempo le ocurrirá a todo y
a todos””. ( – Joel Bakan, profesor de leyes en la Universidad de Columbia Británica, “La
corporación”)
La cultura de una organización ganar-ganar-ganar es abierta, conectada, colaborativa y
participativa; se basa en reciprocidad general. Esto significa que todos los integrantes del
equipo trabajan juntos para el bien común y entienden que las metas de la organización
son lograr un nivel alto de servicio y de ganancias. Todas las personas dentro de una
organización ganar-ganar-ganar deben tener una mentalidad de propósito. Es decir, todos
los integrantes del equipo deben sentirse apasionados por su trabajo y su desempeño.
Todos deben comprometerse a desarrollar un lugar de trabajo significativo e interesante.
La mentalidad de trabajo
La mentalidad de propósito se sitúa en un marcado contraste con la mentalidad de
trabajo, que le da forma a las acciones de los empleados que hacen su trabajo
simplemente para obtener el cheque de pago y con su carrera profesional en mente, en
donde se concentran principalmente en avanzar en su carrera de modo que puedan ganar
más dinero y acumular más poder y prestigio. Estas mentalidades orientadas al poder y al
dinero debilitan la mentalidad de propósito. Cuando usted educa a sus empleados sobre
sus propósitos personales, organizacionales y de rol, aborda estas mentalidades
negativas directamente. Explique por qué estas no se alinean con la forma de pensar de
las personas en una organización guiada por propósitos.
Declaración personal de propósito
Cada integrante del equipo debe crear su declaración personal de propósito que responda
a la importantísima pregunta: ¿Quién soy en la vida y en el trabajo? Este breve
documento escrito le da a cada persona una definición en desarrollo que cambiará
dependiendo de la evolución de las circunstancias. No puede lograr equilibrio –el punto
óptimo– entre sus propósitos personales, organizacionales y de rol, salvo que conozca el
propósito personal que le da significado a su vida.
Las buenas acciones DEEDS
Las organizaciones que se dedican formal o informalmente a sus propósitos están de
acuerdo con las metas esbozadas por el acrónimo DEEDS (por sus siglas en inglés):
 Deleite a sus clientes – Los clientes son la prioridad; esfuércese por hacerlos
felices.
  Comprométase con los integrantes de su equipo – Ayudar a que su equipo
florezcan creará un sentido de communitas, que denotará un espíritu de
solidaridad.
 Sea ético con la sociedad – Realice una contribución positiva y no tenga efectos
negativos en las personas o en el ambiente.
 Realice prácticas justas – Ofrezca el máximo valor por un precio razonable.
 Atienda a todas las partes interesadas – Las partes interesadas de una
organización incluyen a los clientes, los integrantes del equipo, la comunidad y los
propietarios.
Los propósitos son buen negocio
McKinsey & Company recomienda a las compañías “integrar cuestiones ambientales,
sociales y de gobernanza en sus modelos de negocio, y actuar sobre ellas”. Las
compañías con propósito logran ganancias de productividad positivas y disfrutan de
crecimiento a corto y largo plazos, así como y beneficios financieros. Deloitte reporta que
el 73% de los integrantes del equipo en organizaciones guiadas por propósito se sienten
completamente comprometidos con su trabajo.
“Al trabajar fielmente ocho horas al día, con el tiempo podría convertirse en el jefe y
trabajar 12 horas al día””. ( − Robert Quillen, periodista)
Las compañías que operan con propósito están en camino de convertirse en empresas
productivas y exitosas con integrantes comprometidos. Su enfoque está en mejorar la
sociedad y aumentar las ganancias. Esto no solo es hacer negocios inteligentes; también
es lo correcto en términos éticos y morales. El futurista Buckminster Fuller quizá lo
expresó mejor: “Haga que el mundo funcione para el 100% de la humanidad, en el menor
tiempo posible, a través de cooperación espontánea, sin ofensa ni desventaja ecológica
para nadie”.
Sobre el autor
Dan Pontefract es “visionario en jefe” de TELUS Transformation Office, una firma de
consultoría que ayuda a organizaciones a mejorar su cultura corporativa y sus prácticas
de colaboración. También escribió el éxito de ventas Flat Army: Creating a Connected and
Engaged Organization.

FOCUS – Open to Think – INGLES

Slow Down, Think Creatively, and Make Better Decisions
Dan Pontefract
Editorial Rating
9
Recommendation
Citing the title of Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” as an example of something
people think they know but often get wrong, consultant Dan Pontefract offers a strategy
for thinking more clearly and making better decisions. As he explains how his “dream,
decide, do” system works, he provides real-life examples of “open thinkers” whose
accomplishments stem from their deliberative cognitive practices. People tend to rush to
conclusions, accept misinformation, skip nuance or trust shallow assumptions.
Instead, Pontefract says, pause to ponder. The effectiveness of your thought
process depends on how well you sort evidence, reflect upon it and challenge your
conclusions. getAbstract recommends Pontefract’s manual to those who’d like to make
better decisions or gain useful insight into their own thought processes.
Take-Aways
 People and organizations often leap to conclusions and make decisions without
careful consideration.
 An “open thinker” takes time to reflect, weigh evidence and
reach informed conclusions.
 Open thinking balances “reflection and action.”
 Open thinkers use creative, critical and applied thinking.
 They question everything and remain receptive to new ideas.
 Open thinking has three aspects: “creativity, judgment” and “action.”
 Creativity depends on careful deliberation and bold ideas.
 Judgment requires informed reasoning, analysis and decision making.
 Take action only after you apply thoughtful consideration to solving problems and
making decisions.
 As an open thinker, include time to dream, decide and do every day.
Summary
Pause to Reflect
Today, people are busier than ever. They have little time to do anything well – including the
vital process of thinking things through. For many people, clear thinking is an increasingly
rare commodity. People don’t always get around to the necessary steps of thoughtfully
weighing their options, building expertise and reaching their own reasoned conclusions to
solve problems and make decisions. Some outsource their creative and
critical thinking to Alexa, Siri or Wikipedia. Closed thinkers are unwilling to open their
minds to new ideas. They seem to think it’s more convenient to go through life shut off
from new information and ideas. Too many organizations also function in a close-minded
way.
“When we think, we are using our mind to actively form or connect an idea…Thinking is
also an approach, a possibility, a deliberation, an opinion, or an attitude. It can even be a
belief or a conclusion.” ”
Many people and companies need to adopt a new thought process to build their decision
making skills and agility. This improved system of thought – open thinking – is “a holistic
approach of reflection, decision making and action to secure an ethical outcome.” Open
thinking calls for careful consideration, for taking action through a process of “dreaming,
deciding and doing.” With open thinking, you work through an issue, weigh the evidence,
decide how to resolve it and then take the necessary action. Open thinking
is iterative, inclusive, contemplative and interrogative. It’s deliberative, not automatic or
reflexive.
“Reflection and Action”
Open thinking balances reflection and action. If these elements don’t align, three bad
habits can take hold:
1. “Indifferent thinking” – Habit traps people into staying with their current methods
and thought processes no matter how self-defeating.
2. “Indecisive thinking” – Those who have a hard time making decisions constantly
muddle over what to do or not do. They fall prey to “endless dreaming,” a state of
mind that strategic management expert H. Igor Ansoff calls “paralysis by analysis.”
3. “Inflexible thinking” – Many people are uncomfortable consciously thinking about
what they believe or the actions they’re going to take. They avoid analyzing their
own processes and just plunge ahead. They “choose activity over a weighted blend
of ideation, pause, consideration and response…The act of doing becomes the
most important thing.”
Welcome New Ideas
Open thinkers remain receptive to new ideas and information from a wide variety of
sources. They welcome innovative concepts and view accepted dogma with skepticism.
Open thinkers move beyond what they know. They acknowledge what they don’t know,
and they’re willing to learn. They pursue discovery even if the new knowledge might upset
them or blast apart their current world view. To determine if you should incorporate open
thinking into your way of handling information, conducting analysis and making decisions,
ask yourself three questions about the way you think now: Do you devote sufficient time to
“reflecting and dreaming?” Do you rely on verifiable data to make decisions? And, do you
take the time required to do things properly? Open thinking has three core elements:
1. “Creative Thinking”
Creative thinking covers “ideation and reflection,” which lead to better ideas. Mythologist
Joseph Campbell became famous for his detailed, insightful discussion of cultural
archetypes. His most notable example is the “hero” – the inspiration for the Luke
Skywalker character in the Star Wars film franchise. Campbell gave himself time to reflect
deeply, dropping out of grad school to travel and think before producing his classic, The
Hero with a Thousand Faces.
“Thinking – like eating – is something we all do. In fact, we are all constantly thinking. But
as with eating, there are both healthy and unhealthy habits.”
Open thinkers are willing to “wander” and take the time they need to think things
through. Taking time to think means making time for daydreaming, an essential
component of creativity. When you dream, you stop and observe. You spend time thinking.
Daydreaming helps you figure out new solutions and processes. For an aspiring
or practicing open thinker who wants to pause and reflect, time becomes the most
valuable commodity. Don’t exploit your time – as most organizations want you to do.
Explore it. Set up a quality time-management system to protect your time. Don’t
overly commit yourself. Free up your day as much as possible. When you can, farm out
nuts-and-bolts tasks to people on your team. Move your focus from the minutiae to the big
picture.
2. “Critical Thinking”
Critical thinking centers around analysis and judgment; it generates better decision
making. Everyone has cognitive biases that get in the way of clear and logical thinking.
Learn your biases, and compensate for them. Challenge your thinking and the conclusions
you reach. Seek new ideas and information. Welcome opposing or
nonconforming opinions.
“Better thinking is hard, not easy. Better thinking takes time, not haste. There is no
shortcut.”
Collaborating with your colleagues helps promote open thinking. Ask people you trust and
respect for their suggestions and advice. The more people you involve in your decision
making, the better your decisions will be – within limits. As you think through new
approaches and concepts, realize that failure isn’t a negative for people or organizations if
you and your company evaluate your mistakes. Failure can have value as a learning
experience. It can help you diagnose where your personal or corporate critical thinking
may have gone off the rails. To make the most of daily processes and activities, as well
as successes or failures, organizational leaders must be open thinkers who understand
the crucial leadership qualities that go into critical thinking.
3. “Applied Thinking”
Applied thinking means acting on your decisions. Applied thinking actualizes your
“commitment to execute a decision.” It doesn’t focus on “what” to do, but on “how” to do
it. To get the results you want, the “how” always counts. Set clear goals everyone on your
team can understand. To inspire your colleagues to develop their own solutions, support
the solutions they suggest and implement them in a process of planned action.
Demonstrate your empathy and understanding about their struggle to find those
solutions. Because external conditions will change constantly, remain flexible and
supportive.
“Our senses are bombarded daily by political propaganda and fake news. We fluctuate
between high filtering and gullibility. The truth is becoming harder and harder to discern.”
Don’t assume your applied-thinking solutions will always work well or smoothly. They
won’t. Expect snags along the way. In any thoughtful endeavor, “hiccups and curve
balls” come with the territory. Avoid letting your organization become a “factory of actions.”
Keeping everyone looking super busy all the time may generate a veneer of efficiency, but
busywork isn’t efficient. You want your employees to be thoughtful in their actions. That
can’t happen when everybody is moving 100 miles an hour. Help your employees and
colleagues focus on the long term, not the short term.
Applied Thinking at Your Organization
As you exercise applied thinking, “be ruthless about the long term.” Yes, you must
accomplish things today, but don’t get seduced by the apparent success of constant
action. You may, by reflex, want to prioritize immediate actions, and you must stay vigilant
about the short term, but always ask how what you do today will affect your core purpose
and the shape of your future. To keep a close watch on the short term while staying aware
of the long term, refine your in-house organizational practices, such as “calender etiquette”
and managing time. Recognize that information and processes will become obsolete,
sometimes more rapidly than you can imagine. So while you must accept mistakes, the
way you respond to these inevitable aspects of doing business will highlight the efficacy –
or lack of efficacy – in your applied-thinking. Build an agile, resilient, tolerant culture; avoid
rigid thinking.
Open Thinker: Chef Peter Gilmore
Australian executive chef Peter Gilmore plans and supervises meal preparation at two
award-winning restaurants in Sydney, Australia: the Quay and Bennelong. The way he
works exemplifies open thinking. He applies “creative visualization” when he plans a new
dish, meal or menu. During this stage, he eschews practicality because it would limit his
thinking, yet he never forgets that the dishes he dreams up must become workable menu
items. He balances reflection and action. His dishes embody open thinking’s dreaming,
deciding and doing aspects.
“The greatest barrier in our society is a lack of genuine dialogue and critical practice.” (Lisa
Helps, mayor of Victoria, British Columbia)
To retain his emerging ideas, Gilmore writes everything down. He tests new recipes,
moving among creative, critical and applied thinking. Gilmore depends on collaboration
with his kitchen team to develop, formalize and finalize all aspects of a
dish. He documents the preparation process and the cost of new dishes. He works out
how to explain them to the front-of-house team and helps the waiters describe the
“emotion and intent” of a new dish to clients. Gilmore’s kitchens function as testing
and proving grounds for open thinking.
“10 Essential Guidelines for Open Thinking”
Follow these 10 principles to exercise open thinking:
1. Allow yourself plenty of time to think clearly and comprehensively. Never rush your
thinking. Open thinking is a “slow thinking movement.”
2. Too much thinking, rethinking and re-rethinking can become self-defeating. So can
too much collaboration. After careful thought and conversation, move ahead
decisively.
 3. Never take action just to take action. Be thoughtful about what you do and decide
what not to do.
4. Be flexible in your thinking. Let knowledge shape your ideas and opinions.
5. Write down your best thoughts. Idea flow is a continuing resource.
6. Be systematic and organized in everything you say and do. Scatterbrains are
ineffective thinkers and planners.
7. You can’t be creative if you’re always busy. Take breaks to refresh yourself and
create time for new ideas to emerge.
8. Dig for information to enable proper analysis and informed decision making. Never
be hasty. Don’t settle for insufficient data. Lisa Helps, mayor of Victoria, British
Columbia, thinks people often leap to premature conclusions after reading “three
things on Facebook.” She faces each situation ready to take in meaningful
information.
9. Maintain your focus. Don’t succumb to time-wasting distractions.
10. As an open thinker, include time to dream, decide and do every day.
Agility and Flexibility
Open thinkers stay flexible and adaptable. Dion Hinchcliffe, chief strategy officer at
7Summits – an online solutions provider – says to try new ideas if old ones don’t work.
He developed a five-step system for flexible problem solving:
1. Develop an idea or solution.
2. Try your idea. Experiment. If you fail, fail quickly.
3. Make the most refined decision possible. Continue to problem solve.
4. If you can’t find a solution, put the current problem on the shelf. Focus on a new
problem and try to solve it instead.
5. Maintaining a cycle fuels flexibility. Be ready to return to the original problem.
This process educates you continually.
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those
who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” (futurist Alfred Toffler)
John Dalla Costa, founder of Toronto’s Centre for Ethical Orientation, says open
thinkers have three traits:
1. “Courage” – Open thinkers connect with new ideas, even if those
ideas run counter to their current worldview.
2. “Responsibility” – Open thinkers accept new, verifiable information
and welcome new data that move them closer to an ultimate truth.
3. “Fairness” – Open thinkers know investigation and experimentation often involve
mistakes, which can be the greatest teachers of all.
About the Author
Dan Pontefract is the “chief envisioner” at TELUS – a Canadian telecom company
– where he heads the Transformation Office, a future-of-work consulting group. He also
wrote Flat Army and The Purpose Effect.

