Executive Summary

The NEW Elevator Pitch is written by Chris Westfall. The book is a guide to how to make your message heard in the digital age. Westfall explains that whether you tell it or tweet it, your message has to be strong, or it gets lost in the noise. In today’s technological world, the NEW Elevator Pitch is more than just the run of the mill two-minute speech, it’s a method of connecting that isn’t based on some outdated sales strategy. It is based on the story of YOU! The NEW Elevator Pitch teaches you how to uncover the important stuff, overcome your nerves and fears, and create an authentic connection with the people that matter the most.

Westfall introduces the NEW Elevator to his readers through the introduction. He points out that the NEW Elevator Pitch really is not a pitch at all, rather it is simply a method for starting important conversations. He wrote this book because he believes that everyone inside themselves has a story that matters. This book helps to get that story out. One of the main focuses of the book is to get the listener to say “tell me more” when you are done with you pitch. Westfall explains that the best elevator pitches have the following three characteristics: 1)authentic, 2) compelling, and 3) “tell me more.” Westfall goes from the introduction into seven chapters that spell out the word CLARITY, and each letter in the word is a step to achieving a successful elevator pitch.

The seven steps are as follows:

Captivate. You must grab the listener’s attention by captivating the audience. If a person fails to achieve this step, anything that follows will not matter.

Language. Language is a way to lay out your thoughts and ideas in a way that your audience can comprehend. The words spoken in an elevator pitch can set the tone for how the message is received.

Authentic. The most persuasive communicators are those that can inspire trust from their story. Being authentic is what inspires trust.

Relevance. The key to relevance is making what matters to you, matter to others.

Inspiration. Create a clear and compelling call to action for your audience. This will inspire them to do your will.

Tact. Saying the right thing at the right time is the key to delivering your message.

YES! If you want to be successful, you must prepare your NEW Elevator pitch for a YES!

Although it is rare that you can script your remarks, the NEW Elevator Pitch outlines a framework for your story, with the end result being your listener saying “tell me more.” Once your listener wants to know more, you know that you have made a breakthrough. Chris Westfall does a great job of explaining how to get to the end result we all desire.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from The NEW Elevator Pitch

1. If you want to grab the attention of your listener, you must get back to your core, authentic message. A brand isn’t only what your put on a cow. In business, a brand is a promise delivered. Understanding even your most basic message is the best way to drive change and make your pitch heard.

2. The NEW Elevator pitch is designed for difficult conversations. Turbulence is expected. Every elevator pitch is about creating change, and disrupting the status quo in some sort of way. People do not like change and resist it, even when it is good for them. That is why your message needs to be strong.

3. The three traits of a great elevator pitch are: authentic, compelling, and “tell me more.” Your message must be authentic. Your message must want to make people respond. Finally, at the end of your message, it needs to make people want to know more.

4. Captivate- In order to deliver your perfect pitch, you must recognize your audience. In your pitch, move quickly to the solution you can provide, or the outcome that you would like to discuss. Match your energy to that of the group, and don’t apologize for giving your pitch. These are steps to captivating the audience.

5. Language- You must be clear about your themes and your outcomes via the words that you chose to say. Use the language of leadership, you are the expert. Use questions to check in with your audience, and ALWAYS create dialogue with your NEW elevator pitch.

6. Authenticity- Authenticity delivers truth and develops trust from your audience. Everyone craves a real connection, and authenticity provides one. You must connect with your subject if you want your audience to do the same. And remember, to be heard, be authentic.

7. Relevance- To make your story relevant, start with why and move to because. You must make the request of your pitch reasonable and achievable. Avoid sending too much information, your real goal is to get the listener to say “tell me more,” not fall asleep.

8. Inspiration- Inspiration comes from positive change. The number one quality in business is creativity-the power to create new solutions in the face of adversity. You must be crystal clear on the action you want the listener to take, because actions speak louder than words. This will help move towards an inspiring future that you and your listener create together.

9. Tact- Fear can be a question of focus. Eliminate fear by staying focused. Focus on your listener. Focus on the task at hand. Focus on getting a YES! Tact means saying the right thing, at the right time, and in the right way. Don’t let fear stop your NEW elevator pitch.

10. YES!-Act as if you are going to get what you want. If you anticipate a “YES!” you will overcome the obstacles in your path. Connect with your material in a new and powerful way, and you may just find what you are looking for.

Full Summary of The NEW Elevator Pitch

Introduction: The NEW Elevator Pitch

“Think about the most important person in our life at the current moment,” says Westfall. Beyond friends and family there are important people that want to know more about you. Westfall states that communicating effectively with important people in your life can have some incredible results, if you know how to do it. Westfall

asks the reader about the importance of engaging the audience, whether it is board members, potential clients, or potential employers. He asks the reader if he or she would like to know how to engage and influence their most important person, and that is how the opening paragraphs begin.

Westfall states that in today’s day and age, we have many tools at our disposal to connect with people; more ways than ever before. Unfortunately, though, we are not making real connections says Westfall. What will be your story when it really matters?

The NEW Elevator pitch isn’t really a pitch at all, Westfall explains. It is a method for starting important conversations. When you get down to business, there needs to be a method for conveying your ideas, The New Elevator Pitch is just that. Whether you tell it or tweet it, the message needs to be strong, otherwise it gets lost in the noise(Westfall, 2012). Westfall explains that he wrote this book because he believes that each individual’s story matters, whether it is a social cause, a new product, or a creative new idea behind customer service. Over the course of Westfall’s career, he has had the opportunity to work with executives and students alike. They all have one thing in common; they all share a powerful desire to create real connections. Creating those real connections begins with a powerful conversation, called the NEW elevator pitch. It is rare where you can script your remarks. This book gives you a framework for your story, a story in which the listener says, “tell me more.” Westfall goes on to say that you will hear the three words “tell me more” a lot in his book. “Tell me more” is how you know if your message has been clearly and concisely communicated. The listener should want to know more about your message, and this feedback is how you will know that.

The New Elevator Pitch will be concise, compelling and insightful, rather than gimmicky and schmoozing (Westfall, 2012). Using a 118 second benchmark from Jeffrey Hayzlett, your NEW elevator pitch will be influential, and your message will be delivered. Why just “give a speech” when you can deliver a message? Breakthroughs happen when you are ready to make what matters, matter! The best elevator pitches will have the following three characteristics: authentic, compelling, and “tell me more.” The upcoming chapters will focus on how to achieve that goal.

Part I-The Seven Steps to CLARITY

Step 1: Captivate

The number one issue that keeps people from delivering a strong message is a strong opening. You have to grab the listener’s attention by captivating you audience, or anything that follows will not matter. This first step, “captivate,” is what the NEW elevator pitch lives and dies on. The introduction should grab someone’s attention, all going towards the end result of “tell me more.”

The first thing that helps with captivating your listener is first understanding who your listener will be. The best openers start with recognition of the person that is right in front of your face.  Everyone these days seems to be running a mental software program that ultimately asks “what’s in it for me?” So the first thing that you need for the elevator pitch is to know who the audience is and what they are about. Here are the three secrets to captivating the audience:

1. Who is your audience? Take the audience in, and acknowledge what is going on around you.

2. What do you think your audience is thinking right now? What is their number one concern?

3. Create an opening that represents who you are in a way that is unexpected or disarming. Don’t be afraid to be unpredictable (just don’t overdo it with gimmicks).

Always remember that your audience is your subject. Recognition is the first step of captivating your audience. Once you recognize your audience, you can really connect with them. This does not have to be an elaborate process. You can easily remember someone’s mood or how they seemed to be doing. Each one of us has the emotional intelligence to recognize our surroundings before giving an elevator pitch. Recognizing the “who” means evaluating the interests, moods and concerns of your audience.

Typically awareness is missing from the opening statement. During the opening of your pitch, connect with your audience on the current state of affairs or current status of the listener. If you can acknowledge what is going on, you can establish candor and honesty with your listener.

Framing the conversation can help set the stage for your listener. You can use phrases such as:

Have you noticed…?

You know how…?

Doesn’t it seem like…?

These small little frame words can set up your topic, especially when you are in situations such as speed networking, dealing with people from different backgrounds, or having to have a frame of reference because the audience is unfamiliar with the topic.

Most of us have a comfort zone for our presentation style. But often to be heard, our pitch must adapt. If you are at a cocktail party versus an office setting, wouldn’t your delivery be different? This is where adaptability and reading the audience come hand in hand. Cater your pitch to the feel of the audience and the moment if you want to get your point across. For example, if you are dealing with a crowd that is laughing, you know that your point will need to be high energy if you want to get your point across. Otherwise you could be seen as a “Debbie Downer.”

In creating the opening, come from a place that says, I recognize you and I recognize your concerns. Be careful not to come on too strong though. “I have all the answers” can be a bold statement. Westfall states that even if you have all the answers and are ready to “kick down the door,” please knock first. You want the captivate the audience, not intimidate them. If they think that you have all the answers, they wonder why you need them. Remember, captivate your audience, but keep it brief. 8 seconds is all you have!

Step 2: Language

Now that you have captivated your audience, it is time to lay out your thoughts and ideas in a way that your audience can comprehend. Language is a key to explaining your themes and ideas. The words that you choose to speak can set the tone for how your message is delivered and how the audience receives the message (Westfall, 2012). If you can use the proper language, you can lead your listener to see a different outcome then they might originally have.

You do not want to spend your elevator pitch explaining your opening remarks. Keep your messages clear and do not mix your metaphors. For instance, saying you are the “Joe Montana of sales” is a mixed metaphor. He was a football player who is now retired. Does that mean that you were once great at sales but are now retired? Opening with a metaphor can be a great attention grabber, but just make sure your frame of reference is clear.

Picking your language is important. What is it that you want people to understand? Understanding can take many forms, from listening, to emotional connection, to understanding that leads to agreement. Your language choice must ultimately get your listener to say “tell me more.”

Leadership plays an important part of language. When you are presenting to a group, whether you like it or not, you are an expert on the subject. You know more than your audience, and this puts you in a position of leadership. How you express your vision is the language of leadership. You must lead with language, and provide the words that others can follow. Whether your pitch is about cutting the budget, requesting more spending in a certain area, or suggesting a diagnosis, you are the expert, so choose your language in a way that tells your story and gets the listener to say “tell me more”. You must change your language from boring to scoring (Westfall, 2012). For instance, instead of talking about features and benefits, tell them about the clear opportunities for themselves! Instead of telling them about the numbers, tell them about the impact of the numbers!

The objective of your pitch is to get the listener to want to know more, but don’t force the issue. Lead people to the right conclusion, but don’t force it down their throats. Your pitch is a persuasive conversation, not a blurt-fest. Begin with the end in mind, but do not blast the audience with the endgame and wait for agreement. This means you must earn the right to advance. You must know that a pitch is not necessarily a monologue. If you are not interacting with the listener and building trust, then you will not merit the right to advance and to keep telling your story. Remember, the NEW elevator pitch is a dialogue with your audience.

Body language is a very important part of your pitch. Your body language needs to exemplify the story you are currently telling, and be free from other messages. Align your gestures with your language. To understand whether your language and body language are connecting, you can record yourself on video. This will give you a clear picture of what  you are doing, or what you need to do to have these two areas align.

Step 3: Authenticity

Facts, numbers, opinions, ideas… none of these will matter without trust. On an instinctive level, the first thing that someone will think is “Can I trust this person?” The most persuasive communicators are those that inspire trust from their story. It is the authenticity that leads their listeners to action. When people take action, it is because they trust you.

Authenticity builds trust. Authenticity is about telling the truth, but in a way that makes others want to say “tell me more.” If you want to tell your message with conviction, you must incorporate energy into the message you plan to deliver. Being authentic is a commitment. Commitment to material + commitment to your audience = your power of persuasion.

Social media today gives us a basic need to connect, but your pitch has to go much further than that. A face-to-face connection has way more authenticity than an online connection if you know how to do it right. To present your authentic self, you must touch on certain things. You need to choose what matters most if you want to make it matter to others. Distinguish yourself by committing to excellence. Find statements that convey your belief. By putting that passion into your pitch, you can have conviction. And finally create a reputation that makes you seem authentic, and choose statements that help you position yourself  for the opportunity at hand.

Step 4: Relevance

The key to relevance is making what matters to you, matter to others. By making your story relevant, your are driving meaningful change. In today’s world, we have information at our fingertips. We can use Google to look up almost anything, but that does not mean the information is relevant to us. It is important that you convey the relevance to your audience on the information that you deliver. Relevant information explains to your audience why you, why now, and why this. What really matters is why.

    A perfect example of this was a study done by a Harvard researcher Ellen Langer. She went from library to library asking to cut the line and make some copies. The first time around she asked “Excuse me, can I use the copy machine? I have to make five copies.” Her success rate was 60%. The next time around, she said, “Excuse me, may I use the copy machine? I have to make 5 copies because I am in a hurry.” The percentages shot up to 94%! The reasoning is that Langer added language that made her pitch relevant. People could relate to it, and that is why they let her skip the line. Her message also mattered to them.

    If you want to try a similar technique to Langer, just remember to keep realistic expectations. Because is an important word because it emphasizes relevance. But, your because has to be authentic and your listener has to make that authentic connection. For example, if Langer asked to skip the line and make 100 copies, she would have most likely got a no. That is an unrealistic expectation. You also do not want to give your listener too much information. This causes overload and does not create relevance for your pitch. One way to prevent over-talking is to focus on what you want your listener to do once you finish.

Step 5: Inspiration

    Westfall defines inspiration as the process of mentally being stimulated to do or feel something, especially something creative. If you ask 100 people what inspires them, you may get 100 different answers (Westfall, 2012). Westfall explains that inspiration comes from positive change. If you expect to create inspiration for your listener, you must challenge the status quo by challenging the current situation for the better.

    Actions trump salesmanship in your elevator pitch (Westfall, 2012). After you have captivated your audience, you must show them what you are going to do. Your audience wants to know what is next, or “what are we going to do together?” This all goes back to your language. By choosing the right language, you can inspires your listener to positive action.

    Inspiration is different to everyone, it is a shapeless concept. You cannot possibly know what inspires everyone, but you can know what it is that you want to create. This world that you want to create is the source of inspiration., which creates action. Create a clear and compelling call to action for your audience (Westfall, 2012).

Step 6: Tact

    Isaac Newton once said, “tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” Saying the right thing at the right time is what tact is all about, and the key to delivering your message to your listener. In order to do this, you must understand your audience. You must consider what your audience will respond to in the beginning, and also at the end. The timing of your key theme is equally important. Westfall explains that there is no such thing as a bad question, but there is a such thing as bad timing.

    If you consider one simple question, “Will you marry me?” This question, as we all know, can change your life. But if you say it one week into dating, you most likely would not get the response that you are aiming for. Just like in your elevator pitch, timing is crucial.

    Westfall states that if you want to be tactful, you must be confident. Talking with a large group or an important person is enough to make anyone jittery, and if the subject actually matters to you (which it should), your blood will be flowing. If our actions are out of sync with the demands of the moment, our message will not be delivered. It is important to pull back the nerves and be confident. Westfall explains that you can overcome your fears by focusing on the listener. That will move focus away from you and point you towards what is important, delivering your pitch.

    It is important to go over your pitch before you deliver it. Make your pitch stronger by strengthening the “because” and the “why”. Consider what would happen if you did not persuade your listener. If you can focus on success, you can think of the logical steps that you need to get you there. This will help deliver tact in your message, and get your listener to say, “tell me more.”

Step 7: YES!

    As we all know, preparation will be the key to making the persuasive argument. One thing you haven’t prepared for is YES! You have to also prepare for success. You must realize that the pitch does not end when you get a yes, it is actually when the real work begins.

    Westfall says you must define your success by asking yourself these three questions: Am I closer to what I want? Have I proven that what I want is best for all of us? What is the next logical step? Westfall states that you have to identify your “YES” and prepare to win.

    Westfall adds that so many times, we focus on the negative, which is not realistically fair. You owe it to yourself to consider success and failure with an equal measure. If you have thoughts about a pending disaster, balance it out with what you are going to do if you get a yes. If you prepare for what you want, you may just find it. Although it is okay to consider failure, that is the only thing you should do, consider it. If you “act” as if success is the only path, you will “act” as if you can’t lose! Westfall believes that ordinary people become extraordinary because of what they believe to be true. Taking action on those beliefs is what delivers outstanding results (Westfall, 2012).

Part II and Part III

    Part II of the book is a three-page guide to telling your pitch in 60 seconds. Here is how:

-Step 1:10 seconds: Frame the conversation

-Step 2: 10-15 seconds: Connect to your point using a key unexpected twist.

-Step 3: 20 seconds: What is your key theme or message? What can you do with, through, and for others?

-Step 4: 10 seconds: Consider how your solutions will affect your customer’s customer, or any other party who isn’t in the room right now.

-Step 5: 10 seconds: Close with an invitation, invite your listener to take action, or participate in a solution in some way.

Finally, you need to be prepared once again for your listener to say, “tell me more.”

    Part III is where Westfall lists out different scenarios. Each scenario includes at least one exercise to help the reader tailor their pitch, all to be done in two minutes or less. He gives you the scenario, but it is up to you to take control and make the pitch your own. The scenarios included are:

-Why Hire Me?-Get a job!

-How to Pitch a TV Show

-How to Pitch to Angel Investors

-The Informal Networking Pitch

-Asking for a Raise

Westfall points out that even if none of these scenarios are what you are looking for, check them out anyway. They will benefit you in giving you an idea of how to tailor YOUR perfect pitch!

The Video Lounge

Chris Westfall talks about how the book will help its readers. He states that The NEW Elevator pitch is the story of YOU! He wants you to read the book so that you understand your story, so that you will be able to communicate it clearly and concisely. The challenge of our times is to be heard among the millions of messages that bombard us today.  Finally, Westfall states that this book gives a strategy to deliver your own personal message, as a 7-step process to building your pitch.

Personal Insights

Why I think:

• The author is one of the most brilliant people around…or is full of $%&#, because:

Chris Westfall is a very intelligent man. In the faced paced business world today, you will need to touch on almost all of his points if you want your pitch to be heard. If you cannot get your message across, it will be lost in the noise. Most people want to know “what’s in it for me,” and Westfall delivers on how to give the audience that message.

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1.    If I was the author of the book I would have tied in more examples for each step. The author would tell you each and every step to take, but often he lacked the examples needed to show you exactly how to take that step yourself. Although his steps looked great on paper, they would have been better with clear examples every step of the way.

2.    The author could have made his paper flow a bit better. In each chapter, he broke down each step, and then broke down those steps into subtitles. Often though, his wording under the subtitle had little to say about the subtitle. It made me wonder why he chose that as a point of emphasis if he did not emphasize it. Take the fluff out and get to the point, much like the goal of the elevator pitch you are talking about.

3.    Westfall did a great job of explaining the first few chapters. But I feel like he was off the mark with the last three steps. It seemed the deeper the book got, there was some filler in there and he was just reverberating the same thing over and over again, but in a new disguised way. The chapters towards the end seemed to culminate too much together, rather than strictly focusing on the step at hand. If I were Westfall, I would have made the chapters stick to the script, even if it meant a shorter chapter. Sometimes short is good.

Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1.    This book made me think about the topic of authenticity in a different way. Once Westfall explained why authenticity builds trust and sells your idea, it all made sense. I immediately thought about my experiences at car dealerships, where the salesman is not authentic, and I do not even want to listen to what he has to say. This book has made me realize that being authentic is one of the most important ways to sell your pitch.

2.    One of the biggest realizations that this book made me think differently about was how much I use a pitch that is 2 minutes or less in my life already. I am constantly using an elevator pitch, whether it is with boss, other contractors, or even my girlfriend. This book has made me think differently on how to approach my shorter conversations so that I can reach my desired outcome.

3.    This book made me think about getting a “YES!” in a different way. Before reading this book, I never thought about what would happen after I got a YES! I was simply just hoping for one. Westfall explains this is when the real work begins, and it is important to have a plan to action behind your pitch. This makes a lot of sense in the business industry, because if your ideas do not have an action plan, they will never actually be put into action.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1.    As a project manager, I will use the seven steps to build pitches that are designed to persuade my customers to let me run my operations in such as way that it would benefit our company. Often times as a subcontractor, our company forced to do things the way the general contractor wants them done. This can hurt the bottom line for our company. If I can communicate my point to the general contractor effectively, I can run projects in the best way that would benefit my company and save my company money in the long run.

2.    I will use this book as a guide the next time that I ask for a raise. Often times, asking for a raise can be hard. If I can use this book as a template, I can come off as genuine and authentic in my requests for a raise. By using the template in Part III of this book, I think that I can greatly increase my chances for success.

3.    I will use the advice in this book to be heard. As technology increases, people are getting more and more distracted. Having a solid plan in place when it comes time to share my ideas can get me the “tell me more” that I will be seeking. If I can get my listeners to want to know more, I can ensure that my message is received.

• Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

    Early reviewers of the book had some great things to say about the book. Dean Lindsay said that a journey of a thousand miles doesn’t start with a single step, it starts with a single story (The NEW Elevator Pitch by Chris Westfall, 2012). Lindsay stated that you have to get clear on your message, and to watch where your journey takes you. He highly recommends the NEW Elevator Pitch.

    Dan Newman (”The NEW Elevator Pitch | Advance Praise – The NEW Elevator Pitch”, 2012) the Millennial CEO, said, “Few people can inspire the way Chris Westfall can.” Douglas Pond  (”The NEW Elevator Pitch | Advance Praise – The NEW Elevator Pitch”, 2012) explained that “Chris has a gift for defining what people need to hear.” These reviewers all had the same types of statements to say about Chris Westfall; that he was a great communicator, and his message is one that everyone in business who wants to communicate better needs to hear.

    “It took less than 5 minutes of talking with Chris Westfall before I noticed something that’s become a bit unusual in today’s multitasking, constantly connected world-I felt like the most important person in the room,” said Kenna Griffin (Griffin, 2013). Griffin goes on to explains about Westfall’s uncanny ability to connect before she even starts to talk about his book. Griffin states that while she picked up the book to better her original elevator pitch, she learned that the NEW Elevator pitch is much more than the traditional elevator pitch because it is a outline and workbook for better persuasive communication skills, which we can all use.

Bibliography

Chris Westfall | National Elevator Pitch Champion. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://moveupormoveout.com/wordpress/

Griffin, K. (2013, March 7). Book Review: The NEW Elevator Pitch #100Books. Retrieved from http://www.profkrg.com/book-review-the-new-elevator-pitch-100books

The NEW Elevator Pitch by Chris Westfall. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.thenewelevatorpitch.com/

The NEW Elevator Pitch | Advance Praise – The NEW Elevator Pitch. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.thenewelevatorpitch.com/about/advance-praise/

Westfall, C. (2012). The NEW Elevator Pitch: The Definitive Guide to Persuasive Communication in the Digital Age. Dallas, TX: Marie Street Press.

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review of The NEW Elevator Pitch by Chris Westfall,” please email joseph.madere@selu.edu.

About the Publisher

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Laborde Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.org), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. His blog, Career News 24/7, can be viewed at http://wyld-about-careers.blogspot.com/.

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Executive Summary

The book, Practically Radical written by William C. Taylor, is a surprising collection of individual stories about change, and his insights into the changes and how the rest of us can apply them.  Taylor set out to discover why and how all types of organizations and businesses created a game-plan to change the company.  He explore 25 companies and found 3 basic sections of change and organized the book around those three ideas.

The first section, titled “Transforming Your Company,” is about making big changes in long established organizations.  Chapters one and two focus on what to look for and where to look for new ideas that will move your company in a new direction.. Taylor points out that new ideas do not have to come from new places; that an organizations history has plenty of inspiration. However, if the company’s past fails to help, looking outside of the industry can shed new light on the problem. Chapter three gives five “truths of corporate transformation.” Taylor says that the goal of the first two chapters was to present a range of settings in which troubled organizations figured out how to learn from past and break from convention , to make creative changes.

The second section, “Shaking up Your Industry” is about entrepreneurs revolutionizing and industry by challenging the standard operating procedures. Chapters four and five look at what it means to be the best at something and why being different is good.  Chapter six gives five rules to start something new.

The third section. “Challenging Yourself” focuses on how you can lead your organization better through humility and ambition, two seemly at-odds things.  Chapters seven and eight details the shortcomings of an all-powerful leader that is ineffective.  This all powerful leader can and should be replaced by someone who understands that he/she cannot do everything and in humility asks for help, but with ambition pushes the company to its best.

The final piece of this book is the Appendix.  Taylor lays out ten thought-provoking questions titled the Practically Radical Primer.  He gives each question and a brief discussion of how to apply the answer and why it is important.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Practically Radical

1. Chapter 1, the virtues of Vu ja De, focuses on looking at the organization through fresh eyes.  In fact, Taylor defines the term as looking at a familiar situation as if you have never seen it before.  Esserman does this by dismantling his department and reorganizing it. Taylor spends a lot out time detailing Esserman’s actions. He describes how Pedigree followed through with some very dog-centered business culture.  He then moves into Hayek’s turn around of Swatch.  However Taylor points out that the organization does not have to be failing to make change, by showing how the Girl Scouts managed to make themselves relevant again.

