I have a simple idea. Let's make all forms of harassing in startups (not just sexual harassment) unacceptable. If all forms of harassing in startup teams really was unacceptable, then I believe all co-founders would be using the structure needed that empowers all team members to tackle such misbehavior, in real-time.. Imagine if all team... Continue Reading →
Our Dispute Culture – 3 Steps to Stamp Out Co-founder Conflict
What is a dispute culture? It is a culture that helps us stamp our team conflict. We will inevitably disagree in a startup team, as we are all individuals, and we all think differently, whether we like to admit it or not. Our dispute culture rekindles and empowers us to disagree, even more, by setting... Continue Reading →
Resolve It Vs Get Over It?
I was recently having a conversation on Linkedin with a Keynote Speaker & Life Coach, about behavior and he told me his solution to an unresolved dispute in an organization: "move on or move!" I was shocked and disagreed with what I think is a simplistic solution.He reiterated his "move on or move" to "move... Continue Reading →
Real-world Psychological Safety
“Psychological Safety is the shared feeling that you can freely express your thoughts and ideas, or make mistakes and ask for help without receiving negative reactions.”Amy Edmondson on Psychological Safety I have read oodles of articles and books on Psychological Safety, most quoting this definition above by Amy Edmondson. What no one seems to be... Continue Reading →
Easy As Object123
Recently I had a chat with some people on Linkedin about the size and complexities of safety manuals. Some mentioned 80 to 120 page procedure manual. Imagine there is an emergency, and all you have is the phone book for a procedure. It is far from ideal. The same can be said for Psychological Safety,... Continue Reading →
Coercive Rhetorical Behavior
We use rhetoric to influence our argument by HOW we deliver our message rather than by WHAT we actually argue. When our rhetoric becomes coercive or abusive, we should agree to step up to such behavior and object in real-time. From the beating of a single brow (browbeating) to the raising of tone and volume, this behavior is not... Continue Reading →
Co-founder Conflict Anyone?
"Some 65% of startups fail because of co-founder conflict"NOAM WASSERMAN – THE FOUNDER'S DILEMMAS So, you are a co-founder of a startup, and you have a conflict with your co-founder. How do you go about resolving it? Or maybe you sweep it under the carpet, only to trip over it later? What if you had access... Continue Reading →
Self-organizing Culture to Resolve Co-founder Disputes
"Some 65% of startups fail because of founder conflict"Noam Wasserman - The Founder's Dilemmas In my opinion conflict is not the same as a disagreeing or healthy tension. A conflict or dispute occurs when we disagree and then start to play the man and not the ball. It usually happens when we have dogmatic polarized... Continue Reading →
Level Playing Field
In my opinion, when it comes to getting Psychological Safety into your team or organization, there is no better way to start than creating a level playing field, especially when disagreeing with your manager, boss, or CEO.You would never have to worry about what you said in front of them, knowing that if you did... Continue Reading →
How Does Your Team Tackle Bullying?
Bullying works. If it didn't work, there wouldn't be any.At times, people in a team will bully or use coercive behavior to unfairly affect the outcome of a decision. Obviously bullying in teams will influence the decision-making process and affect the actual choices made. This may explain why so many startup teams fail. If you... Continue Reading →
Object123 