FOCUS – Abierto a pensar – ESPAÑOL

Reduzca la velocidad, piense con creatividad y tome mejores decisiones
Dan Pontefract
Clasificación editorial
9
Cualidades
 Aplicable
 Ejemplos concretos
 Importante

Reseña
El consultor Dan Pontefract ofrece una estrategia para pensar más claramente y tomar
mejores decisiones. Mientras explica cómo funciona su sistema “soñar, decidir, hacer”,
ofrece ejemplos de la vida real de pensadores abiertos cuyos logros provienen de sus
prácticas cognitivas deliberativas. La gente tiende a apresurarse a sacar conclusiones,
aceptar información errónea, saltarse matices o confiar en suposiciones superficiales. En
vez de eso, dice Pontefract, haz una pausa para reflexionar. La efectividad de su proceso
de pensamiento depende de qué tan bien clasifique la evidencia, reflexione sobre ella y
cuestione sus conclusiones. getAbstract recomienda el manual de Pontefract a quienes
deseen tomar mejores decisiones u obtener información útil sobre sus propios procesos
de pensamiento.
Ideas fundamentales
 Las personas y las organizaciones a menudo llegan a conclusiones y toman
decisiones sin una consideración cuidadosa.
  Un pensador abierto se toma su tiempo para reflexionar, sopesar la evidencia y
llegar a conclusiones informadas.
 El pensamiento abierto equilibra la reflexión y la acción.
 Los pensadores abiertos utilizan el pensamiento creativo, crítico y aplicado.
 Cuestionan todo y se mantienen receptivos a las nuevas ideas.
 El pensamiento abierto tiene tres aspectos: la creatividad, el juicio y la acción.
 La creatividad depende de una cuidadosa deliberación e ideas audaces.
 El juicio requiere razonamiento informado, análisis y toma de decisiones.
 Tome acción solo después de aplicar una consideración atenta a la resolución de
problemas y a la toma de decisiones.
 Como un pensador abierto, incluya tiempo para soñar, decidir y hacer cada día.
Resumen
Pausar para reflexionar.
Hoy día, la gente está más ocupada que nunca. Tienen poco tiempo para hacer algo bien,
incluido el proceso vital de pensar bien las cosas. Para muchas personas, el pensamiento
claro es un bien cada vez más escaso. La gente no siempre llega a los pasos necesarios
para sopesar cuidadosamente sus opciones, construir experiencia y llegar a sus propias
conclusiones razonadas para resolver problemas y tomar decisiones. Algunos
subcontratan su pensamiento creativo y crítico a Alexa, Siri o Wikipedia. Los pensadores
cerrados no están dispuestos a abrir sus mentes a nuevas ideas. Parecen pensar que es
más conveniente pasar por la vida aislado de la información y las ideas nuevas.
Demasiadas organizaciones también funcionan de manera cerrada.
“Cuando pensamos, estamos usando nuestra mente para formar o conectar activamente
una idea (…) Pensar es también un enfoque, una posibilidad, una deliberación, una
opinión o una actitud. Incluso puede ser una creencia o una conclusión””.
Muchas personas y empresas necesitan adoptar un nuevo proceso de pensamiento para
construir sus habilidades de toma de decisiones y agilidad. Este sistema de pensamiento
mejorado –pensamiento abierto– es un enfoque holístico de reflexión, toma de decisiones
y acción para asegurar un resultado ético. El pensamiento abierto requiere una
consideración cuidadosa para tomar acción a través de un proceso de “soñar, decidir y
hacer”. Con un pensamiento abierto, usted trabaja en un asunto, sopesa la evidencia,
decide cómo resolverlo y luego toma las medidas necesarias. El pensamiento abierto es
iterativo, inclusivo, contemplativo e interrogativo. Es deliberativo, no automático ni
reflexivo.
La reflexión y la acción.
El pensamiento abierto equilibra la reflexión y la acción. Si estos elementos no se alinean,
tres malos hábitos pueden arraigarse:
 1. La indiferencia – El hábito atrapa a las personas a permanecer con sus métodos
y procesos de pensamiento actuales sin importar cuán contraproducentes sean.
2. La indecisión – Aquellos que tienen dificultades para tomar decisiones
constantemente se confunden sobre qué hacer o no hacer. Caen presas de
sueños interminables, un estado de ánimo que el experto en gestión estratégica H.
Igor Ansoff llama “parálisis por análisis”.
3. La inflexibilidad – Muchas personas se sienten incómodas pensando
conscientemente en lo que creen o en las acciones que van a tomar. Evitan
analizar sus propios procesos y se lanzan al agua. Eligen la actividad por encima
de una mezcla ponderada de ideación, pausa, consideración y respuesta (…) El
acto de hacer se convierte en lo más importante.
Dé la bienvenida a las buenas ideas.
Los pensadores abiertos permanecen receptivos a nuevas ideas e información de una
amplia variedad de fuentes. Aceptan conceptos innovadores y ven el dogma aceptado con
escepticismo. Los pensadores abiertos van más allá de lo que saben. Reconocen lo que
no saben y están dispuestos a aprender. Persiguen el descubrimiento incluso si el nuevo
conocimiento puede molestarlos o hacer pedazos su actual visión del mundo. Para
determinar si debe incorporar el pensamiento abierto en su forma de manejar la
información, realizar análisis y tomar decisiones, hágase tres preguntas sobre la forma en
que piensa ahora: ¿Dedica suficiente tiempo a reflexionar y soñar? ¿Se basa en datos
verificables para tomar decisiones? Y, ¿se toma el tiempo necesario para hacer las cosas
correctamente? El pensamiento abierto tiene tres elementos centrales:
1. El pensamiento creativo.
El pensamiento creativo abarca la ideación y la reflexión, que conducen a mejores ideas.
El mitólogo Joseph Campbell se hizo famoso por su detallada y perspicaz argumentación
sobre los arquetipos culturales. Su ejemplo más notable es el “héroe”, la inspiración para
el personaje de Luke Skywalker en la franquicia cinematográfica de La guerra de las
galaxias. Campbell se dio tiempo para reflexionar profundamente, abandonó la escuela de
postgrado para viajar y pensar antes de producir su clásico, El héroe de las mil caras.
“Pensar, como comer, es algo que todos hacemos. De hecho, todos estamos pensando
constantemente. Pero al igual que con la comida, hay hábitos saludables y no
saludables””.
Los pensadores abiertos están dispuestos a vagar y tomarse el tiempo necesario para
pensar las cosas. Tomarse el tiempo para pensar significa hacer tiempo para soñar
despierto, un componente esencial de la creatividad. Cuando sueña, se detiene y
observa. Pasa el tiempo pensando. Soñar despierto le ayuda a encontrar nuevas
soluciones y procesos. Para un aspirante a pensador abierto o practicante que quiere
hacer una pausa y reflexionar, el tiempo se convierte en el bien más valioso. No malgaste
su tiempo, como la mayoría de las organizaciones quieren que haga. Explóralo.
Establezca un sistema de gestión de tiempo de calidad para proteger su tiempo. No se
comprometa demasiado. Libere su día tanto como sea posible.
2. El pensamiento crítico.
El pensamiento crítico se centra en el análisis y el juicio; genera una mejor toma de
decisiones. Todo el mundo tiene sesgos cognitivos que se interponen en el camino del
pensamiento claro y lógico. Conozca sus prejuicios y compénselos. Desafíe su
pensamiento y las conclusiones a las que llega. Busque nuevas ideas e información. Esté
abierto a las opiniones opuestas o disconformes.
“Pensar mejor es difícil, no es fácil. Pensar mejor lleva tiempo, no prisa. No hay ningún
atajo””.
Colaborar con sus colegas ayuda a promover el pensamiento abierto. Pregunte a las
personas en las que confía y respeta sus sugerencias y consejos. Cuantas más personas
involucre en su toma de decisiones, mejores serán, dentro de unos límites. Al pensar en
nuevos enfoques y conceptos, tenga en cuenta que el fracaso no es negativo para las
personas u organizaciones si usted y su empresa evalúan sus errores. El fracaso puede
tener valor como experiencia de aprendizaje. Puede ayudarle a diagnosticar dónde su
pensamiento crítico personal o corporativo puede haberse descarrilado. Para aprovechar
al máximo los procesos y actividades cotidianas, así como los éxitos o fracasos, los
líderes deben ser pensadores abiertos que comprendan las cualidades cruciales de
liderazgo que forman parte del pensamiento crítico.
3. El pensamiento aplicado.
El pensamiento aplicado significa actuar sobre sus decisiones. El pensamiento aplicado
actualiza su compromiso de ejecutar una decisión. No se centra en qué hacer, sino en
cómo hacerlo. Para obtener los resultados deseados, el cómo siempre cuenta. Establezca
metas claras que todos los miembros de su equipo puedan entender. Para inspirar a sus
colegas para que desarrollen sus propias soluciones, apoye las soluciones que sugieren y
aplíquelas en un proceso de acción planificada. Demuestre su empatía y comprensión
acerca de su lucha para encontrar esas soluciones. Ya que las condiciones externas
cambiarán constantemente, manténgase flexible.
“Nuestros sentidos son bombardeados diariamente por propaganda política y noticias
falsas. Fluctuamos entre un alto nivel de filtrado y la credulidad. La verdad se está
volviendo cada vez más difícil de discernir””.
No asuma que sus soluciones de pensamiento aplicado siempre funcionarán bien o sin
problemas. No lo harán. Espere problemas en el camino. En cualquier esfuerzo reflexivo,
los tropezones y las bolas curvas vienen con el territorio. Evite que su organización se
convierta en una fábrica de acciones. Mantener a todo el mundo con un aspecto de estar
súper ocupados todo el tiempo puede generar un barniz de eficiencia, pero el trabajo
apurado no es eficiente. Usted quiere que sus empleados sean atentos en sus acciones.
Ello no puede ocurrir cuando todo el mundo se mueve a 100 kilómetros por hora. Ayude a
sus empleados y colegas a centrarse en el largo plazo, no en el corto plazo.
El pensamiento aplicado en su organización.
Al practicar el pensamiento aplicado, sea despiadado sobre el largo plazo. Sí, usted debe
lograr cosas hoy, pero no se deje seducir por el éxito aparente de la acción constante.
Usted puede, por reflejo, querer priorizar acciones inmediatas, y debe permanecer alerta
sobre el corto plazo, pero siempre pregunte cómo lo que haga hoy afectará su propósito
central y dará forma a su futuro. Para vigilar de cerca el corto plazo y estar al tanto del
largo plazo, perfeccione sus prácticas organizacionales internas, como la gestión del
tiempo. Reconozca que la información y los procesos se volverán obsoletos, a veces más
rápidamente de lo que pueda imaginar. Por lo tanto, si bien debe aceptar los errores, la
forma en que responda a estos aspectos inevitables de hacer negocios pondrá de relieve
la eficacia, o su ausencia, de su pensamiento aplicado. Construya una cultura ágil,
resiliente y tolerante; evite el pensamiento rígido.
El chef Peter Gilmore: un pensador abierto.
El chef ejecutivo australiano Peter Gilmore planifica y supervisa la preparación de
alimentos en dos restaurantes galardonados en Sidney, Australia: el Quay y el Bennelong.
Su forma de trabajar es un ejemplo de pensamiento abierto. Aplica la visualización
creativa cuando planea un nuevo platillo, comida o menú. Durante esta etapa, evita la
practicidad porque limitaría su pensamiento, pero nunca olvida que los platillos que crea
deben convertirse en elementos del menú. Equilibra la reflexión y la acción. Sus platillos
encarnan los aspectos del pensamiento abierto de soñar, decidir y hacer.
“La mayor barrera en nuestra sociedad es la falta de diálogo genuino y la práctica
crítica””. ( – Lisa Helps, alcaldesa de Victoria, Columbia Británica)
Para retener sus ideas emergentes, Gilmore escribe todo. Prueba nuevas recetas y se
mueve entre los pensamientos creativo, crítico y aplicado. Gilmore depende de la
colaboración con su equipo de cocina para desarrollar, formalizar y finalizar todos los
aspectos de un platillo. Documenta el proceso de preparación y el costo de los nuevos
platos. Se los explica al equipo del salón y ayuda a los camareros a describir la emoción y
la intención de un nuevo platillo a los clientes. Las cocinas de Gilmore funcionan como
campos de prueba y de demostración para el pensamiento abierto.
10 pautas esenciales para el pensamiento abierto.
Siga estos 10 principios para practicar el pensamiento abierto:
1. Permítase suficiente tiempo para pensar con claridad y de manera integral. Nunca
se apresure a pensar. El pensamiento abierto es un movimiento de pensamiento
lento.
2. Pensar demasiado, repensar y volver a repensar puede llegar a ser
contraproducente. Lo mismo puede ocurrir con demasiada colaboración. Después
de una cuidadosa reflexión y conversación, siga adelante con decisión.
3. Nunca tome medidas solo por tomarlas. Tenga cuidado y decida qué no va a
hacer.
4. Sea flexible en su forma de pensar. Deje que el conocimiento dé forma a sus ideas
y opiniones.
5. Escriba sus mejores pensamientos. El flujo de ideas es un recurso continuo.
6. Sea sistemático y organizado en todo lo que dice y hace. Los cerebros dispersos
son pensadores y planificadores ineficaces.
7. No se puede ser creativo si se está siempre ocupado. Tome descansos para
refrescarse y darse tiempo para que surjan nuevas ideas.
 8. Busque información para permitir un análisis adecuado y una toma de decisiones
informada. Nunca se precipite. No se conforme con datos insuficientes. Lisa Helps,
alcaldesa de Victoria, Columbia Británica, piensa que la gente llega a conclusiones
prematuras después de leer “tres cosas en Facebook”. Ella enfrenta cada situación
lista para recibir información significativa.
9. Mantenga su concentración. No sucumba a distracciones que le hagan perder el
tiempo.
10. Como un pensador abierto, incluya tiempo para soñar, decidir y hacer cada día.
Agilidad y flexibilidad.
Los pensadores abiertos se mantienen flexibles y adaptables. Dion Hinchcliffe, director de
estrategia de 7Summits, un proveedor de soluciones en línea, dice que hay que probar
nuevas ideas si las viejas no funcionan. Hinchcliffe desarrolló un sistema de cinco pasos
para la resolución flexible de problemas:
1. Desarrolle una idea o solución.
2. Pruebe su idea. Experimente. Si falla, falle rápidamente.
3. Tome la decisión más refinada posible. Continúe resolviendo problemas.
4. Si no puede encontrar una solución, ponga el problema actual en el estante.
Concéntrese en un nuevo problema y trate de resolverlo en su lugar.
5. Mantener un ciclo alimenta la flexibilidad. Esté preparado para volver al problema
original. Este proceso lo educa continuamente.
“Los analfabetos del siglo XXI no serán los que no saben leer ni escribir, sino los que no
pueden aprender, desaprender y volver a aprender””. ( – Futurista Alfred Toffler)
John Dalla Costa, fundador del Centro de Orientación Ética de Toronto, dice que los
pensadores abiertos tienen tres rasgos:
1. Valor – Los pensadores abiertos se conectan con nuevas ideas, incluso si esas
ideas van en contra de su actual visión del mundo.
2. Responsabilidad – Los pensadores abiertos aceptan información nueva y
verificable y dan la bienvenida a nuevos datos que los acercan a una verdad
máxima.
3. Equidad – Los pensadores abiertos saben que la investigación y la
experimentación a menudo implican errores, que pueden ser los mejores maestros
de todos.
Sobre el autor
Dan Pontefract es el “visionario en jefe” de TELUS, una empresa de telecomunicaciones
canadiense, donde dirige la Oficina de Transformación, un grupo consultor sobre el futuro
del trabajo. También escribió Flat Army y The Purpose Effect.
LEADERSHIP – Flat Army – INGLES
Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization
Dan Pontefract
Editorial Rating
7
Recommendation
The old command-and-control management style still prevails, but it is as relevant to
contemporary business as horse-drawn carriages are to transportation. Engage and
empower will be the preferred management method in the future, as learning professional
Dan Pontefract explains. His title uses “flat” to mean equal and “army” to suggest ships
moving in unison like an armada – thus envisioning people of equal status working
collaboratively. While Pontefract can be obtuse (“Think of being continuous as defining
your level of leadership cadence”) or even nonsensical (“I want Flat Army to become a
disease within the organization”), most of his 90,000 words make solid sense, and he
writes with a refreshing, straight-from-the-shoulder style.
Take-Aways
 Command and control has been the corporate default management approach.
 Industrial efficiency expert Frederick Taylor and business management theorist
Henri Fayol championed this hierarchical, rigid system.
 Command and control is obsolete and fosters employee disengagement.
 The “Flat Army” approach draws on openness, sharing, harmony and trust.
 Workers in a Flat Army experience “horizontal connectedness” and “psychological
ownership” of their work.
 Flat Army leaders are “involving, empathizing, developing, communicating,
analyzing, deciding, delivering, cooperating” and “clowning.”
 They must also “coach, measure, explore and adapt.”
 “Collaborative leadership” is “continuous, authentic, reciprocal and educational.”
 The “collaborative leader action model” has six aspects: “Connect, consider,
communicate, create, confirm quality results and congratulate” the team.
 Transforming your company into a Flat Army firm takes time.
Summary
Command and Control
The command-and-control management style that dominated business operations for
hundreds of years is now completely outdated. Yet, even though smart, forward-looking
corporations should immediately retire this rigid, hierarchical system, it remains the default
management approach.
“Many leaders have somehow become so comfortable with the status quo that they do not
question why this pyramidal structure and operating practice continue to exist today.”
Command and control has significant historical roots. In 1600, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth I
approved the formation of the East India Trading Company (EIC) as the exclusive
commercial entity for all British trade east of Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. The EIC
patterned itself after the English monarchy, which exercised absolute power according to
divine right. This was the authority formula for all monarchies dating back to the Roman
Empire, which first introduced the command-and-control system. EIC exercised tight,
monopolistic control of all British commerce in India and throughout Asia, with 250,000
workers, a vast fleet and a rigid command-and-control management structure. At its most
powerful, the EIC thus controlled more than 20% of the global population.
Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol
Industrial efficiency expert Frederick Taylor and business management theorist Henri Fayol
provided the 20th century intellectual foundations for command and control. In 1911, Taylor
wrote The Scientific Principles of Management, which casts employees as puppets in the
scientific equations of industrial production time-efficiency studies. Fayol recommended
that all corporations adopt rigid hierarchical structures. He wrote: “To manage is to
forecast, to plan, to organize, to command, to coordinate and control.”
“Any individual in an organization can have an impact on any facet of the organization,
regardless of title or rank.”
Such inflexible hierarchies and dictatorships may have worked in the past, but they are no
longer appropriate, efficient or effective. Today’s employees insist upon being empowered
and engaged. They want to collaborate with everyone – their co-workers, their supervisors
and their companies’ top executives. They want open leadership and reject
micromanagers who dictate what they must do on a daily basis. Today’s employees want
no part of “hierarchical hell.”
Gallup reports that only 11% of today’s employees feel engaged at work. The other 89%
operates in sort of a “corporate coma.” Other research indicates that only a microscopically
small 0.3% of employees feel satisfied in their work. Companies cannot attain their best
results if most of their workers are withdrawn from or miserable with their work. Research
says employee engagement strongly affects your company’s bottom line. The income of
companies with engaged employees is up 19%, while firms with disengaged employees
suffer a 32% income drop. Turnover falls off by 87% when employees are engaged, and
performance increases by 20%.
Enlisting in the “Flat Army”
Today’s workforce needs Flat Army management. A “flat” structure suggests equality. The
term “army” derives from the Latin word armata, which concerns a fleet – an armada – of
ships moving together. This suggests a system in which everyone in an organization
advances smoothly in unison toward a shared goal. The Flat Army approach empowers
employees and engages them in a system of “horizontal connectedness.” It links them
together, builds their enthusiasm and provides a sense of “psychological ownership” of
their jobs.
“Openness, both as a quality of the leader and an expectation of the team, fosters a
harmonious relationship among all parties.”
In a Flat Army corporate culture, reciprocity matters. Everyone works together in harmony.
Financial goals are paramount, but staff well-being is a close second. The Flat Army
strategy of “trust, involvement and empathy” relies on five basic principles: “connection”
with engaged leaders, “collaboration” among staff and managers, “participation” in all kinds
of networks, “learning” on a continuous basis, and “technology” that enables connectivity
and cooperation.
“Pervasive learning and collaboration technologies” are primary elements of the Flat Army
philosophy. Learning is not restricted to the classroom. People learn as they work, through
social networks, from each other and via other channels.
“Connected Leader Attributes”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York is the ideal connected leader. He shares
information with his subordinates and collaborates with them when appropriate. To remain
fully accessible, Bloomberg does not work in a private office. He sits in the middle of a
large room – the “bullpen” – surrounded by his subordinates, none of whom work behind
closed doors or in cubicles.
“Millennials actually prefer to learn through mentoring than any other formal, informal or
social learning type.”
Bloomberg, the quintessential Flat Army leader, routinely displays the 15 attributes that
connected leaders must live by:
1. “Trusting” – Pay attention to what others think and say. Allow employees to make
mistakes without retribution so they can learn. Be consistent.
2. “Involving” – Make sure everyone on your team contributes. Eliminate barriers
that prevent subordinates from participating in team activities.
3. “Empathizing” – Consider what your workplace experience is like for the people
on your team. When people have difficulties, don’t be critical. Help them grow.
4. “Developing” – Provide pathways that enable your employees to develop
themselves professionally. Assist them in setting up individual “development action
plans.”
5. “Communicating” – Make sure your staffers get the information they need to do
their jobs well. Listen to everyone, no matter what his or her position may be.
 6. “Analyzing” – Connect with your subordinates to ensure that your analysis of any
situation is accurate. Take the time you need to figure things out properly.
7. “Deciding” – Consider the effects of your decisions. Ask others for their opinions.
Examine all your options. Hold decision makers accountable.
8. “Delivering” – Never rush. Never dodge problems. Confront them head-on. When
you set objectives or make plans to achieve them, be firm.
9. “Cooperating” – Foster a spirit of cooperation among your team members. Don’t
isolate yourself from others. Involve your subordinates in all activities.
10. “Clowning” – People work better when they’re relaxed. Create a warm
atmosphere by lightening up and smiling. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t be
afraid to tell a joke.
11. “Coaching” – Use every opportunity to counsel your subordinates. Provide them
with useful feedback, but never offer advice until you have all the facts.
12. “Measuring” – Pay attention to “quantitative business metrics,” like fiscal
numbers, and “qualitative humanistic metrics,” like employee work-satisfaction
levels.
13. “Exploring” – Play devil’s advocate to explore all options. Get out of your office
and learn what is taking place around you.
14. “Adapting” – Stay flexible. Be ready to change, no matter what the situation.
15. “Bettering” – Don’t settle for the status quo. Strive to increase the effectiveness of
your organization and to improve the workplace for your subordinates.
The “Participating Leader Framework”
To make your organization more inclusive and “direct-network driven,” become a
participatory leader by following the “CARE principle.”
“Don’t let fancy technology become a dividing influence in your newly engaged corporate
culture.”
It states that collaborative leadership should be:
 “Continuous” – Promote participation at all times.
 “Authentic” – Being real encourages the same behavior from your subordinates.
 “Reciprocal” – Participatory leadership depends on give-and-take.
 “Educating” – Teach your subordinates and urge them to learn.
The more direct contacts, networks and relationships you have, the more effective you can
be as a leader. Take the time to expand your “direct professional network.” Encourage your
subordinates to do the same. Constantly seek new knowledge and learn from your
subordinates. Utilize your personal or professional networks to share information.
“The Collaborative Leader Action Model”
Collaboration is “the unfettered allowance and encouragement of employees to both
contribute and consume knowledge, insight or ideas with any direct relationship via
professional or personal networks to achieve an outcome.”
The collaborative leader action model (CLAM) generates superior collaboration across any
firm. Its six facets are:
1. “Connect (with others)” – Don’t plan things alone; reach out to your employees
and benefit from their thinking.
2. “Consider (all options)” – Discuss your alternatives with your team.
3. “Communicate (the decision and action plan)” – Plan your actions and share
your plans with all your stakeholders.
4. “Create (the result)” – Business requires successful execution.
5. “Confirm (the result met the target)” – Quantify your outcome.
6. “Congratulate (through feedback and recognition)” – Employees want to know
that you value them, so honor their good work.
Pervasive Learning and Collaboration Technologies
Learning can occur anywhere at any time. Such pervasive learning can be “formal” and
take place at conferences or in classrooms. It can be “informal” and occur as webinars,
mentoring, podcasts and coaching. Or, learning can be “social” and spring from micro-
blogging, blogs, wikis, tagging, videos, online discussions, and so on. Today’s
“collaboration technologies” encompass the advanced, innovative tools you and your
employees can use to connect, cooperate, enjoy unfettered conversation and create
online content.
“Micro-managing...is merely another name for distrust.”
Establish a fruitful, shared context for that content by using online tools such as:
 “Search” – Increase your contacts.
 “Profiles” – Post professional portraits on Facebook and LinkedIn.
 “Badging” – Identify talents and specialties.
 “Ratings” – Let others rank your content.
 “Tagging” – Use the most familiar accepted terms to identify content.
“The Flat Army in Action”
Successful companies that exemplify the Flat Army spirit include:
 Hitachi – This Japanese firm’s culture exemplifies trust, collaboration and
openness. Anyone can speak with anyone, from mail clerks to the CEO. Its spirit
epitomizes the Flat Army philosophy: “Wa: harmony, trust and
respect; Makoto: sincerity, fairness, honesty and integrity; and Kaitakusha-Seishin:
pioneering spirit and challenge.”
  Zappos – Visionary CEO Tony Hsieh has one prevailing corporate mantra:
Success depends on taking good care of your employees. This philosophy enabled
Zappos to increase its revenues from around $1.6 million in 2000 to nearly $2
billion in 2012.
 HCL Technologies – This Indian global information-technology-services company
believes strongly in employee engagement. To promote that engagement, it hosts
an online forum in which any employee can participate. The CEO, Vineet Nayar,
and his executive team respond to any questions posted. Nayar says that the
purpose of this forum is to promote “open conversation” among all employees and
executives.
To roll out the Flat Army management style within your organization, first introduce the
collaborative leader action model. Later, focus on pervasive learning and collaboration
technologies. After that, institute the participative leader framework. But be patient;
converting an organization to a full-fledged Flat Army can take two or three years.
About the Author
As head of learning and coaching, Dan Pontefract is responsible for leadership
development and collaboration strategy for 40,000 TELUS team members. He is also the
author of Open to Think, The Purpose Effect and Lead. Care. Win.