2. Chapter 2, Big Dots, Pit Stops, and Hot Spots,  shows how where you look shapes what you see.  Taylor talks about the Institute for Health care Improvement, the IHI, and the 100,000 Lives Campaign.  He describes how the Henry Ford Health care System strives to move on of the “big dots” set by IHI.  Taylor highlights  London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. This hospital brought in a Nascar pit crew in evaluate the patient hand off process.  Taylor then moves through another example which leads him to how Lexus was able to create hot spots of customer service and comfort.

3. Chapter 3, Radically Practical I, gives a list of five things that Taylor titles the five truths of corporate transformation.  Number one on the list is tunnel vision. The second is everyone looks in the same places for ideas.  Third, for organizations with rich history, the challenge is to break with the history, but not disregard it.  The fourth “truth” is that a change agent must create a sense of urgency for the organization to act.  Finally number five is that change agents must continue to learn.  Taylor ends the chapter with a quote, “If all you ever do is all you’ve ever done, then all you’ll ever get is all you ever got.”

4. Chapter 4, Are you the Most of Anything? Why being Different makes all the difference, begins the second section of the book, and is about starting a new business and changing the entire industry.  Taylor first tells the reader about Zappos, the internet clothing retailer that is focused on customer satisfaction.  He gives an amazing example of the commitment the customer service staff has.  Next Taylor talks about Umpqua Holdings, a new kind of bank.  Umpqua asked its self  ”why should [the customer] choose [them] over the competition?”  Came up with its not good enough to be pretty good any more. The banking industry took a “middle of the road” approach to attract customers. Taylor also looks at 37singal, and Magazine Luiza.

5. Chapter 5, Different on Purpose,  is about how being different should be on purpose.  Taylor explores DaVita, a dialysis company with one third of the market.  DaVita says that it is a community first and a company second.  He also covers how something small can make a big different by show caseing the iron workers building an addition to Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Insitute. Taylor also covers an incentive program by Zappos called “The Offer.”  The findings of the social scientists at Gallup Inc., a polling and research organization was a big point Taylor made. He also covers an essay the the Harvard business Revies Published and the Canadian pharmacy, London Drugs.

6. Chapter 6, Radically Practical II, gives the five new rules for starting something new. The first rule says that is not enough to be pretty good at everything, but to become the most of something.  The second is that being unique does not mean that your organization has to be narrow.  Thirdly, long term success is based on caring more than the competition.  The fourth point Taylor makes is that the organization must engage the customers emotional or eventually they will leave.  Finally he points out that you do not have to be a new company to start something new, you can start something new within an existing company.

7. Chapter 7, Leadership without all the Answers,  covers what it means to lead a company when a single person cannot possibly have all the answers.  Taylor starts out by introducing the reader to Orpehus, the chamber orchestra that performs with out a conductor.  He also explains that IBM created “Innovation Jam” to harness the power of group genius.  The next example Taylor gives is Rite-Solutions and its internal “stock market” called the “Mutual Fun.”

8. Chapter 8, Hidden Genius at Work,  highlights what groups of people can accomplish when they set their minds to a project.  Taylor details the incredible story of the Missing USS Grunion, WWII submarine.  Two different sets of people endeavored to find out what happened to that sub and its crew.  He then describes several companies similar efforts to reward the people who help them. Netflix offered the “Netflix Prize” to anyone who could improve the accuracy of its movie suggestion software by 10%.  John Fluevog allows customers to submit design ideas, and name the item if it is accepted.  Threadless, an internet t-shirt manufacturer, allows its member to submit designs and vote on their favorite ones, and based on the popularity chooses which to produce.

9. Chapter 9, Radically Practical III, lists the five habits of highly Humbitious leaders.  Taylor begins with real genius does not pretend to know everything.  Second, he says that the most creative leaders leverage collective genius to evaluate the ideas they attract.. The next concept is that a good leader must learn to reject ideas with out destroying the person who created them. The fourth thing is that if you want ideas to be shared, you must be willing to share your ideas as well.  The fifth habit Taylor describes, is that humbition can become an organizational way of life.

10. In the Appendix, Taylor gives the Practically Radical Primer, a list of ten questions that are designed to make you look at yourself and your organization critically.  Taylor gives each question followed by an explanation of where it came from and why it is important. The questions are thought provoking and are designed for you to be able to think about how to apply what you have read through out this book to your company.

Full Summary of Practically Radical

1. Introduction

   1. Taylor introduces the reader to may of the places and industries he studied while writing Practically Radical.  He also explains that this book is meant to give leaders new ideas to help their businesses.  The first section, Transforming Your Company,  is about big, company wide change, that challenges the long held  industry standards.  Section two, Shaking Up Your Industry,  shows how you can establish something new, either with in a large organization, of start something from the ground up. The next section of the book is titled Challenging Yourself, self-explanatory title.  Each section ends with a hands on chapter that sums up and explains how Taylor believes the reader can apply the lessons that he has provided.  The book ends with  a final section titled the Practically Radical Primer, which has ten questions that every aspiring game changer must ask.

2. Transforming Your Company

   1. Chapter 1: What you See Shapes How you Change -The Virtues of Vuja De

      1. In this chapter, Taylor gives several examples of looking to the past for a way to move toward the future.

      2. The first example is how Colonel Dean Esserman, Chief of police, in Providence, Rhode Island took a failing police system and turned it around.  Esserman’s quote, which opens the chapter, sums up what his goal is, “the model of policing…that’s what we are changing.”

         1. Taylor sets the open scene during a weekly command meeting of Providence Police Department. He explains that a big part of the command meeting is who is in attendance.  A federal prosecutor, social workers and a reverend just to start off with a few.  Tony Gross, Director of the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, is a key member at the meeting. Gross and his street workers help the cops of Providence solve the problems before the problems escalate to crime.

         2. Esserman wants to bring back the concept of  the “family cop,” meaning that the police should be a part of the community, not just some guy with a badge and a gun.

      3. Taylor uses the term “Vu ja de;” he says it is the flip side of “De ja vu.” Taylor defines Vuja de as looking at a familiar situation as if you have never seen it before.  He says that, as the leader of manager of the company, “How do you look at your organization and your filed as if you are seeing them for the first time?”  Vuja de is the answer to that question.  It allows the company to “reframe” how it makes sense of  the situation and “build for the future.

      4. The second example Taylor gives is TBWA and its “disruption days” with Pedigree dog food company, a part of the Mars corporation.TBWA is a marketing firm and was hired in 2004 to revitalize Pedigree. TBWA hosts “Disruption days” over a series of meeting with the company to uncover the original virtues that were once a driving factor of a company and bring the company back to those things.

         1. Suzanne Powers, from TBWA, said that Pedigree had become a manufacturing company, and had lost the “soul” and vision of a company that loves dogs.

         2. After the disruption days, the Mars CEO, Paul Michaels, developed issued a statement of beliefs called “Dogma” to remind Pedigree why it exists, how it should behave, and many other dog-centered ideas. Soon after, Pedigree began an internal dog-centered revolution. It incorporated dogs into almost every part of the company that it could, in an effort to change its culture.  And it worked.

         3. Only after the dog-oriented culture began to take hold inside Pedigree. did it take the message to the customers.  Pedigree changed how it marketed to the customers.

      5. Taylor returns to the discussion of Esserman and the Provience PD.  When Esserman took over the department, he tried to inspire the staff by telling them that he wanted them to not stop thinking about the job, to be at work before they needed to be because they can’t wait to get there, and several other things.One unmistakable message he gave was, “If it’s 2 o’clock in the morning and its raining and there’s a shooting, I’m coming. So you better be there already, and you had better be wet.”

         1. Esserman is said to “drive the old guard crazy.”

         2. Soon after arriving, Esserman dismantled the department and reassembled it into 9 free-standing districts.  No one could tell him why the old system was the way it was. Each district had a “mini-Chief,” and Esserman gave them no public funds to establish a district head quarters with.  These mini-chiefs had to be come up with funding themselves.

         3. Esserman also created “cops & docs,” where cops would sit in on medical discussions of tough cases, and the Brown University Medical school would send students to sit in on command meetings.

            1. In 2008, he took the idea further, modeling the department after teaching hospitals.Esserman wanted to be a place “that embraces research, that figures out and spreads methodologies that work in the ways medical schools do. …Think of what it would mean to create that sort of institute and those types of values in a police department.”

         4. However much Esserman has changed the department, he celebrates the history of the Providence PD every chance he gets.

         5. Esserman keeps ” a thick notebook of good ideas and quotes … from criminologists, social scientists, and fellow chiefs.”

         6. Esserman wants to “go beyond 911,” to be apart of the community.  Esserman and every cop in the department has business cards with his/her picture, the department phone number and a 24/7 cell phone number on it.  The officers are encourage shop owners to display the cards publicly, and for any one to call them if they need help.  Esserman recalls being at a rime scene on night and realizing that cell phones were ringing.  The people were calling the officers at the scene to tell them what had happened!

         7. Taylor believes that Esserman’s legacy as a change agent is secure.

      6. The next example Taylor gives is about Nicolas Hayek and Swatch.  He says that leaders focus too much on what is wrong with the organization, and that they undervalue what is right.  Taylor quotes President Clinton and says that this applies to business as well. Clinton said, “There is nothing wrong with America, that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”

         1. Hayek turned around the failing Swiss watch industry in just ten years and had brought it back to the top of the market in 20.  Hayek is a deeply conservative leader who looked to the 450 year tradition as a source of strength.

            1. The ride and fall of Omega, one brand that Swatch offers.  When Hayek took over, Omega had over 2,000 different models.  No one knew what Omega stood for.  He cut the number of models to 130 and returned the brand to its roots.  In 2008, It was one of the most valuable watch brands in the world,  Hayek “gave Omega its message back.”

            2. But Hayek’s plan also applies to the entire company, not just Omega.  He rejected the conventional global competition rules of seeking low-cost production, outsourcing, and niche marketing.

               1. The bulk of the factories are near the Jura Mountains in Switzerland.  Swatch is “a vertically Integrated fortress.”  Its 19 brands cover all geographic markets and every price point.

               2. Why did it work?  Hayek imposed enormous pressure for breakthroughs in design, manufacturing, and overall performance.

         2. While Hayek made the newspapers, no one is copying his methods.

      7. Esserman and Hayek saved organizations and the brink of disaster. This leads to the obvious question: does meaningful transformation require a dance with death:?

         1. Irving Wladawsky-Berger, from IBM says a near-death experience clears your head and allows you to see new ideas.

         2. The Girl Scouts of America say reject the idea.

   2. Chapter 2: Where you Look Shapes what you see – Of Big Dots, Pit Stops and Hot Spots

      1. The first organization Taylor mentions in this chapter is the Institute of Health care Improvement, or IHI, whose goal is to “move the dots” by focusing on quality.  The organization turned to the women’s movement for speed.  In 2004, IHI launched the “100,000 Lives Campaign.” An 18-month campaign the hospitals would volunteer to participate in by adopting 6 Interventions that would in total prevent 100,000 needless deaths.

      2. London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children studied Ferrari’s Formula One racing team, specifically the pit crew, for ways of improving the patient hand-off process.  The Pit crew toured the facility and was amazed at how clumsy the process was and ho noisy the hospital was in general. After the visit, the Hospital redesigned the process and was able to greatly reduce medical errors.  Taylor gies this example to show that looking in unfamiliar fields for new ideas can work.

      3. Ron Noble, the Secretary General of Interpol, had a big job a head of him when he was brought. what he found inside the organization was years behind any other police force in the world,  One of Interpol’s main responsibilities is issuing “red notices,” an international wanted-person notice.  Before Noble arrived, it took three to six months to issue a single notice.  Noble also discover that the head quarters was only opne during business hours, 8am – 6pm Monday through Friday.  Noble created and implemented the agency’s Command and Coordination Center.  He also increased the efficiency of the red notice processing.  It now takes less then 72 hours to issue a red notice.  This has lead to more notices being issued and more arrests.

         1. Noble transformed Interpol from paper-pushers to an international police department, and to become a functioning department, Interpol had to become relevant; had to innovate.

         2. Noble asked himself what services are relevant to every law enforcement officer in the world?  Interpol had little history to help answer the question so he looked outside the organization for clues.  Noble model the first lost or stolen travel document database after Google’s search engine.

         3. Noble says, “It’s not easy, but we’re going to get there. We’re going to change the world.”

      4. The CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC), a 90 years old hospital in Seattle, Looked to Toyota’s Just-in-Time (JIT) production technique, continuous improvement, and front line employee problem solving to find that spark of inspiration to help improve the hospital. The entire leadership team of the hospital took what has become an almost annual trip to Japan for the first time in 2002.  Two defining things are essential to the trip: a trip to the museum where the doctors are required to carry a sketch book; and several days working full shifts in a Toyota factory, staffing the lines, doing the work.

         1. VMMC’s exposure to Japanese quality control was a big piece of the hospital finding some imagination and transferring methodologies.

      5. From there Taylor goes into how Toyota launched Lexus, a game-changing entrant to the luxury automobile market in North America.  In 2005 Lexus sent dealers and general managers to train at the 4 Seasons Hotel, they found that the little touches add up to a big impression.  Lexus also copies Apple’s Genius Bar, creating the Answer Bar, where Lexus can help its customers with any questions they might have.

      6. The Henry Ford Health System, Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan,  turned around its existing hospitals with simple things like paint and new wheelchairs.  In 2009, the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital opened, and everything about this hospital will challenge what you think about hospitals, starting with the CEO who was previous with the Ritz Carlton.With in just a few years, the hospital has a patient satisfaction score in the 99th percentile

   3. Chapter 3: Radically Practical (I) – Five Truths of Corporate Transformation: Taylor’s goal in the first two chapters was to present a range of settings in which troubled organizations figured out how to learn from the past, and break from convention, to make creative changes. The following list is a direct quote of the five truths.

      1. Most organizations in most field suffer from a kind of tunnel vision, which makes it hard to envision a more positive future.

      2. Most leaders see things the same way everyone else sees them because they look for ideas in the same places everyone else looks for them.

      3. In troubled organizations rich with tradition and success, history can be a curse — and a blessing.  The challenge is to break from the past without disavowing it.

      4. The job of the change agent is not just to surface high-minded ideas. It is to summon a sense of urgency inside and out of the organization, and turn that urgency into action.

      5. In a business environment that never stops changing, change agents can never stop learning.

3. Taylor ends the chapter with this quote, “If all you ever do is all you’ve ever done, then all you’ll ever get is all you ever got.”

4. Shaking Up Your Industry

   1. Chapter 4: Are You the Most of Anything?  Why Being Different Makes All the Difference

      1. Zappos, the Internet shoe store that I had never heard of before, because they do not advertise like other businesses; in fact, it survives based on word of mouth.

      2. Ray Davis CEO Umpqua Holdings

      3. 37signals

      4. Compares business and the 4-minute mile

      5. Magazine Luiza

      6. MGM Grand in Las Vegas

   2. Chapter 5: Different on Purpose – Motivation, Inspiration, and the Heart of Innovation

      1. DaVita — 1/3 of the dialysis market

      2. iron workers building the addition to boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

      3. Geek Squad — the 6-point pledge

      4. Zappos and the offer

      5. Harvard buisness Review published “Companies and the Customers who hate them” by Gail McGovern and YOungme Moon

      6. Life Time Fitness

      7. Social Scientisits at Gallup Inc.

      8. London Drugs

   3. Chapter 6: Radically Practical (II) – Five New rules for Starting Something New

      1. It’s not good enough to be “Pretty good” at everything. Blank-sheet-of-paper innovators figure out how to become the most of something.

      2. Just because you’re “the most of something” doesn’t mean you can’t do lots of different things. Being unique is not about being narrow.

      3. Long-term success is about more than thinking harder then the competition. It’s also about caring more then the competition.

      4. In a world of endless choice, companies must engage customers emotionally, not just satisfy them rationally. Remember, if your customers can lie without you, eventually they will.

      5. Starting something new doesn’t always mean starting a new company. You don’t need to be a blank-sheet-of-paper entrepreneur to embrace a blank-sheet-of-paper mind-set.

5. Challenging Yourself

   1. Chapter 7: Leadership Without All the Answers – Ambition, Humbition, and the Power of Hidden Genius

      1. Orpheus — the orchestra without a conductor

      2. humbition — the blend of humility and ambition that drives the most successful business people

      3. Hidden genius; out think the competition

      4. IBM and the Innovation Jam –brought together lots of people from various places to generate ideas for the business

      5. Rite-Solutions from Rhode Island

   2. Chapter 8:  Hidden Genius at Work – From Shared Minds to Helping Hands

      1. Story of the USS Grunion –the sons of the captain find the submarine and alert the other 69 families that the mystery of the USS Grunion was solved

      2. Netflix and the Netflix Prize —  put a challenge to the world: $1 million to the person or team that could improve the movie selector program by 10%

      3. John Fluevog –designer –allows customers to submit shoe designs and if a design is selected the originator gets to name the shoe

      4. Threadless — t-shirt manufacturer who has members submit design ideas and vote on thier favorites.

   3. Chapter 9:  Radically Practical (III) – Five Habits of Highly Humbitious Leaders

      1. Real business geniuses don’t pretend to know everything.

      2. The most creative leaders don’t just tap the power of hidden genius to attract new ideas. They leverage the virtues of collective genius to evaluate the ideas they attract.

      3. Not all new ideas are good ideas. So leaders who ask for lots of ideas have to be good a rejecting the bad ones without demoralizing the people who contributed them.

      4. Leaders who are eager for outsiders to share ideas with them have to be eager to share their ideas with outsiders.

      5. Humbition can be more than an individual style of leadership. It can be an organizational way of life.

6. Appendix: The Practically Radical Primer –Ten Questions Every Game Changer Must Answer

   1. Do you see opportunities the competition doesn’t see?

   2. Do you have new ideas about where to look for new ideas?

   3. Are you the most of anything?

   4. If your company went out of business tomorrow, who miss you and why?

   5. Have you figured out how your organization’s history can help to shape its future?

   6. Do you have customers who can’t live without you?

   7. Do your people care more than the competition?

   8. Are you getting the best contributions from the most people?

   9. Are you consistent in your commitment to change?

   10. Are you learning as fast as the world is changing?

The Video Lounge

Interview with Author

http://www.businessinnovationfactory.com/events/practically-radical-bill-taylor

The Business Innovation Factory hosted this interview with William Taylor in early 2011.  He talked for about 30 minutes.  Taylor covered several specific examples from the book, and a few key points without giving away everything the book has to offer.

Personal Insights

Why I think:

• The author is one of the most brilliant people around, because:  Taylor was able to gain access to 25 organizations that made big changes.  He started “Fast Company” in the early 1990’s based on how companies need to make changes.  Fast Company and Practically Radical highlight how Taylor is a person who can make change happen, and see how others create change.  He wrote Practically Radical to give the rest of the world a glimpse of how the few manage amazing changes, and show us how we can apply the lessons.

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. Several times through out the book, Taylor  would start talking about one organization and then move on to another, but would later return to original organization.  I found the book difficult to summarize because of this, and would have tried to not go back over a company that I had already moved away from discussing.

2. I would have arranged the book a little bit differently.  The three sections are based on size, the industry, and individual company, and the personal level.  I would have put them in that order.  Or I would have organized the book into categories of businesses. Taylor covered 25 organizations, some very extensively and others only briefly.

3. In the introduction, Taylor says that the book is written like three books in one.  There is so much information in each section of the book, perhaps this single book should have been broken down into a three book set.  Again, I believe that the book would have been much easier to follow and easier to effectively summarize.

• Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. Before reading this book, I was rather pessimistic about the industry I have chosen.  I had been told that there were only so many options available, and that I would be limited because my GPA wasn’t “where it should be.”  After reading the Practically Radical, I believe that just because some professor says that is that way it is, does not mean that I have to give up and settle for the secretary position.  I can fight to be seen and heard.  Yes, it may be difficult to get prospective employers to see me through the crowd of seemingly better qualified graduates, but I will not give up.  I can change the way the industry sees the B or C- average student.

2. Starting a business is a lot of work and time and effort.  It also carries some big risks.  However, by starting the company yourself, you can revolutionize the way the industry views you.  You choose who to hire, who does the work, how the work is done, and how you treat customers. With just a few tweaks to the widely accepted way of doing business, your business can prove to the competitors that there is a better way of doing business.

3. Without urgency, nothing would ever get done.  This is especially true in business.  If the business is floating along on previous successes, and headed toward a cliff, but no one sees the cliff, then that company has a big problem. After reading this book, I understand better that without urgency, nothing will ever change.  No change is called stagnation, and that has been the death of many once great companies.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. I understand what it means to be the Accounting student that can’t even get a call back after the only interview I could get; all because my GPA isn’t “where it should be.”  I want to change how firms view students like me.  I am not stupid; I passed all the classes, but I have been in college for six years and changed my major twice.   To me graduating and passing the CPA exam is enough to be good enough to know what I am doing, because there are too many stories of 4.0 students failing the CPA exam. I want to create or acquire a business in which I can change how the industry sees students who are “not good enough.”

2. I am sure that once I establish the kind of company that I described above, that there will be problems and set backs.  I will look outside the accounting world to find answers to those problems.  Why limit myself to what other accountants think when there is an entire world of people out there willing to give their opinions.

3. I understand what it means to not be the best at everything.  I want a career, but I also want a family.  I can have both, but it will be a life-long challenge to balance the two.  So I have to be humble enough to ask for and accept help, yet be ambitious enough to go fight for what I want.

• Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

William Taylor has shown himself to be someone to follow since the early 1990’s and the founding of Fast Company.  Practically Radical was released in January of 2011, and generated some noise for Taylor, but I could not find any articles dated after October 2011.  So while it rose quickly, it fell from popularity just as quickly.

Most reviews raved about Taylor and his ability to give the case studies a new perspective by story telling. Chris Bond with the Murphy Business Blog writes “If you are a fan of miniaturized case studies presented several times in different ways (um, some among us need to hear things a few times!), you can’t go wrong with Taylor’s book.”  Mathew May with Open Forum says the key takeaway for the book is the three lists of truths, rules, and habits.  Carol Herman with the Washington Times writes about how eye-opening Taylor’s book is.

Only David Hurst with Strategy+Business openly criticizes the book’s content.  He says that the rules “seem vague and aspirational.”  He also mentions Taylor’s use of Zappos as an example.  Hurst remarks snidely, “just how broadly can one apply lessons from a cult like online shoe and clothing retailer?”  He ends his article with a suggestion; saying that the book “would have benefited from a better conceptual framework.”

Bibliography

About bill. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://williamctaylor.com/about-bill/

Bond, C. (04, October 2011). Chris bond’s review of “practically radical”. Retrieved from http://www.businessbrokers-newengland.com/Blog/bid/64622/Chris-Bond-s-Review-of-Practically-Radical

Herman, C. (February, 28 2011). Book review: How to grow your business. Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/28/how-to-grow-your-business/

Hurst, D. (24, May 2011). New views of management. Retrieved from www.strategy-business.com/article/11211b?gko=4c868

May, M. (01, February 2011). Guru review tuesday: Practically radical. Retrieved from https://www.openforum.com/articles/guru-review-tuesday-practically-radical-1/  

Taylor, W. (2011). Practically radical: Not-so-crazy ways to transform your company, shake up your industry, and challenge yourself. Harper Collins e-books.

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review of Practically Radical by William C. Taylor,” please email Meagan.Slaven@selu.edu or mslavengill@gmail.com .

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About the Publisher

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Laborde Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.org), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. His blog, Career News 24/7, can be viewed at http://wyld-about-careers.blogspot.com/.

Executive Summary

The main theme and concept of this book, that I gathered, was the powerful and practical call to action for women to take in the work environment. There has been an extensive and delayed effort for women to get equal pay wages. Women today still earn 77 cents to every dollar earned by a full-time male employee. The wage gap between the average female and the average male exists at every economic level, from waitresses to lawyers to the CEO’s.

Evelyn Murphy challenges two main questions in Getting Even: Why are women’s paychecks still so far behind? And what do we have to do to catch up?  In the work environment still today, women are making almost a quarter less than men. It all stems from unfair treatment on the job, which may not be intended, but it will remain embedded unless we take action. The gender wage gap is unfair to the hardworking women. It reaches women around the country at every economic level.

There are five hundred occupational categories; in the year 2000, women were still being packed into twenty-one of the five hundred categories. The differences between working women and men have tapering over time but the wage gap still stands. Some of the differences you and I have heard are: Women are less skilled at negotiating, they are not strong leaders, choose family over work. The essential concept is that women are deficient. Although, working women’s attributes are just about caught up to the working men’s.

Discrimination, such as “wage discrimination” is a main factor discussed in this book. It is treating women and men differently solely based on their gender. In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act Title VII, which made it illegal to discriminate on the bases of sex, race, color, religion, and national origin. Evelyn Murphy focuses on the fact that discrimination is morally and legally wrong. This is because it causes women to face the financial consequences. Women lose money due to this issue. When a woman feels sexually intimidated in the workplace she cannot perform her best therefore she has to face the financial consequences.  

