From time to time I come across some articles which I think are worth a read. This months HBS Working Knowledge has published an article titled “When Not to Trust Your Gut” by Max H. Bazerman and Deepak Malhotra. The article discusses when not to use your intuition when making decisions. We can find our leaders at the highest level of government (President Bush) and corporations basing major decisions on intuition. Bazerman and Malhotra explain the two systems of thought patterns:

“System 1 thought describes our intuition: quick, automatic, effortless, and influenced by emotion. By comparison, System 2 thought is slower, more conscious, effortful, and logical.”

Although the article leans towards negotiation tactics, it lesson applies to all areas in life. Although some intuition shall play in your decision making, you should strive to base the decision from your System 2 thinking and not one System 1.

Patrick Lencioni’s book, “The Five Dysfunction of a Team” is excellent on many levels. Not only does he write an excellent story to showcase where teams fail, but he wraps important lessons within the characters interactions. It takes great skill to be able to be a storyteller, and Patrick has mastered it. In Five Dysfunctions, we get introduced to a self-destructing management team. The team and the company is on the brink of failure, when Kathryn Peterson, the new CEO enters the scene. Throughout the rest of the book we learn the pyramid model for why teams fail. The include (in order from top to bottom of the pyramid):



• Inattention to Results
• Avoidance of Accountability
• Lack of Commitment
• Fear of Conflict
• Absence of Trust

Each dysfunction, starting with Absence of Trust, will build up and lead to the others if not handled properly. The good news is Patrick included tips and advice on how to handle this. At the conclusion of the story, Patrick goes through some exercises to break down the problems dysfunctional teams face and advice on how to eradicate these problems. If you are on a dysfunctional team and want to build a successful one this book is a must read.

Patrick runs his own management consultant company The Table Group. Check out the company site for resources such as videos, audio, and articles of Patrick discussing topics covered in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

Sorry for the lack of posts….I’ve been in the aurduous process of moving from NY to IL! Some book reviews are on the way!

Tom Peters (read bio), the biz guru/knowledge broker/sensei of insights, is one of the most respected individuals in the business world. His insights are refreshing, original, and best of all - free. In this day and age of the ’scarcity mentality’, many charge for what he provides at no cost. Don’t cringe when you hear the word PowerPoint either. PowerPoint, the word that has become synonymous with ‘nap time’, doesn’t apply to Tom’s presentations. Read through one and you’ll see what I mean. Here are some of my favorites (all links open up to PowerPoint’s - right click to save):

• Them-Us
• Work Matters - “When was the last time you asked, ‘What do I want to be?’ ”
• Excellence - “It gets back to planning versus acting: We act from day one; others plan how to plan—for months.”
• Mini Presentations - “CEOs have little effect on performance”
• TP’s small business lessons - “Never attack the monsters head on! (Instead steal niche business and lukewarm customers.)”

More FREE stuff can be found at his site tompeters!.com