LEADERSHIP – La armada llana – ESPAÑOL

Creación de una organización conectada y comprometida
Dan Pontefract
Clasificación editorial
7
Reseña
El estilo de administración de dominio y control jerárquicos sigue predominando, pero ya
es tan impertinente para las empresas contemporáneas como las carretas para el
transporte. El compromiso y el empoderamiento serán el método de administración
preferido del futuro, como lo explica el profesional del aprendizaje Dan Pontefract, quien,
en su título, usa “llana” con el sentido de igual y “armada” para sugerir unos barcos que
avanzan al unísono como una flota. Aunque Pontefract puede ser obtuso, la mayoría de
sus palabras tiene mucho sentido y escribe en un estilo alentador y sin
rodeos. getAbstract recomienda su informativo libro a los que ya son ejecutivos y gerentes
y a quienes tengan la intención de serlo.
Ideas fundamentales
 El dominio y el control han sido el enfoque tradicional de la administración
corporativa.
 Frederick Taylor, experto en efectividad industrial, y Henri Fayol, teórico de la
administración de empresas, fueron los defensores de ese rígido sistema
jerárquico.
 El dominio y el control son obsoletos y fomentan la falta de compromiso.
 El enfoque de la “armada llana” se basa en la transparencia, en compartir, en la
armonía y en la confianza.
 Los trabajadores de una armada llana experimentan una “conectividad horizontal”
y una “propiedad psicológica” de su trabajo.
 Los líderes de la armada llana son “apasionantes, empáticos, desarrolladores,
comunicativos, analizadores, resueltos, cumplidores, cooperativos” y “alegres”.
 También deben “entrenar, evaluar, explorar y adaptarse”.
 El “liderazgo colaborador” es “continuo, auténtico, recíproco y educativo”.
 El “modelo de acción del líder colaborador” tiene seis aspectos: “conectar,
considerar, comunicar, crear, confirmar los resultados de calidad y felicitar” al
equipo.
 Transformar su empresa en una armada llana toma tiempo.
Resumen
Dominio y control
El estilo de administración de dominio y control que predominó en las operaciones
empresariales durante siglos es ahora obsoleto; sin embargo, aunque las corporaciones
inteligentes y progresistas deberían retirar ese rígido sistema jerárquico, sigue siendo el
enfoque corriente de la administración.
“Muchos líderes han llegado a sentirse tan cómodos con el statu quo que no se
preguntan por qué sigue existiendo esa estructura piramidal y esa práctica de operación””.
El domino y el control tienen importantes raíces históricas: en 1600, la reina Elizabeth I de
Inglaterra aprobó la formación de la East India Trading Company (EIC) para el comercio
británico al este del cabo de Buena Esperanza de África. La EIC se constituyó conforme a
la monarquía inglesa, que ejercía el poder absoluto por derecho divino, una fórmula que
provenía del imperio romano y que introdujo el sistema de dominio y control. La EIC
ejerció el control monopólico sobre el comercio británico en la India y en toda Asia, con
250 mil trabajadores, una flota numerosa y una rígida estructura administrativa. Así, en su
cima, la EIC controlaba a más del 20% de la población mundial.
Frederick Taylor y Henri Fayol
Frederick Taylor, experto en efectividad industrial, y Henri Fayol, teórico de la
administración de empresas, crearon los cimientos intelectuales del dominio y control del
siglo XX. En 1911, Taylor escribió Principios de administración científica, en el que
consideraba que los empleados son marionetas en las ecuaciones científicas de los
estudios de efectividad de la producción en el tiempo. Por su parte, Fayol recomendaba
que las corporaciones adoptaran estructuras jerárquicas rígidas.
“En una empresa, todo individuo puede tener un impacto en cualquier faceta de la
organización, independientemente de su título o rango””.
Esas jerarquías inflexibles ya no son efectivas. Los empleados de hoy insisten en que se
les empodere y en comprometerse. Desean colaborar con todo el mundo: sus
compañeros de trabajo, sus supervisores y los altos ejecutivos de su empresa. Desean un
liderazgo transparente y rechazan a los micro-gerentes que les dictan todos los días lo
que deben hacer. Los empleados de hoy no desean formar parte del “infierno jerárquico”.
“Las torres de marfil en una empresa provienen de la apatía, la jerarquía, el papeleo y los
métodos de liderazgo anacrónicos””.
Gallup informa que sólo el 11% de los empleados se siente comprometido con su trabajo;
el otro 89% opera en una especie de “coma corporativo”. Otras investigaciones indican
que sólo un 0,3% de los empleados se siente satisfecho en su trabajo. Las empresas no
pueden lograr sus mejores resultados si la mayoría de sus trabajadores se siente ajena o
miserable con su trabajo. Las investigaciones indican que el compromiso de los
empleados afecta los resultados de una empresa: los ingresos de las empresas con
empleados comprometidos aumentan el 10%, mientras que los ingresos de las empresas
con empleados indiferentes disminuyen el 32%. La rotación de personal cae un 87%
cuando los empleados se sienten comprometidos y su rendimiento aumenta un 20%.
Alistamiento en la “armada llana”
La fuerza de trabajo de hoy necesita el estilo de administración de la “armada llana”. Una
estructura “llana” sugiere igualdad; y el término “armada” deriva del latín armata, que se
refiere a una flota de barcos que maniobran al unísono, lo cual sugiere un sistema en el
que todos en una organización avanzan suavemente y unidos hacia un objetivo común. El
enfoque de la armada llana empodera a los empleados y los compromete con un sistema
de “conectividad horizontal”; los une, les genera entusiasmo y les proporciona un sentido
de “propiedad psicológica” de su trabajo.
“La transparencia, tanto como una cualidad del líder como una expectativa del equipo,
fomenta una relación armoniosa entre todas las partes””.
En una cultura corporativa de armada llana, la reciprocidad es importante: todos trabajan
en armonía. Los objetivos financieros son cruciales, pero el bienestar del personal es casi
igual de importante. La estrategia de la armada llana de “confianza, participación y
empatía” se basa en cinco principios básicos: “conexión” con los líderes comprometidos,
“colaboración” entre personal y gerentes, “participación” en todo tipo de redes,
“aprendizaje” continuo y “tecnología” que permita la conectividad.
“La confianza no sólo significa decir que confía en alguien. La confianza significa actuar
realmente de manera confiada””.
Los principales elementos de la filosofía de la armada llana son “el aprendizaje
permanente y las tecnologías de colaboración”. El aprendizaje no se restringe al aula; las
personas aprenden a medida que trabajan, a través de las redes sociales, de unas y otras
y por otros cauces.
“Los atributos del líder conectado”
Michael Bloomberg, alcalde de Nueva York, es el líder conectado ideal: comparte la
información con sus subordinados y colabora con ellos cuando es apropiado. Para ser
completamente accesible, no trabaja en una oficina privada: se sienta en medio de un
enorme cuarto, rodeado por sus subordinados, quienes tampoco trabajan a puertas
cerradas.
“La micro-administración … es meramente otro nombre de la desconfianza””.
Bloomberg es la quintaesencia del líder de una armada llana y posee los 15 atributos que
guían a los líderes conectados:
1. “Confianza” – Preste atención a lo que otros piensen y digan. Permita que los
empleados cometan errores sin castigarlos para que puedan aprender. Sea
constante.
2. “Participación” – Asegúrese de que, en su equipo, todos contribuyan. Elimine las
barreras que impidan que los subordinados participen en las actividades del
equipo.
3. “Empatía” – Reflexione en lo que es la experiencia de su lugar de trabajo para los
miembros de su equipo. Cuando sus empleados tengan dificultades, no los
critique. Ayúdeles a crecer.
4. “Desarrollo” – Abra sendas que permitan a sus empleados desarrollarse
profesionalmente. Ayúdeles a elaborar sus “planes de acción de desarrollo”.
5. “Comunicación” – Asegúrese de que sus empleados obtengan la información
que necesiten para hacer bien su trabajo. Escuche a todo el mundo.
6. “Análisis” – Conéctese con sus subordinados para asegurarse de que su análisis
de una situación sea preciso. Tome el tiempo que necesite para entender las cosas
de forma adecuada.
7. “Decisión” – Considere los efectos de sus decisiones. Pida la opinión de los
demás. Examine todas sus opciones. Haga responsables a quienes toman
decisiones.
8. “Entrega” – Nunca se apresure. Nunca evite los problemas; enfréntelos con
decisión. Cuando fije objetivos o haga planes para alcanzarlos, sea firme.
9. “Cooperación” – Fomente el espíritu de cooperación entre los miembros de su
equipo. Haga participar a sus subordinados en todas las actividades.
10. “Alegría” – Las personas trabajan mejor cuando se siente relajadas. Genere una
atmósfera cálida de relajación y sonrisas. No se tome demasiado en serio. No
tema hacer una broma.
 11. “Entrenamiento” – Aproveche toda oportunidad para aconsejar a sus
subordinados; bríndeles retroalimentación, pero no dé consejos hasta contar con
todos los hechos.
12. “Evaluación” – Preste atención a las “estadísticas comerciales cuantitativas”,
como las cifras fiscales, y a las “estadísticas humanísticas cualitativas”, como el
grado de satisfacción laboral.
13. “Exploración” – Actúe como el abogado del diablo para explorar todas las
opciones. Salga de su oficina y entérese de lo que tiene lugar en torno a usted.
14. “Adaptación” – Sea flexible: dispóngase a cambiar, sin importar la situación.
15. “Mejoramiento” – No se conforme con el statu quo: esfuércese por aumentar la
efectividad de su empresa y por mejorar el lugar de trabajo de sus subordinados.
El “marco de trabajo del líder participativo”
Para que su empresa sea más incluyente y la “impulse una red directa”, sea un líder
participativo mediante la aplicación del “principio CARE”, que establece que un líder
colaborador debe ser:
 “Constante” – Fomente la participación en todo momento.
 “Auténtico” – Ser auténtico alienta el mismo comportamiento en sus
subordinados.
 “Recíproco” – El liderazgo participativo depende de dar y recibir.
 “Educador” – Enseñe a sus subordinados y exhórtelos a aprender.
“Mediante una colaboración más efectiva, las organizaciones llegan a ser más sanas y
productivas””.
Cuanto más directos sean sus contactos, sus redes y sus relaciones, tanto más efectivo
puede ser usted como líder. Tómese el tiempo para expandir su “red profesional directa”; y
aliente a sus subordinados a hacer lo mismo. Busque constantemente conocimientos
nuevos y aprenda de sus subordinados. Utilice sus redes personales o profesionales para
compartir la información.
“El modelo de acción del líder colaborador”
La colaboración es “el complemento y el ánimo irrestrictos de los empleados tanto para
contribuir como para obtener conocimientos, entendimiento e ideas relacionados
directamente mediante las redes profesionales o personales para lograr un resultado”. El
modelo de acción del líder colaborador genera una colaboración superior en toda una
empresa. Sus seis facetas son:
1. “Conectarse (con los otros)” – No planifique las cosas solo; recurra a sus
empleados y benefíciese de sus ideas.
2. “Considerar (todas las opciones)” – Analice sus opciones con su equipo.
 3. “Comunicar (las decisiones y el plan de acción)” – Planee sus acciones y
comunique sus planes con todos los interesados.
4. “Generar (el resultado)” – Las empresas requieren una ejecución exitosa.
5. “Confirmar (que el resultado concuerde con el objetivo)” – Cuantifique los
resultados que haya obtenido.
6. “Felicitar (mediante la retroalimentación y el reconocimiento)” – Sus
empleados desean saber que los valora, así que felicítelos por su buen trabajo.
Aprendizaje permanente y tecnologías de colaboración
El aprendizaje permanente puede ser “formal” y tener lugar en conferencias o aulas;
puede ser “informal” y tener lugar en seminarios en la Web, tutorías, difusión en los
medios de comunicación y capacitaciones; o puede ser “social” y surgir en blogs, wikis y
videos, por ejemplo. Las “tecnologías de colaboración” actuales incluyen las herramientas
de innovación avanzadas que usted y sus empleados pueden usar para conectarse,
cooperar, disfrutar una conversación ilimitada y crear contenidos en línea. Establezca un
contexto común para compartir esos contenidos mediante el uso de herramientas en línea
como:
 “Búsquedas” – Aumente el número de sus contactos.
 “Perfiles” – Publique retratos profesionales en Facebook y LinkedIn.
 “Distintivos” – Identifique talentos y especialidades.
 “Calificaciones” – Permita que otros califiquen sus contenidos.
 “Etiquetado” – Use los términos más conocidos para identificar sus contenidos.
“La armada llana en acción”
Algunas de las empresas exitosas que ejemplifican el espíritu de la armada llana son:
 Hitachi – La cultura de esa empresa japonesa ejemplifica la confianza, la
colaboración y la transparencia: todos pueden hablar con todos, de los mensajeros
al director ejecutivo. Su espíritu es el epítome de la filosofía de la armada llana:
“Wa: armonía, confianza y respecto; Makoto: sinceridad, imparcialidad, honestidad
e integridad; y Kaitakusha-Seishin: espíritu precursor y desafío”.
 Zappos – Tony Hsieh, su director ejecutivo, tiene un mantra corporativo: el éxito
depende de cuidar de los empleados. Esa filosofía permitió que Zappos aumentara
sus ingresos de aproximadamente US$1.6 millones en el 2000 a casi US$2 mil
millones en el 2012.
 HCL Technologies – La compañía india cree profundamente en el compromiso de
sus empleados y, para fomentarlo, mantiene un foro en línea en el que pueden
participar. Su director ejecutivo, Binet Nayar, y su equipo ejecutivo responden a
todas las preguntas que les plantean.
“La vida está cambiando; ya es hora de que también su organización lo haga””.
Para desplegar el estilo de administración de la armada llana en su empresa, introduzca
primero el modelo de acción del líder colaborador; después, concéntrese en el
aprendizaje permanente y las tecnologías de colaboración; y, en fin, instituya el marco de
trabajo del líder participativo. Pero sea paciente: convertir una empresa en una armada
llana hecha y derecha puede tomarle dos o tres años.
Sobre el autor
En su calidad de director de aprendizaje y entrenamiento, Dan Pontefract es responsable
del desarrollo del liderazgo y de la estrategia de colaboración de 40 mil miembros del
equipo de TELUS.