Women will go through their working lives by doing the best they can at their jobs. They are the only ones who can determine whether the treatment in their work environment is fair or not. This book observes the unfair treatment of the average working woman and how the unfairness hinders the women who cannot afford a lawsuit, the risks and costs. The wage gap is not going to go away by itself; we need to take action now. Women and men need to work together to close the gap. It is possible to close the gap within the next ten years, but as Evelyn repeatedly states in her book, women and men must work together to solve the problem at hand.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Getting Even

1. Why not a dollar? Managers should ask themselves: What should women be earning and not to ask what are women earning. Evelyn Murphy stresses on the topic of why women’s wage rate is not a dollar. Many studies and statistics have been concluded that women just don’t have as much experience in the work environment as men have. That is true, but that does not justify women losing 23 cents to every dollar earned by a man. Americans have said the wage gap has been slowly closing toward equality, but if that was true by now the wage gap would be gone.  

2. Personal Cost of the Wage Gap – The wage gap has a personal effect on every woman in the workplace. The gap of twenty-three cents is a personal gap in each woman’s individual life. These consist of vacations not able to be taken, dental work, or lessons for children denied. Many women do not challenge the wage gap, in fear of self-destruction causing them to lose a needed job. Also, women usually do not add up the loss of the twenty-three cents but let’s just put this into perspective for you. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research compared the lifetime annual earnings of women and men, by their age and level of education. The study was conducted using a forty-seven-year adult life span working full-time year-round.  Now this is just not equal.

• High school graduate will potentially lose approximately $700,000, this is based on a women graduating from high school and making $20,000 a year.

• College graduate will potentially lose $1.2 million, this is based on a women graduating from college and making $30,000 a year.

• Professional school graduate will potentially lose $2 million, this is based on women getting a degree management, law, medical, etc and making $70,000 a year

3. Cents and Sensibilities – Discrimination lawsuits-Do settlements conclude measure discrimination? Employers settle cases for many reasons, occasionally they settle because of exposure to the public or a judge/jury punishing them for misconduct. Most often employers claim they have done nothing wrong and avoiding the risk and expense. When you see a discrimination case that has been settled, analyze it and weigh out the amount of money that was paid out and against woman’s claims. More often than not, the employer settled to avoid the risk and expense.

4. Plain Old Discrimination – In this period of powerhouse women, it’s extremely hard to believe that people still view woman as being less capable. Now this is just plain old discrimination for people to still consider women as less capable or deficient in the work field. Some of the powerhouse women include; Oprah Winfrey, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Dr. Susan Love, breast cancer surgeon. Discrimination is continuously effecting women and causing them to lose money. Every job that a woman doesn’t get, every pay raise not received, not getting the promotion, or just not getting paid equally will ultimately hold down a woman’s future earnings. Every dollar missing from her check, will multiply over a lifetime, but a man gets that additional 23 cents.  

5. Unequal Pay for Equal work – There is a major American awareness, if an employee female or male do the same day’s work then, female or male employee should be earning the same day’s pay. This occurs at every economic level because employers completely refuse to acknowledge the matter at hand.

6. Nobody loves a lawsuit for wage/sex discrimination – As a business woman, I certainly want to be paid fairly. Employees want to obtain positive reinforcement and be rewarded for hard work, skills, creativity, trustworthiness and dedication to the company just as their male counterpart. Most women realize that carrying out a lawsuit will isolate them from the other employees and disrupt their careers. Their integrity will be questioned at all levels of the business and eventually be let go. Although, in some cases women have built up so much anger, that they now interrupt their career in the pursuit of justice.   

7. Occupationally Sex-Segregated Jobs – The deficiency of lawsuit settlements recently is because, the passing of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, women began suing over “comparable worth”. Women want to be paid the same as their male counterparts for jobs with comparable skills.

8. Keep Girls Out – The stereotypical opinion of women that we would prefer to do something less dirty, work with words instead of mathematical calculations, and my favorite, making a difference instead of making money. Well, if this isn’t being clichéd toward women I don’t what is. Unfortunately, men have taken the “clubhouse NO GIRLS ALLOWED” to a whole different level. People believe that women merely like to do other kinds of work. This generation of women believes it is their birthright to be strong leaders, responsive, educated, and experienced.

9. The Mommy Penalty and the Daddy Bonus – Women are discriminated against at every level in an organization when she gets pregnant. This develops from the moment a woman tells her boss she’s pregnant to maternity leave (provided or not provided) to the moment she ask for accommodations such as, becoming part-time, video conferencing from home to coming in a little later at work. So, because we get pregnant we are sidelined in the organization as well as financially reprimanded for taking time off to recover. Managers need to understand that just because a woman has a baby and may take maternity leave does not mean she should be penalized in the organization. If the organization has complications because of one woman leaving for maternity, then the organization should have been prepared to maintain stability, especially when the company offers maternity leave. There are many accidents that can happen that would cause male employees to be out of work for months also, just under different circumstances (injuries, health problems, etc.). Yes, things will change but she will come back to work and perform exceptionally at her job. The organization’s preparation in advance for pregnancy could make the difference. The flip side to this is that anything can happen to a woman or a man; it is up to the corporation to determine the value, knowledge, experience, and productivity of the employee as a whole. The phrase “Working Mother” is quite similar to the “deadbeat dad” expression. These two notorious phrases advocate people are not fulfilling their responsibilities, a man or a woman.

10. No Woman Need Apply (Are you serious?) – Managers should always take into account that even though she is a woman does not mean that she is any less capable to accomplish the same job that is explicitly for a man. Employer’s still today openly refuse to hire women, knowing it is illegal.

There are loop holes that companies can jump through that assist in the sex-segregated issue. If something is not done about the loop holes, women will always be on the sidelines making less, taking care of the children and house duties. We will stay in the gender wage gap and not be able to provide for our children to the extent that a male could, with higher pay in the same field with same experience, knowledge, and education. Giving a loop to jump through is not the answer in this case. If we are all considered equal, no matter what color, race, religion, sex, or gender, then why are women being segregated? Is it just because we are women and the males want to feel dominate and in control. Why can’t a woman?

Full Summary of Getting Even

Introduction

Working women still today are affected by wage/sex discrimination. Women are paid 77(seventy-seven) cents less than the average full-time male. The substantial wage gap between women and men has been around for several decades and does not seem to be going away. The wage gap compares the average earnings of all women and the average earnings of all men. Although, in the 1990’s women’s paychecks did not increase as much as the average male did.

Evelyn Murphy goes on to discuss how the blatant data found, is the backbone of the book “Getting Even”. Let’s discuss why women are making a quarter less than men. The unfair treatment in the work environment, this may not always be intentional, but it happens more frequently than we realize. Evelyn Murphy wrote this book in respect to every woman and every man that has a woman that he cares about in his life. Also, for each and every woman who has experienced this type of sex-segregated injustice. Women are affected by this daily, yearly, and at every economic level in our society. What really is a huge issue is that still today we let this type of segregation happen. Every working individual should be paid fairly no matter what. There are many men that are the top of an organization and I am pretty sure that they would most certainly want their wife, daughters, sisters, and nieces to be paid fairly. This binding issue pinches the daily lives of women in every country at every monetary level.

There are many differences between working women and working men but over time they have tapered down. Working women’s independences have caught up with men’s. There many sayings that we all have heard, such as women are less skilled, women do not exhibit strong leadership, and women chose family over their work. There is one central concept that has remained, women are viewed as deficient. The data is drawn from nationwide statistics provided by the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These two Bureaus formulate their data from the working individuals by their age, race, gender, education, and job earnings. When an analyst builds a theory, they are only able to use the data available on the demographic characteristics of the working individuals. Only being able to see one side of the spectrum will limit the validity of the conclusion, because the analysts are not considering the behavior in the workplace.

Discrimination conveyed in “Getting Even” is about women and men getting treated fairly in the work place, not because of merit or value to the corporation, because of sex. In 1964, Congress enacted the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, to make it illegal for employers to discriminate against sex, race, color, religion, or national origin. The widespread definition of discrimination is often abused. Discrimination is when a woman is treated unfairly, by her employer, because of her sex. A woman has the capability to do her job efficiently, but when being sexually intimidated in the workplace, she is not able to. This ultimately will cost her money. “Sex discrimination, wage discrimination, sexual harassment discrimination, occupational segregation, being “mommy-tracked”: that’s money being taken out of your wallet.

There are many lawsuits filed of wage/sex discrimination, but they are not always true. People make mistakes and even lie. Dealing with discrimination can be an intimidating process, so you should step back and evaluate the situation. This could set back a woman’s entire career. Women are the only determinate of what they feel is inappropriate in the workplace.

Why Not a Dollar?

The wage gap between women and men has been said to be gradually closing. If this were true, then the last forty years would have slowly eliminated the wage gap. At this point, it should be non-existent. So, obviously women are still not getting equal income. Women have been experiencing this deficit for many decades.

Throughout this process, women have excelled in just about everything an educated man has accomplished. Women have caught up with their counterparts in high school and college, surpassing men in the same degree, with better grades and more devotion to their studies. Now women and men are not only competing for grades but for the dollar. This can cause a lot of frustrations between genders in the work environment. According to Heidi Hartmann, who is the president of the Women’s Policy Research, has been documenting this widening gap for quite some time. Her research has revealed that when times are good in the economy, men advance more than women. In 1963, the Equal Pay Act was passed, the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, as well as, the Executive Order in 1965, banning federal employees and contractors to discriminate against women. This initiated our nation to look more closely at the idea that women, with the same credentials as a man, deserve equal pay. But, in 1990’s this approach to the wage gap had failed, even when our economy was transforming and women were just as experienced, it failed again thirty years later. So what is actually holding women back? Plain old DISCRIMINATION.

The Personal Cost of the wage Gap: A Second-Class Life

There are very few women that actually know exactly how much their male counterpart is making. They know they are not getting the same amount of pay that equally qualified men get. This leads me into the personal perspective of this issue; women don’t just sit around counting up the missing dollars that they should’ve earned over a lifetime. Consider this particular example of a New York City middle manager, took a job starting out at $32,000 a year. She obtained information on past employees that were male, in her same position, and were making $36,500. That is $4,500 and 14% more than the female employee, with the same skills and experience was making.

Cents and Sensibilities

Many people still today believe the wage gap in fact does measure discrimination. Evelyn Murphy has asked many people their opinions and has gotten stories about unfair treatment in the workplace. She also stated many didn’t come right out and say it, but they have suspected unfair treatment. Another question to ask is, “Do settlements measure discrimination?” In some cases it is definitely true. Employers want to settle cases for various reasons such as certain misconduct will surely sway the judge or jury. Another reason is to avoid risks, expense, and losing money by the public finding out that they were cheating women out of wages. Discrimination can aid in keeping the employers costs and expenses down. By paying women less than men in the same job, the employer is making money at the woman’s expense. Most of the cases are usually never seen by the public or so deeply buried in the newspaper it is easily overlooked.

Now Add Discrimination

I have done my own research on the gender wage gap, and the results are still the same today. I have taken a survey of 10 individuals, 5 male and 5 female. Most of the surveyed group had no clue what the wage gap would be or if it still was as much as 77 cents to the dollar. Evelyn Murphy did a wider-spanned survey on the wage gap measuring discrimination; her examples were dead-on cases of mistreatment in the workplace. One example was, a nurse who had been working at a hospital for many years watched new male entrants, with less training and skills move up faster in the hospital ranks. The harder-working women were left behind and not promoted. Another example she described was a graphic designer, who had watched many firms eliminate new mothers, as early as a year after childbirth. The fathers were in a “temporary setback” and the mothers were completely restriction in the work environment.

Plain Old Discrimination

In this period of powerhouse women, it’s extremely hard to believe that people still view woman as being less capable. Now this is just plain old discrimination for people to still consider women as less capable or deficient in the work field. Some of the powerhouse women include; Oprah Winfrey, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Dr. Susan Love, breast cancer surgeon. Discrimination is continuously effecting women and causing them to lose money. Every job that a woman doesn’t get, every pay raise not received, not getting the promotion, or just not getting paid equally will ultimately hold down a woman’s future earnings. Every dollar missing from her check, will multiply over a lifetime, but a man gets that additional 23 cents.

Wage discrimination by Sexual Harassment

There are many opinions about what sexual harassment actually is. This definition includes acting in a sexual, patronizing, and intimidating fashion. It can stem from supervisors, managers, and employees that are insinuating sexual favors, groping, stalking, threatening, taunting, or provoking female employees. This can come in many forms and it’s not just a onetime incidence. Sexual harassment is a form of terrorism in the workplace. The court system has made a clear distinction between what sexual harassment is and what is not. First, “quid pro quo” must be demanded for sexual favors in exchange for advancement in the ranks; second, “a hostile work environment” which a work environment has men taunting and threatening women, which any sensible woman would be, inclined to quit. Although, just because there are laws stating that sexual harassment is illegal does not mean that it isn’t still happening every day.

Women’s Work

Women have been underpaid for many decades and were only allowed to work in certain jobs such as, teachers, clerks, nurses, etc. There are artificial social barriers that segregate women in to these two job categories. Resentment of women in the work environment will vary from job to job. There are cases where men refuse to teach a woman how to accomplish a task faster; they will just sit on the sidelines while the woman tries to do the task by herself. Now, if a man doesn’t want to train a woman on how to do the job, then I can say from my own experience, I would figure it out. Women are not deficient, unskilled, uneducated or inexperienced, men should respect that a woman is out there on the job trying to succeed and get a paycheck.

An example Evelyn Murphy used was an apprentice elevator technician, Lauren Sugerman. She started this job in the local union of her state, Chicago. Sugerman was working on the tenth floor of a building with 480 volts of electricity, live cables and huge equipment. Diligently working, she soon realized that all the men had left her alone on a potentially deadly job with no help. After that incident, Sugerman decided she was not going to put her life in jeopardy because of the male employees deciding to leave for the day and not tell the only female on the job site.

My Father Is My Idol: The End of a Dream

In every job environment there will surely be some form of discrimination, it is inevitable. But for a woman to be inspired by her father and want to follow in his footsteps is frowned upon in some industries. Daughters idolize and look up to their fathers; is that such a bad thing, even if you are a woman?

Murphy relates a particular case in which a father was not completely on board with his own daughter following his lead as a firefighter. She trained physically, studied and prepared for the firefighter test. After her father witnessed her vigorous dedication, he changed his perspective about women. He knew she was going in to a male lion’s den. The fellow firefighters did not want a woman on the team. Out of the eighteen applicants, she was one of the three that aced the final exam. The captain wrote the state board to invalidate her test for not meeting the regulations. The board issued a new test to her and she aced the second one to. Once on the job, she was verbally tortured and given tasks that the other new male applicants were not given. She was to stay behind and clean the firehouse while the others went on the field. The captain, who applied to the board for her invalid test, was in charge of her training. He made her do impossible training exercises. The other males were shown how to do it and she was criticized. She refused to report any of this treatment to her bosses. She pursued some advice from other female pioneers about winning her department over as the chief. The captain accused her of cleaning the toilet wrong and had her do ridiculous duties. The chief got wind and started an investigation, and soon the public media got wind. Her father was getting his name drug through the mud. That is not right at all! So, concluding this example, if a woman wants to grow up and be like her dad one day, she will have to go through the same pain and suffering? Are you kidding me? Now this is discrimination at its finest.

Everyday Discrimination: Working while Female

Most women will go throughout life thinking they will progress based on their talents and proving themselves within the company. Unfortunately, in the work place there is a malicious repetition, that spans nationwide, of different types of sex discrimination, job and work-related title segregation, and verbal or physical sexual harassment. This type of behavior in the work place has a gradual effect on women’s paychecks.  Women are completely aware they are being devalued and underpaid.

Gender stereotyping has become unbroken in the employee paycheck discrimination. The top management assumes that women don’t want to travel and told that they wouldn’t be able to balance work and family. These types of comments can turn in to illegal discriminatory actions to cut women’s wage rate.

Getting Even: No More Excuses

Women dealt with job and wage discrimination for many decades, but women in the force have been reacting to this issue.

Women have become so tired of dealing with this mistreatment and persistent bias women must to something keep their own self-respect. Women have not much support so they have chosen not to act because they believe that nothing happen to close the gender wage gap. Evelyn Murphy stated reasons (excuses and answers) behind why women hold back.

• Excuse1: I’m too busy, and besides I can’t change this alone.

Answer1: You’re no longer alone.

• Excuse2: I’ll lose my job if I sue.

Answer2: You don’t have to sue there are other options

• Excuse3: The wage gap is going away on its own.

Answer3: No, it’s not.

• Excuse4: Women aren’t as ambitious as me; they want more balanced lives.

Answer4: Who said all men were ambitious?

Women, Working from the Inside Up: Step One

The wage gap is not by the fault of any woman trying to establish a career. It will take a national effort of all women and their male supporters to work together to close the gap indefinitely. Working together and documenting every incident of discrimination, do research on what men in the same field are getting paid opposed to you, Build allies and collaborate, and learn to negotiate by asking the boss for a fair paycheck after your research is done so any questions he may have you are well prepared.

CEO’s, Working from the Top Down: Step Two

CEO’s must commit to closing the wage gap within their corporation. It is the CEO’s responsibility to make sure that every individual male or female must be paid equally for each particular job description. If there is inequality in the pay, the CEO knows this is illegal it is their responsibility to fix it. The bottom line that Evelyn Murphy has conveyed is that CEO’s must be accountable for eliminating what each one of them contributes to the nation’s 23-cents gender wage gap. The result is that without CEO’s taking action, the gap will never go away. The CEO’s need to do to close their own companies wage gap:

1. Adjust pay scales throughout the company.

2. Insist on zero tolerance for overt discrimination.

3. Use objective measurements for hiring, raises, and promotions.

4. Monitor and measure progress.

5. Insist on equal numbers.

All of Us, Working from the Outside In: Step Three

All American women must hold every employer accountable for closing the gap. As citizens in America, we must join forces and take on the discriminating, biased and costly gender wage gap. Evelyn Murphy proposes three actions that all citizens can take in the civic realm. First, watch the progress or lack of, the Fortune 100 Company’s efforts to abolish the wage gap. Second, that Congress will reinforce the legal structure against wage discrimination. Third, every individual must make the abolishment of the wage gap their own personal mission. Fortune 100 companies such as Ford Motor and AT&T could set the trend by making its male employees even with female employees. The United States has laws to try and eliminate the wage gap but they do not have all of them. Congress plays a role in closing the wage gap by eliminating the fair-pay loopholes and requiring “comparable worth pay” in our United States laws.       

The Video Lounge

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/299040-1

[Insert: Find at least one video clip (from YouTube or elsewhere) that has an interview with the author, a story about the book and/or author, or an application of the concepts from the book. You must include the URL for the clip, and then, discuss this clip and what it shows in a paragraph - consisting of three-four complete sentences for each clip. Please note, I would suggest searching not just on YouTube, but on business news sites, such as CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, etc.].

Personal Insights

Why I think:

• The author is one of the most brilliant people around…or is full of $%&#, because:

I believe this book was exceptionally realistic in the illustration of sex discrimination and the wage gap. The information Evelyn Murphy compiled with facts, statistics, and interviews about the struggles women in the workforce have dealt with and are still dealing with it today. She went to much detail about mistreatment, sexual harassment, and let go because of childbirth. This has got to stop and she was absolutely correct stating that every individual, Congress, and the President need to take a stand.   

• With business conditions today, what the author wrote is – or is no longer true – because:

This book is absolutely still relevant today; the gender wage gap still exists within certain industries. Women are still receiving lower paychecks, unfairness and some cases sexual insinuations and harassment for advancement.  

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. Even though the author is very knowledgeable about the topic, I believe she could have tried to incorporate a little more of the males perspective. I would have done that to show that maybe they had some positive qualities of women. And this also would have given a chance to display any negative insights about why they believe what they do.

2. The book was a very broad perspective of her point, but her delivery was very direct. I would have obtained interviews and surveys from more of a diversity of age ranges, races, and national origins.

3. There were certain chapters that I felt she kind of attacked males for the blame. She did talk much about all the women who didn’t want to work and stayed home. It was briefly touched on but the book was published in 2005, so there have been changes over the last 8 years or so.   

• Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. This book was one of the best business books I’ve read. There are many women still today not getting the equal pay they deserve. This will continue to happen unless everybody gets on board with the equal pay. Women will continue to gain the experience, education, and training to succeed in this economy.   

2. Regardless of what gender you are you should receive equal pay. Women have families to support also, so depriving us of what we rightfully have earned is gender discrimination.

3. The loopholes organizations have access to jump through needs to be abolished not later, right now. This has created a barrier for women to not have the ability to receive justice when it is an open-and-closed sexual discrimination case at its finest.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. I plan to immediately try to make sure that no woman has deal with any sexual discrimination in my work environment. I will incorporate this strategy in to my own business and the business I am currently working at. Women and men in the workplace are equal in my eyes, sexual harassment and wage discrimination will not be tolerated.  

2. I plan to allocate the proper wage rates for each job design. I will have all my employees, regardless of what gender, paid the suitable amount for the job hired. I will also not let gender be a determinate of eligibility for promotions and raises.

3. I will always make sure my employees or fellow employees will be treated with respect. If an employee feels that they have been discriminated against, I will not take the situation lightly. Discrimination, no matter what manner it may happen in the work environment, it is morally wrong.

• Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

Although this book had oodles of information about women’s wage deficit, court cases involving sexual harassment or wage discrimination. Some of the reviews and article responses I found were from men and women’s point of view. Some people believe that it is the woman’s fault and saying we haven’t already stood up and tried to make that wage gap close. This particular view point was from a male reviewer. He also stated that he definitely does not see the wage gap closing in his lifetime. Women responses have stated that we have been trying and will keep trying until this discrimination stops. Women are optimistic about the gap closing and staying closed. Women are not resentful or angry we just want what is rightfully ours.

In the book, Evelyn Murphy examines the topic of sex and wage discrimination intensely. She incorporates many examples from individuals who have experienced this type of discrimination. A lot of the men’s reviews were as I expected, stating that women are not good at negotiating, leadership, skilled, etc. The only reason I believe they have such an issue with women in the workforce working side-by-side, is that they know their competition for the dollar is on the edge. Women have many talents just as men do, they just can’t handle the pressure of possibly having a woman be better at something. The opposing views from men and women in the reader responses were pretty typical from male to female.

One thing men need to stop doing is underestimating the abilities, skills, training, and competency, negotiating strategies, physical strength and overall performance on the job. Women have worked extremely hard to get to the place we are currently and we are not stepping down. We are here to stay, so get over the theories about women, and support us for trying to maintain financial stability for our families.

Bibliography

Evelyn Murphy. E.J. Graff. (2005). Getting Even: Why Women Don’t Get Paid Like Men-And What to Do About It. New York, N.Y.: Touchstone.

Editorial Review. Copyright (c) Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.– PUBLISHERS WEEKLY [Review of Getting Even: Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men-And what to Do About It] Retrieved from https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/evelyn-murphy/getting-even/_/R-400000000000000085243#productCustomerReviews

The Wage Project. Wage, Women are Getting Even. President, Evelyn Murphy. http://www.wageproject.org/files/gettingeven.php

Josh. (Jul 12, 10). [Review of Getting Even: Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men-And what to Do About It] Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/111293187

Jen Lepp’s. (January 05 to March 08, 2012). [Review of Getting Even: Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men-And what to Do About It] Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/257206174

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review of Getting Even: Why Women Don’t Get Paid Like Men-And What To Do About It by Evelyn Murphy with E.J. Graff,” please email Jessica.Poole-2@selu.edu or JessicaPoole85@gmail.com.

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About the Publisher

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Laborde Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.org), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. His blog, Career News 24/7, can be viewed at http://wyld-about-careers.blogspot.com/.

Executive Summary

Not just in marketing, but in many aspects of today’s society a huge issue is communication. Especially with the influence technology has taken on communication in recent decades, overcommunication is becoming a problem in itself. When attempting to be effective when communicating, especially in marketing, the act of positioning can be a very strategic asset. In Al Ries’ and Jack Trout’s book, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, an in depth analysis of positioning is given as well as how it relates to today’s business culture.

Our society is the most overcommunicated thus far which is causing the average person to accept less and less into their mental storage. In marketing this is a problem because a business can no longer sell a product by simply relaying information about it, a much more strategic approach is necessary to be considered effective. Positioning offers this capability. Positioning is not what you do to the physical product itself, it actually focuses on what you do in the mind of the prospect. In other words, it is more effective for a marketer to be able to “position” their product in consumer’s minds. The easiest way to get into the mind of the consumer is to be the first. Think about how true this actually is.  Who was the first person on the moon? Easy, Neil Armstrong, but who was the second? Not as easy, the same is true for many different scenarios; those that hold the first position hold the strongest in the mind. What happens if being the first one into the prospects mind is not an option? Well this is where positioning comes into play. When competing in a market not as the market leader, being able to reposition the competition is an essential form of positioning.

Positioning against the competition and creating a window is essential to moving up in any product market. When approaching to reposition using this approach it is important not to have a “me-too” strategy. Many companies’ first action when repositioning themselves is to point out how much their product is like the competitors, but better. This is not effective. Instead a company must draw attention to what the competitor does not offer; by doing this a window is being created. From here the company must indicate how their specific product can fulfill the needs created in that window. When customers realize a flaw with the product they rank number 1 they will almost instantly search for a product that fulfills that flaw, this is exactly how a company can move up in a product market. Positioning is effective when aspiring to move up on the rankings, whether it is a company repositioning a product, or a person repositioning themselves.

Positioning can be applied to basically any situation where the current position held is not ideal and a higher one is ideal. This book gives many demonstrations about how positioning is used in repositioning anything, such as an island, an airline, a religion, and even a person. Positioning is an essential aspect of marketing and should be implemented throughout any marketing strategy.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Positioning

1. Positioning

Today’s society is full of overcommunication and overstimulation from marketers. It is essential for marketers to be able to position product in the mind of consumers rather than focusing on changing the actual product. Positioning is not what is done to the physical product. It is how the product is positioned within the mind of the prospect. Positioning looks at a company’s own strengths and weaknesses as well as its competitors’.

2. Getting Into the Mind

There are two ways to get into the mind, the hard way and the easy way. The easiest way to position oneself in the mind of the prospect is to be the first. What is the hard way? Well the hard way is to be anything but first. If being first is not an option positioning by utilizing the opponent that did get there first is the next best approach.

3. Product Ladders

There are so many products and brands in today’s market that the human mind organizes them in a way that is most efficient for the consumer. The best explanation of this process can be described through the use of product ladders. Visualize multiple ladders; each one represents a different product group. Each step of the ladder represents a specific brand and how in ranks in comparison in the mind of each specific consumer compared to other brands. Positioning is a very effective way for a company to move itself up the ladder.

4. Positioning of a Leader

The most effective way to become a leader is to be the first into the mind. Maintaining the gained position is just as important. Leaders are in the best position to exploit opportunities as they arise and they should constantly use the position of their leadership to keep far ahead of the competition.

5. Positioning of a follower

Many products fail because they are introduced as a “me-too” product, or the same product offered by the leader but better. A more effective approach to gaining a spot on the product ladder is to find a creneau, or a hole, that has not been filled by a competing brand. Regardless of which approach is used, it is important to remember that advertising is not a debate, it is a seduction.

6. Repositioning the Competition

To introduce a new idea or product into the mind, first an old one must be moved out.  All the mathematical evidence in the world is not as effective as an observation the public can verify themselves, and once an old idea is overturned people will theoretically search for something to fill the void instantly. Repositioning the competition is the best way to deal with being number 2 or number 3, or even number 203, and when done honestly and fairly it simply keeps the competition on their toes.

7. The Power of the Name

The name is the single most important marketing tool a company can use. A good name is the best assurance to long-term success. With marginal differences in many product categories, a better name can mean the difference of millions of dollars of sales. Selecting a name that is not too generic but generic-like can be very effective.

8. Positioning Yourself

The main factor to remember when a person is positioning themselves is to hone in on a specific characteristic or trait as opposed to spreading themselves too broadly. Applying the principles of positioning to one oneself can be the most effective way of getting what is desired in life.

9. Positioning Your Business

Effectively positioning a business can be done by looking at 6 key questions.

1. What position do you own?

2. What position do you want to own?

3. Whom must you outgun?

4. Do you have enough money?

5. Can you stick it out?

6. Do you match your position?

10. Playing the Positioning Game

Understanding the role of words, knowing how words effect people, being careful of change, the requirement of vision, courage, objectivity, simplicity, subtlety, a global outlook, and patience, and the willingness to sacrifice are all traits that will allow anyone to be successful in positioning.

Full Summary of Positioning

Chapter 1: What Positioning Is All About

In order to be successful today, one must have the ability to touch base with reality. The only reality that counts is that of which already exists in the mind of the consumer. Being creative is no longer a solid approach because it is becoming more and more difficult. This is why positioning is so useful, in contrary to creating new and innovative products or methods of advertising, positioning focuses on what is already in the mind and attempts to retie the connections that already exist. Today’s market is an overflow of communication, advertisements, and other various types of noise. The natural response of the mind is to weed through it all and only retain that of which holds personal value. Positioning allows firms the ability to make mental connections with prospects and therefore position their products within the consumers’ minds.

Chapter 2: The Assault on the Mind

Messages get lost in a sea of overcommunication on a regular basis. The simple factor that there is such a large spectrum of communication tools available has a huge impact on that. Another major contributor to the overbearing amount of communication in today’s markets can be known as the product explosion. Not only is there a product offered for every possible need or want, but there are multiple brands and product options within each product category. Needless to say there are choices to be made by the consumer. In reality, it is to the point where there are too many choices and too much advertisement, so much so that traditional advertising techniques are simply adding to the noise and potentially hurting the company.

Chapter 3: Getting Into the Mind

Positioning is and organized approach of locating a window into the mind. The essential concept of this principle is that effective communication occurs only under the right circumstances at the right times. The easiest way to get into a person’s mind is to be the first. This factor is not only accurate, but it is very easy to demonstrate exactly how accurate it is. Ask yourself, who was the first person on the moon? Of course, Neil Armstrong, but the second person to walk on the moon does not come to mind as easily. The same demonstration can be applied to any business or product market, often the brand that remains the most influent in the consumers mind is the one that filled the window first. How does one cope with not being first? This is precisely where positioning comes into play.

Chapter 4: Those Little Ladders in Your Head

One way the mind weeds through the product explosion is by ranking brands among each other in categories of product. A great visualization for this concept is the use of ladders within the mind. Each ladder represents a different product category. The multiple steps on the ladders represent the different specific brands of that product. The steps are ranked among the ladder from the top step, which represents the brand that the consumer views as the top brand in that product category, to the lowest ladder, which ranks lower than any other brand in the eyes of the consumer. Obviously being number 1 is ideal, and the easiest way to do this is to be the first to occupy the ladder, often the creator of that ladder in the prospects mind. However, if a company isn’t first, then it has to be the first to occupy the number 2 position. A very important aspect of positioning oneself while visualizing the mental ladder is to position against the existing brands. Comparative ads are a very successful way to connect a firm’s brand to a reality that the prospect already holds through their product ladder.

Chapter 5: You Can’t Get There from Here

Going head-to-head with a leader in any market will not benefit anyone. The leader is on the top of the ladder for a number of reasons, and taking them head-on in their own area of expertise is not strategically wise. This is especially true for firms entering new product markets that originally specialize in other markets. The reason so many firms attempt to do this is because it a traditional American characteristic known as the “can do” spirit, which implies that if there is a strong enough will anything can be achieved. This spirit, however, is completely erroneous in the world of business. An effective alternative would be to utilize the position the competitor already holds in the mind of the prospect, as discussed in chapter 4.

Chapter 6: Positioning of a Leader

The establishment of a leadership position is easy, be the first. Becoming a leader in any industry is essential, maintaining this position of leadership is just as important. New leaders should use their short-term flexibility to assure themselves a stable long-term future. Often if a firm holds a top position there is a good chance it is because they in a sense created that product ladder. Even if they were not the first and somehow managed to work their way to the top, it is their responsibility to enhance the product category in the prospects minds. Too often top competitors feel the need to advertise less when in reality their specific advertisements are those that will reach the consumer, and that is a factor that should definitely be utilized. Leaders are in the best position to exploit opportunities as they arise and they should constantly use the position of their leadership to keep far ahead of the competition.

Chapter 7: Positioning of a Follower

Those specific ideas that work for leaders are not the same for followers. A leader can often cover a competitive move while retaining their position, whereas a follower will often be viewed as copying the leader with a “me-too” response, instead of being competitive. Many products fail because they are introduced as a “me-too” product, or the same product offered by the leader but better. A more effective approach to gaining a spot on the product ladder is to find a creneau, or a hole, that has not been filled by a competing brand. A great example of this is Volkswagen’s Beetle, there were other small cars available in the market, however no one else had taken the small-car position.  Utilizing the high-price creneau can be effective, but a firm must be the first to position a high price, create a valid product story, in a market where consumers are receptive to a high-priced brand, otherwise the firm would simply be driving away the consumer. An opposing strategy can also be taken by implementing the low-price strategy. When all three price strategies (high, standard, and low) are combined, the result is often strong marketing approach. Regardless of which approach is used, it is important to remember that advertising is not a debate, it is a seduction.

Chapter 8: Repositioning the Competition

With the amount of products and brands offered today it is very difficult to be the first or to find a new creneau. An excellent approach around these issues is repositioning the competition. To introduce a new idea or product into the mind, first an old one must be moved out.  All the mathematical evidence in the world is not as effective as an observation the public can verify themselves, and once an old idea is overturned people will theoretically search for something to fill the void instantly. It is imperative to know the difference between competitive advertising and repositioning the competition. Where competitive advertising uses the competition to benchmark one’s own product, repositioning would require the competition be proven to be flawed, at least in the prospects mind that is. Repositioning the competition is the best way to deal with being number 2 or number 3, or even number 203, and when done honestly and fairly it simply keeps the competition on their toes.

Chapter 9: The Power of the Name

The name is the hook that hangs on the product ladder; it is the single most important marketing tool a company can use. A good name is the best assurance to long-term success. With marginal differences in many product categories, a better name can mean the difference of millions of dollars of sales. Choosing a name begins with the positioning process, what position is desired in the mind of the consumer? The name should tell the prospect what the product’s main benefit is. Caution must be taken not to make the name too generic too where it becomes the general name for any product in that category as opposed to representing a specific brand. Selecting a name that is not too generic but generic-like can be very effective.

Chapter 10: The No-Name Trap

Companies frequently attempt to shorten lengthy names by implementing the use of initials. This strategy seldom works. The trick to being effective is to use phonetic shorthand. The number of syllables in the original name must be more the number of syllables when saying the abbreviated version. Another important factor to take into account is that shortening a name is more effective when the customer can relate the abbreviation to the actual name; this is done by establishing a firm place on the product ladder then changing the name. Though the no-name trap can be a flaw, it can be an asset to companies that have a specific name but a broadened product market.

Chapter 11: The Free-Ride Trap

The free-ride trap is an issue that arises in companies that have a diverse product market and try to sell new products by using the success of current products. Instead of being efficient, this can actually end up hurting both products. It is much more effective to create a separate identity for each product that way the products can hold separate positions on separate product ladders as opposed to all being grouped under one brand.

Chapter 12: The Line-Extension Trap

In the mind of the prospect, line-extension works against the generic brand position; it blurs the sharp focus of the brand in the mind. In a way, line-extension dilutes the product brand and the name has much less of an impact on the consumer’s mind. Since the name is such an important asset, it should not be jeopardized through line extension.

Chapter 13: When Line-Extension Can Work

Line-extension can work where there are no brands or weak brands, but as soon as strong competition is formed it is only easier for them to compete. A name is like a rubber band; the more it is stretched the weaker it will be. There are 5 “rules of the road” to know when to use brand-extension.

1. Expected Volume 4. Significance

2. Competition 5. Distribution

3. Advertising Support

Cover of Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind

Chapter 14: Positioning a Company: Xerox

Anything can be positioned, a person, a product, a politician, even a company. Positioning a company can be useful for many reasons. Mainly positioning can be beneficial in attracting the specific type of employee the company aims to hire. Positioning can be useful to attract stockholders and set a standard to how much a person is willing to pay for that company’s stock.

Chapter 15: Positioning a Country: Belgium

Positioning Belgium became the project of an airline that specialized in nonstop flights from America to Belgium. The problem occurred that Americans had no desire to fly to Belgium therefore business was slacking. Instead of repositioning the airline, Sabena Belgian World Airlines was able to reposition Belgium in the minds of American citizens as a vacation destination, their efforts where very successful.

Chapter 16: Positioning an Island: Jamaica

The problem Jamaica held was that a large portion of their economy is based off of tourism, but the mental image most American’s held of Jamaica was one that was identical that of the Caribbean Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. By positioning themselves as “The Hawaii of the Caribbean” Jamaica was able to reposition themselves in the mind of American’s above the competition.

Chapter 17: Positioning a Product: Milk Duds

Milk Duds was able to position itself successfully but utilizing many of the important factors of positioning. Instead of attempting to differentiate as a small bite-sized candy, they positioned themselves as the long-lasting alternative to the candy bar. Not only did they position against the candy bar, but they also repositioned the candy bar in implying that it is short lasting and not a valuable for the consumer’s money.

Chapter 18: Positioning a Service: Mailgram

The Western Union Mailgram had a bit of a different experience to positioning than Milk Duds. Western Union already held a position in the mind of the consumer as the top telegram provider. They were successful by positioning the mailgram as a high-speed low-cost alternative to the telegram, but since both names are similar and by Western Union, they did not take away as much business from themselves as another competing firm would have.

Chapter 19: Positioning a Long Island Bank

Much like Mailgram, banking is a service. However, Banking (at the time) was a regional service, not a national one. Long Island Trust positioned itself against the larger competition as a more personable alternative. Much like the Milk Duds approach this not only positioned them against big banking names, this repositioned big banks as impersonal and lacking in other areas. This is yet another example of how positioning correctly can pay off for any institution.

Chapter 20: Positioning a New Jersey Bank

This chapter is much like chapter 19 in demonstrating how a bank successfully repositioned itself. United Jersey was able to reposition themselves against big name banks because big banks started gaining a reputation for having a slow reaction time. United Jersey not only exploited this weakness and created a window, but they followed up by offering themselves as a quick alternative. This positioning strategy was successful because the created a window, filled it, and lived up to their promised expectations.

Chapter 21: Positioning a Ski Resort: Stowe

One of the most effective forms of advertisement is word of mouth, this is also the hardest to control. Stowe was able to position themselves as the only one of the country’s top ski resorts that is located in the east. By properly positioning themselves Stowe created the perfect scenario for word of mouth advertising to take place, and that is exactly what happened.

Chapter 22: Positioning the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church began to see a decrease positioning could have been utilized to gain and maintain members. By going through the same processes that many businesses have they could effectively gain a high priority in the minds of many prospects, however this is completely theoretical. This is simply an example of how positioning can be applied to religion as well.

Chapter 23: Positioning Yourself and Your Career

Just like positioning can be used to products or businesses, it can be used to promote oneself. The main factor to remember when a person is positioning themselves is to hone in on a specific characteristic or trait as opposed to spreading themselves too broadly. Just like products, a person’s name is very important as well when attempting to make an impact, and contrarily, the no-name trap is seen as an issue with people as well. Applying the principles of positioning to one oneself can be the most effective way of getting what is desired in life.

Chapter 24: Positioning Your Business

Effectively positioning a business can be done by looking at 6 key questions.

1. What position do you own?

   1. What position do you already own in the mind of the prospect?

2. What position do you want to own?

   1. What position is desired?

3. Whom must you outgun?

   1. Who is your competition?

4. Do you have enough money?

   1. Asses the amount of money it will take to compete with your competitor.

5. Can you stick it out?

   1. If instant success is not gained, is this a battle you’re in for the long-run?

6. Do you match your position?

                1. Is the position you’re creating in the mind a realistic portrayal of your business?

Chapter 25: Playing the Positioning Game

There are many important factors when playing the positioning game. Understanding the role of words, knowing how words effect people, being careful of change, the requirement of vision, courage, objectivity, simplicity, subtlety, a global outlook, and patience, and the willingness to sacrifice are all traits that will allow anyone to be successful in positioning. Only the better players are going to survive.

The Video Lounge

In this video Tom Wanek from Marketing Beyond Advertising focuses on a quote from the book Positioning:

“The basic approach of positioning is not to create something new and different, but to manipulate what’s already up there in the mind, to retie connections that already exist.”

This quote sums up the basic idea of what positioning actually is and Wanek is able to elaborate and provide a clearer cut definition.

Personal Insights

In an interview with Dr. Sandra McKay she quoted that, “Positioning is essential in marketing, but I think an entire book on it isn’t necessary.” This statement sums up exactly how I feel about the book. With business conditions today, what the author wrote is still valid. Though the book is a bit outdated and many of the references and statistics are irrelevant, the basic principles of positioning are as effective and completely necessary as ever. I do, however, feel that breaking those ideas down over twenty-five chapters and writing a complete book about positioning was a little unnecessary.

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. The first thing I would change about the book would be the length. The book is not long at all but the contents are a bit drawn out and very redundant. A portion of the chapters are focused on attempting to relay how positioning is used throughout different aspects of life and business, but the author’s directive was somewhat lost and appeared to just sound aimless and superfluous.

2. The second thing I would change about the book is the amount of statistics the authors implement throughout the book. I do believe that some of the statistics are necessary for validity and to demonstrate some of the points being made, however when too many are used the reader feels as if there is simply a list of information and loses focus on the actual principle being displayed.

3. The last thing I would change about the book is the use of the same company examples in different scenarios. This causes the reader to get confused when attempting to relay specific main ideas to which display was given.

• Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. Positioning is a very important concept in marketing and before this book I had not fully understood exactly how important it was. Positioning is essential in all aspects of marketing and can also be successfully applied to many different scenarios.

2. This book also shed light on how other more traditional marketing techniques are not as effective as then seem. Being creative and utilizing the differentiation approach are harder to do in today’s overflowed market.

3. The last thing I was able to take away from this book is the insight on many large corporation ventures that took place in the 80’s. The ability to learn from the past and those mistakes of others is crucial to succeed.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. As a marketing major with a concentration in advertising I hope to work in the field of advertising. Positioning is essential in advertising and I will be able to fully implement the principles discussed in this book throughout my entire career.

2. The ability to position ones self is a key asset discussed in the book. By positioning myself I will have an advantage on competitors in the job market, this will be very useful when starting my career as well as moving up in my career.

3. Positioning is a useful tool in many aspects of life other than business. The ability to position myself is very useful in every relationship, no matter what level it may be.

• Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

A review of Positioning from InternetMarketingThoughts.com reviews the book as being “[...] A must read book for any marketer and is giving the basic understanding of what brand positioning is, in an easy and constructed manner.” The review however does make note that the references are a bit out of date. I think this is a valid review and it reiterates the way I feel about the book in the sense that it has many important ideas, but is a bit out of date.

In his review Eric Pratum states that “Even though you might find yourself thinking, “Yeah, I know this already,” Positioning is a great reference book to have on your bookshelf.” This statement alone emphasizes the fact that the book is very redundant but still useful. Pratum also discusses how important this book is for any marketer, which reiterates how I will be able to use it in my career.

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind was listed on businessmba.org’s list of the top 50 business books. Separately Al Ries was listed along with his wife for their book The Fall of Advertising and The Rise of PR on Bloomberg Business Week’s best seller list in 2002. These credentials give certain credibility to the book so that any readers, especially those outside of the world of business, know that the concepts discussed in the book hold validity. No matter what the book, it is always beneficial to have a credible author.

Bibliography

Ries, A., & Trout, J. (2000). Positioning the battle for your mind (20th anniversary ed.). New York, N.W.: McGraw-Hill.

Marketing Thoughts. (2012, October 5). Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind – Book Summery & Review. Internet Marketing Thoughts | Smarter Marketing. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://internetmarketingthoughts.com/positioning-the-battle-for-your-mind/  

Pratum, E. (2012, March 7). Book Review: Positioning – The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout. Inbound and Agile – The best digital marketing analytics consultancy around. Retrieved April 26, 2013, from http://inboundandagile.com/positioning-the-battle-for-your-mind-by-al-ries-and-jack-trout/#sthash.APf96Hda.it6Au1rQ.dpbs

BusinessMBA.org. (n.d.). The 50 Best Business Books. Business MBA – B-School Reviews & Program Rankings. Retrieved April 26, 2013, from  http://www.businessmba.org/the-50-best-business-books   

BusinessWeek. (2002, November 3). The BusinessWeek Best-Seller List – Businessweek. Businessweek – Business News, Stock market & Financial Advice. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2002-11-03/the-businessweek-best-seller-list

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout,” please email david.manders@selu.edu or dmanders.jr@gmail.com.

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About the Publisher

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Laborde Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.org), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. His blog, Career News 24/7, can be viewed at http://wyld-about-careers.blogspot.com/.

Executive Summary

    The book Switch by the Heath brothers is steps on how to change and make it work. The book gives you steps and examples of the process that they came up with. They discuss how the brain has two parts the rational side and the emotional side. The rational side is the side of the brain that over analyzes and overthinks situations. The emotional side deals with how you feel about something, you loving, compassionate side, and also your lazy skittish side. An example is when you want to start working out but you don’t want to get out of your cozy bed, that’s your emotional mind taking over.

    Most of the time, when we try to change something we fail at it because our emotional side takes over. In the book they use the terms the rider for the rational side and the elephant for the emotional side. These terms came from University of Virginias psychologist Jonathan Haidts book, The Happiness Hypothesis.

    Change is very hard because it is a conflict in our brains. We have so many automated behaviors and are set in our own ways. When things are unfamiliar we become hesitant and resist change. The key is to have the rider and the elephant on the same path and keep them there for change to work, meaning, have your emotional side aligned with your rational side.

    The first step is to direct the rider, by doing that you have to find the bright spots, script the critical moves and point to the destination. Finding the bright spots mean to focus on the positive of something and not the negative. Usually, our minds tend to go towards the negative in the situation. For example, if a child brings home there report card with all A’s and one F you focus on the F. When finding the bright spots you would focus on the good grades and why they are doing so great in all the other classes. Next, you script the critical moves; which means providing a plan and a clear direction. It’s easier to change something if you know what’s at the end. Last in directing the rider you want to point to the destination which means set a clear goal at the end.

    The second step is to motivate the elephant, your rational side, by finding the feeling, shrinking the change and grow your people. Finding the feeling is what motivates the elephant. You have to appeal to your emotional side for it to go along with you. Next, shrink the change; you have to make people feel as if they’re getting closer to their goal. Try to set small goals and then bigger goals. Once someone knows that they can accomplish the small goal they are more willing to keep going. Lastly, grow your people; people follow the behaviors around them. That’s why it’s important to have everyone on board to make the change possible.

    The last step once you have directed the rider and motivated the elephant is shaping the path. First, you have to tweak the environment by making the right behaviors easy and the hard behaviors hard. Next, build habits, habits are automatic so you need to create good habits for people to follow. Lastly, rally the herd, People typically follow the behaviors of others around them. It’s important to attempt to change the culture to gain the support from others.

    In order to keep the switch going you have to keep the elephant motivated. Use positive reinforcement and celebrate change as it happens, don’t wait until to the end. Don’t give up if it doesn’t work the first time, remember failure is learning from your mistakes. You brain is a muscle and you can train it to do anything you set your mind to you just have to keep your elephant and your rider on the same path.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Switch

1. Change: a conflict built into our brains. Change is hard because everyone has an emotional side and a rational side of the brain. The rational side wants that amazing beach body but that emotional side doesn’t want to get out of bed to go to the gym or wants that piece of cake. The solution is getting your rational and emotional sides to align and work together.

2. First Surprise about change is; what looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. For anything to change someone has to start acting differently. In order for you to get people to start behaving in a new way you have to change that person’s situation by influencing not only the environment but their hearts and minds. The biggest problem is our heart and mind often disagrees with each other.

3. Second surprise about change is; what looks like laziness is often exhaustion. Change is hard because people always wear themselves out. When people try to change they’re usually trying to change behaviors that have been automatic. They wear down their self-control trying to change these behaviors and often give up.

4. Third Surprise about change is; what looks like resistance is often lack of clarity. People need guidance and clear direction to what path to take. The rational side leads the emotional side in circles. You have to provide the clear direction.

5. The Elephant- The emotional side which is referred to as the elephant in this book is the loving, compassionate side that is also lazy and restless. The elephant wants the quick pay-off but doesn’t want to work for it. The elephant typically overpowers the rational mind. When change doesn’t happen it’s usually the elephants fault. Your emotional side tends to take over.

6. The Rider- The rational side which is referred to as the rider in this book over analyzes everything, has to plan, and needs direction. The rider usually loses to the elephant. The rider can’t control the elephant long enough to keep it working towards its goal.

7. Direct the Rider- In order to direct the rider you have to first find the bright spots, which means focus on the positive not the negative. Typically people focus on the problem and not what’s going right. Since the rider over thinks and contemplates everything he focuses on problems rather than the bright spots. Second, you have to script the critical moves. People tend to go with what’s familiar to them so in a different situation it’s important to script the critical moves and provide a clear path. Lastly, point to the destination; you need to have an end goal. You have to show both the rider and the elephant where you’re headed.

8. Motivate the Elephant- First, you have to find the feeling; emotion is what motivates the elephant. Second, you have to shrink the change, by reassuring you’re almost there or almost to your goal. It’s easy to achieve small goals and then turn that into bigger goals. Lastly, grow your people; you have to have a growth mindset. Believe that the muscle is a brain and it can learn and be built up with practice.

9. Shape the Path- First, you have to tweak the environment, make the right behavior easier and the wrong behavior harder. Second, build habits, habits are automatic behaviors. Change will work if you build the right habits by taking small steps in the right direction. Lastly, rally the herd, change is easier when many people are doing it because we imitate the behaviors of others.

10. Keep the Switch Going- In order to keep the change alive you have to recognize and celebrate the first step. Positive reinforcement is important to show others the greatness of the change so that they will keep it going. Small steps lead will lead to big steps. Change follows a pattern that you need to start embracing and stop ignoring.