LEADERSHIP – Lead. Care. Win.

How to Become a Leader Who Matters
Dan Pontefract
Editorial Rating
9
Recommendation
The most successful leaders don’t position themselves above other people or revel in
power and status. Dan Pontefract says they make themselves relatable, practice humility,
and show care and respect. Pontefract believes strong leaders lift people up,
share knowledge – as opposed to hoarding it – and create diverse, egalitarian teams. He
teaches leaders to act with clarity and decisiveness, and to thrive in the face of change
and obstacles. Writing in an accessible, relatable style, Pontefract offers applicable
advice on how to lead so people will want to follow.
Take-Aways
 Strong leaders are relatable, caring and humble.
 Being a leader should provide a sense of meaning, not a hunger for power.
 Don’t manage time – mindfully transform your relationship to it.
 Embrace a curious mind-set and prioritize lifelong learning.
 Change is a constant; embrace it – don’t fight it.
 Lead by lifting others up. Share your knowledge; don’t isolate yourself.
 Strategic leaders act with decisiveness and clarity.
  Successful leaders value balance over rigid power structures.
 Practice humility by showing people care and respect.
Summary
Strong leaders are relatable, caring and humble.
Leaders should prioritize creating meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships. People
find transparent, honest and caring leaders relatable, and that inspires them to
collaborate. Leaders often fail to be relatable because they won’t admit mistakes or ask
for help when they need it. They foolishly pretend to be infallible. People who see
themselves as virtuous, fair and relatable – but still can’t admit when they make a mistake
– are being dishonest with themselves.
“To become relatable – to be a beacon of forgiveness and kindness, to be humble enough
to ask for help – affects the very heart of your leadership.”
To boost your “relatability quotient,” accept that you’re human and will make
mistakes. When you’re wrong, apologize and take appropriate steps to correct your
error. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or feedback. Ask for assistance in completing project-
based tasks, such as data entry, or for help with larger questions, like considering career
development options. Embrace transparency and honesty in your relationships and
extend empathy to your colleagues.
Being a leader should provide a sense of meaning, not a hunger for power.
Your leadership should reflect more than a personal quest to become increasingly
powerful. Consider your circle: Who do you influence, and who do you serve? If your
actions are self-serving and benefit only you and those in your personal, corporate or
social circle, you may be living a selfish life. Try to give everyone equal consideration;
don’t pick favorites. Consider the impression you make on others over time. If people find
you rude, forgetful, power-hungry, malicious or dishonest, you’ll discourage your team
and develop a negative reputation.
“You have a responsibility to think about and define what you are working toward and the
impact you might make.”
Try to create a meaningful career, rather than centering your objectives around raw
ambition. List your life goals in three areas: career, personal development, and the impact
you want to have on the world and those around you. For example, you might decide
to reduce your carbon footprint. Identify the changes you need to make to achieve your
goals.
Don’t manage time – mindfully transform your relationship to it.
The belief that you can manage time is a fallacy; all you can do is to manage your
behavior in relationship to time. To use time more effectively, cultivate mindfulness.
Stay calm and present while focusing on the task at hand.
“The systems we adopt to convince ourselves we are winning the time battle are mere
illusion. The technology we use is a crutch.”
To support your employees’ mindful focus, don’t abuse these terms:
 “Capacity” – Use this word to refer only to the amount of time people have
available to complete tasks. Often leaders use it to refer to the time they have left
to bombard their teams with additional work.
 “Efficiency” – Leaders use this word to denote their desire to get their team to do
more work with less time and resources. A more ethical use of “efficiency” refers to
helping people creating better systems and habits, so they can achieve their goals.
 “Productivity” – Leaders who tell employees to be more “productive” can
intimidate them into working longer and taking on too much. “Productivity” should
refer instead to your desire to help your employees change any behaviors that hold
them back and boost their levels of engagement so they can achieve
improved results.
To cultivate greater mindfulness, embrace concrete action. Try to:
 Find blocks of time, free from meetings and distracting tasks, that you can allocate
to uninterrupted, focused work.
 Create room each day for activities that enhance your mindfulness, such as taking
short walks or listening to instrumental music.
 Answer emails and messages only during certain time blocks, not instantly.
 Sleep seven to eight hours each night.
 Overcome your fear of missing group activities so you take time for yourself.
 Summarize important discussions and meetings after they end to make sure you
don’t forget important points and decisions.
 Establish team behavioral norms to make mindful use of time part of your company
culture.
Embrace a curious mind-set and prioritize lifelong learning.
If you maintain a curious state of mind and embrace lifelong learning, people will view you
as a more inspiring leader. Prioritize learning by taking actions that make learning a
regular activity. For example, set up a team member who is afraid of public speaking to
work with a helpful colleague who is skilled at making presentations. Share
relevant podcasts or articles with team members to help them expand their knowledge.
“A curious, discreetly confident, question-asking, always-learning attitude is one that
people tend to look up to. A learning leader with this attitude inspires others.”
Be curious about the people you lead. Get to know their goals, strengths, and any gaps in
their skills or knowledge. Take on the role of a coach, encouraging your team to value
lifelong learning. Cultivating a lifelong learner’s mind-set boosts your creativity, credibility
and professional reputation. You may be lacking in curiosity if:
 You don’t care about learning new things and do just the bare minimum to
complete tasks.
  You prefer to hear ideas from only those at the top of the hierarchy in your
organization, rather than listening to your team.
 You think spending money on development or learning is frivolous, since work isn’t
school.
 You often view new ideas as overly risky.
Change is a constant; embrace it – don’t fight it.
Seizing new opportunities requires embracing change and accepting an inevitable degree
of uncertainty. You may struggle to embrace change if:
 You believe your day job prevents you from steering your life in the direction you
desire.
 You blame others for preventing the changes you’d like to see, rather than taking
responsibility.
 You wait for change to happen, rather than initiating it.
 You think your industry’s jobs are secure and can’t imagine change could
jeopardize yours.
 You change only when policy or legal structures require it.
The ability to embrace change is an important leadership quality – it helps you
preemptively anticipate obstacles, reduces your stress and anxiety, and leads others to
view you as flexible and adaptive. Embrace change to grow as a leader by learning
from challenging new situations, instead of avoiding them.
“Your capacity for growth and role success is commensurate with your willingness to
embrace change, because within change there is opportunity.”
To open yourself to change, shift your mind-set. Accept that change is inevitable. Learn
from past mistakes and patterns. Listen empathetically to those who struggle with
change. Be open to re-imagining and redefining your priorities and your company
values. When hard changes confront you, identify their positive aspects. Don’t be afraid to
ask for help navigating change.
Lead by lifting others up. Share your knowledge; don’t isolate yourself.
Don’t hoard your knowledge or information with your team to get ahead; that will cause the
reverse to happen. Failing to share information on projects with your team can create
unnecessary challenges and stress and can hinder your team’s professional development.
“Sharing is at the very heart of leading.”
Imagine if a colleague didn’t give you timely background information you needed to craft
a pitch for a valuable client. You would feel forced to operate alone, in a silo, and you
might feel more anxious about your presentation. In contrast, sharing what you know
strengthens your team members’ ability to work together and solve problems. To become
more generous take these steps:
  Share data, information, experience and knowledge that’s vital to your team’s
success. Try uploading nonconfidential files to a shared drive your entire team can
access.
 Admit when you have gaps in your knowledge, experience, data or information in
areas that are essential to advancing your career. Take action – such as asking
those with more expertise for coaching sessions – to address your knowledge or
experience gaps.
 Don’t hoard information or experience that your organization needs to succeed. For
example, blog on internal platforms to share what you know.
Strategic leaders act with decisiveness and clarity.
Cultivate what the first century Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger referred to as
“euthymia,” a state in which you trust your own direction and don’t allow others to distract
you from choosing what’s right for you.
“Clarity and decisiveness are inseparable from strategic ability, and so are the pillars of an
organization’s longevity, not to mention your own personal leadership success.”
Leaders who lack clarity and decisiveness often have negative traits, such as distractibility
– eagerly adopting new trends and losing focus – and indecisiveness on important
issues. To become a leader who can implement a strategic vision decisively, consider
doing the following:
1. Assess the state of your company and career, and anticipate what the future might
look like if you continue in your current direction.
2. Stay focused and don’t let every new management fad consume your time, energy
and resources. Don’t embrace change for change’s sake.
3. Don’t take on too large a workload. Leave yourself time to rest and recover.
4. Limit how much time you spend analyzing situations to avoid decision paralysis.
5. Leading with clarity and decisiveness gives you authenticity, which makes people
more likely to support your strategies.
Successful leaders value balance over rigid power structures.
To earn your employees’ respect and trust, commit to balanced relationships, rather
than reinforcing hierarchical power positions. Beware of these symptoms:
1. You don’t trust workers to work remotely.
2. You think employees should be satisfied with their paychecks, rather than also
expecting recognition.
3. You rarely leave your desk to interact with your team.
4. You ignore memos from HR about inclusion and diversity.
5. You don’t provide professional development resources such as coaching.
Balance helps your company, and a lack of balance among your staff members will harm
it. For example, as CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014, Steve Ballmer expanded its
revenues, but he didn’t prioritize balance, and the company suffered. During his tenure,
employee engagement fell, the stock price stagnated and market capitalization fell from
$550 billion to less than $270 billion.
“Leadership is not to be conducted from a perch. It is a privilege. You must commit to
balance. Your ability to be an effective leader depends on it.”
Microsoft experienced these challenges, in part, because it did not have a coaching culture
during Ballmer’s tenure. Siloes abounded, teams didn’t listen to one another and workers
didn’t share knowledge or information. Create a more balanced workplace by taking six
actions:
1. Build diverse teams of people from different backgrounds.
2. Create an inclusive environment so diverse employees find a community at work.
3. Permit flexible work where possible, trusting your employees to decide where and
when they find it most productive to work.
4. Recognize employees who exert extra effort and perform well.
5. Coach employees with constructive daily feedback.
6. Leave your desk to build rapport with your team members.
Practice humility by showing people care and respect.
Leaders who show humility create improved engagement, information sharing and
collaboration. No matter your position or age, treating people with care and respect is your
responsibility as a leader. Practice humility; be a champion for your people by using these
tactics:
1. Let go of the egotistical desire to focus every situation around yourself.
2. Embrace transparency by sharing your strengths and weaknesses with your team.
3. Hire people who are smarter than you, and train people to perform their roles better
than you could yourself. Don’t hold smart people back if another unit of your
firm could use their talents more effectively.
4. Admit it when you don’t know something.
5. Ask questions to show your team you care.
6. Find a younger person to mentor you; you can learn a lot from younger employees.
7. Meet with team members below those who report directly to you to show you care
about people throughout the firm and to glean insights from those with a different
perspective.
8. Volunteer in your community with your team.
9. Practice empathy.
 10. Be polite, and practice good manners.
About the Author
Best-selling author of Open to Think, The Purpose Effect and Flat Army, Dan
Pontefract is founder and CEO of the Pontefract Group, a leadership and organizational
culture consultancy.