Full Summary of Switch

Three Surprises About Change

The first surprise about change: What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. It’s about changing that person’s behavior whether it’s a hard change or an easy change. In order to change that person’s behavior you have to change that person’s situation. You have to influence your heart and mind as well as the environment around you. The brain has two sides; the emotional side and the rational side.  The emotional side is the side that feels pleasure, pain, love, and compassion. While the rational side over analyzes and over thinks many situations in their head. The book uses the term used by psychologist Jonathan Haidt form his book “The Happiness Hypothesis”, the elephant (the emotional side) and the rider (the rational side). The rider hold the reins and seems to be the leader but in reality the rider is a lot smaller than the elephant and the elephant can go anywhere it wants to  because of its size. In order to change you must have both on the same page. The second surprise about change: what looks like laziness is often exhaustion. When people want to change something they wear themselves out because people exhaust their self-control. They’re using their mental muscles that are needed actually make the big change. Our behaviors are automatic and when you want to change something you are messing with those automatic behaviors and that is why change is hard. The third surprise about change: What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity: People tend to not want to change because the direction given is not clear. You have to provide that clear direction in order for the change to take place. In order to change behavior you have to direct the rider, motivate the elephant, and shape the path. When you do all three at once you get results.

Direct the Rider

Find the Bright Spots:

The first step in directing the rider (your rational side) is finding the bright spots. This means you have to focus on the positive not the negative. Typically when people are trying to change something they focus on what’s wrong with the situation, why isn’t something going right. They need to focus on what they’re doing right, or why is it going well. The rider tends to look at problems rather than the bright spots. That is why you have to direct the rider, which bright spots provide that direction. You should ask yourself the question “What’s working, and how can we do more of it?” Find what works and don’t obsess over what doesn’t work.

Script the Critical Moves:

When directing the rider the second action you have to take is scripting the critical moves. With change you get new choices and with new choices you get uncertainty. Bringing that goal into an everyday behavior is important. Behaviors are automatic so changing into a different behavior it is important to script the critical moves. Providing a clear path to follow will allow change to take place. The rider needs a clear path because if the rider knows where it’s going it can’t analyze over it.

Point to the Destination:

When creating change you need a destination and end goal, in the book they refer to this as a destination postcard, which is described as a vivid picture from the near-term future that shows what could be possible. The rider needs to see what s at the finish line in order to make the move to get there. Destination postcards show the rider where you’re going and show the elephant why you’re going. It’s working on both sides, which is important because you have to get both sides to work together for change to happen. The rider needs to see the vision to make this change possible.

Motivate the Elephant

Find the feeling:

When motivating the elephant (the emotional side) you have to first find the feeling. When you are first given a piece of information it affects your feelings first and foremost.  Kotter and Cohen observed that in almost all successful change efforts the sequence of change is see, feel, and then change. No matter the situation it hits you on the emotional level. Emotion is what motivates the elephant, our emotional side. You have to have positive emotions about the change to want to change. When you’re interested you want to get involved and learn new things.

Shrink the Change:

The second step in motivating the elephant is shrinking the change. It’s important to make people feel as if they are getting closer to achieving that goal. Since the elephant is our emotional side it’s important to provide reassurance and positive reinforcement along the way. Start with small goals and work towards bigger goals. In the book they refer to hope as being precious to the change effort. It fuels the elephant and keeps it going. When you’re moving forward and you are confident in the change you are making you are likely to keep in that path towards your change. If the task at hand feels too big to accomplish the elephant will hesitate and resist. The more you conquer the small goals the elephant feels more confident and will move forward with less hesitation. Think of it as baby steps, you start off slow but when the child sees the praise for taking its first steps it continues to walk even more and then eventually the child is walking all over the place without any reinforcements.

Grow Your People:

People have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.  A fixed mindset believes that their abilities are basically static. You avoid challenges because if you fail you are unlikely to try it again. You what you get and there’s no changing it. A growth mindset believes the brain is a muscle and you learn things with practice you work towards that goal. The growth mindset is the best mindset. So, basically if you have a fixed mindset you need to change to a growth mindset. It’s important to teach people that your brain is like a muscle, it’s never too late to learn something new, people need to believe it is possible. The growth mindset believes failing is learning not failure; you have to learn from your mistakes in order to progress, it’s a natural progress.

Shape the Path

Tweak the Environment:

Once you have directed the rider and motivated the elephant you have to shape the path. Tweaking the environment is about making the right behaviors easier and the wrong behaviors harder.  Changing the situation instead of the people, we learned in the first chapter about the first surprise of change; what looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. You want to tweak the environment to make bad behaviors impossible. Work on the surrounding environment to promote change.

Build Habits:

Habits are automatic behaviors; we don’t think about it we just do it. We are always trying to fit in with what’s going on around us making behavior contagious. When someone acts outside of the norm we look at it as unusual and strange. Usually when habits are brought up you automatically think of bad habits. To make change happen you have to change your habits. The book talks about action triggers, which Gollwitzer states, “protect goals from tempting distractions, bad habits, or competing goals.”Action triggers create an instant habit. Habits will form no matter what but getting a habit to support change you have to think about two things; does the habit need to advance the mission and the habit needs to be relatively easy to embrace.

Rally the Herd:

People follow others around them and look to others for signs about how to behave. Especially when our surroundings are unfamiliar we look at others to see what they are doing. When you are in a setting and nobody knows how to behave that can cause problems. Behavior is contagious and that is why we act as others act around us. You have to create the herd. Change is unfamiliar, so you have to pay attention to the social behaviors in order for to change to take place.  You have to attempt to change the culture to gain the support from others.

Keep the Switch Going:

Once you have directed the rider by finding the bright spots, scripting the critical moves, and pointing to the destination. Then, you have motivated the elephant by finding the feelings, shrinking the change, and growing your people. Lastly, you have shaped the path for the elephant and the rider. You have tweaked the environment, built habits, and rallied your herd. Now you have to keep the switch going. As, I said before it’s like baby steps, you start with a single step and with that single step you motivate and encourage the baby to take another step. It’s just like with change you have to keep that motivation and encouragement throughout the whole process or the elephant (the emotional side) will go off the path. You need to recognize and celebrate the first step, that way people will want to keep going. Reward each step taken, when being rewarded you’re motivated in a social or business setting. Don’t make your reinforcement condescending but rather make it have a clear view of the destination. Change is not an event but a process and to lead a process it requires persistence. It takes time, patience, and commitment.

    Once you make the small changes the snowball effect happens. When change does eventually work it follows a patter, meaning the rider, the elephant, and the path are working together in making the switch happen. You have to keep the elephant and the rider with a clear vision and motivated while on the right patch to keep the switch going.

Learning how to deal with both your rational mind and your emotional mind is a process, but once you figure out how to align them you can make change happen. Directing your rational mind by looking for the good and not the bad. Always having a plan helps and providing a checklist helps calm the rational over analytical mind of the rider. When you have a clear path and vision for the rider you can point him in the right direction.

    Next, motivate your elephant, take on your emotional side and find the feeling that keeps you going and motivated. Shrink the change and start one step at a time, start small and end big. Remember baby steps.  Grow your people, the brain is like a muscle you can build up your knowledge and learn new things. Failure is learning opportunity, learn form your mistakes so you can grow and don’t focus on the failure.

    Shape the path for your emotional mind and your rational mind. The elephant and the rider have to work together to move together to get from point a- to -point- b. Tweak the environment, adjust the environmental setting is to help with change. Build the right habits, when you see others around you acting a certain way you tend to follow that behavior. So in order to change you have to change the behavioral habits. Then you rally the herd once you get going where you need to be it’s important to get others to follow to the changes.

    Make lists and make small goals achievable first. For example if you’re trying to start working out to get a better body lay out your gym clothes the night before and throw away all those cookies in your cabinet so when your sweet tooth starts acting up there won’t be any cookies for you to munch on. Eventually, your mind won’t need to eat them if the cookies are not there. Train your mind into learning new things and try not to have a fixed mindset it’s very important to develop a growth mindset when making change efforts.

The Video Lounge

I chose the video of Dan Heath explaining what you need to do if you want your organization to change by putting feelings first. I think Dan Heath does a great job explaining about change and one of the steps you need to do in the change efforts. He offers good examples in the video and he gives a better understanding of change.

Personal Insights

Why I think:

• The author is one of the most brilliant people around because the Heath brothers give an amazing outlook on change. Change is extremely hard and they make it seem like you can control it and make it happen. They provide you with a step by step process on making change work.

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. I would have explained the step and then put the examples. Throughout the book the Heath brothers provide plenty of examples but they are mixed in everywhere. I would explain first then put an example and so on.

2. I would make the book available in paperback; you can only purchase this in a hardcover copy. Not only is it a little expensive but I prefer paperbacks when I read, I like to fold my book over when reading.

3. I also think the pictures should be in color. He refers to one of the pictures on page 60 about the pyramid and references the different colors, which I can’t follow because it’s in black and white. You pay so much for a book and it doesn’t have that many pictures to begin with, you would think if you would use it in an example and refer to the colors that it would be in color.

• Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. Now I look at change in a completely different way, and it doesn’t seem impossible to me. I’m encouraged to try to make a positive impact in some kind of way. It inspired me that I am capable of change for the better.

2. Learning about the fixed mindset, which I am myself, and the growth mindset was very educational. I thought it was great information to think the brain is a muscle and you can build your knowledge and learn new information to grow. Failure is learning!

3. I will always try to balance my rational mind and my emotional mind. I know I am more of the rational side because I over analyze and over think everything. After, reading this book I feel I can change into a better person.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. I will motivate my co-workers and employees in my career. I think positive reinforcement is very important in every business. Keeping people motivated means keeping them wanting to work towards the biggest goal.

2. I will teach people that the brain is like a muscle; just because you fail at something once does not mean you can’t try again. You can teach yourself new stuff and value from it. Practice makes perfect so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work out the first time.

3. Setting clear goals and a clear vision; starting small and ending big. Focus on achieving the small goals to eventually get to the bigger goals.

• Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

“What others (scholarly and magazine reviews – along with on-line reviews – not simply reviews off the back of the book) have said about the book and its author?”

I thoroughly enjoyed the book as well as many others did. I tried searching for any bad reviews and was unable to find any. After all the book was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Naming a few that have enjoyed the book as well is Jeff Sexton, he claims the book had an elegant and mental framework and he often uses the techniques mentioned in the book.  Michael Sliwinski states that this book is really great and “a real eye-opener as to how people react to change and how to achieve change.” Kerry Hannon

says, “While you’ll find Switch displayed in the business and economics section of your local bookstore, clearly it would feel right at home in the self-help section. I enjoyed Jon Burgher’s comments the most, it seems as if he got the most out of the book and really learned from it as it helped him in his career. He states, “The book touches on personal and societal change but it seems best fit for the manager who is trying to affect change in his/her organization.  For these people I would highly recommend giving it a quick read as you’re putting the final touches on your change plan.  It would be a worthwhile task to take your plan and see how it applies in this model. I found all of the reviews really great for this book and hope others that I tell about this book read it and enjoy it as well as I did and apply it to social or business change.

Bibliography

Heath, D., & Heath, C. (2010). Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard. New     York: Broadway Books.

Sexton, J. (2013). Jeff Sexton Writes. Retrieved from

           http://www.jeffsextonwrites.com/2010/02/switch-the-heath-bros-and-all-about-elephants-riders-and-paths/

Sliwinski, M. (2010, March 24). I’m Passionate about Productivity, Business and Life. Retrieved from

           http://www.michaelsliwinski.com/book-review-switch-by-heath-brothers-a-positi/

Hannon, K. (2012, March 26). Expert, Author, Journalist, Speaker. Retrieved from   http://kerryhannon.com/?p=473

Burgher, J. (2012, February 12). Book Review Switch: by the Heath Brothers. Retrieved from http://jonathancavell.com/wordpress/book-review/2012/02/book-review-switch-by-the-heath-brothers

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review of Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath,” please email sara.mcgraw@selu.edu or smcgraw85@yahoo.com.

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About the Publisher

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Laborde Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.org), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. His blog, Career News 24/7, can be viewed at http://wyld-about-careers.blogspot.com/.

Executive Summary

    The book Switch by the Heath brothers is steps on how to change and make it work. The book gives you steps and examples of the process that they came up with. They discuss how the brain has two parts the rational side and the emotional side. The rational side is the side of the brain that over analyzes and overthinks situations. The emotional side deals with how you feel about something, you loving, compassionate side, and also your lazy skittish side. An example is when you want to start working out but you don’t want to get out of your cozy bed, that’s your emotional mind taking over.

    Most of the time, when we try to change something we fail at it because our emotional side takes over. In the book they use the terms the rider for the rational side and the elephant for the emotional side. These terms came from University of Virginias psychologist Jonathan Haidts book, The Happiness Hypothesis.

    Change is very hard because it is a conflict in our brains. We have so many automated behaviors and are set in our own ways. When things are unfamiliar we become hesitant and resist change. The key is to have the rider and the elephant on the same path and keep them there for change to work, meaning, have your emotional side aligned with your rational side.

    The first step is to direct the rider, by doing that you have to find the bright spots, script the critical moves and point to the destination. Finding the bright spots mean to focus on the positive of something and not the negative. Usually, our minds tend to go towards the negative in the situation. For example, if a child brings home there report card with all A’s and one F you focus on the F. When finding the bright spots you would focus on the good grades and why they are doing so great in all the other classes. Next, you script the critical moves; which means providing a plan and a clear direction. It’s easier to change something if you know what’s at the end. Last in directing the rider you want to point to the destination which means set a clear goal at the end.

    The second step is to motivate the elephant, your rational side, by finding the feeling, shrinking the change and grow your people. Finding the feeling is what motivates the elephant. You have to appeal to your emotional side for it to go along with you. Next, shrink the change; you have to make people feel as if they’re getting closer to their goal. Try to set small goals and then bigger goals. Once someone knows that they can accomplish the small goal they are more willing to keep going. Lastly, grow your people; people follow the behaviors around them. That’s why it’s important to have everyone on board to make the change possible.

    The last step once you have directed the rider and motivated the elephant is shaping the path. First, you have to tweak the environment by making the right behaviors easy and the hard behaviors hard. Next, build habits, habits are automatic so you need to create good habits for people to follow. Lastly, rally the herd, People typically follow the behaviors of others around them. It’s important to attempt to change the culture to gain the support from others.

    In order to keep the switch going you have to keep the elephant motivated. Use positive reinforcement and celebrate change as it happens, don’t wait until to the end. Don’t give up if it doesn’t work the first time, remember failure is learning from your mistakes. You brain is a muscle and you can train it to do anything you set your mind to you just have to keep your elephant and your rider on the same path.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Switch

1. Change: a conflict built into our brains. Change is hard because everyone has an emotional side and a rational side of the brain. The rational side wants that amazing beach body but that emotional side doesn’t want to get out of bed to go to the gym or wants that piece of cake. The solution is getting your rational and emotional sides to align and work together.

2. First Surprise about change is; what looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. For anything to change someone has to start acting differently. In order for you to get people to start behaving in a new way you have to change that person’s situation by influencing not only the environment but their hearts and minds. The biggest problem is our heart and mind often disagrees with each other.

3. Second surprise about change is; what looks like laziness is often exhaustion. Change is hard because people always wear themselves out. When people try to change they’re usually trying to change behaviors that have been automatic. They wear down their self-control trying to change these behaviors and often give up.

4. Third Surprise about change is; what looks like resistance is often lack of clarity. People need guidance and clear direction to what path to take. The rational side leads the emotional side in circles. You have to provide the clear direction.

5. The Elephant- The emotional side which is referred to as the elephant in this book is the loving, compassionate side that is also lazy and restless. The elephant wants the quick pay-off but doesn’t want to work for it. The elephant typically overpowers the rational mind. When change doesn’t happen it’s usually the elephants fault. Your emotional side tends to take over.

6. The Rider- The rational side which is referred to as the rider in this book over analyzes everything, has to plan, and needs direction. The rider usually loses to the elephant. The rider can’t control the elephant long enough to keep it working towards its goal.

7. Direct the Rider- In order to direct the rider you have to first find the bright spots, which means focus on the positive not the negative. Typically people focus on the problem and not what’s going right. Since the rider over thinks and contemplates everything he focuses on problems rather than the bright spots. Second, you have to script the critical moves. People tend to go with what’s familiar to them so in a different situation it’s important to script the critical moves and provide a clear path. Lastly, point to the destination; you need to have an end goal. You have to show both the rider and the elephant where you’re headed.

8. Motivate the Elephant- First, you have to find the feeling; emotion is what motivates the elephant. Second, you have to shrink the change, by reassuring you’re almost there or almost to your goal. It’s easy to achieve small goals and then turn that into bigger goals. Lastly, grow your people; you have to have a growth mindset. Believe that the muscle is a brain and it can learn and be built up with practice.

9. Shape the Path- First, you have to tweak the environment, make the right behavior easier and the wrong behavior harder. Second, build habits, habits are automatic behaviors. Change will work if you build the right habits by taking small steps in the right direction. Lastly, rally the herd, change is easier when many people are doing it because we imitate the behaviors of others.

10. Keep the Switch Going- In order to keep the change alive you have to recognize and celebrate the first step. Positive reinforcement is important to show others the greatness of the change so that they will keep it going. Small steps lead will lead to big steps. Change follows a pattern that you need to start embracing and stop ignoring.

Full Summary of Switch

Three Surprises About Change

The first surprise about change: What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. It’s about changing that person’s behavior whether it’s a hard change or an easy change. In order to change that person’s behavior you have to change that person’s situation. You have to influence your heart and mind as well as the environment around you. The brain has two sides; the emotional side and the rational side.  The emotional side is the side that feels pleasure, pain, love, and compassion. While the rational side over analyzes and over thinks many situations in their head. The book uses the term used by psychologist Jonathan Haidt form his book “The Happiness Hypothesis”, the elephant (the emotional side) and the rider (the rational side). The rider hold the reins and seems to be the leader but in reality the rider is a lot smaller than the elephant and the elephant can go anywhere it wants to  because of its size. In order to change you must have both on the same page. The second surprise about change: what looks like laziness is often exhaustion. When people want to change something they wear themselves out because people exhaust their self-control. They’re using their mental muscles that are needed actually make the big change. Our behaviors are automatic and when you want to change something you are messing with those automatic behaviors and that is why change is hard. The third surprise about change: What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity: People tend to not want to change because the direction given is not clear. You have to provide that clear direction in order for the change to take place. In order to change behavior you have to direct the rider, motivate the elephant, and shape the path. When you do all three at once you get results.

Direct the Rider

Find the Bright Spots:

The first step in directing the rider (your rational side) is finding the bright spots. This means you have to focus on the positive not the negative. Typically when people are trying to change something they focus on what’s wrong with the situation, why isn’t something going right. They need to focus on what they’re doing right, or why is it going well. The rider tends to look at problems rather than the bright spots. That is why you have to direct the rider, which bright spots provide that direction. You should ask yourself the question “What’s working, and how can we do more of it?” Find what works and don’t obsess over what doesn’t work.

Script the Critical Moves:

When directing the rider the second action you have to take is scripting the critical moves. With change you get new choices and with new choices you get uncertainty. Bringing that goal into an everyday behavior is important. Behaviors are automatic so changing into a different behavior it is important to script the critical moves. Providing a clear path to follow will allow change to take place. The rider needs a clear path because if the rider knows where it’s going it can’t analyze over it.

Point to the Destination:

When creating change you need a destination and end goal, in the book they refer to this as a destination postcard, which is described as a vivid picture from the near-term future that shows what could be possible. The rider needs to see what s at the finish line in order to make the move to get there. Destination postcards show the rider where you’re going and show the elephant why you’re going. It’s working on both sides, which is important because you have to get both sides to work together for change to happen. The rider needs to see the vision to make this change possible.

Motivate the Elephant

Find the feeling:

When motivating the elephant (the emotional side) you have to first find the feeling. When you are first given a piece of information it affects your feelings first and foremost.  Kotter and Cohen observed that in almost all successful change efforts the sequence of change is see, feel, and then change. No matter the situation it hits you on the emotional level. Emotion is what motivates the elephant, our emotional side. You have to have positive emotions about the change to want to change. When you’re interested you want to get involved and learn new things.

Shrink the Change:

The second step in motivating the elephant is shrinking the change. It’s important to make people feel as if they are getting closer to achieving that goal. Since the elephant is our emotional side it’s important to provide reassurance and positive reinforcement along the way. Start with small goals and work towards bigger goals. In the book they refer to hope as being precious to the change effort. It fuels the elephant and keeps it going. When you’re moving forward and you are confident in the change you are making you are likely to keep in that path towards your change. If the task at hand feels too big to accomplish the elephant will hesitate and resist. The more you conquer the small goals the elephant feels more confident and will move forward with less hesitation. Think of it as baby steps, you start off slow but when the child sees the praise for taking its first steps it continues to walk even more and then eventually the child is walking all over the place without any reinforcements.

Grow Your People:

People have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.  A fixed mindset believes that their abilities are basically static. You avoid challenges because if you fail you are unlikely to try it again. You what you get and there’s no changing it. A growth mindset believes the brain is a muscle and you learn things with practice you work towards that goal. The growth mindset is the best mindset. So, basically if you have a fixed mindset you need to change to a growth mindset. It’s important to teach people that your brain is like a muscle, it’s never too late to learn something new, people need to believe it is possible. The growth mindset believes failing is learning not failure; you have to learn from your mistakes in order to progress, it’s a natural progress.

Shape the Path

Tweak the Environment:

Once you have directed the rider and motivated the elephant you have to shape the path. Tweaking the environment is about making the right behaviors easier and the wrong behaviors harder.  Changing the situation instead of the people, we learned in the first chapter about the first surprise of change; what looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. You want to tweak the environment to make bad behaviors impossible. Work on the surrounding environment to promote change.

Build Habits:

Habits are automatic behaviors; we don’t think about it we just do it. We are always trying to fit in with what’s going on around us making behavior contagious. When someone acts outside of the norm we look at it as unusual and strange. Usually when habits are brought up you automatically think of bad habits. To make change happen you have to change your habits. The book talks about action triggers, which Gollwitzer states, “protect goals from tempting distractions, bad habits, or competing goals.”Action triggers create an instant habit. Habits will form no matter what but getting a habit to support change you have to think about two things; does the habit need to advance the mission and the habit needs to be relatively easy to embrace.

Rally the Herd:

People follow others around them and look to others for signs about how to behave. Especially when our surroundings are unfamiliar we look at others to see what they are doing. When you are in a setting and nobody knows how to behave that can cause problems. Behavior is contagious and that is why we act as others act around us. You have to create the herd. Change is unfamiliar, so you have to pay attention to the social behaviors in order for to change to take place.  You have to attempt to change the culture to gain the support from others.

Keep the Switch Going:

Once you have directed the rider by finding the bright spots, scripting the critical moves, and pointing to the destination. Then, you have motivated the elephant by finding the feelings, shrinking the change, and growing your people. Lastly, you have shaped the path for the elephant and the rider. You have tweaked the environment, built habits, and rallied your herd. Now you have to keep the switch going. As, I said before it’s like baby steps, you start with a single step and with that single step you motivate and encourage the baby to take another step. It’s just like with change you have to keep that motivation and encouragement throughout the whole process or the elephant (the emotional side) will go off the path. You need to recognize and celebrate the first step, that way people will want to keep going. Reward each step taken, when being rewarded you’re motivated in a social or business setting. Don’t make your reinforcement condescending but rather make it have a clear view of the destination. Change is not an event but a process and to lead a process it requires persistence. It takes time, patience, and commitment.

    Once you make the small changes the snowball effect happens. When change does eventually work it follows a patter, meaning the rider, the elephant, and the path are working together in making the switch happen. You have to keep the elephant and the rider with a clear vision and motivated while on the right patch to keep the switch going.

Learning how to deal with both your rational mind and your emotional mind is a process, but once you figure out how to align them you can make change happen. Directing your rational mind by looking for the good and not the bad. Always having a plan helps and providing a checklist helps calm the rational over analytical mind of the rider. When you have a clear path and vision for the rider you can point him in the right direction.

    Next, motivate your elephant, take on your emotional side and find the feeling that keeps you going and motivated. Shrink the change and start one step at a time, start small and end big. Remember baby steps.  Grow your people, the brain is like a muscle you can build up your knowledge and learn new things. Failure is learning opportunity, learn form your mistakes so you can grow and don’t focus on the failure.

    Shape the path for your emotional mind and your rational mind. The elephant and the rider have to work together to move together to get from point a- to -point- b. Tweak the environment, adjust the environmental setting is to help with change. Build the right habits, when you see others around you acting a certain way you tend to follow that behavior. So in order to change you have to change the behavioral habits. Then you rally the herd once you get going where you need to be it’s important to get others to follow to the changes.

    Make lists and make small goals achievable first. For example if you’re trying to start working out to get a better body lay out your gym clothes the night before and throw away all those cookies in your cabinet so when your sweet tooth starts acting up there won’t be any cookies for you to munch on. Eventually, your mind won’t need to eat them if the cookies are not there. Train your mind into learning new things and try not to have a fixed mindset it’s very important to develop a growth mindset when making change efforts.

The Video Lounge

I chose the video of Dan Heath explaining what you need to do if you want your organization to change by putting feelings first. I think Dan Heath does a great job explaining about change and one of the steps you need to do in the change efforts. He offers good examples in the video and he gives a better understanding of change.

Personal Insights

Why I think:

• The author is one of the most brilliant people around because the Heath brothers give an amazing outlook on change. Change is extremely hard and they make it seem like you can control it and make it happen. They provide you with a step by step process on making change work.

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. I would have explained the step and then put the examples. Throughout the book the Heath brothers provide plenty of examples but they are mixed in everywhere. I would explain first then put an example and so on.

2. I would make the book available in paperback; you can only purchase this in a hardcover copy. Not only is it a little expensive but I prefer paperbacks when I read, I like to fold my book over when reading.

3. I also think the pictures should be in color. He refers to one of the pictures on page 60 about the pyramid and references the different colors, which I can’t follow because it’s in black and white. You pay so much for a book and it doesn’t have that many pictures to begin with, you would think if you would use it in an example and refer to the colors that it would be in color.

• Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. Now I look at change in a completely different way, and it doesn’t seem impossible to me. I’m encouraged to try to make a positive impact in some kind of way. It inspired me that I am capable of change for the better.

2. Learning about the fixed mindset, which I am myself, and the growth mindset was very educational. I thought it was great information to think the brain is a muscle and you can build your knowledge and learn new information to grow. Failure is learning!

3. I will always try to balance my rational mind and my emotional mind. I know I am more of the rational side because I over analyze and over think everything. After, reading this book I feel I can change into a better person.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. I will motivate my co-workers and employees in my career. I think positive reinforcement is very important in every business. Keeping people motivated means keeping them wanting to work towards the biggest goal.

2. I will teach people that the brain is like a muscle; just because you fail at something once does not mean you can’t try again. You can teach yourself new stuff and value from it. Practice makes perfect so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work out the first time.

3. Setting clear goals and a clear vision; starting small and ending big. Focus on achieving the small goals to eventually get to the bigger goals.

• Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

“What others (scholarly and magazine reviews – along with on-line reviews – not simply reviews off the back of the book) have said about the book and its author?”

I thoroughly enjoyed the book as well as many others did. I tried searching for any bad reviews and was unable to find any. After all the book was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Naming a few that have enjoyed the book as well is Jeff Sexton, he claims the book had an elegant and mental framework and he often uses the techniques mentioned in the book.  Michael Sliwinski states that this book is really great and “a real eye-opener as to how people react to change and how to achieve change.” Kerry Hannon

says, “While you’ll find Switch displayed in the business and economics section of your local bookstore, clearly it would feel right at home in the self-help section. I enjoyed Jon Burgher’s comments the most, it seems as if he got the most out of the book and really learned from it as it helped him in his career. He states, “The book touches on personal and societal change but it seems best fit for the manager who is trying to affect change in his/her organization.  For these people I would highly recommend giving it a quick read as you’re putting the final touches on your change plan.  It would be a worthwhile task to take your plan and see how it applies in this model. I found all of the reviews really great for this book and hope others that I tell about this book read it and enjoy it as well as I did and apply it to social or business change.

Bibliography

Heath, D., & Heath, C. (2010). Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard. New     York: Broadway Books.

Sexton, J. (2013). Jeff Sexton Writes. Retrieved from

           http://www.jeffsextonwrites.com/2010/02/switch-the-heath-bros-and-all-about-elephants-riders-and-paths/

Sliwinski, M. (2010, March 24). I’m Passionate about Productivity, Business and Life. Retrieved from

           http://www.michaelsliwinski.com/book-review-switch-by-heath-brothers-a-positi/

Hannon, K. (2012, March 26). Expert, Author, Journalist, Speaker. Retrieved from   http://kerryhannon.com/?p=473

Burgher, J. (2012, February 12). Book Review Switch: by the Heath Brothers. Retrieved from http://jonathancavell.com/wordpress/book-review/2012/02/book-review-switch-by-the-heath-brothers

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review of Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath,” please email sara.mcgraw@selu.edu or smcgraw85@yahoo.com.

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About the Publisher

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Laborde Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.org), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. His blog, Career News 24/7, can be viewed at http://wyld-about-careers.blogspot.com/.

Executive Summary

Management Reset sets out to argue and prove that the time is now for the third reset to take place.  The first two brought about CCOs and HIOs, but have recently become almost obsolete in the current business environment.  Sustainable management organizations are capable of quickly and efficiently adapting to the constantly changing world we live in.  This book shows how organizations can be sustainably effective.  It is vital to the success of an SMO to create social value and ecological value while maintaining economic value.  Management Reset is filled with checklists of how to implement strategies and different principles to guide each step of the transformation process to becoming an SMO.

The act of “futuring” is the act or process of looking to the future in order to help prepare for any obstacles that may arise.  This is part of developing a strategy for an SMO.  The board of governance is also discussed.  It is important to consist of members that are both independent, as well as employees in order to gain the best overall perspective when making decisions.

There are three different organizational structures that coincide with sustainable effectiveness; sustainable functional organization, ambidextrous organizations, and network organizations.  Transparency is vital in all three because it is what ensures that information concerning the organizations is readily and easily accessible.

The book also states how important of an asset talent is to SMOs.  More important is the proper utilization of the talent to guarantee sustainable effectiveness.  Aspects of the talent included leaders, managers, and followers.  Leaders motivate and influence other employees positively.  Managers provide feedback to individuals.  It is important to know that not all leaders are managers, and not all managers are leaders.  However, good leaders must also be good followers.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Management Reset

1. Managers need to know about the strategies for sustainable effectiveness.  Creating value socially and ecologically, while maintaining economic value is imperative to the survival of an SMO.

2. When developing a strategy, managers must implement the act of “futuring”.  This gives the organization the opportunity to look to the future to prepare for possible obstacles instead of only focusing on the present.  ”Inattentional blindness” should be avoided in order to not lose sight of the environment as a whole.

3. The governing board of an SMO should have both independent and employee members who represent all of the organization’s stakeholders.  The leader should be independent.

4. There are three structures for sustainable effectiveness.  They are sustainable functional organizations, ambidextrous organizations, and network organizations

5. There are six principles that characterize sustainable work systems.  They should be based on activities, not jobs, and guided by shared goals.  Multiple stakeholder teams should perform work systems.  They are temporary, should be supported by the physical space and technology, and should be managed strategically.

6. Managers of SMOs should manage performance by establishing a balanced scorecard and setting talent development objectives.  Appraisals should occur more than once a year and should include team performance.  Managers should also use web-enabled technology and have review discussions online.

7. Managers should create and implement a reward system.  The system may include tangible, recognition based, or intrinsic.  Individual are more likely to perform better when they’re expecting a reward.

8. It is important to the success of the organization to be able to manage talent.  Talent is often considered the most important asset to sustainable effectiveness.

9. Managers should know that not all leaders are managers, and not all managers are leaders.  However, all good leaders must, at times, be good followers.

10. In order to transform to an SMO, organizations need to redefine existing relationships.  It is also important for employees to accept that strategies, policies, practices, and organization’s identity will change.  Clear and consistent communication will assist in accelerating the transformation.

Full Summary of Management Reset

Time for a Reset

This book begins by stating that, in order to stay relevant, it is time for a management reset to take place.  This basically means that with the ever-changing economy, companies and managers need to also change.  In doing so, not only will managers become more effective, but also organizations will have restructured their goals and what is necessary to achieve them.  With this reset, environmental and social issues will become a priority.

Two resets have already taken place.  The first occurred with the development of command and control organizations (CCOs).  This was brought about when a shift in consumer demand helped combine bureaucracy and mass production.  The second reset is responsible for the creation of high involvement organizations (HIOs).  This came about when higher levels of education became more accessible to workers, and the work itself became more complex.

Lawler and Worley argue that both CCOs and HIOs have become obsolete in today’s business world.  This is due to the environments, social and business, constantly changing.  CCOs and HIOs perform best with stable environments.  The rapid pace of globalization and the increasing rate of environmental degradation are two other factors affecting the relevance of CCOs and HIOs.

Sustainable management should be flexible to change while being environmentally conscious, supporting the well being of all people involved, and still generating profits.  Organization effectiveness is influenced by the way the organization is managed.  Four of these ways are:  the way value is created, the way work is organized, the people are treated, and the way behavior is guided.

Sustainably effective organizations must possess agility and produce outcomes that are beneficial to the stakeholder.  Being agile means to be flexible to the complex changes that may present itself; especially those involving the workforce, technology, and globalization.  According to Lawler and Worley (2011):

Sustainable management is an evolving management style that we believe is the right one for many companies because of how well it responds to today’s stakeholder demanders as well as the demands of the future.  We have chosen to call it sustainable management because it is focused on creating organizations that consistently perform well financially, socially, and environmentally. (p. 20)

Sustainable Management

In order to be relevant in the business world while maintaining sustainable effectiveness, sustainable management organizations (SMOs), must be comprised of multiple ideas and procedures that satisfy the wants and needs of the stakeholders.

Going back to the ways the organization is managed.  When dealing with the way value is created, it is necessary to realize that without value an organization cannot exist.  Value creation consists of identity and purpose.  Identity, which is basically the “how”, represents the long-term strategy and what the organization hopes to accomplish.  Purpose, on the other hand, is representative of the main goal, such as achieving sustainable effectiveness.  The way value is created differs amongst CCOs, HIOs, and SMOs.  Each has a different identity, which results in differing strategies.

The way work is organized deals with the structure of the organization, as well as how the work is divided and coordinated.  In SMOs there is, like with most organizations, a corporate board that overlooks the practices of the organization.  It is their job to insure that such practices coincide with sustainable effectiveness.  It is important for employees to understand and relate to the external business environment.  This is where the structuring of an organization comes into play.  Broader spans of control and flexibility within teams help the structure continuously evolve.  In an SMO, work is organized according to its purpose (Lawler & Worley, 2011, p. 29).

The way people are treated includes that talent within an organization.  Often considered the most important asset, it is crucial for SMO managers to know whom their biggest assets are and to see to it that their skills are utilized most effectively.  To achieve this, the talent and their performance must be managed and rewarded.  It is also critical for managers to recognize how to manage a diverse workforce.  With many companies expanding globally, and with the increased diversity of the workforce in the United States, it is an organization’s responsibility to manage and respect employees of different cultural backgrounds.

Leading and transforming are the two main ways behavior is guided.  SMOs generally need more employees who possess leadership qualities than CCOs or HIOs typically would.  The leading is shared throughout the organization, which helps to establish a new identity, and thus helps guide behavior.

Strategies for Sustainable Effectiveness

Currently, it should be equally important to create value socially and ecologically along with the pre-existing economic values of an organization.  Economic value, is of course, imperative to an organization’s survival seeing as that’s where profits are earned.  The goal of SMOs is to successfully have strong economic values without overlooking the effects to the ecological and social environments.

Just as with any other strategy, there are risks associated with sustainable effectiveness.  Managers of SMOs tend to be aware of more types of risks than those of CCOs or HIOs.  Along with the typical financial or strategic risks, SMOs also take into consideration that competitive advantages are not permanent or guaranteed.

Creating ecological value consists of being aware of the carbon footprint an organization will leave on the environment.  Not only should organizations do their best to preserve the existing environment, they should also utilize natural resources available to them in the most productive way possible.

Another strategy for sustainable effectiveness surrounds the human aspect of an organization.  SMOs need to focus on the positive treatment of their workforce.  Encouraging a strong social value will in turn encourage creativity, innovation, and an overall happier and healthier workforce.  This can also be implemented through an organization’s culture and brand.

Developing a Strategy

When developing a strategy for an SMO, the process of “futuring” gives organizations the opportunity to look to future to help prepare for any uncertainties that may arise.  Futuring prevents organizations from focusing all of its attention on the present, which may cause it to overlook or neglect important details that will affect the future.  A similar problem facing organizations is “inattentional blindness”.  This happens when someone becomes fully engulfed in a particular situation or task, becoming completely blind to his or her surroundings.

To help avoid this problem, futuring processes need to focus on time and goals; short-term, medium-term, long-term, and the expectations for each.  SMOs should also focus on the organization’s social value, natural environment, and financial performance.

Board Governance

The purpose of a board is to ensure that the owners of an organization are represented.  SMOs believe that part of maintaining sustainable effectiveness means also representing the major stakeholders of the organization, such as the customers, employees, investors, and the community itself.  The board is responsible for ensuring that all of the organization’s goals and strategies fit it with sustainable effectiveness.

The members of a board play a huge role in how well it successfully represents its stakeholders, how credible and knowledgeable it is, and how effective it is overall.  Independent (not employed by the company) members are often considered the most important part of any board.  They are more likely to be less biased when it comes to decision making.  This doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be any employees on the board, though.  Insiders can often bring a different perspective and necessary information to light that those outside of the company may not have access to.  Representatives from each of the stakeholder’s groups, as well as those who add diversity and expertise to the board are key to sustainable effectiveness and its success.

SMO boards must also have a position of leadership.  While previous CCOs and HIOs looked to the CEO of an organization to fill this role, SMOs typically do not.  SMOs understand the importance of having an independent chair to lead the board.  This prevents conflicts of interest and excessive time demands, while reinforcing objectivity, accountability, and strong corporate culture.

Boards may also consist of many different committees that oversee the various areas of the organization.  These committees may include:  sustainability, social responsibility, human resources, and organizational effectiveness.

Structures for Sustainable Effectiveness

There are three different organizational structures that coincide with sustainable effectiveness.  Sustainable functional structures start with managing resources and deciding what issues to focus attention on.  One focus is to maximize its surface area by gaining feedback from multiple stakeholders by implementing flatter structures.  This also makes this type of structure better equipped to change easily.  Coordination and resource allocation is another objective of functional structures.  Coordination can be considered what keeps the organization running; the more complex the business, the more complex the coordination process.  Flexible resource allocation is essential in SMOs.  As the business environment changes, SMOs must be able to move their resources around to get the most value out of them.  Also, the decision-making processes of SMOs must possess a high level of transparency.  Because SMOs strive to be financially, socially, and environmentally effective, they face the complexity of having multiple bottom lines.  Transparency ensures that individual stakeholders associated with an organization are kept informed and up to date on the organization’s corporate social responsibilities and decision-making processes, including who is making the decisions and what they are based on.

Ambidextrous organizations must balance innovation and efficiency.  Innovation is commonly driven by the creative talent available within an organization.  Technology, the external environment, and organizational culture also play a role in the aspect of innovation.  Efficiency may play a factor in sustainability if it is focusing on being environmentally efficient.  Network organizations must execute effective outcomes while still possessing the flexibility to change.

Sustainable Work Systems

According to Lawler and Worley (2011), sustainable work systems should be:

• Based on activities, not jobs

• Guided by shared goals

• Performed by multiple stakeholder teams (they can be virtual)

• Temporary and iterative

• Supported by the physical space and technology

• Managed strategically (p. 162)

SMOs are based on the fact that our environment is constantly changing.  Because of this, there is no place for fixed jobs or job descriptions.  By not being characterized by fixed jobs, employees are granted more flexibility in their job.  It is common for employees to rotate projects or responsibilities for each project.

When work is guided by shared goals, it is common for there to be a difference of opinion when it comes to each goal’s importance.  One person may be concerned with customer service while another is more concerned with the legalities of the project.  This characteristic of SMO work systems intends to gain perspective from multiple stakeholders.

SMOs usually partake in mostly group work.  Groups bring a higher level of innovation, creativity, and sustainability to an organization.  Each individual possesses his or her own perspective and insight on how to proceed with a project or how to resolve a conflict.

Now, agility comes back into play.  Work systems are temporary.  When it is no longer productive, effective, or relevant it must be changed to adapt to the new business environment.  SMO work is also iterative, meaning “productivity is achieved and sustainable effectiveness supported through small and frequent improvements in the product or service” (Lawler & Worley, 2011, p. 169).

Another characteristic discussed is the importance of the SMO being supported by the physical space and technology.  By creating a complementary workspace, employees will have a higher level of job satisfaction, which will increase overall productivity.  If a company chooses to use various forms of technology, it is imperative that they then provide the necessary training and support to their employees.

Lastly, work must be managed strategically.  This seems like a no-brainer.  Planning, leading, organizing, and controlling must be implemented strategically while managers ensure that they are being sustainably effective.

Managing Performance

Organizations manage performance in many ways.  This doesn’t mean that organizations carry this out the right way.  There is a huge need for effective performance management.  SMOs lack fixed job descriptions, making it more difficult to carry out performance evaluations.  Having an effective performance management system helps counteract this problem.  This system would set goals and provide a basis for rewarding employees who accomplish their goals.  As part of the SMO performance management system, there are six principles that support sustainable effectiveness.  They are:

• Establish a balanced scorecard

• Set talent development objectives

• Don’t assume an annual appraisal is often enough

• Use web-enabled technology

• Appraise team performance

• Have review discussions online (Lawler & Worley, 2011)

Reward Systems

Individuals are more likely to achieve higher goals when they expect a reward in return for their performance.  Most organizations have reward systems that attract potential employees and motivate current ones.  Rewards can be tangible extrinsic, based on recognition, or intrinsic.  Tangible extrinsic rewards possess some form of economic value, such as monetary bonuses, stock options, etc.  Those based on recognition range from praise from your boss to a ceremony commending an individual’s performance.  Intrinsic rewards are those that are internal.  Excitement over completing a project is an example of that.  Managers of SMOs must be sure that all rewards are based directly on an individual or team’s performance.

When designing a reward system, there are twelve principles that should be implemented.  The first five are considered universal reward principles, and the following seven are SMO reward principles.  Together, all twelve are key to an SMOs sustainable effectiveness:

• Create rewarding work assignments

• Forget merit increases, give bonuses

• Pay for team performance

• Give people a piece of the action

• Don’t be satisfied with a once-a-year reward cycle

• Pay the person, not the job

• Define fairness strategically and ethically

• Individualize rewards

• Don’t base rewards on hierarchy

• Don’t base rewards on seniority

• Be transparent

• Use identity and purpose as rewards (Lawler & Worley, 2011)

Managing Talent

Employees are an important asset to every organization.  SMOs prove this by treating their employees as stakeholders in the organization instead of just employees.  The talent possessed by an organization has the potential to create a competitive advantage within the industry, and therefore must be managed effectively.  SMOs use the travel-light approach when managing talent.  This consists of temporary employment, outsourcing, virtual employment, etc.  SMOs face the challenge of maintaining the flexibility necessary to be sustainably effective while also having a committed workforce.  It is more cost effective and easier all around to change the employee when situations change versus retraining that employee.  This is where the travel light approach comes into play.  In order to effectively manage talent, there are nine principles that should be considered:

• Use competencies to drive talent management

• Use targeted talent management

• Use contract labor

• Outsource nonpivotal work

• Create career diversity

• Build a sustainable management brand

• Make career management the individual’s responsibility

• Make executives the primary talent managers

• The HR function plays a strategic role (Lawler & Worley, 2011)

Leading, Managing, and Following

Leadership is an important aspect in the success of any organization.  Not all managers are leaders and not all leaders are managers.  Leaders are those individuals who motivate, positively influence, and guide other employees.  Strong leadership is important in SMOs since the structure is more flexible.  SMOs should encourage leadership to be shared throughout the organization.  Good leaders must also know how and when to be a follower, especially in an organization that has many leaders.  To create and promote leadership an SMO should establish a sustainable leadership brand; senior management must support building the leadership capability; develop managerial and leadership skills; and commit to transparency.  (Lawler & Worley, 2011)

Transforming to Sustainable Management

Overall, it seems obvious that the constantly changing environment calls for a complete management reset.  Factors such as globalization, increased diversity, and ecological forces further support this theory.  For an organization to transform into an SMO it must first redefine the existing relationships within the organization.  The governing board and top management must agree on objectives necessary for sustainable effectiveness.  Appropriate targets should be set, along with reasonable growth expectations.  Organizations must maintain transparency especially when dealing with ecological and social concerns.  Once these steps have been takes, there can be a new value creation.  Other dilemmas associated with being an SMO include the knowledge and awareness dilemma and the capabilities dilemma.

To manage the transformation process, many aspects of the organization must change.  Strategies, policies, and practices are just a few areas where change will be necessary.  The organization’s identity will also require change.  The sequence of change begins with the work system.  Once that is done, a reinforcing system should be created to help restructure the organization.  To accelerate the transformation requires a high level of leadership and the willingness to learn.  It helps the process if the members involved understand the need for change.  This information should be shared.  Learning through experience, as well as taking the initiative to drive change will further accelerate the transformation.  Consistent communication of what is expected is also vital in the transformation process.

The Video Lounge

This clip discusses the adaptable organization and how change occurs naturally in the environment.  The claim is that organizational change has not been managed effectively due to the idea that change is not easily accepted.  It is important to put people in touch with the environment so they understand the nature of the change.

Personal Insights

Why I think:

• With business conditions today, what the author wrote is true – because:

The focus and main idea behind sustainable effectiveness is that the social and business environments are ever changing, and to be successful your organization must also be flexible to those changes.  With globalization and constant advances in technology, change is occurring, at times, faster than books can be printed about it.  SMOs are the obvious next step in business organizations.

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. I would have avoided the redundancy found throughout the text.  This caused it to be a bit boring at times, because although the authors went into more detail, I felt like I was rereading the same things over and over again.

2. I think that the book could have been organized better making it easier to read and follow along.  Some topics were introduced in earlier chapters and revisited in later chapters.  I think I would have liked it better to keep information on the same topic together.

3. The division of the book into parts and chapters caused it to be more of a complicated read than I think it should have been.  It added an unnecessary sense of confusion that, in the end, took away from the reader’s experience.

• Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. I can’t say that it made me think differently about the topic since the topic itself was new to me.  I can say that this book opened my eyes to the concept of sustainable effectiveness and its importance in the business environment of today.

2. This book made me realize the importance of implementing strategies that focus on and utilize such things as social and ecological value.  Organizations that are concerned with practices that promote social well being and sustaining and protecting our environment will have a better opportunity at long-term success.

3. I feel like I further understand the importance of diversity within the organization.  Creating social value puts a focus on using talent to the advantage of the organization.  Knowing who is an asset and successfully using their talents in the correct positions are crucial to the success of sustainable effectiveness.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. Researching every organization I may be interested in working for in order to check for sustainable effectiveness.  In doing so, I’ll know that the organization is concerned with its responsibility to the stakeholders and the environment over just turning a profit.

2. I believe I will research the board of the organization to see if all of the stakeholders are efficiently represented.  This book made me realize the importance of that factor.  If there is no representation, I will have some information to bring to the board supporting that belief and hopefully can influence a positive change.

3. Being open to change inside and outside the workplace.  The world is constantly changing and success is dependent on being capable of changing with it when necessary.

Bibliography

George, J. (2011, June 26). Living in Groups: Management Reset – Organizing for Sustainable Effectiveness – by Ed Lawler and Christopher Worley. Living in Groups. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://groupsarelife.blogspot.com/2011/06/management-reset-organizing-for.html

Jones, D. (2011, April 12). Book of the Week: “Management Reset” by Ed Lawler and Christopher Worley | | Jossey-Bass Business. Jossey-Bass Business | Bringing together the best minds in business.. Retrieved April 16, 2013, from http://www.josseybassbusiness.com/2011/04/book-of-the-week-management-reset-by-ed-lawler-and-christopher-worley.html

Lawler, E. E., & Worley, C. G. (2011). Management reset organizing for sustainable effectiveness. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review of Management Reset by Edward E. Lawler and Christopher G. Worley,” please email Amanda.lowery@selu.edu.

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About the Publisher

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Laborde Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.org), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. His blog, Career News 24/7, can be viewed at http://wyld-about-careers.blogspot.com/.

Executive Summary

“Why Nations Fail” by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson analyzes, from the end of the ice age to the present day, why there are communities and countries that manage to create welfare for its members and others not. Geographical explanations of abundance or scarcity of resources, the cultural are refuted with hard evidence to controvert. The thesis: prosperity and poverty are determined by the incentives created by institutions; politics determine the institutions.

The main thesis of the book is that the future of nations depends on how people organize their societies. It also shows that while financial institutions are essential, policies are more decisive. The book explains the difference in prosperity of countries by one key factor: the quality of its institutions and they are neither culture nor geography, nor religion.

In this sense, the book concludes that nations fail because their institutions are weak and “extractive”, meaning that they are mutually exclusive: a privilege society groups over others and concentrate power in an elite acting for their own benefit.

According to the authors, these structures do not create incentives for people to save, invest, get education, innovate and access new technologies. The way power is organized would always be at the root of the failure.

The importance of political institutions is that in them depends the ability of citizens to monitor, influence and obtain benefits of it. If they are strong and inclusive, they will prevent having people who abuse the power to amass their own fortunes and carry out their own agendas to the detriment of the rest of society. A key point is the ability of the state to regulate and govern the society and prevent the concentration of power and wealth in a few hands. Only with inclusive political institutions, that is, to protect private property, encourage innovation and create entrepreneurial incentives for everyone, you can overcome underdevelopment. That is, how to organize politics depends how the economy works.