LEADERSHIP – How Not to Manage People

The Leadership Mistakes Keeping Your Team from Greatness
Mike Wicks
Editorial Rating
8
Recommendation
You can learn a lot from bad managers, as Mike Wicks shows with these instructive stories
of managerial mistakes.He reveals that bad management practices are alarmingly
common and shows how they harm organizations and employees. From sending
catastrophic emails to withholding information or making hurtful assumptions, Wicks shows
you what not to do if you want to be a better manager. His accessible, conversational and
motivational guidebook will inspire readers to become more effective and empathetic
leaders who empower others and build relationships grounded in trust.
Take-Aways
 Good managers prioritize team success over self-serving pursuits.
 Motivate and empower your team by sharing information and building trust.
 Bad managers engage in counterproductive, harmful interpersonal behaviors.
 Assess your communication style and make sure you’re listening.
 Rid yourself of the common communication mistakes that undermine effective
leadership.
 Sloppy managers send unprofessional emails and texts.
 Good managers don’t let fear undermine their ability to lead.
 Substandard leaders don’t hold themselves or others accountable.
Summary
Good managers prioritize team success over self-serving pursuits.
Good managers share a few traits: They’re fair, accountable, adaptable and empathetic.
They have integrity. They’re strong communicators who turn mistakes into learning
opportunities and empower those they lead.
Unfortunately, bad management is quite common. More than half of the workers who
responded to a 2019 survey by Mental Health America reported a lack of motivation at
work. Only about half reported receiving sufficient direction from their managers to do their
jobs effectively. Good managers offer guidance and help people feel confident about their
work, but research suggests that many managers fail in this regard: 80% of the survey
respondents felt strongly that their corporate culture eroded their confidence in their job
performance.
“Poor, bad and downright horrendous management is alive and well and living in your
town, probably in your company.”
Study the mistakes of bad managers so you can avoid them. One of the worst mistakes
bad managers make is putting their ego-driven wishes above the needs of their team. To
be an awful manager, do the following: Forget humility; don’t bother learning people’s
names; ignore negative feedback as you force your agenda forward; and fixate on your
own success and status. Display your awards prominently and remind people of how
fortunate they are to have you as their leader.
However, to manage your team well, shift your perspective and focus on your team
members’ success. If your team reaches its goals under your management, give people
credit when it’s due and empower everyone you manage. That’s the way to help your
organization succeed as you excel in your career.
Motivate and empower your team by sharing information and building trust.
Bad managers engage in controlling behaviors and don’t empower their team
members. For example, bad managers withhold information from their team so they
can maintain control over a project, whereas good managers share as much information
as they can to support their teams. Bad managers don’t listen to input. This is illogical
behavior, because you gain a lot when you pay attention to your colleagues’ diverse
perspectives and ideas. When you listen to your team members’ ideas and feedback, you
demonstrate that you value and respect them. This helps motivate them, engenders loyalty
and prompts them to improve their performance.
“Empowerment is a gift to some managers and a curse to others. In the right hands,
however, it can offer huge benefits.”
Empower your team members to make decisions and take ownership of their
positions. Bad managers micromanage team members because they find it difficult to trust
them to do their jobs. Provide your team members with the guidance, training and
resources they need to earn your trust. Build more trusting relationships by having
conversations with individual team members about your common goals. Mistakes will
inevitably occur, so learn to deal with them productively. Ineffective managers search for
people to blame; effective managers focus on finding solutions to challenging situations.
Bad managers engage in counterproductive, harmful interpersonal behaviors.
When interacting with employees, managers often fail by:
 Succumbing to favoritism – It’s natural to like some team members more than
others, but good leaders remain objective about the people they manage.
 Over-valuing loyalty – People can fake loyalty to their higher-ups. Focus on
valuing your staff members’ skills or experience.
 Making examples of employees – If people disappoint you, don’t punish them in
front of your team to teach them and their teammates some kind of lesson. That
will make people fear and dislike you, creating a stressful work environment.
 Engaging in passive-aggressive behavior – When poor managers feel insecure,
uncomfortable or threatened, they demonstrate manipulative, passive-aggressive
behaviors. For example, they may push team members by making them feel
guilty. Skilled managers listen empathetically and have productive, proactive
conversations with their staff members.
 Acting entitled – Bad managers act as if their selfish desires matter more than the
people they lead. They treat others as their servants and give subordinates
unhealthy workloads. They may behave as though rules don’t apply to them,
perhaps recklessly losing control and indulging in harmful behaviors – such as
harassment – without fearing consequences. In contrast, good managers support
others, lead by example and encourage people to embrace a healthy work-life
balance.
Assess your communication style and make sure you’re listening.
You can’t lead people by talking at them without hearing what they have to say; good
managers develop listening skills and appreciate conversations as two-way
exchanges. Weak managers often use meetings as excuses for delivering uninterrupted
diatribes; good managers listen as much – or more – than they speak. Track the time you
spend talking in meetings to make sure you’re not verbally dominating others. Failing to
listen to your team may generate a false impression of reality, because people may stop
sharing valuable information. Take notes at meetings yourself – rather than asking
someone to do it for you – to help you pay attention to others and to remind yourself to ask
useful follow-up questions.
“Great managers know that there are always opportunities for improvement, and each day
they strive to be better shift leaders, supervisors, middle managers, directors or CEOs
than they were the day before.”
Make sure your subordinates feel they have open lines of communication to
you. Assess your communication style: Do you focus your conversations predominantly on
your needs? If so, demonstrate your support for others by creating space for them to share
their concerns and develop better ways to offer feedback. You may feel tempted to focus
on your team members’ faults and to withhold praise, but this won’t inspire people. Focus
feedback on how people and teams are doing well, then share constructive criticism or
course corrections.
Rid yourself of the common communication mistakes that undermine effective
leadership.
You’re demonstrating poor management skills if:
 You assume things – Leaping to the wrong assumptions harms your relationships
with clients and staff members. Take time to get all the facts before formulating an
opinion.
 You rush to blame others – The quickest way to lose respect and damage your
credibility as a leader is to blame your team members when problems
arise. Instead, work to understand the reality of the situation and seek solutions.
 You’re sarcastic and condescending – These are forms of bullying, which harms
employees’ mental health and decreases their engagement.
 You exclude or avoid people you dislike – Leaders shouldn’t dodge people who
make them uncomfortable, especially if that discomfort arises because someone is
different. Create and appreciate diverse, inclusive teams.
 You don’t make an effort to connect – Don’t wait for people to reach out to you.
Don’t nonverbally discourage people from approaching you. Connect with your
team managers daily; try to talk to each member of your team at least once a
week.
 You fail to set or manage expectations – Creating unrealistic expectations for
employees is abusive behavior that leads to burnout among even the most talented
people. Make sure that the workload and quality you expect others to deliver is
reasonable.
 You’re vague and indecisive – Don’t weigh the pros and cons of a situation for
too long. Get the facts, and deal with challenges by making decisive and clear
decisions.
Sloppy managers send unprofessional emails and texts.
Poor email etiquette can provoke others to see you as a bad manager. Be cautious when
you send work-related emails. Double-check your recipients and share only those things
you’re comfortable with others forwarding to more people.
Don’t send informal emails full of colloquialisms or jokes when conducting business. Be
mindful of using emojis. While some workplaces embrace emojis, many people see them
as unprofessional. Read emails carefully before replying. Try to answer every question in a
timely manner, but be sure you’ve absorbed it first.
Texting creates even more room for error because it’s immediate and quick. Make
sure you text the right person. Always re-read your message before you send. Be careful
that auto-correct or auto-spell doesn’t garble the meaning of your message. Avoid
unprofessional comments. Be mindful of your social media presence and engage
professionally on platforms you share with clients and colleagues.
“Email is a wonderful thing, until it isn’t. There are so many ways you can mess up with
emails, it’s surprising that email browsers don’t come with warning labels.”
Resist the temptation to send emails when you’re frustrated or angry. If you feel compelled
to write an email full of unprofessional or offensive language, take some time to cool off.
Indulging in negative emotions only leads to negative consequences. If you must
express frustration or outrage, write the email and don’t send it.
Be mindful of sharing bad news via email as soon as you receive it, since email may not
be the most appropriate forum. Fact-check your information and develop solutions before
impulsively sharing potentially catastrophic information.
Good managers don’t let fear undermine their ability to lead.
Many managers make the following mistakes due to fear:
 They fear teamwork – Managers are often afraid to let employees take risks or
solve problems on their own. These managers fail to delegate. Give your
employees opportunities to learn from their mistakes and to take risks cautiously.
 They fear hiring talented employees – Some managers are wary of hiring people
who might outperform them. Instead, seek and hire smart, talented people who
can supplement your skills.
 They assume their worst fears are true – Bad managers jump to conclusions
and assume the worst about people. Give people credit; extend the benefit of the
doubt.
 They fear diversity – You might prefer to hire people who resemble you because
you think they fit your company culture, but hiring skilled people who differ from you
will make your team stronger.
Substandard leaders don’t hold themselves or others accountable.
Good leaders create a culture that values accountability. Poor leaders fail to hold other
managers accountable and ignore employees’ complaints about their boss’s poor
conduct. Research indicates that 20% of workers experience workplace bullying, while
more than 60% claim their boss causes them to suffer. Justifying a manager’s behavior
when an employee complains may be easier than confronting the offending party, but good
leaders take time to investigate reports of bullying and misconduct. As a manager, hold
yourself accountable for setting a positive example.
“You are always leading by example, whether you like it or not. You need to be the
employee you expect all your staff to be.”
Understand that as workplace norms shift, you must evolve, too. Successful managers of
the future will need to embrace collaboration, since workplaces will become less
hierarchical. Managers will need to be open-minded, to empower those they lead and to
build relationships based on trust.
About the Author
Publishing consultant Mike Wicks co-wrote the bestseller Built Not Born: A Self-Made
Billionaire’s No-Nonsense Guide for Entrepreneurs with Tom Golisano.
SELLING – How Not to Sell – INGLES
Why You Can't Close the Deal and How to Fix It (The How Not to Succeed Series)
Mike Wicks
Editorial Rating
7
Recommendation
Mike Wicks spells out in detailed lists what salespeople must not do if they wish to
succeed. His unconventional sales book has much to offer. Proactive salespeople who
review his lists will do well. However, some of his warnings are silly. For example, how
many salespeople need to be told not to style their hair into a
Mohawk? Dedicated salespeople should heed Wicks’ more sensible advice – and there’s
plenty of that – to build sales by avoiding complexity and common mistakes.

Take-Aways
 The sales process isn’t complicated, but many salespeople make it so.
 Salespeople should reach out to a variety of people, not only their peers.
 A poor first impression can make it virtually impossible to sell anything.
 You can become a stronger salesperson if you fix what you don’t do.
 Become an expert about your product, industry and customers.
 Be an avid student of your buyers’ personalities and inclinations.
 Develop your mastery of presenting, countering objections, closing sales and
dealing with prospects.
 Focus your sales presentations on your buyers’ problems and present them with
solutions.
 Buyers now hold all the cards.
Summary
The sales process isn’t complicated, but many salespeople make it so.
Professional selling always comes down to the relationship between two people – the
salesperson and the prospect. Often, it’s salespeople, not prospects, who undermine this
relationship. In fact, maladroit salespeople can find dozens of ways to mess up their sales,
but salespeople don't need to work in fear.
“Nothing happens in a company until someone sells something.”
Actually, the sales process isn’t that complicated, though salespeople can turn it into a
labyrinth with a million dead-ends. To avoid the pitfalls, set a straightforward path by
knowing your field and focusing on your buyers.
Salespeople should reach out to a variety of people, not only their peers.
Selling to people who aren’t like you can be tough, but if you confine your sales efforts only
to your peers, you won’t make much money.
“Around 90% of salespeople give up after the fourth call. Statistics, however, show that
when it comes to prospects, more than three-quarters say no four times before they make
their purchase.”
To develop profitable relationships with people who differ from you, become a chameleon
and adapt yourself to them and their concerns. Many salespeople can’t make this
adjustment, but you can if you think of it as turning your attention totally to your clients,
even those you may not understand at first.
A poor first impression can make it virtually impossible to sell anything.
Salespeople must be observant and acutely sensitive to the moods, styles and
personalities of their prospects. To get on their wavelength, adjust how you come across.
Your goal is to be in harmony with your potential buyer.
“Today’s successful salesperson is likable, reliable and oozes integrity.”
If you do not align with your prospects, you may inadvertently turn them off by being out of
step with how they dress, act, speak or carry themselves. Within the first 30 seconds of
meeting you, prospects intuitively make tacit assumptions about what kind of person you
are and whether they will feel good about you. This is simple human nature. The
prospect’s gut reaction to you, although not necessarily rational, boils down to liking you or
not. That instinctive response will influence whether someone buys from you. This is why
your first – and follow-up – impressions are so important. This highlights the need to
develop objective self-awareness. Know who you are and how people – including your
prospects – feel about you.
You can become a stronger salesperson if you fix what you don’t do.
Weak salespeople must strengthen their work and improve their results. To become a
stronger salesperson, you need to:
 Operate strategically. Pay attention to targets and goals.
 Learn from setbacks and failures. You can gain crucial lessons from deals that
don’t work out.
 Stay positive and upbeat with your clients and colleagues.
 Shelve your negative feelings, including anger.
  Carefully serve your small clients, not just the big shots.
 Educate yourself about your offerings. You can’t just hand a prospect a brochure
anymore. Build up deep knowledge in your area of sales, and read the relevant
trade journals. Recognize the value of research. Knowledge is power, and it
enhances your credibility.
 Be sincere, straight and honest. Faking authenticity doesn’t work.
 Put in the necessary hours to make enough calls, including cold calls.
 Work past your last planned sales appointment. If you finish early, spend time
prospecting instead of stopping for the day.
 Engage in advanced sales training and work to improve your sales skills.
 Plan your sales calls. Always show up on time for sales appointments.
 Persevere when prospects turn you down.
 Show prospects the features and benefits that make your goods or
services special. Don’t fall for the myth that customers care only about price.
 Stay on top of your paperwork and record-keeping.
 Listen to your prospects. They have important information to share.
 Get to know your customers. Show concern about helping them achieve their goals
instead of focusing only on your sales objectives. Build relationships with your
clients, and stay in touch with former buyers.
 Follow up on sales. Weak salespeople worry that if they contact their buyers after
the sale, the buyers will cancel the order. Deciding to keep your head down and
stay out of sight is not a winning sales philosophy.
 Use trial closes.
 Spot your prospects’ buying signals, and understand that their objections are
genuine.
 Use PowerPoint effectively to make factual sales presentations. Don’t try to be
flashy.
 “Ask for the order.”
 Send thank-you cards to customers after successful sales.
Become an expert about your product, industry and customers.
Successful salespeople acquire and leverage knowledge. They learn all they can about
their buyers – who they are, what they want, and what they like and don’t like.
“Sales is only complicated if you let it become more about getting the order and less about
meeting your customers’ needs.”
Additionally, good salespeople strive to become experts about their products or
services, their industry and their competition. This knowledge gives productive salespeople
a business advantage. Top salespeople are curious, constantly on the lookout for the next
big opportunity and always asking: “What if…?”
Be an avid student of your buyers’ personalities and inclinations.
Selling is the ultimate people business. To do well, you must be acutely tuned into your
buyers’ personalities and inclinations. Selling is a professional endeavor that requires you
to know a great deal not only about your products, services and industry, but also
about your prospects and their businesses.
“Prospects can spot a slick sales pitch from a mile away; sales presentations need to be
delivered in an inclusive, interactive fashion and not as a product or salesperson’s ego
trip.”
Do you know everything you should about your customers? Are they complex
corporations? Small businesses? Franchises? Family-owned enterprises? Do you
understand their organizational structure and decision-making process? What about their
finances? Can they afford what you’re selling? Which internal executives have the
authority to make purchases? Are you in touch with the right people?
You also need a sound working knowledge of your own company. Fully commit to your
company, not because it pays you, but because you believe in it, its offerings and its
mission. Be loyal to your firm. You can’t expect prospects to be enthusiastic about your
company if you’re not.
Develop your mastery of presenting, countering objections, closing sales and
dealing with prospects.
Leading salespeople can handle all aspects of selling, including presentations, answering
objections, closing contracts and following up. They aren’t afraid to ask prospects for their
business straight out.
“Salespeople the world over seem to find every way possible to screw up getting the order,
when in reality closing a sale is the natural conclusion to a positive interaction between
those with a need and those with something that can satisfy that need at a price the
prospect can afford to pay.”
To top salespeople, the closing phase is a satisfying exercise, the logical culmination of
their previous positive sales activities and interactions with prospects. The contract is
a logical, sensible agreement between two parties who share a transaction. One has a
need and the other can fulfill it at an acceptable price. In contrast, weak salespeople falter
and stumble when they try to close and can’t quite wrap up the deal.
Focus your sales presentations on your buyers’ problems and present them with
solutions.
Salespeople must present effectively to succeed. To impress your audience, detail the
challenges that face your prospects and explain how your offering can solve those
problems. Open with relevant facts and figures, and stress how you will accomplish the
client’s goals.
“Sales is only complicated if you let it become more about getting the order and less about
meeting your customers’ needs.”
Keep your presentation brief – no more than 20 minutes. On each PowerPoint slide,
include no more than 10 short bullet points in readable text.Touch only briefly on your
firm’s stature and experience, and don’t feature detailed financial information on your
slides. Use hand-outs instead. When you are done, take questions. Focus on painting
a positive picture of how things will change when the prospect buys from you.
Buyers now hold all the cards.
Sales have always been tough, but they’re becoming tougher because customers have
gained all the power. Be assured that your prospects have researched their product
options on line, including price comparisons, so they are far more informed than clients
were in the past. Today’s customers also can buy from suppliers who are based almost
anywhere, from your town to the other side of the planet.
“Back in the 1950s, salespeople had all the power; today that power has shifted to the
customer. Never before have salespeople had to sell to such knowledgeable people.”
With such challenges, salespeople must operate at the top of their game. Now you know
what bad salespeople do or don’t do. Here’s what great salespeople do:
 Maintain integrity.
 Adapt their sales persona to make each prospect comfortable.
 Stay well-informed, likable, reliable and trustworthy.
 Offer research that helps buyers make purchasing decisions.
 Select prospects carefully, and pitch to firms that need and can afford their
offerings.
 Treat buyers as respected partners in decision-making.
 Figure out what customers need. Understand their personalities and build lasting
relationships.
 Delve into prospects’ objections, including hidden objections.
 Listen instead of doing all the talking.
 Read prospects’ buying signals.Ask open-ended questions and probe for more
information.
 Suggest purchases that serve their clients instead of being pushy.
 Stay in touch with customers and maintain strong relationships so clients see
them as a valuable resource.

About the Author

Senior writer at Kevin Anderson & Associates, Mike Wicks has written or collaborated on
more than 20 books, e-books and training manuals. The Military Writers Society of
America named his Fire from the Sky: A Diary Over Japan as the best military memoir of
2005.