We are in front of a masterpiece work that can mark a before and after in the disciplines related to political science, especially in schools that emphasize the importance of institutions; these have never received a theoretical and empirical support that big. The future of nations depends on how people organize their institutions and their rules. Although financial institutions are essential, consider that political institutions are the most crucial. The economy is doing behind the politics.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Why Nations Fail

1. The country where we born determine the access of economic and social opportunities that you will have in your lifetime. There are countries that offer a lifetime of opportunities, full of possibilities. There are others whose offer consists of obstacles and hardships.

2. The quality of the institutions is the key factor of the prosperity of the countries and it is not affected it neither by culture, region, or religion.

3. The rich are rich because they developed institutions handing out economic activity and political power among more people. In the terminology of the book, the rich are rich today because yesterday created inclusive institutions, and non-extractive.

4. A society with extractive economic institutions does not respect property rights and investment incentives generated. In a society with extractive economic institutions, and invest effort becomes meaningless as far as the fruit of the effort can be expropriated. These are countries whose rules are designed to economically benefit the minority of the majority. They are societies in which resources are extracted by elite at the expense of society and the economic welfare of the rest of the population.

5. Extractive economic institutions coexist with extractive political institutions, institutions in which power is concentrated in a few hands and try to maintain and develop economic rules that benefit them personally and provide continuity in the political managerial power.

6. The majority of countries that flourish have the common factor of defense and protection of property rights in an economic environment that promotes investment, the creation and adoption of new technologies also stimulates the acquisition and development of skills and knowledge useful for the enterprise. This combination of factors occurs in countries whose economic institutions are inclusive.

7. Without quality institutions is impossible sustainability of growth, which relies on the possibilities of generating innovation, the emergence of new companies and regenerate answering the set, contributing to the spread of economic power.

8. Even though a country is well developed, one of the reasons why some countries do not adopt inclusive institutions is because of the fear of creative destruction. The fear of changing the balance of power makes countries prefer “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know yet”.

9. The nations are going through what the authors call “institutional drift” and its institutions are changing, forward or reverse, marked largely by critical junctures. What is clear is that small institutional differences in a critical historical moment, is just magnified over time.

10. There are countries with initial advantages or disadvantages, but ultimately it is the structure of incentives that create institutions that determine whether a country moves along a path of progress or stagnate in poverty.

Full Summary of Why Nations Fail

Why intend countries fail to answer these questions with a new theory compelling and documented: not by climate, geography or culture, but by every country. Institutions through a lot of historical examples and current (from ancient Rome through the Tudor and reaching modern China) professors Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson show that to invest and prosper, people need to know that if they work hard, you can make money and, above all, keep it. This is where come into play and sound institutions in which power trust. Moreover authors in this book mixed economy, politics, history and current affairs to offer a new, powerful and persuasive to understand all the whys of wealth and poverty.

I. So Close and Yet so Different

Why some nations are more successful than others? Nogales (Arizona) and Nogales (Sonora) have the same population, culture and geography. Why one is rich and the other poor? Why did the Egyptians fill Tahrir Square to overthrow Hosni Mubarak? Why intend countries fail to answer these questions with a new theory compelling and documented: not by climate, geography or culture, but by institutions in each country. Through a wealth of historical and contemporary examples (from ancient Rome through the Tudor and reaching modern China) teachers Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson shows that to invest and prosper, people need to know that if they work hard, you can make money and, above all, keep it. That’s where sound institutions involved and you can rely on. Furthermore the authors in this book mixed economy, politics, history and current affairs to offer a new, powerful and persuasive to understand all the whys of wealth and poverty.

II. Theories That Don’t Work

The authors discuss several theories that tried to explain economic inequalities in the world and refute and explain why did not work. They discuss these three hypotheses: The geographic differences, the cultural differences and the hypothesis of ignorance. And gave their critics and opinions of why did not work.

Furthermore, the book shows us a map of the world by per capita income where the highest are in Western Europe (except Spain and Portugal), USA, Canada, Australia and Japan and the lowest in Africa and South America. To make this distribution of income set the bar higher in $ 20,000 per capita, which makes Spain (until recently eighth world power) and Portugal are relegated to the same category as Russia or Argentina. They believe there is a gap between rich and poor and remind us that if the price of oil fall then Middle Eastern countries that are now rich, could become poor. They wonder how to explain the crucial differences between rich and poor countries and their different growth models.

III. The Making of Prosperity and Poverty

The authors analyze the case of the two Koreas, two separate countries since 1950. The North, under a Communist regime stripping is poor, without training and entrepreneurship, and the South, from 90 democratic and pro-Western, is rich because it encourages and investment opportunities. The authors say that guarantee the right to private property is crucial for those who enjoy this right will be willing to invest and increase productivity.

In addition, they give the example of Barbados in 1680 when landowners were distributed judge charges and slavery was huge. Also, they needed roads and utilities. In Latin America there was private property but the Indian were unsafe. Therefore, the legal system should not discriminate or serve extractive institutions that aim to extract income and wealth of a subset of society to benefit a different subset.

Instead, create inclusive markets inclusive institutions that give freedom and opportunity to practice any profession, who have good ideas and be able to create businesses, and pave the way for technological innovation and education, leading to sustained development. Hence the success of Thomas Alba Edison, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs who did business because teenagers have access to the education they want or can achieve. Another example is the Samsung factory in South Korea.

Against this are absolutist political institutions, or worse, failed states like Somalia, where the state (Max Weber: The State has the monopoly of legitimate violence) is unable to impose law and order and is centralized.

The authors give the example of Mobutu in the Congo, where rode all for your service and for the sake of wealth had made some inclusive institutions would have to redistribute their wealth. Not only had the powerful people opposed to technology but also the unions that blocked many advances. In general, the powerful groups resisting the economic power and the engines of prosperity. One example was the king of the Congo, who had 500 musketeers in the seventeenth century, and then the public did not have option to no political power. After independence in 1960 were reproduced extractive institutions.

IV. Small Differences and Critical Junctures

The authors refer to the 1346 bubonic plague (The Black Death) which entered to China by the Black Sea and ended up with half of the affected population. The order came down because feudal lords were without servants. Given the shortage of labor, workers were able to be deleted fines, compulsory labor and other abuses. Attempts to impose abusive Workers Statute failed in England. But in other places, particularly in Eastern Europe, lords took over more land and cities lost freedoms, Eastern Europe exported more grain but by hard labor. Finely Glorious Revolution in England in 1688 provided more freedoms and limited the absolute power. This was after the industrial revolution began.

The authors compare the evolution of three monarchies as Philip II of Spain, Elizabeth I of England and Henry III of France. The three fought against citizen assemblies as the Courts, Parliament and the States General. There were small differences for the monopoly of trade with America, as England was conducted by merchants who became wealthy and could oppose absolutism. These small improvements fueled a virtuous circle while in France and Spain fell into a vicious circle. But still the situation was better than in Central and Eastern Europe, burdened by the easement.

In only three centuries since the Black Death there was a process of divergence.

They tell us that the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 opened the Atlantic trade to the English and generated progress of England and its market economy settlers spread across North America while the South remained under a model extraction and high inequality. There was more severe in Africa where absolutism prevailed and slavery with the exception of Botswana. China and India with its caste also lagged. In contrast, in Japan Meiji Revolution triumphed that eradicated the feudal order and growth soared. In the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire imposed a colonial regime.

The authors say that the institutional theory explains better than those based on geography, culture ignorance or economic differences.

What both authors want to establish is:

• How were inclusive institutions?

• How persisted and continued the virtuous circle?

• Extractive few absolutist governments and rejected the new technology of the industrial revolution?

• How Europeans ended the possibility of economic growth in parts conquered?

• How the vicious circle and the iron law of oligarchy can maintain extractive institutions which did not extend the industrial revolution continued poor?

• Why the industrial revolution technologies have not been implemented in places with minimal centralization of the state?

Also, they say that areas transformed their institutions in a more inclusive, such as France or Japan, or prevented the establishment of extractive institutions, like the United States and Austria, were more receptive to the extension of the industrial revolution and ahead of others.

V. “I’ve Seen the Future, and It Works”: Growth Under Extractive Institutions

The authors review the evolution of the Soviet Union Economic under Stalin and the Five Year Plans of Gosplan, who took agricultural production after expropriating land and collectivize farms in order to feed the industrial workers and construction factories. In the rural area, production plummeted. There were 6 million dead from starvation. Despite being a less efficient than the free market, there was growth because the PC elite poured all their resources into the industry, which was very late. It was said that the planned economy was altruistic because it gave full employment, price stability or altruistic motivation. Also Samuelson predicted that in the 80s, the USSR would overtake USA. It was a quick but sustained development and ’70s the model is exhausted.

An important note is that according to the authors, the collapse of the USSR was because of extractive institutions as the Communist Party cannot generate sustained technological change and economic disincentives resistance by elites. It had trouble giving up resources efficiently and to make decisions.

Later, the authors examine the case of Congo, Kasai, bushongs and leles that were separated by a river. Some were poor and fighting each other while the others were rich and had advanced technologies because they had an extractive centralized absolutist king to collect taxes but brought some prosperity.

The problem with this growth, like the USSR, is that, according to these authors, there is no creative destruction.

Then go over the creation after the Long Summer (15,000 BC) of agricultural societies as natufienses on the Euphrates, Abu Hureyra and Mount Carmel. They believe that the elites led to sedentary people and then undertake agriculture. So ​​think Jared Diamond began the horse because, really, institutional changes began first as a reorganization to take advantage of greater availability of animals and plants and only then came agriculture and religion.

The expansion of agriculture also spread the Mayan cities such as Copan, led by their kings and aristocracy. In the year 779, Copan had more inhabitants than Paris. But since there was no change and 300 kings and nobles dedicated to tax that created great inequality until 810 fought among themselves to overthrow the boss and take control and profits. The system disappeared because was not stable.

They believe that China will be the same.

VI. Drifting Apart

The authors speak of the decline of Venice between 1050 and 1350, because when the Venetian Republic ruled by the Doge and General Assembly offered incentives for youth to thrive through the institution of the encomenda generated a great economy but generations after members of the Great Council, which was once controlled by family groups, blocked access to new merchants, so that in 1297 eliminated the incentives for growth through Serrata – new appointments had to be approved by the Council of Forty while current needed no confirmation- The Grand Council became a hereditary aristocracy in 1315 with the Libro d’Oro or Gold Book. Moreover, they implemented a Settata economic and the prohibition of encomenda contracts. In addition, the state nationalized the trade Venetian galleys and collected more taxes. The long-distance trade was monopolized by the elite. Later, it declined.

The same happened to the Roman Empire that reached its expansion after the struggles of the Greco by calling for greater representation of commoners and laws; although excluding the slaves. In marine wrecks wealth is generated and there is evidence of Roman activity and pollution in the Greenland ice until the first century but it was an extractive economy dominated by the elite of the Senate (large landowners and aristocrats) at a site with an unequal distribution of land. All this was overthrown by Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire, which eliminated partially inclusive institutions such as the plebeian assembly passed the Senate whose powers and such. The fight of the elites to control the extractive power of Rome led to the collapse of continuous civil wars. Property rights for the common citizen were less certain. No emperor wanted to put more inclusive institutions. Increase the number of people to be citizens but with fewer rights than before. And technology stagnated. The Emperors dismissed incentivized or advances which could eliminate labor.

Vindolanda, the former Scotland, was poor in Roman times but because the fall of Rome, it became more developed and followed a divergent path to other provinces as Aksum (Ethiopia) where they were better settled feudal structures.

The legacy of the Roman republic survived until the Black Death and inclusive institutions were quickly adopted by free citizens.

VII. The Turning Point

In Elizabethan England were also rejected the technical innovations knitting machine Lee to not ruin the spinners. Because this required a process of creative destruction that would force Schumpeterian replace the old with the new. Politicians feared instability.

This chapter examines the importance of the signing of the Magna Letter by King John in 1215 to consult the barons before raising taxes and the creation of a council of 25 barons to force the king to fulfill. Although it was canceled, some consider it a step to pluralism. The difference is that year after parliament included merchants and rich farmers, not only to nobles. The Tudors created a centralized state and expropriated land to the Church. Later the Stuart wanted to be absolutist and could not.

VIII. Not on Our Turf: Barriers to Development

Talk about countries that hampered the development as a ban on the printing press in the Ottoman Empire, the reinforcement of absolutism in Spain led to the decline because there was no secure property rights and economic collapse to that there was no incentive to invest. In the case of Russia and Austria-Hungary, with Francis I, the rulers actively blocked any attempt to introduce technologies. And in China, in 1500, the Ching Dynasty distance impeded navigation just as Europeans were expanding in America and Asia.

The same happened with the absolutism of Prester John in Ethiopia who had insecure in the property rights because the emperor lands snatched every two or three years and whose institution was gult or feudal serfdom. In the nineteenth century, Ethiopia managed to stay independent and Melenik defeated Italy at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. Ras Tafari fell in 1935 but returned to the throne in 1941. Absolutist plan was followed in the country until 1978 and became the world’s poorest without light and subsistence agriculture.

The case of Somalia is worse because it has been dominated by six family clans structured payment groups diya (blood wealth) and legislated obligations by heer law. Political power is so widespread that almost is pluralistic but lacks the authority to impose a centralized state order and guarantee the property.

IX. Reversing Development

This chapter speaks about the genocide perpetrated by the Dutch in the Spice Islands in the seventeenth century, in the Moluccas, producing nail, mafia and nutmeg.

The Portuguese conquered Melaka in 1511 but failed to control the spice monopoly. Later the Dutch East India Company began signing exclusive contracts in Ambon that prohibit cultivate and banned others. They seized systems and labor taxes to get more performance.

In the Banda Islands, governed by city states and citizens’ assemblies, were massacred by the Dutch monopoly Coen to stay mace and nutmeg. Coen created a society of plantation there. In the remaining islands, pepper trees were cut. Following the destruction of its business, the area was doomed to exploitation and underdevelopment.

In Africa, there was slave trade that was bound for Africa itself first and then the sugar plantations of the Caribbean. In order to fill Europeans with slaves, there were wars and conflicts among Africans themselves, even there were laws to punishing with bondage every trifle. Following the abolition in 1807, traffic continued, although it started legitimate trade as palm oil and almonds. To increase plantings, kings Congolese and Ghanaian (Asante) forced the inhabitants to work coerced. Later on, South Africa created apartheid and the dual economy that prevented the native inhabitants concentrate on homelands or towns with small enough land to make a living independently and prevented them from access to education. In this way the Price of labor was cheapened.

In all cases there was the same pattern of looting by extractive institutions. The authors say that economic development is sometimes feeds the underdevelopment of others.

X. The Diffusion of Prosperity

It talks about the colonization of Australia by settlers who were prisoners and who achieved political rights. In the French Revolution, the introduction of inclusive institutions was not as peaceful but exportation allowed economic growth to countries like Belgium, Holland and several German states that were under Napoleon.

In Japan Meiji Revolution instituted westernized the country and out of the absolutism and feudalism of the shogun. The authors say that the roots of social inequality lie in the past centuries, when some countries adopted inclusive institutions and industrialization joined by creative destruction while others were stuck with absolutist regimes and commercial monopolies.

XI. The Virtuous Circle

This chapter talks about the virtuous circle. It takes as an example the Black Act of 1722 against cattle thieves’ nobles. Some were saved because the legal system in England was more certainty than before because I enjoyed the rule of law. Later the right to vote won, in accordance with the logic of virtuous circle that prevents abuse.

Another example is the destruction of trust in the United States or the preservation of the independence of the judges of the Supreme Court despite Roosevelt’s attempts to put people akin to their ideology. Instead, the authors say that Peron in Argentina related achievement and judges put the custom continued until Menem, which ratified. Argentina fell into a vicious circle, not virtuous.

XII. The Vicious Circle

The authors cite the example of what happened in Sierra Leone, which was left without a train because of the fear the rebellions have to the dictator. The same happened in Southern United States, where they endured marginalization of slavery a century after being abolished. That happened because the elites continued safe after the war.

The same happened also in Guatemala, where landowners forced to do hard labor to exploit coffee plantations. And the same happened in Ethiopia.

These are examples of what I call Michaels’s iron law of hierarchy, also called vicious negative feedback.

XII. Why Nations Fail Today

It mentions the Mugabe government in Zimbabwe and their luck to win the national lottery. Also talks about Stevens in Sierra Leone that impoverished the country and its successor Momoh that was even more exploitative. In addition, it mentions Colombia because despite its democratic elections, it does not have inclusive institutions.

This chapter does not forget North Korea and its absolutism. Or Karimov’s Uzbekistan and cotton business to the point that even the children work. However, privatization has also been initiatives in Egypt

XIV. Breaking the Mold

The authors talk about how to break the mold. They cite the success of Botswana, which became more egalitarian than the rest of the region because in the nineteenth century three leaders traveled to England to seek protection from Queen Victoria of England. The English only asked to install a train track and through this agreement could safeguard native diamond mines whose production reverberated throughout the village. Exemplified a trader contacted Botswana Railway Station South Africa still under apartheid, for a quote to ship a commodity and it turns out being charged four times as a target by the fact of being black, which discouraged any indigenous entrepreneurship.

The chapter also recalls the struggle for civil liberties in the U.S. in the 60s, as the secretary Rosa Parks refused to get up from a seat reserved for whites and after being reported there was a boycott of the bus company in Alabama, or the black college student who was the first to enroll in a university in the South and was escorted by 300 police until he graduated.

Another example was the reform in China in recent times as Mao and Deng Xiao Ping managed to reform the state from within to open the economy.

XV. Understanding Prosperity and Poverty

The last chapter focuses on China as its reforms undertaken to grow and IMF rejects introducing designs to shoehorn Washington consensus, privatization and anti-corruption measures but that the rulers of the countries only apply facade rescued. It mentions the independence of The Central Bank of Zimbabwe as an example, even though the director knew he could not go against the dictates of their president.

In addition, it mentions that foreign aid to poor countries have failed because in them there is no real democracy but function as absolutist regimes. It should be given if they meet conditions to liberalize markets. Also, it approaches the success of Brazil to democratize union activity after Lula Da Silva, who allowed greater market liberalization.

The Video Lounge

http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2012/03/daron-acemoglu-why-nations-fail

The video shows an interview with PhD. Daron Acemoglu, economist and co-author of “Why Nations Fail”, with Ryan Avent from The Economist. Basically, the interview talks about the economic success or failure of nations and how is rooted in the health of political and social institutions.

http://video.mit.edu/watch/daron-acemoglu-on-why-nations-fail-10628/

The video shows an interview for MIT with PhD. Daron Acemoglu, economist and co-author of “Why Nations Fail”. Daron Acemoglu talks about the main idea of the book and why cultural explanations of prosperity fail. Acemoglu tells us his own interpretation of the history.

Personal Insights

What I think:

• The authors are one of the most brilliant people around because they have classified the institutions as extractive or inclusive institutions. Also, they have showed us that those correspond to systems in which elite appropriates for the benefit of the work and the innovative capacity of the inhabitants, discouraging work. The inclusive create systems that encourage innovation, productivity and operations. They promote education, health, the rights of the individual and the certainty that they will be respected and not dependent on the will of the warlords. And, I think it is very interesting to learn how the past has affected many of the regions in the present.

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. I would have written the way to address the ideas to the public differently. The book presents different facts from the ice age era to the present and some of those facts were not developed for a public without economic background or knowledge, and the reason is because there are people that like economic/business relate it books but books easy to swallow.

2. I would have given and have designed solutions in order to help countries to be more prosper and richer. The book should not only show us theories about why nations are poorer than others, but it also should show us more concrete solutions to improve the welfare of the people of those countries.

3. Probably, I would have given more illustrations about the regions they were discussing in the book in order to compare their wealth, power, and prosperity. The authors gave us example of places like Colombia, Nogales, Sierra Leona, Zimbabwue, Somalia, and others but, how can I compare those regions to USA, UK, etc. if I do not know the living conditions of those places? There are people that have never been or heard about the places I previously mention. People can suppose how they are just by what they are reading, but I would be a good idea to recreate their imagination with some images.

• Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. The book makes me realize in how politics interfere in economical and administrative decisions. Politics has to intervene in the economy and society to create laws that apply to the same economy and society. The benefits that bring these laws are applied to the economy and society functioning live well and this can lead to economic growth and developments in the town for a better quality of life. But, if the political system of a country is corrupted and only politicians get benefits of the country’s prosperity, it would be a disaster for the country’s growth and for the quality of life of the residents.

2. Also, how some nations can be richer than others, even though there are in the same geographic location, have same culture, etc. Usually, we said countries are rich and the other poor because “some countries are good and others are bad”. The rich is rich because they work hard, have knowledge and education, are efficient and productive, and they have a good location.  The poor is poor because they are weak, innocent, virtuous and vulnerable. The truth is that countries depend on a good political system in order to have a good development. It depends of the persons that govern, not the region. And, we have to take under consideration that most of the richest countries in the world are rich because for centuries they have had good governments that do not think for themselves, but for the rest of the people that live in the area.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. I would use the knowledge I have gotten from the book and promote the use of inclusive system instead of extractive. Also, encourage participation of great people in economic activities and promote the use of their best skills. I feel that can be beneficial for the company and the country.

2. I would also take under consideration inclusive systems while working for a corporation. As a management major, I believe it is important to have a system that will protect individual rights. Also, implementing an inclusive system in your company can secure private property and encourage entrepreneurship. At the end the result is higher incomes and improved human welfare, which is beneficial to every company.

• Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

  “This fascinating and readable book centers on the complex joint evolution of political and economic institutions, in good directions and bad. It strikes a delicate balance between the logic of political and economic behavior and the shifts in direction created by contingent historical events, large and small at ‘critical junctures.’ Acemoglu and Robinson provide an enormous range of historical examples to show how such shifts can tilt toward favorable institutions, progressive innovation and economic success or toward repressive institutions and eventual decay or stagnation. Somehow they can generate both excitement and reflection.” -Robert Solow, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1987

  “It’s the politics, stupid! That is Acemoglu and Robinson’s simple yet compelling explanation for why so many countries fail to develop. From the absolutism of the Stuarts to the antebellum South, from Sierra Leone to Colombia, this magisterial work shows how powerful elites rig the rules to benefit themselves at the expense of the many.  Charting a careful course between the pessimists and optimists, the authors demonstrate history and geography need not be destiny. But they also document how sensible economic ideas and policies often achieve little in the absence of fundamental political change.”-Dani Rodrik, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

  “Two of the world’s best and most erudite economists turn to the hardest issue of all: why are some nations poor and others rich? Written with a deep knowledge of economics and political history, this is perhaps the most powerful statement made to date that ‘institutions matter.’  A provocative, instructive, yet thoroughly enthralling book.” -Joel Mokyr, Robert H. Strotz Professor of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Economics and History, Northwestern University

  “A brilliant and uplifting book-yet also a deeply disturbing wake-up call. Acemoglu and Robinson lay out a convincing theory of almost everything to do with economic development. Countries rise when they put in place the right pro-growth political institutions and they fail-often spectacularly-when those institutions ossify or fail to adapt.  Powerful people always and everywhere seek to grab complete control over government, undermining broader social progress for their own greed. Keep those people in check with effective democracy or watch your nation fail.” -Simon Johnson, co-author of 13 Bankers and professor at MIT Sloan

  “This important and insightful book, packed with historical examples, makes the case that inclusive political institutions in support of inclusive economic institutions are key to sustained prosperity. The book reviews how some good regimes got launched and then had a virtuous spiral, while bad regimes remain in a vicious spiral.  This is important analysis not to be missed.” - Peter Diamond, Nobel Laureate in Economics
   
  “Acemoglu and Robinson have made an important contribution to the debate as to why similar-looking nations differ so greatly in their economic and political development. Through a broad multiplicity of historical examples, they show how institutional developments, sometimes based on very accidental circumstances, have had enormous consequences. The openness of a society, its willingness to permit creative destruction, and the rule of appear to be decisive for economic development.” -Kenneth Arrow, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1972

All of these reviews that I have found about the book “Why Nations Fail” seem to be very similar to each other. Each reviewer seemed to have enjoyed this book and have recommended it by 100%. I definitely think this book should be read by everyone because the authors explain in detail the evolution of societies throughout the ages and how the economic development and growth of nations is affected it.

Bibliography

De Zárate, Francisco. (2012, September 2). Por qué fracasan las naciones. Retrieved from http://www.ieco.clarin.com/economia/fracasan-naciones_0_766723525.html

Dizikes, Peter. (2012, March 23). All the difference in the World. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/why-nations-fail-0323.html

Gates, Bill. (2013, February 26). Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (Book Review). Retrieved from http://www.thegatesnotes.com/Books/Personal/Why-Nations-Fail

Green, Duncan. (2012, December 12). Why ‘Why Nations Fail’ Fails (Mostly): Review of Acemoglu and Robinson – 2012’s Big Development Book. Retrieved from http://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/why-why-nations-fail-fails-mostly-review-acemoglu-and-robinson-2012s-big-development-book

Friedman, Thomas. (2012, March 31). Why Nations Fail. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/opinion/sunday/friedman-why-nations-fail.html?_r=0

Rueda, María Isabel. (2012, September 13). Por qué fracasan las naciones? Retrieved from http://www.drclas.harvard.edu/drupal/node/1351

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review of Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson,” please email irma.zambrano@selu.edu or irmazambrano20@gmail.com.