SELLING – Cómo no vender – ESPAÑOL

Por qué no puede cerrar el trato y cómo solucionarlo (Serie Cómo no tener éxito)
Mike Wicks
Clasificación editorial
7
Reseña
Mike Wicks detalla lo que los vendedores no deben hacer si quieren tener éxito. Su libro
de ventas es poco convencional y tiene mucho que ofrecer. A los vendedores proactivos
que revisen las listas de Wicks les irá bien. Sin embargo, algunas de sus advertencias son
bobas. Por ejemplo, ¿a cuántos vendedores hay que decirles que no se peinen a lo
mohawk? Los vendedores dedicados deberían seguir sus consejos más sensatos –y hay
muchos– para aumentar las ventas haciendo los deberes, estudiando a su cliente y
evitando la complejidad y los errores comunes.
Ideas fundamentales
 El proceso de venta no es complicado, pero muchos vendedores lo hacen.
 Los vendedores deben dirigirse a una variedad de personas, no solo a sus pares.
 Una mala primera impresión puede hacer que vender cualquier cosa sea
prácticamente imposible.
 Puede convertirse en un mejor vendedor si arregla lo que no hace.
 Conviértase en un experto en su producto, su sector y sus clientes.
 Sea un ávido estudiante de las personalidades e inclinaciones de sus
compradores.
 Desarrolle su dominio para dar presentaciones, contrarrestar objeciones,
cerrar ventas y tratar con clientes potenciales.
 Enfoque sus presentaciones de ventas en los problemas de sus compradores y
presénteles soluciones.
 Los compradores tienen ahora todas las cartas.
Resumen
El proceso de venta no es complicado, pero muchos vendedores lo hacen.
La venta profesional siempre se reduce a la relación entre dos personas: el vendedor y el
cliente potencial. A menudo, son los vendedores, y no los clientes potenciales, los que
debilitan la relación. De hecho, los vendedores poco hábiles pueden encontrar docenas
de formas para estropear sus ventas, pero no hay razón para que trabajen con miedo.
“En una empresa no pasa nada hasta que alguien vende algo.”
En realidad, el proceso de venta no es tan complicado, aunque los vendedores pueden
convertirlo en un laberinto con un millón de callejones sin salida. Para evitar las trampas,
establezca un camino directo al conocer su campo y enfocarse en sus compradores.
Los vendedores deben dirigirse a una variedad de personas, no solo a sus pares.
Vender a personas que no son como usted puede ser difícil, pero si limita sus esfuerzos
de venta solo a sus pares, no ganará mucho dinero.
“Alrededor del 90 % de los vendedores se dan por vencidos después de la cuarta
llamada. Sin embargo, las estadísticas muestran que cuando se trata de clientes
potenciales, más de tres cuartas partes dicen que no cuatro veces antes de realizar la
compra.”
Para desarrollar relaciones provechosas con personas que difieren de usted, conviértase
en un camaleón y adáptese a ellas y sus preocupaciones. Muchos vendedores no pueden
realizar esta adaptación, pero usted sí puede si piensa en ello como en centrar su
atención totalmente en sus clientes, incluso aquellos que no entienda al principio.
Una mala primera impresión puede hacer que vender cualquier cosa sea
prácticamente imposible.
Los vendedores deben ser observadores y muy sensibles a los estados de ánimo, estilos
y personalidades de sus clientes potenciales. Para estar en sintonía, ajuste la forma de
presentarse. Su objetivo es estar en armonía con su comprador potencial.
“El vendedor de éxito de hoy es simpático, confiable y rezuma integridad.”
Si no se alinea con sus prospectos, puede desanimarlos inadvertidamente por no estar en
sintonía con su forma de vestir, actuar, hablar o comportarse. En los primeros 30
segundos de conocerlo, los clientes potenciales hacen suposiciones tácitas sobre qué tipo
de persona es y si se sentirán bien con usted. Es sencillamente la naturaleza humana. La
reacción instintiva del prospecto sobre usted, aunque no necesariamente racional, se
reduce a si le cae bien o no. Esa reacción instintiva influirá en que alguien le compre. Por
ello son tan importantes las primeras impresiones… y las subsiguientes, lo que pone de
manifiesto la necesidad de desarrollar un conocimiento objetivo de uno mismo. Conozca
quién es usted y lo que la gente –incluidos sus clientes potenciales– siente por usted.
Puede convertirse en un mejor vendedor si arregla lo que no hace.
Los vendedores débiles deben fortalecer su trabajo y mejorar sus resultados. Para
convertirse en un mejor vendedor es necesario que:
 Opere estratégicamente. Preste atención a objetivos y metas.
 Aprenda de contratiempos y fracasos. Puede obtener lecciones cruciales de
esfuerzos de ventas que no funcionan.
 Manténgase positivo y optimista con sus clientes y colegas. Evite los sentimientos
negativos, incluida la ira.
 Atienda con cuidado a sus pequeños clientes, no solo a los grandes.
 Infórmese sobre lo que ofrece. Ya no se puede solo entregar un folleto a un posible
cliente. Adquiera conocimientos profundos en su área de ventas y lea las revistas
especializadas pertinentes. Reconozca el valor de la investigación. El
conocimiento es poder y aumenta su credibilidad.
 Sea sincero, directo y honesto. Fingir la autenticidad no funciona.
 Dedique las horas necesarias para hacer suficientes llamadas, incluidas las
llamadas en frío.
 Trabaje más allá de su última cita de ventas prevista. Si termina antes, dedique
tiempo a la prospección en lugar de dejar de trabajar por el día.
 Busque una capacitación avanzada en ventas y trabaje para mejorar sus
habilidades como vendedor.
 Planee sus llamadas de ventas y siempre llegue a tiempo a las citas.
 Persevere cuando los clientes potenciales lo rechacen.
 Muestre a los clientes potenciales las características y ventajas que hacen que sus
productos o servicios sean especiales. No caiga en el mito de que a los clientes
solo les importa el precio.
 Esté al tanto del papeleo y registros.
 Escuche a sus clientes potenciales, pues tienen información importante que
compartir.
 Conozca a sus clientes. Muestre preocupación por ayudarles a alcanzar sus
objetivos en lugar de centrarse únicamente en sus objetivos de ventas. Establezca
relaciones con sus clientes y manténgase en contacto con antiguos compradores.
 Dé seguimiento a las ventas. A los vendedores débiles les preocupa que si se
ponen en contacto con sus compradores después de la venta, estos cancelarán el
pedido. Decidir agachar la cabeza y no dejarse ver no es una filosofía de ventas
ganadora.
 Utilice los cierres de prueba.
 Detecte las señales de compra de sus prospectos y comprenda que sus
objeciones son genuinas.
 Utilice PowerPoint de forma eficaz para hacer presentaciones de ventas basadas
en hechos. No intente impresionar.
  Pida la orden de ventas.
 Envíe tarjetas de agradecimiento a los clientes tras una venta exitosa.
Conviértase en un experto en su producto, su sector y sus clientes.
Los vendedores de éxito adquieren y aprovechan los conocimientos. Aprenden todo lo
que pueden sobre sus compradores: quiénes son, qué quieren y qué les gusta y qué no.
“Las ventas solo son complicadas si permite que se conviertan en algo más relacionado
con conseguir el pedido y menos con satisfacer las necesidades de sus clientes.”
Además, los buenos vendedores se esfuerzan por convertirse en expertos en sus
productos o servicios, su industria y su competencia. Este conocimiento proporciona a los
vendedores productivos una ventaja comercial. Los mejores vendedores son curiosos,
están constantemente buscando la próxima gran oportunidad y siempre se preguntan:
“¿Qué pasaría si…?”.
Sea un ávido estudiante de las personalidades e inclinaciones de sus compradores.
Las ventas, por excelencia, son un negocio de y entre personas. Para vender bien hay
que estar en sincronía con las personalidades e inclinaciones de los compradores. Vender
es un esfuerzo profesional que requiere conocimientos en profundidad no solo de sus
productos, servicios e industria, sino también de sus clientes potenciales y sus negocios.
“Los clientes potenciales son capaces de oler un «pitch» de ventas elegante pero
agresivo a un kilómetro de distancia. Las presentaciones deben realizarse de forma
inclusiva e interactiva y no como un producto o presunción del vendedor.”
¿Sabe todo lo que debería saber sobre sus clientes? ¿Son empresas complejas?
¿Pequeños negocios? ¿Franquicias? ¿Empresas familiares? ¿Conoce su estructura
organizacional y su proceso de toma de decisiones? Con respecto a sus finanzas,
¿pueden permitirse lo que usted vende? ¿Qué ejecutivos internos tienen autoridad para
realizar compras? ¿Está usted en contacto con las personas adecuadas?
También es necesario que usted tenga un buen conocimiento de su propia empresa.
Comprométase plenamente, no porque le pague, sino porque cree en ella, en sus ofertas
y su misión. Sea leal. No puede esperar que los clientes potenciales se entusiasmen con
su empresa si usted no lo está.
Desarrolle su dominio para dar presentaciones, contrarrestar objeciones,
cerrar ventas y tratar con clientes potenciales.
Los mejores vendedores pueden manejar todos los aspectos de la venta, desde las
presentaciones, responder a objeciones, cerrar contratos y dar seguimiento. No temen
pedir a los clientes su negocio directamente.
“Los vendedores de todo el mundo parecen encontrar todas las formas posibles para
arruinar la confirmación del pedido, cuando en realidad cerrar una venta es la conclusión
natural de una interacción positiva entre quienes tienen una necesidad y quienes tienen
algo que puede satisfacer esa necesidad a un precio que el cliente potencial puede
pagar.”
Para los mejores vendedores, la fase de cierre es un ejercicio satisfactorio, la culminación
lógica de sus actividades de venta e interacciones positivas anteriores con clientes
potenciales. El contrato es un acuerdo lógico y sensato entre dos partes que comparten
una transacción. Una tiene una necesidad y la otra puede satisfacerla a un precio
aceptable. Por el contrario, los vendedores débiles se tambalean y tropiezan cuando
intentan cerrar un trato y no lo consiguen.
Enfoque sus presentaciones de ventas en los problemas de sus compradores y
presénteles soluciones.
Los vendedores deben hacer una presentación eficaz para tener éxito. Para impresionar a
su público, detalle los retos a los que se enfrentan sus clientes potenciales y explique
cómo su oferta puede resolver esos problemas. Comience con datos y cifras pertinentes,
y destaque cómo cumplirá con los objetivos del cliente.
Su presentación debe ser breve, de no más de 20 minutos. En cada diapositiva de
PowerPoint incluya un máximo de 10 ideas breves en texto legible. Describa brevemente
el prestigio y la experiencia de su empresa y no incluya información financiera detallada
en sus diapositivas. Mejor utilice folletos. Cuando termine, responda las preguntas.
Concéntrese en dar una imagen positiva de cómo cambiarán las cosas cuando el cliente
le compre a usted.
Los compradores tienen ahora todas las cartas.
Las ventas siempre han sido difíciles, pero cada vez lo son más porque los clientes han
adquirido todo el poder. Tenga la seguridad de que sus clientes potenciales han
investigado sus opciones en línea, incluyendo comparaciones de precios, por lo que están
mucho más informados que los clientes en el pasado. Los clientes de hoy también pueden
comprar a proveedores que se encuentran en casi cualquier lugar, desde su ciudad hasta
el otro lado del planeta.
“En los años 1950, los vendedores tenían todo el poder; hoy ese poder se ha trasladado
al cliente. Nunca antes los vendedores habían tenido que vender a personas tan
informadas.”
Con esos retos, los vendedores deben operar al máximo de su capacidad. Ahora ya sabe
lo que hacen o dejan de hacer los malos vendedores. Esto es lo que hacen los grandes
vendedores:
 Son íntegros.
 Adaptan su personalidad para que cada cliente potencial se sienta cómodo.
 Están bien informados, son simpáticos, responsables y dignos de confianza.
 Ofrecen información que ayude a los compradores a tomar decisiones de compra.
 Seleccionan cuidadosamente a los clientes potenciales y se dirigen a las
empresas que necesitan y pueden costear sus ofertas.
 Tratan a los compradores como socios respetados en la toma de decisiones.
  Averiguan qué necesitan los clientes, comprenden sus personalidades y
establecen relaciones duraderas.
 Ahondan en las objeciones de los clientes potenciales, incluidas las ocultas.
 Escuchan en lugar de hablar todo el tiempo.
 Leen las señales de compra de los clientes. Hacen preguntas abiertas y buscan
más información.
 Sugieren compras que les sirvan a sus clientes en lugar de ser insistentes.
 Se mantienen en contacto con los clientes con relaciones sólidas para que los
vean como un recurso valioso.
Sobre el autor
Escritor sénior de Kevin Anderson & Associates, Mike Wicks ha escrito o colaborado en
más de 20 libros impresos, electrónicos y manuales de capacitación. La Military Writers
Society of America nombró su obra Fire from the Sky: A Diary Over Japan como las
mejores memorias militares de 2005.

BIAS – Everyday Bias

Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives
Howard J. Ross
Recommendation
Diversity consultant Howard J. Ross shows how to free yourself from biases you probably
don’t even know you have. The problem is that biases are unconscious. As a result, you
may be unaware of some of the reasons underlying your actions and reactions. You may
have rejected a job applicant who resembles someone you don’t like, or you might choose
a presidential candidate based on height. You may have missed great opportunities
because of a hidden antipathy against certain groups of people or an unacknowledged
assumption about gender roles. If you increase your awareness of your biases, you can
take steps to circumvent them – as do orchestras that audition players behind a screen to
bypass race, age and gender biases, and just hear the music. Ross explains the
evolutionary roots of bias, and outlines strategies for finding and defusing individual and
organizational prejudices. He recounts fascinating research findings, such as the one
featuring radiologists so intent on spotting cancer cells that they didn’t notice the inch-tall
image of a gorilla that researchers had superimposed on the X-
ray. getAbstract recommends Ross’s insights to human resource professionals, managers
and leaders dealing with a diverse workforce, and to anyone seeking to learn, grow and
evolve.
Take-Aways
 All human beings have biases.
 Most of these biases are unconscious; you’re unaware of them.
 You may never know when you’ve based a reaction or decision on an unconscious
bias.
 Biases are a product of the way the brain tries to categorize everything it
experiences.
 Instead of trying to eliminate your biases, grow more aware of them.
 Becoming conscious of your biases allows you to seek alternative perspectives.
 Businesses and other organizations have biases.
 A culture’s institutions, such as its media, help reinforce widely held biases.
 Examine every stage of your business’s processes for hidden biases.
 Fight bias with small changes, like using neutral pronouns in job descriptions.
Summary
Gut Feelings
Everyone has biases. Over a lifetime, you and every other human being compile a mental
database of judgments, beliefs and prejudices. You draw on this resource to make virtually
every decision. But, you usually won’t know you’re checking in with your hidden biases
because this database is stored in your unconscious mind. It filters your decisions beyond
your awareness.
“Human beings are consistently, routinely and profoundly biased.”
Hidden biases explain why subjects in one experiment consistently gave higher ratings to
a student application when they thought it came from a male. Corporate recruiters favored
a résumé when they thought it came from a white applicant rather than from a black
applicant. Environmental conditions can influence decisions: College admissions officials
rated applicants higher when they interviewed them on sunny days and lower when they
met on rainy days.
“We not only are profoundly biased, but we also almost never know we are being biased.”
People around the globe strive to erase such biases. Nations, states and communities
have outlawed discrimination, instituted speech codes, and launched initiatives to foster
tolerance in schools, businesses and other organizations. Society has made progress in
racial equality, women’s rights, and the acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender people.
“Hidden prejudices and biases are surprisingly influential underpinnings to all the decisions
we make, affecting our feelings and, consequently, our actions.”
But intolerance and inequality persist. The results are often unfair and sometimes tragic.
Disparities affect how hospitals treat patients of different races. Women’s salaries lag
behind men’s. African Americans go to jail at a much higher rate than white Americans.
Gay teenagers are four times more likely to kill themselves than straight teenagers. Since
the recession began in 2008, anti-immigrant sentiment has increased in the US and
Europe.
“Possessing bias is part and parcel of being human. And the more we think we are
immune to it, the greater the likelihood that our own biases will be invisible or unconscious
to us!”
Most prejudices are invisible to the people who hold them. Your unconscious biases have
power only because you remain unaware of them. Increasing your awareness and
enlarging your consciousness enables you to confront and undermine the power of your
biases.
Pigeonholes
Biases cause mischief, but their presence makes sense in evolutionary terms. The world
was a dangerous place for humankind’s primitive ancestors and they needed to sense
danger instantly and decide how to react. They learned to categorize people, things and
animals quickly and to assign values to them: safe or unsafe, friend or foe. They
automatically categorized a new person or situation by searching their memories for
similar phenomena from the past. To stay safe, they had to make snap judgments based
on superficial cues.
“Sometimes, dealing more effectively with unconscious bias involves something as simple
as just noticing the bias.”
The human brain still functions this way: People unconsciously size up strangers by their
clothes or accents. You might reject a job candidate because he or she resembles
someone you don’t like. You may come up with a conscious reason that’s a rationalization
for your gut reaction. Because your biases are unconscious, you can’t determine how
much influence they have.
“One of the most effective ways to begin to dis-identify with our biases is through exposure
to people and groups we harbor biases against.”
Not all of your biases come from personal experience. You pick up many prejudices
because your culture widely supports them. Human beings need a sense of belonging to a
group. Cultural standards and norms reinforce that feeling of belonging and unity by
inculcating biases against outsiders. Electronic media reinforce group biases. Every
political ideology, for instance, has websites and cable TV channels that affirm their
adherents’ biases.
The Mechanisms of Bias
The way the brain filters reality causes you to create biases. Its mechanisms include:
  “Selective attention” – Your consciousness focuses on the things it deems
important and ignores others. A famous experiment illustrated how this works:
Researchers asked subjects to watch a video of an informal basketball game and
to count the number of times the players passed the ball. The subjects were so
focused on counting the passes that about half didn’t notice when a man in a gorilla
suit walked into the middle of the court, beat his chest and walked off. Subjects saw
the gorilla, but their brains failed to process or register the image. Selective
attention is useful for navigating a world filled with constant, competing stimuli.
 “Confirmation bias” – When you use this filter, you unconsciously seek
information that supports your preconceptions. You see this bias in action when
political commentators respond to current events. Liberal and conservative pundits
each “cherry pick” from the same information to support their own perspectives.
This also happens in business. For example, when you identify people as “high-
potential,” you probably give them more opportunities to demonstrate competence,
thus confirming your expectations.
 “Pattern recognition” – Your brain will always try to discern repeating patterns in
your experiences. When you experience something new, your brain tries to fit that
event into an existing template. If a person you see routinely acts in a threatening
way, for instance, you assume that he or she will continue that pattern when you
next meet.
Taming Bias
The benefits of controlling your biases are obvious. You can take your decision making off
automatic pilot. Businesses can tap talent from a wider pool. A more diverse student body
would enrich the experience of getting an education.
“The fact that most people are not aware of their bias has almost no bearing on whether or
not it is there, or whether or not it motivates our behavior.”
Why do biases endure? Perhaps they linger because society attacks the problem from the
wrong direction. It tries to suppress biases, to shame people out of their prejudices. This
approach is more likely to provoke defensiveness, guilt and denial than to inspire change.
Acknowledging that everyone has biases and trying to increase each person’s awareness
of them would be more productive.
“Unconscious influences dominate our everyday life.”
Pull your hidden biases into the light to figure out strategies for defusing their influence.
Sometimes merely being aware of a bias can reduce its power. That’s what happened with
a bias that researchers identified among professional basketball referees. Researchers
found that white referees called fouls on black players more frequently than on white
players. Black officials called fouls on a disproportionate share of white players. After the
study became well known, the discrepancy practically vanished, even though the league
took no special initiatives to address it.
Making Bias Less Powerful
Cultivate your awareness of hidden biases and drain their power by following six steps:
 1. Accept that biases are normal and universal – Feeling guilty about your biases
is counterproductive and probably leads to “self-recrimination, denial or self-
justification” rather than progress. Once you accept the universality of bias, try to
identify your individual biases. One useful way is to take the online “Implicit
Association Test.” This test may help you unravel your unconscious attitudes
toward people of different groups. You can also unearth some biases by reflecting
on the “narrative” of your life – the string of experiences from which you’ve
constructed your unique filter on the world. Think about the culture you grew up in
and the institutions you participated in, such as your school or house of worship.
When you identify the root of a bias, you can consciously “reframe” it. For instance,
if you have a negative bias against a racial group, you can change your narrative
by seeking stories of people who overcame such biases.
2. Learn to observe yourself – When you turn your focus away from the outside
world and observe your own reactions to life, your thinking becomes less
automatic. Biases generally take advantage of the fact that people rarely focus on
the present. They usually respond to the moment by drawing on their memories of
past interactions or fear. However, if you heed the present, you can catch your
knee-jerk responses in action and modify your behavior.
3. “Practice constructive uncertainty” – Human beings have automatic responses
because the brain tries to reduce uncertainty as quickly as possible. To your brain,
uncertainty signals danger. Defuse these programmed responses by pausing at the
moment of uncertainty. Analyze what’s happening, and try to differentiate between
the event and your interpretation of it. Observe your reaction and interpretation,
and consider alternative reactions and interpretations. Choose the “most
constructive, empowering or productive” way to handle the event, and put it into
action.
4. Pay attention to uncomfortable moments – Sometimes you may feel discomfort
around certain types of people or events. The automatic reaction to such a situation
is the “fight or flight” response, which calls for making an assessment and deciding
whether you need to defend yourself or run. Stop and try to discern if you are truly
responding to the current circumstances or if you are unconsciously linking them to
past events.
5. Get to know people from other groups – If you have negative feelings about a
particular group of people, get to know someone from that group or learn about the
group’s history and culture. The more you know about a person or group, the
harder it is to cling to a stereotype.
6. “Get feedback and data” – People often judge the effectiveness of their actions
by how those actions make them feel rather than assessing the results by
gathering measurable data. To learn if your responses really represent your best
thinking or are unconscious reactions, look at the evidence.
“Creating More Conscious Organizations”
Businesses and other organizations develop biases. Be on the lookout for “collective
biases” any time you hear the phrase that’s “the way we do things around here.” You’ll find
these biases in every decision a group makes in different areas, including hiring, work flow
and marketing. When you become aware of these biases, you can put mechanisms in
place that lead to more rational decision making.
“Our minds quickly go to the solutions that make the most sense and often miss other
possibilities that are right in front of us.”
A great example of outsmarting unconscious bias comes from the way symphony
orchestras addressed the underrepresentation of women in their ranks. Before 1970,
orchestras were about 95% male, a ratio that may have reflected the bias of those who
chose the musicians. Beginning in the 1970s, major orchestras instituted blind auditions:
They identified candidates by numbers instead of names, and had them play their music
from behind a screen. Blind to bias-triggering cues such as race or gender, the listeners
could focus entirely on the quality of each person’s musicianship. The number of female
orchestra members has increased an average of 25%.
“Knowing not to believe everything you think is a good start toward managing bias.”
Other organizations can use analogous tactics to mitigate the effects of bias. Since the
goal is to expand the consciousness of the organization, this effort will differ from the usual
ways you might cultivate diversity. Usually, organizations attempt to contend with bias or
prejudice by discouraging prejudicial behavior. The result is a culture of “political
correctness” that hides the issues you need to examine. Teach your team members to
become aware of biases, to learn how biases affect their performance, as well as to work
to mitigate those biases.
Signs of Bias
Examine every aspect of your business for signs of bias. Create an organizational map,
drawing on employee or customer surveys, focus groups and other data sources to
discern patterns in your treatment of various groups. For instance, can you find a
consistent pattern in the way your recruiters rate résumés from female and male job
applicants? Interview former employees to discern their inside and outside views of your
processes.
“We have a largely unconscious tendency to see ourselves in a positive light.”
Many of the antibias measures you put in place will be small, but they can have a big
impact. For instance, in employee evaluations, eliminate assessments that rate employees
with number scores or descriptors like “good” or “poor.” Such ratings invite bias because
different supervisors may interpret the rankings in different ways. Utilize a narrative
approach, in which you tell employees “what they should stop doing, start doing and
continue to do.”
About the Author
Howard J. Ross, professor in residence at the Bennett College for Women, founded the
diversity consultancy Cook Ross.
BIAS – American Bias
by David Meyer
Stanford psychology professor and MacArthur Fellow Jennifer Eberhardt offers a
detailed, illuminating – and at times disheartening – overview of bias in America and
how it manifests.
Stanford psychology professor Jennifer L. Eberhardt, a MacArthur Fellow, shows how
stereotypes arise and how they shape people’s perceptions and actions. Applying research
studies and history lessons, Eberhardt demonstrates that bias against African-Americans
is pervasive and longstanding in the United States. Luckily for those seeking a more just
world, she also illustrates how people can journey through the challenge of bigotry and
come to appreciate diversity. She names knowledge as the first step. Students, social
scientists, businesspeople and those seeking greater mutual understanding will benefit
from Eberhardt’s considerable insights.
Research supports the notion that raising the issue of race and discrimination explicitly
can lead people to be more open-minded and act more fairly.JENNIFER L. EBERHARDT

The awards Eberhardt has garnered for her groundbreaking work include the
William James Book Award from the American Psychological Association and
The Society for Personality and Social Psychology Book Prize. Bias was
Nonfiction Runner-Up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
Esquire.com found this to be, “an exhaustive investigation of how bias infiltrates every
sector of public and private life…Eberhardt offers tips for reforming business practices,
police departments and day-to-day interactions in pursuit of a fairer world for
everyone.” Psychology Today admires it as, “An immensely informative and insightful
analysis of race-based stereotypes….[that] also offers practical suggestions for managing
mechanisms of prejudice that ‘are rooted in the structures of our brains’.”
Racial Categories
Writing in crisp language, Eberhardt says the human brain evolved with a “same-race
advantage,” a built-in bias that, she asserts, often leads to the misidentification of criminals
if they’re from a different race than their victims.
Bias determines who gets to shine, who’s allowed to stand out, who is lauded for being a
‘disrupter,’ and who is sidelined for being disruptive.JENNIFER L. EBERHARDT
White Americans, the author reports, often associate African-Americans with aggression,
and so they misinterpret Black people’s facial expressions. Parents transmit biases to
their children. When kids see someone being treated badly or without respect, they
assume that person must be bad and must deserve poor treatment.
Police Interactions
Eberhardt details how, shockingly, police officers killed almost 1,000 people in the US in
2016. The author developed training methods for law enforcement personnel to help them
combat implicit bias. She showed officers and non-officers words related to criminal
activity, and discovered this caused them to focus attention on a Black face instead of a
white one. Study participants saw Black people’s bodies as bigger and more threatening
than they were.
California mandates the collection of demographic data for every police interaction.
Eberhardt explains that residents of Oakland, California advocated for this record-
keeping in the late 1990s when “vigilante cops” framed innocent people, assaulting and
arresting them.
Eberhardt invites readers into the saga of how her team analyzed 28,000 police stops in
Oakland between 2013 and 2014 and found that police disproportionately stopped
Black residents, and were more likely to arrest them than white residents they stopped.
Oakland police, the author notes, hear “male Black” hundreds of times daily over their
radios. They pair race and crime, and that subliminally affects their perceptions.
Eberhardt’s on-the-ground research and profound immersion in these law enforcement
issues grants her particular credibility when describing police officers’ emotions.
Research and real-life experience have shown that if officers act in accordance with four
tenets – voice, fairness, respect, trustworthiness – residents will be more inclined to think
of the police as legitimate authorities.JENNIFER L. EBERHARDT
Police stop Black people twice as often as whites. Some departments use stops as a
revenue source. When minor traffic stops escalate, Eberhardt reveals, police charge
drivers with other offenses. Arrested drivers must post bail, but the poor often can’t afford
it. With great compassion and quiet outrage, Eberhardt chronicles how, when the system
detains and imprisons people, their bills mount, their employers grow impatient, their
landlords threaten to evict them, and they lose custody of their children.
This makes suspects desperate for freedom, so they enter guilty pleas, even when they’re
innocent. Then they must live with the long-term consequences of a criminal conviction.
Discrimination
Eberhardt describes the stringencies of racism in American life before the Civil Rights
movement: government-backed segregation determined where Blacks went to school,
what parks their children could play in, and what restaurants, hotels and hospitals would
accept them. Despite integration, economic disparities separate Black and white people
today.
Integrated schools promise to turn us into global citizens, appreciative of cultural
differences, skilled at navigating diversity.JENNIFER L. EBERHARDT
Eberhardt sadly offers the shocking truth that segregation in the United States has “more
than tripled” since the 1980s, due to court rulings constraining busing and overturning
desegregation programs.
Bias extends beyond prejudice against African-Americans, the author notes. For example,
from 2015 to 2017, anti-Semitic acts including threats and vandalism spiked 60%.
Starbucks
After a Starbucks manager had two Black customers arrested because they used his
shop’s bathroom without buying coffee, Starbucks closed all its stores to conduct
employee training on discrimination. This effort may not change employee biases, but
it proclaimed that Starbucks will not tolerate discrimination. Eberhardt applauds Starbucks’
conviction and believes public displays by large corporations breed greater tolerance, or at
least reduced tolerance for intolerance.
Impassioned Scholarship
Jennifer Eberhardt won a rare honor: a MacArthur fellowship. You cannot apply for this
considerable cash award. You cannot lobby for it. The MacArthur Foundation gives its
rewards on the basis of the recipients’ creativity and contribution to society. The judges
chose Eberhardt for her evocative, readable writing, which is rare among academics, and
for the impact of her work. The number of years she put in on the front lines of research in
her field are even more unusual. Eberhardt earned the qualifications and standing to write
credibly about the processes of bias in the United States. She never devolves into political
rant, though she also doesn’t try to hide her sadness, frustration and outrage. Amazingly,
Eberhardt believes that progress against bias is possible. Delving into her extraordinary
report is an excellent first step in making that progress.

BIAS – The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias

How to Reframe Bias, Cultivate Connection, and Create High-Performing Teams
Pamela Fuller, Anne Chow and Mark Murphy
Recommendation
Imagine a help-wanted advertisement specifying that candidates must be right-handed,
brown-haired and more than six feet tall. According to authors Pamela Fuller, Anne Chow
and Mark Murphy, preferences like these actually do play a significant role in
your judgments. Because biases are unconscious, you won’t realize you’re making hiring
decisions based on assumptions that may be irrelevant, unfair or untrue. The authors
explain how to become aware of your biases and then outline strategies for circumventing
them.
Take-Aways
 Unconscious bias in the workplace is a performance issue.
 Everyone has biases.
  Stay alert for “bias traps” that lead to biased thinking.
 Leaders can mitigate bias by nurturing community and connection.
 Be courageous about confronting bias.
 Address bias throughout your employees’ “talent lifecycle.”
Summary
Unconscious bias in the workplace is a performance issue.
Discussions about bias in business often focus on issues such as fairness and the role of
quotas and regulations. These important topics can divert attention from the
deleterious effects that bias often has on a company’s performance. If you don’t identify
and examine your biases, you’re more likely to base decisions on unconscious
assumptions that may be unjust, false and unrelated to your company’s needs. Workers on
the receiving end of bias can become unwilling or unable to contribute at their highest
level.
“To be human is to have bias.”
By practicing self-awareness, you can recognize your most deep-seated, subconscious
assumptions. When you identify your biases, you can overrule them, especially when they
get in the way of rational analysis.
Everyone has biases.
The human brain evolved to embrace biases as survival mechanisms. The brain receives
an enormous load of information. To deal with the gargantuan task of processing this input,
it devised shortcuts, such as putting people, things and events into categories, so you
don’t have to analyze every piece of information. For early humans, the most important
categories were people, things or events that posed a threat or people, things and events
that were safe.
“If you were to say, ‘I don’t have bias,’ you’d be saying your brain isn’t functioning
properly!”
Prehistoric people couldn’t stop and deliberate before recognizing a threat. They
needed to make a snap judgment about whether to run, freeze or fight. Biases –
preferences for or against things, people or groups – allowed them to make these quick
decisions.
Consider the human brain as having three main components:
 “The primitive brain” – This part of the brain addresses survival and triggers the
“fight, flight or freeze” response. It evolved to seek community, because community
was safer than solitude.
 “The emotional brain” – Your experiences shape this part of the brain, which
handles your feelings, assumptions and values. The emotional brain makes
empathy possible, but it can produce irrational thinking.
  “The thinking brain” – This site handles your higher cognitive functions, including
problem-solving and creativity. The thinking brain enables you to view objectively
your own assumptions and values.
When you feel threatened, whether physically or psychologically, your primitive and
emotional brains come into play. Psychological threats can include such emotions as
feeling excluded from a group. In the workplace, a common psychological trigger is the
fear of facing punishment for making a mistake.
“The goal of exploring and reframing bias is not to censor you but to build your ability to
understand and be understood as you connect with others.”
Many people feel threatened when they come to grips with their biases. In part, this stems
from the popular view of bias as a moral failing or a sign of malice. Some people may
bristle at any discussion of bias, seeing it as a ploy to restrict speech in the name of
political correctness.
Not all biases are negative, and not all biased decisions are bad ones. Some biases have
a neutral effect. For example, your bias for or against listening to music while you work is
unlikely to affect others. A bias can produce positive effects. Someone with a bias toward
collaboration may be more inclined to reach out and solicit feedback or test assumptions.
Biases are harmful when you base your decisions about people on false, irrelevant or
unfair assumptions and beliefs. Under the influence of bias, choices in hiring and
promotion can turn on unconscious feelings about gender, race, age, weight, sexual
orientation, physical attractiveness and other factors.
For example, research data show a correlation between people’s accents and their earning
power. Research also found an apparent prejudice linking leadership and height.
While more than half of Fortune 500 CEOs are more than six feet tall, only 14.5% of adult
men in the United States reach that height. Studies also revealed that lighter-skinned
people of color are more likely than those with darker skin to land jobs and get promotions.
“Beliefs can be so deeply ingrained in our brains that we literally can’t believe they are
wrong, even when faced with facts.”
Bias and threats against inclusion can shape an employee’s experience throughout his or
her tenure with a company. The following Performance Model shows how different work
environments can affect an employee’s career journey and performance. The model
consists of three “zones”.
1. “High-performance zone” – In this zone, employees feel included and treated
with respect. Knowing the company values them gives them the confidence to
contribute at their best.
2. “Limiting zone” – Here employees feel that no one listens to them or that people
simply tolerate them. Unfortunately, most diversity programs, with their message of
tolerance, tend to place employees in this zone.
3. “Damaging zone” – A culture that accepts and validates biases can lead to
harmful consequences, such as workers feeling harmed, hounded or put down.
Stay alert for “bias traps” that lead to biased thinking.
Everyone has biases; eliminating them is impossible. However, if you become more aware
of your biases, you can compensate for them and modify how you respond to them. You
can enhance your self-awareness to gain breathing space to assess situations rationally
before you react.
“When two people meet or when we encounter a group…we can see only a small part of
their identities – often age, race, gender, culture, physical appearance and, potentially,
physical ability or religious affiliation.”
One way to become aware of your biases is to stay alert for “bias traps” – stressful or
uncertain situations that trigger the primitive and emotional parts of your brain, leading to
biased thinking. Common bias traps include:
 Having too much information – When you face a flood of input, your brain
automatically filters it. Unable to process so much data rationally, you may fall back
on unconscious biases to make quick decisions. A common path for shortcut
thinking in this situation is confirmation bias, in which you give more weight to data
that conforms with your existing assumptions. Another is “anchoring bias,” the
tendency to base your conclusions primarily on the first piece of information you
encounter.
 Prioritizing emotions instead of facts – The brain tends to treat its beliefs and
feelings as if they were facts. When a strong belief conflicts with a fact from the
outside world, people are more likely to reject the fact than to surrender their belief.
The primacy of feelings leads to in-group bias– preferring people who are similar to
you. For example, one contemporary study found that 71% of leaders chose
proteges of their own gender and race. Negativity bias, which is also based on
feelings, causes you to give more weight to negative outcomes, experiences or
opinions.
 Rushing to meet a deadline – When you’re under pressure to act rapidly, perhaps
because a deadline looms, you’re more likely to fall back on biases to get a task
done quickly. These can be counterproductive, as in the case of the sunk-cost
bias, in which you continue a course of action even if it’s not working because
abandoning it feels like a waste of the effort or money you’ve already invested.
Strategies for increasing self-awareness include mindfulness practices, which can bring
submerged thoughts and feelings into the light of consciousness. As a result, you
would be less likely to function on automatic pilot. Approaches for cultivating mindfulness
include meditating, taking breaks from the distractions of digital apps and media, and
periodically taking a moment to interrupt your internal monologues to pay deeper attention
to the people and events around you.
Leaders can mitigate bias by nurturing community and connection.
A feeling of belonging is a basic human need. Unless you feel secure that your group
values and respects you, you will experience psychological unease. This feeling activates
the primitive and emotional impulse to fit in, which can lead to repressing your
authentic self and mimicking the values and behavior of the majority. As a result, you hide
your unique talents and perspectives.
“Cultivating connection gives us a path through bias by getting to know people for who
they truly are versus who we perceive them to be.”
When people who work together feel a genuine shared connection, they appreciate each
other as complex individuals and seldom slot one another into stereotypes.
Leaders should nurture community by practicing and modeling connection skills like
curiosity and empathy. Learning more about other people and trying to appreciate their
perspective provides deeper insights into their behavior. For example, if a long-time
employee suddenly develops a pattern of tardiness, you might assume that it represents a
failure of discipline. If you treat the employee with empathy, you may learn that there’s a
different problem, one you may be able to help solve.
Be courageous about confronting bias.
Becoming aware of your own biases requires courage because you may discover attitudes
and assumptions that conflict with your conscious values. You need fortitude to deal with
the effects of biases, whether they are yours or someone else’s.
“We define courage as the mental or moral strength to strive and persevere in the face of
uncertainty, fear, and difficulty.”
These four categories of courage are relevant to confronting bias.
1. “Courage to identify” – Most people assume that they act rationally, and they can
become upset when someone points out their biases or when they discover biases
in themselves. Acknowledging that you need to change takes courage. A simple
tactic for tackling your own biases is to practice pausing before you make a
decision or give orders. Examine your thinking process and analyze the emotions
you’re experiencing.
2. “Courage to cope” – If you are on the receiving end of bias, you need courage to
acknowledge the damage bias can do and to take steps to maintain your health
and well-being. Strategies for dealing with stress and emotional pain
include journaling, physical exercise and meditation.You may benefit from finding a
supportive network of like-minded professionals or a confidant who offers a positive
counterpoint to your negative experiences.
3. “Courage to be an ally” – You can add your voice to the defense of those who are
subject to bias. A person who has privilege or power within a firm should
make an effort to include people from marginalized groups, particularly at
conferences or other events.
4. “Courage to be an advocate” – Becoming a squeaky wheel in the fight against
bias can be daunting. One way to ease into this role is to join others with a similar
mission. For example, the group CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion includes
nearly a 1,000 CEOs from leading companies.
Address bias throughout your employees’ “talent lifecycle.”
Your efforts to identify and mitigate bias should apply to every stage of an employee’s time
with your company.
“Rarely are discussions around bias easy – but they can be productive, trust-building, and
performance-enhancing, if we conduct them from our thinking brains.”
Your employees’ talent lifecycle has three major stages:
 The hiring process – Instead of relying on the usual channels – such as employee
referrals – work in partnership with institutions, such as historically Black colleges
or other educational organizations, to get the word out to marginalized groups and
widen your recruitment pool. Address bias in the interview process by replacing the
one-on-one interview with meetings with committee of executives who have
interview expertise and training in bias. Learn more about applicants.
Supplement resumes by examining samples of candidates’ previous work or asking
them to complete a test assignment.
 Employee development – This includes onboarding, initial assignments,
opportunities for mentoring and coaching, and other efforts to enhance
engagement. During the onboarding process, provide new hires with formal and
informal guides to show them the ropes. Monitor and measure employee
engagement throughout the talent lifecycle, using team-performance scoreboards
and ongoing surveys of employee attitudes.
 Advancement – Performance management must be a year-round project, made
up of setting expectations, seeking consistent feedback and identifying
opportunities for coaching. If you don’t connect regularly with your team on
performance issues, you are more likely to fall prey to biased thinking.

About the Authors

Pamela Fuller is FrankinCovey’s “chief thought leader on inclusion and bias.” Anne
Chow is the CEO of AT&T Business. Mark Murphy is a FranklinCovey senior consultant.

MICROAGRESSIONS – Subtle Acts of Exclusion

How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions
Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran
Recommendation
Everyone has unconscious biases. Though most “subtle acts of exclusion“ are not
malicious, if people commit them unchecked, their effects can demoralize a workforce.
Leaders seeking a more inclusive culture must discuss sensitive subjects like racism or
sexism, even at the risk of getting the words wrong. Dr. Tiffany Jana and Dr. Michael Baran
explain how your organization can put inclusive policies into place while never
sugarcoating potential difficulties. They suggest activities for building awareness and
inclusion, both important values that foster resilient teams of engaged employees.
Take-Aways
 “Subtle acts of exclusion” (SAEs) are words or actions that spring from conscious
or unconscious bias.
 To develop empathy, remember your own experiences of subtle marginalization or
exclusion.
 If you are subjected to an act of exclusion – or see one – ask for a pause to shift to
a more respectful conversation.
 For organizations, handling SAEs responsibly means creating accountability.
 Gender or sexuality often trigger SAEs.
 Race refers to physical distinctions between peoples. Ethnicity refers to cultural
differences.
 “Privilege” exists when one group enjoys an advantage another group does not
enjoy.
 Religion can be a sensitive subject, especially when one religion dominates.
 Age issues can trigger implicit bias.
 Approach equity, diversity and inclusion conversations with curiosity and open-
mindedness and the expectation to grow and learn.
Summary
“Subtle acts of exclusion” (SAEs) are words or actions that spring from conscious
or unconscious bias.
Everyone performs acts of exclusion, most often out of ignorance or unconscious bias.
Every SAE has an individual or group “subject,” who may or may not be present. The
person who commits the SAE is the “initiator.” Observers who speak up for the target of
bias are “allies.” Those who remain silent are “bystanders.”
Inclusive corporate cultures insist that everyone should notice and call out SAEs when
they happen. Initiators must understand how they have committed a transgression and,
rather than become defensive, they should vow to do better. Inclusion makes everyone
better at their jobs, more collaborative and more likely to stay with their companies.
“We have experienced firsthand people’s confusion over microaggressions, thinking that
what matters is the speaker’s intent, when in fact what matters is the impact of the acts.”
Obvious discrimination and structural exclusion are easier to identify than
SAEs, sometimes called “microaggressions.” This term is misleading, because people who
commit these acts aren’t necessarily aggressive, and the impact of using discriminatory
phrases or actions isn’t small. Someone who asks a Filipino, “What are you?” may be
curious, but the question implies, “You’re not normal.” Someone who tells an African-
American “I don’t even see you as black” may intend to be complimentary, but dismissing a
person’s identity is hurtful. People who commit SAEs can imply that another person
is invisible, inadequate or abnormal. They can suggest that the other person is not a part
of an in-group and could be a burden or a threat.
To develop empathy, remember your own experiences of subtle marginalization or
exclusion.
Think about a time when someone’s comment or action made you feel excluded because
of your gender, ethnicity, race or income status. Reliving your experiences will help you
know when to step up as an ally. Then recall how you felt when someone called you out on
an SAE you committed. Perhaps you rejected the charge or overapologized.
“Speaking up is hard, knowing what to say is hard, receiving critical feedback is hard, too.
None of these is as hard as constantly getting excluded by SAE and having people
neglect or deny that it is going on.” ”
When you act as an ally, you signal your zero tolerance for SAEs. Politely make the
initiator aware of the unintended slight and why it matters. Do not cause someone public
embarrassment. That would be counterproductive. It could cause the conversation to go
badly and prolong the time it takes to resolve the issue. And, you could lose a
friend. Follow up with the initiator later to minimize any adverse effect of speaking up about
his or her actions. If the subject was present, let that person know you’re available to
listen, if necessary. Acknowledging the subject and the incident is crucial. Avoiding the
topic can cause more pain.
If you are subjected to an act of exclusion – or see one – ask for a pause to shift to a
more respectful conversation.
Within organizations that seek to be sensitive to SAEs, team members could agree on a
word or words that signal the need to be aware or to pause to discuss a misstep. If you’re
an observer, acknowledge that the SAE didn’t directly involve you, but that you committed
to speaking up when you hear one. Everyone has unconscious biases. When someone
says something inappropriate, don’t assume that he or she is racist, sexist, ageist or
homophobic. Instead, invite the offender to participate in an open conversation in which
the goal is learning and inclusion.
“It is not the SAE subject’s responsibility to teach you about the offending subtle act of
exclusion. If they choose to enlighten you, consider that a gift and an act of trust.”
Explain what part of someone’s statement made you uncomfortable. After acknowledging
that the initiator was probably unaware of committing the slight, you or the person who
experienced the discrimination should explain why the comment or behavior was
problematic. Expect the initiator to make an effort. If you are subject of the SAE, you may
feel sad or angry. If you don’t have time for a thorough conversation or you feel rattled,
agree to talk another time – but make sure that you do. Make a sincere effort to avoid
similar SAEs in the future.
For organizations, handling SAEs responsibly means creating accountability.
Subtle acts of exclusion are inevitable when diverse teams work together. Expect and
prepare for them. Acknowledging that people make mistakes helps take the judgment out
of an intervention.
“When a male employee is never stopped from cutting off women and gender nonbinary
people in meetings, it becomes an irritating burden to the people who are always being
interrupted.”
Your organization has a legal obligation to protect employees from discrimination and to
safeguard their mental and emotional health. Create a company culture in which people
call out SAEs. Empower your human resource officers to intervene constructively when
necessary. Thoughtless behavior that continues unchecked drives talented people away.
Accountability policies prevent that. Executive leadership is fundamental to the success of
a company-wide diversity and inclusion effort. As a leader, familiarize yourself with SAEs,
emphasize that your company won’t tolerate discrimination – subtle or otherwise. Applaud
and thank people who initiate SAE conversations, and become a role model for handling
SAEs. If your company doesn’t have a SAE policy, suggest that top management adopt
one or implement one for your team.
Gender or sexuality often trigger SAEs.
Just the terms around the subject of sex and gender can be confusing. Biological sex is
the sex babies are born with; “gender” describes the ideas people have about biological
sex in relation to social roles. “Cisgender” people identify with the gender role that
accompanies their biological sex. Those who don’t align with their biological sex may self-
identify as transgender. They may alter their appearance to fit their gender identity and
may prefer to be referred to by the corresponding gender pronouns. Others reject gender,
identify themselves as “gender nonconforming” or “gender fluid,” and prefer to be referred
to by gender-neutral pronouns like “they/them,” even in the singular, or “ze.”
“All these various gender identifications and expressions should be not only equally
valued, but considered equally normal.”
People who are subjected to discrimination or harassment or who overhear inappropriate
jokes or generalizations at the workplace may feel unwelcome. Team members should
practice addressing biased acts, such as when a boss gives a man credit for a woman’s
idea. To prevent SAEs in meetings, establish policies granting everyone equal time to
speak. Listen attentively without interrupting. Restrain your curiosity about your co-
workers’ personal lives, and don’t make assumptions. Progress in achieving diversity goals
begins when each person become aware of his or her biases and how they can
hurt others.
Race refers to people’s physical distinctions. Ethnicity refers to cultural differences.
When people ridicule non-Western sounding names or don’t attempt to pronounce them
correctly, they convey that the other person is invisible or not normal. Asking people where
they are from to probe their family background can be insulting because it implies that the
person doesn’t belong. Using phrases like “you people” lumps someone into a group you
hold preconceived ideas about, thus “otherizing” them. For example, black men often
are subjected to an SAE when people walking toward them cross the street upon seeing
them. Such an action implies, “You are a threat.”
“When someone accesses this language of separateness, the implication is rarely that the
‘other’ is superior. One essentially elevates oneself to a superior status using this
language.”
Addressing bias is easier in a company that already conducts SAE training.
Awareness allows subjects or witnesses to speak up and facilitate a
productive conversation, whether it takes place now or later. It also makes accepting
feedback easier for the initiator. Try not to generalize or make assumptions based on
appearances. If you’re unsure of someone’s name, ask the person to repeat it, or spell it,
to aid your memory.
“Privilege” exists when one group enjoys an advantage another group does not.
If you don’t have to consider how to move around or get into and out of buildings, or worry
about depression or what functions you’ve lost due to a brain injury, you are ably
privileged. One classic SAE that can offend disabled people is so-called “inspiration porn,”
in which people hold up a disabled person’s accomplishments as somehow brave or not
normal. Disabled people prefer to be treated like nondisabled people. Sometimes offering
help is appropriate, but ask if the person needs assistance instead of assuming you know
what he or she needs or can and can’t do. When Bill, a blind man, walks down a hallway
and his colleagues silently move out of his way, he feels like a burden, but when they
say, “Hi, Bill,” he has a helpful audio cue as to their location, and it’s more
normalizing. Bunny, who is blind and uses a service dog, finds that people want to interact
with her dog when she’s walking with him in public. Because she appears able-bodied,
they don’t believe she has a disability. The implication is that she’s a curiosity.
Religion can be a sensitive subject, especially when one religion dominates.
Religion is the center of many people’s lives, though they may have colleagues who don’t
believe a god exists or who are agnostics, that is, they don’t believe in a religion, but they
also don’t deny the existence of a deity. Christianity greatly influences culture and even
corporate holidays in the United States, but firms must also accommodate those of other
faiths.
For instance, when David’s company scheduled an important meeting on Yom Kippur,
Judaism's holiest holiday, he faced a dilemma with three bad options: He could request
rescheduling, miss the meeting or interrupt his time with his family to participate in the
meeting after going to synagogue. This is the equivalent of asking Christians to come to a
meeting on Christmas. In David’s case, his company’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee
stepped in to ask the organizers to reschedule the meeting. The firm solved David’s
problem, but it still needs policies that respect each religion's important holidays.
“What does it really cost you to treat people kindly as they would like to be treated?”
In an organization with SAE practices and policies in place, David might have felt more
comfortable asking the meeting’s organizers to change the date. The committee could
have sent out a reminder not to schedule meetings on religious holidays in alignment with
corporate inclusion goals.
Zara, a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, faced constant SAEs at work, such as dealing
with obtaining appropriate food at gatherings, finding a place to pray during the day and
explaining her head-covering. Shortly after President Donald Trump proposed a ban on
Muslim immigration, she saw a framed picture of the president on a colleague’s desk. She
wondered if this implied that her co-worker saw her as “a threat,” but she also understood
that many people support their national leader apart from any single political policy. When
personal political beliefs conflict with a corporate inclusion policy, SAE accountability
programs can guide an organization’s response. Such guidelines are based on respect
and include “assuming good intent, replacing defensiveness with curiosity and empathy,
and listening actively.”
Age issues can trigger implicit bias.
Baby boomers and millennials both experience age-based stereotyping. People often
dismiss millennials as lazy and addicted to their smartphones. Or, they presume that
boomers are frail, absent-minded and hopeless at digital technology. When dealing with
these two large workplace cohorts, be open and learn from them as individuals,
recognizing – as with all SAE targets – that no single person represents an entire group.
“Starting in 2016, millennials became the largest single generation in the workplace. And
yet, it is still acceptable for people to openly express stereotypes and biases against this
entire generation.”
Linda, 51, went through several interviews for a position for which her experience was
ideal. But the company turned her down because hiring officers felt she wouldn’t fit in with
the “culture” of their mostly millennial workforce. The underlying message was, “You don’t
belong here.” A blind résumé process could prevent such exclusionary results.
Approach equity, diversity and inclusion conversations with curiosity and open-
mindedness and the expectation to grow and learn.
Corporate guidelines against subtle acts of exclusion have many benefits, including
fostering trust and collaboration, creating a productive setting for feedback, helping
everyone feel included, and establishing a culture of “transparency, interpersonal civility
and accountability.”
“These things seem like minutiae in isolation but add up to a greater construct of either
inclusive or exclusive behavior that ultimately shapes the world we live in.”
To gain a broader personal perspective about different cultural, religious, racial and gender
points of view, you can pursue personal “intentional acts of inclusion,” such as
expanding the media you follow. You have an instinct for knowing when something that
someone says or does isn’t right. Listen to your inner voice of wisdom. Practice empathy.
Each positive action builds a more equitable world.
About the Authors
TMI Portfolio’s CEO Tiffany Jana co-wrote Overcoming Bias. Scientist Michael Baran is a
senior partner at inQUEST Consulting.