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About the Publisher

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Laborde Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.org), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. His blog, Career News 24/7, can be viewed at http://wyld-about-careers.blogspot.com/.

Cover via Amazon

Executive Summary

I feel that the reason that this book was written was to answer, “Why is it that a request stated in a certain way will be rejected, while a request that asks for the same favor just stated in a slightly different way will be successful?”

In nature and in people, we all have fixed-action patterns that cause us to go on automatic pilot or click whir as the author tells. The story goes that a mother turkey hears her baby go cheep cheep and she will take care of it. If she hears a polecat go cheep cheep she will take care of it even though it is her natural enemy. Besides the fixed action pattern there is usually a trigger and in this case it is the sound of the baby. In the case of people, it can be that they have an innate desire to be seen as consistent or that they feel they must do something for you since you did something for them or perhaps someone in authority is telling them to do something. We all have our triggers that put the principles of consistency, reciprocation, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity into play without us even realizing it.

We all have automatic behavior patterns that serve us well so that we don’t have to think about every little thing we do, but at the same time they can make us vulnerable to anyone who knows how to use them against us.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

1.    What are the 6 weapons of influence? They are 6 automatic responses or short-cuts that we use for saying yes to requests. They can be used to our advantage or used to exploit us.

2.    The principle of reciprocation states that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us. For example, if someone buys you lunch, you feel obligated to buy them lunch the next time.

3.    The principle of consistency and commitment states that once we have made a choice or taken a stand we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. An example would be of someone who is in a miserable marriage but won’t divorce because they made a public commitment in their oath “til death do us part”.

4.    The principle of social proof states, one means we use to determine what is correct is to find out what other people think is correct. This is just like monkey see, monkey do. If we don’t know proper protocol we look to see what the majority is doing.

5.    The principle of liking states that most people prefer to say yes to the request of someone they know and like. When people feel comfortable they tend be more positive, buy more, and obviously agree to more. So, if you want someone to comply to a request try to get on their good side.

6.    What determines liking? Compliments, cooperation, association, similarity, contact, and physical attractiveness all aid in getting someone to like you. If managers have or can attain some of these qualities to better get along with employees, it will only aid in success for the business.

7.    The principle for authority states that people tend to follow authority figures. We are taught from a very young age to respect our elders. Con artists exploit authority figures all of the time by dressing like them.

8.    The principle of scarcity states that opportunities seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited. Anything with a dead line or a limited time offer makes it seem a little more important to us because of its time availability.

9.    How can you use the principles to your advantage? Use the rejection-then –retreat technique for reciprocation in order to get the request you want. For commitment, get your target to write down their commitment to you because it makes them stick to it better. For social proof, let your target know which item is most popular and they’ll likely buy that one. For authority, act as though you are some big hot shot and you may get away with it. For scarcity, use limited time offers to up the value. With the liking principle all one must simply so is dish out complements.

10.    Exploitation-The book talks about going with your gut when faced with possibility of feeling exploited by a commissioner. When something is wrong most people usually know something is up, you just have to make sure that you are attentive when you are in these situations. 

Dr. Robert Cialdini Asw10 (Photo credit: Dave Dugdale)

Full Summary of Influence

The author, Robert B. Cialdini, discusses what makes us do the things we do. Why do we ask a question a certain way and are rejected but tweak the question and ask in a slightly different way and are successful? Why do we respond or react in certain ways?

The book is broken up into “weapons of influence”: reciprocation, commitment, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. The author shows us how these principles are used to exploit unsuspecting people by convincing them to comply, donate, vote, purchase, and etc.

Chapter 1

We all grow up learning and believing that certain situations should be handled certain ways and that certain people should be treated according to how they are viewed. We call this stereotyping but Cialdini, the author, says that we are preprogrammed and use the “click,whirr” formula. This means that, “click” and the appropriate automatic internal tape is activated; “whirr” and out rolls the standard sequence of behaviors. We respond this way because something triggers us to do so; it’s the way the preprogrammed tapes are activated. Cialdini called this aspect of the formula the trigger feature. He says that if you recognize this, you can use it to your advantage by getting people’s internal tapes to play at the wrong time. He demonstrates with a few examples.

An experiment done by Harvard social psychologist, Ellen Langer, proves that people are more successful at getting favors done for them when they provide a reason rather than without one. She demonstrated this unsurprising fact by asking a small favor of people waiting in line to use a library copying machine: Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush? 94% let her skip ahead. Compare this success rate to the results when she made the request only: Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine? This time only 60% complied with her. Now when you see the first part of this study, you automatically assume that the reason of the decreased percentage between questions was because of the difference in the additional information but the rest of the study proves otherwise. This time instead of using a real reason for compliance, Langler’s third type of request used the word “because” and then, adding nothing new, merely restated the obvious: Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make copies? The result was nearly all (93%) agreed, even though no real reason was given and no new information was added to justify their compliance. Langer proved our automatic response and that the trigger factor here was simply the word, “because”. Click, whirr! Chapters 2-7 are the actual “weapons of influence” that show the click, whirr formula in use and how trigger features can be used to our benefit and what to pay attention to in order to avoid being the victim of them.

Chapter 2

    In chapter two Cialdini describes the first and one of the most potent weapons of influence around us as being the rule for reciprocation. The rule states that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us. A small scale example of this rule is from a university professor a few years ago who implemented a Christmas card experiment. He sent the Christmas cards to a sample of perfect strangers. He said that he expected some reaction but was not expecting what he got in return-holiday cards addressed to him came pouring back from people who had never met nor heard of him. They received his holiday greeting card, click, and, whirr, they automatically sent one in return.

It’s human nature that we feel obligated to return a favor even when a favor is placed upon us that we didn’t ask for. This “power” is one of the reasons reciprocation can be used so effectively as a device for gaining another’s compliance. Cialdini states, “The rule possesses awesome strength, often producing a “yes” response to a request that, except for an existing feeling of indebtedness, would have surely been refused.” Dr. Dennis Regan of Cornell University performed experiments to test this “power”. The first was the impact of the reciprocity rule on compliance. Regan set up a scenario where his assistant, Joe, was posing as a rater of some paintings as part of an experiment on “art appreciation”. Another person was in on the experiment as an unsuspecting guinea pig. They had a two minute break and Joe came back to the room with two cokes for him and the subject in one scenario and came back empty handed in the other. Joe then asked each subject to do him a favor by purchasing some raffle tickets from him so that he could win a new car and if he sold the most tickets he could win a fifty dollar prize. The major finding of the study was that Joe was more successful in selling his raffle tickets to the subjects who had received his earlier favor. This feeling that they owed him something apparently caused them to buy twice as many tickets as those who had not been given the prior favor.

Regan was also interested in how liking for a person affects the tendency to comply with that person’s request. He came to know that for those who owed Joe a favor from the coke that was given to them, it didn’t matter whether they liked him or not because they felt they had an obligation to repay him, and they did. Those who disliked Joe, in that condition, bought just as many tickets as those who did like Joe. The reciprocation rule was so strong that it overwhelmed the liking for the requestor, a factor that would normally affect the decision to comply.

The reciprocation rule also enforces uninvited debts. For example, a certain religious group solicits donations in airports by forcing a flower upon unsuspecting people, either by pressing it in their hands or quickly pinning it on their shirt. When the people say they don’t want it the religious group insists that they keep it as a gift and then ask for a donation. The unsuspecting people now feel obligated to give some amount of money to the group because of the “gift” that was put upon them.

The reciprocity rule can also trigger unfair exchanges that allow it to be exploited for profit. The rule demands that one sort of action be reciprocated with a similar sort of action. A favor is met with another favor; it is not to be met with neglect, and certainly not with attack. For example, some girls do not let guys buy them drinks in a bar because they don’t want there to be tension of obligated sexual favors.

Reciprocal concessions are the second way to implement the reciprocity rule to get someone to comply with a request. It’s called rejection-then-retreat technique. Suppose you want someone to agree to a certain request, one way to do this is to first make them a larger request that they will likely turn down. Once they turn down the request, you make the smaller one, the one you originally wanted them to comply with in the first place. The way to say no to the reciprocation weapon of influence is to try to recognize who is initiating the favor and what their intentions are.

Chapter 3  

Chapter three lectures on the second weapon of influence- consistency and commitment. Why is so powerful a motive? Society recognizes consistency as being valued and adaptive. Cialdini says, “A high degree of consistency is normally associated with personal and intellectual strength. It is at the heart of logic, rationality, stability, and honesty.” Because it is typically in our best interest to be consistent things can get very habitual for us, even when it isn’t the sensible way to be. Blind consistency, however, allows for shortcuts through life. We don’t have to think about pros and cons of everything, we simply just do it because it was consistent with an earlier decision. Mindless/automatic consistency also helps to ease the mind by knowing that once the final decision is made that everything will be okay for a little while because there is no more worrying about what decision to make anymore. Exploiters, however, will use this automatic reaction to their requests for our compliance. How do they exploit us? They know what the click is that will, in turn, make us whirr. The click is commitment because once a stand is taken there is a natural tendency to behave in ways that are stubbornly consistent with the stand.

    A good example of this in the book is when a toy store runs ads of the hottest new toy right before Christmas and demand spikes. The kids ask their parents for the toy for Christmas and when the parents go to the store to get the toy it is in “short supply”. The parents pick out another toy for the kids but because the parents made a commitment to their children, they go buy the toy after Christmas when the store, miraculously, has plenty in stock. This is no coincidence; the toy store knows the power of commitment and uses this as a strategy to boost sales after Christmas.

    Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” This means that consistency, even though it’s good, can become automatic and its force can be used to exploit you. How do you avoid exploitation? The same way you do in reciprocation; you will get a feeling that the person who is trying to get you to comply isn’t being genuine. When you get that gut feeling, think about the commitment principle and apply it to your situation. Train yourself to be attentive and you will be able to avoid these types of scenarios completely.

Chapter 4

Walter Lippman said, “Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.” That quote directly correlates with the principle of social proof which states that, one means we use to determine what is correct is to find out what other people think is correct. There are many studies of social proof. Canned laughter is a perfect example of this because we laugh when we hear it on television even though we know it isn’t real. A night club that had a particularly long line had social proof that the club would be worthwhile.  Kids who were deathly afraid of dogs would overcome their fear if they saw other kids playing with the dogs, even if it was just a video. The closer in age of the kids on the video to the fearful child, the greater the impact was. The same sort of exposure process was done to unsociable children. They were shown a 23 minute video of 11 scenes where an isolated child slowly became more active with others until it finally was able to join in with other kids. The children who watched the video, just once, became very sociable. This shows how powerful a force social proof is if it can alter a socially awkward child’s way of thinking towards interacting with others.

    Cialdinin states, “When we are unsure of ourselves, when the situation is unclear or ambiguous, when uncertainty reigns, we are most likely to look to and accept the actions of others as correct.” Miss Genovese was stabbed to death while 38 people witnessed it. No one did anything because everyone was thinking that someone else had probably reported it already. Everyone around, however, was looking for social proof on what to do. So, if you ever need help in the midst of a group, make sure you call someone out directly and don’t just yell help in hopes of someone doing so because they’re all thinking someone else already has.

    When a suicide makes the front page of a paper, the social proof can be frightening. Research shows that the number of people who die in commercial air-lines increases by 1000% and automobile accidents spike. This happens because some people feel that when bad things happen that they should just end everything too. People become paranoid and start making safety mistakes in their jobs. This causes failures in cars, planes, boats, etc. and a rise in deaths. When an airplane pilot calls it quits they will make sure that it looked like an accident so that their loved ones can get insurance money and possibly save the family from embarrassment. This is called the Werther-Effect, rates of suicide increase in a surrounding the geographical areas where a front page suicide was highly publicized. This unsettling act of social proof shows us that people decide how they should act based on how some other troubled person has acted. Research found that, on average, 58 more people kill themselves in the two months after a front-page suicide. The wider the publicity of the suicide, the more people that kill themselves.

Chapter 5

    Clarence Darrow said, “The main work of a trail attorney is to make a jury like his client.” It is unsurprising to many that most people prefer to say yes to the request of someone they know and like which brings us to the principle of liking. How would a Tupperware party fit into this principle? It is the “quintessential American compliance setting”. Reciprocity-you get prizes for games played at the beginning of the party and everyone gets a prize. Commitment-everyone is urged to talk about how much they love their Tupperware they currently own. Social proof-once the buying begins it makes you feel that the product is good and you need more. Finally, liking-your friend asked you to have the party and if your friends buy they know you will get more hostess favors.

    Going along with the liking principle, research shows that we automatically assign favorable traits as talent, kindness, honesty, and intelligence to good-looking people. We make these judgments, most of the time, being unaware that attractiveness plays a role in the process. Good-looking doesn’t necessarily mean good but we somehow see it that way and it is present in our legal system. Research shows that attractive men receive significantly lighter sentences. It is very noticeable, in society today, that pretty people have huge social advantages. Teachers even expect cuter kids to be more intelligent than those who aren’t as cute.

    “We tend as a rule to believe praise and to like those who provide it oftentimes when it is clearly false. In fact positive comments produced just as much liking for the flatterer when they were untrue as when they were true.” That is true but we must also look at the other end of the spectrum when you are continually exposed to someone who is unpleasant. That constant negative condition leads to less liking. It’s human nature for a person not to like someone because of the unpleasant nature of their news and that’s why advertisers try to connect themselves or their products with things that we like.

    Research shows that we assume that we have some of the same personality traits as our friends. You like things/people that are most like you so it only makes since that people naturally root for their own sex, culture, and locality. Whoever you root for represents you, so when that contestant that you voted for on American Idol goes through to the next round, you win!

    Make sure you recognize those who try to use the liking principle against you and make you do things you wouldn’t ordinarily do. Car salesmen are bad about that so be aware and make sure you’re complying to requests at your own free will.

Chapter 6

    The principle of authority states that when a person in a position of authority tells you to do something, most of the time you do it. We were brought up to respect and obey our elders so we all have some deep-rooted notion to “just do” when an authority tells us to, without any other considerations. A doctor had prescribed R EAR drops to a patient with a sever ear infection. Neither the nurse nor the patient questioned the doctor and the drops were injected into the patient’s rear! The doctor wrote R EAR for Right Ear but it didn’t matter because the authority had spoken.

    Sometimes you only have to appear as though you are an authority to get people to do what you want. Those types of people are called con-artists and can exploit you by having fake titles, clothing, and other authoritative accessories. Some people who are an actual authority try to cover it up when they don’t need to be in that position because that title can make others act differently around you. A professor hid his title because he noticed people would sensor themselves around him and he didn’t like that.

When others see you as an authority they automatically add 2.5 inches on you because authority figures are thought of as tall. Clothing deals a lot with authority; showing less skin makes you seem more legitimate. Wearing glasses makes you seem more intelligent and the color navy makes you seem more business-like.

It’s obviously pretty easy for someone to act like an authority to get one over on you, but the more aware you are of these people, the less likely you are to get exploited.

Chapter 7

    “The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.”-G.K. Chesterson. The principle of scarcity states that opportunities seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited. A good example of this is when you’re in the middle of talking to someone and they just cut you off because their phone started ringing. That call could’ve been really important because it was scarce, it didn’t matter how rude they thought they were in their mind. Another example would be that homeowner who are told that they could lose money by not installing proper insulation were more likely to do so rather than those who were told they would save money by installing proper insulation in their house. Retail uses a limited tactic to get you to buy. They only put out so much merchandise so it makes you feel you need to buy it right then and there.

Summary

    We’ve gotten so accustomed to our short-cuts in life that we tend to only see one piece of available information. With the hectic schedules of our day to day lives we need those short-cuts, however, and when someone tries to use them against us we should be aware of what they’re doing and know how to retaliate.

The Video Lounge

This video gives a little background on Robert Cialdini and allows him to briefly touch on the 6 weapons of influence and their meaning. A few ads will play throughout to help better explain a particular concept Dr. Cialdini is speaking on.

Personal Insights

I think that Robert B. Cialdini is one of the most brilliant people around because he took everyday concepts that we normally overlook and showed us how they were being used to exploit us and how we can prevent it. He broke down the reasons we are influenced into 6 principles of reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. Once you read how he explains we are influenced it makes you more aware of the power of these principles. Using them as short-cuts for everyday life is efficient but it made me realize that I should be more attentive to all other available external information when I find myself in those influential situations so that I am able to defend myself properly.

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1.    If I were the author of this book I would definitely put more reader’s reports in it. The reports were real life scenarios sent as letters to the author. The examples in that the author gave were good but it always helps when there’s something you can actually relate to.

2.    The book is over 300 hundred pages and could’ve been summed up in about 20.  A lot of the topics were just overkill and I had to drudge through a lot. The values learned from the principles were very valuable if you could get through all of the clutter.

3.    I would’ve taken out the “How to Say No” sections in each chapter because they were just redundant. Being able to say no to commissioners was the same for all principles, that being you need to recognize and be aware of the people requesting favors from you and use your gut to determine their intentions.

• Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1.    I never thought about how I was actually influenced to do certain things. Cialdini said that these principles were automatic responses for us to cut through the everyday hassles and I now realize it in hindsight. It made me question if there were other preprogrammed things in my life that I should pay more attention to.

2.    Now that I’m aware of the exploitation that can occur from those taking advantage of our short-cuts (6 principles), it makes me wonder about the intentions of some whom I have complied with. I will, most likely, over think a favor from now on.

3.    If changing the way you ask a question completely changes another person’s attitude toward their response I will always consider “influencing” a strategic tactic. I never gave it much thought before but when I thought of the word influence and what it meant, I immediately thought of bribery and that was it. My thought process of the word has been completely wiped out and transformed into something I now consider an art form. I strongly believe that there should be a business elective dedicated to the teachings of persuasion and influence rather than personal selling.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1.    Because I work in sales this book will definitely come in handy. The rejection-then-retreat technique was a good sales tactic for me to learn. It states that to increase your chances for someone to agree to a certain request, offer them a larger request, one that they will most likely turn down. After they refuse, make the smaller request that you were initially interested in all along and most of the time they will comply with it.

2.    I believe that because I can now acknowledge influential principles it will help me to advance in my field of marketing. Most marketing careers are based on getting a motion out of others and if I know what makes them tick then I will be one step above the rest.

3.    If I become a manager of some sort, I plan to teach my staff how they can apply these principles to their life. I believe the more people who know about the power of the influences will aid in the decrease of exploitation.

Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

    There have been nothing but rave reviews for this book; I even searched for negative comments but nothing was published that I could find. Every review was in sync with one another about how strongly they felt that this book is a must read. If you plan to go into sales or have a degree in marketing, all critics felt that it would be in your best interest to read this book especially if you want to get ahead and stay ahead in the ever-changing business world. George Abler, executive partner with Garnter Executive Programs, says that he was able to continually relate the principles and examples to experiences in his life (Ambler, 2012).

    All review also concurred that they wouldn’t have expected anything less from Dr.Robert Cialdini, judging by his first two books: Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive and Influence. They all admit to have been in a situation of influence where the advice of Dr. Cialdini would’ve been nice to have at the time. The principles taught are considered necessary, by most of the critics, to have in everyday life, not just for business aspects. They all thoroughly enjoyed the book, as did I, and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to collectively advance or better themselves.

Bibliography

Ambler, G. (2012, September 5). Book Review: Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion. George Ambler – Leading in Turbulent Times. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://www.georgeambler.com/book-review-influence-the-psychology-of-persuasion/

Cialdini’s Six Principles of Influence – Communication Skills Training from MindTools.com. (n.d.). Mind Tools – Management Training, Leadership Training and Career Training. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/six-principles-influence.htm

Cialdini, R. B. (2007). Influence: the psychology of persuasion (Rev. ed. ; 1st Collins business essentials ed.). New York: Collins.

Reeves, J. (2009, June 29). Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion Book Review. Kaizen Marketing, Inc.. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from influence-the-psychology-of-persuasion-book-review

Rieck, D. (n.d.). Influence and Persuasion: How to Trigger the “Yes” Response. Direct Creative. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://www.directcreative.com/influence-and-persuasion-how-to-trigger-the-yes-response.html

Stephens, R. (2012, August 20). Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion Book Review | Ryan Stephens Marketing. Ryan Stephens Marketing: Bulding Intimate Business Relationships. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from http://ryanstephensmarketing.com/blog/influence-the-psychology-of-persuasion-book-review/

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review of Influence by Alexi Ingraffia,” please email alexi.ingraffia@selu.edu or lexi.ingraffia09@gmail.com.

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Executive Summary

Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, is an informative and passionate exploration into the world of the introvert. She combats the misconceptions of introverts as anti-social, pathological, misanthropes by focusing on the positive attributes that add to the tapestry of human personality. Cain offers valuable knowledge of how introversion has shaped our perceptions on personality by exploring the insight offered by scientific fields such as neurobiology, psychology, physiology, and psychiatry. She also offers a personal touch, by sharing a few stories of her experiences as an introvert as well as anecdotes about notable historical figures who were considered introverts and how they shaped our world.

The book is divided into four parts. Part One: The Extrovert Ideal, explores the development of America’s perception from The Culture of Character to the Culture of Personality. The Culture of Character emphasized attributes such as citizenship, duty, work, honor, and integrity. The Culture of Personality focused on attributes such as attractive, stunning, dominant, forceful, and energetic. The myth of charismatic leadership is addressed. Cain dispels the idea that extroverts are necessarily poised for leadership and that those who are quick and assertive may not always make the best business decisions. Cain also discusses how an environment that places extreme focus on collaboration (the New Groupthink) can stifle creativity. She also discusses the setbacks of a widely accepted collaborative process, brainstorming.

Part Two, titled “Your Biology, Your Self?”, deals with the nature versus nurture controversy (Are we a product of our innate physiological tendencies, our environment, or both?). Cain utilizes studies performed in scientific fields such as psychology and neurobiology to evaluate the characteristics associated with introversion and extroversion. She mentions that certain parts of the brain, such as the amygdala help control the processing of chemicals such as dopamine that regulate how people deal with social situations.

Part Three, “Do All Cultures Have An Extrovert Ideal?” Cain focuses on the stark contrasts between the quiet, introspective, and group oriented Asian culture and the individualistic, out-going oriented American culture. Cain mentions how Asians experience culture shock when dealing with American customs and the difficulty in adapting to those customs. Cain also mentions the idea of “soft power,” which is considered to be leadership “by water rather than fire.” It is a skillful and subtle way of exercising persistence without aggression in order to achieve compromise.

Part Four, “How to Love, How to Work,” discusses how society as a whole can learn to adapt better to introversion and also serves as advice to introverts on how to adapt themselves to a world saturated with extroversion. Cain mentions how people can help bridge the communication gap between others of the opposite personality type. Cain also discusses how parents of introverted children can help cultivate their personalities by fostering an environment of acceptance.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Quiet

1. An extrovert is defined as a person who directs one’s attention or interest outward or to things outside the self, and an introvert is defined as a person who is concerned with their own thoughts and feelings. A common misconception among people is that introversion is considered a hindrance rather than a quality that is just part of what makes people human. Their disposition is often misconstrued as shyness, social phobia, or anxiety disorder, but that is just the opposite. Introverts are not anti-social, they generally do not prefer one-on-one conversations as opposed to intense social situations. They are also tend to be more individualistic. It’s important to realize that introverts are not anti-social, and extroverts are not pro-social. They are differently social. In other words, they react differently to social situations based on different factors such as environment and physiological makeup.

2. One of the best things that can be done for introverted children is working on their reactions to new situations. Introverted children are considered to be highly sensitive to new events, people, and places. When exposing them to these different situations, be careful not to mistake the child’s caution for an inability to relate to others. The child is recoiling from novelty or overstimulation, not form human contact. Expose your child to new situations and people gradually-taking care to respect their limits. Applaud their efforts when they take initiative to try things that they may have been afraid to try, and above all, do not instill in them that being shy or bashful is in any way shameful or socially unacceptable.

3. Group brainstorming may serve as a means to help facilitate free exchange of ideas, there are some drawbacks to consider. Psychologists identify three distinct reasons whey group brainstorming ultimately does more harm than good. First, is the issue of social lodging: in a group, some individuals tend to sit back and let others do the work. Second, is production blocking: only one person can talk or produce an idea at once, while the other group members are forced to sit passively. Finally, (and probably the most damaging) is evaluation apprehension, meaning the fear of looking stupid in front of one’s peers. These factors serve as a hindrance rather than a help for those who want to exchange ideas freely.

4. Closely related with evaluation apprehension, group influence has a profound effect on decision making in groups. Studies performed by Solomon Asch and others showed that although people may claim to have used rational and evidence based methods to arrive at decisions, they were actually manipulated by their peers for fear of being singled out as an anti-conformist. That’s not to say that group collaboration should be done away with; we should strive to have a balance. We should actively seek out mutual introvert-extrovert relationships, in which leadership and other tasks are divided according to people’s strengths and weaknesses. Create settings in which people are free to circulate between interactions and disappear into their private workspaces when they want to focus.

5. In order to bridge the communication gap between introverts and extroverts, both sides need to be sensitive and receptive to each other’s social needs. For example, when the author talks about resolving conflict between couples that have polar personalities, it’s important to remember that each person may react to conflict differently. Introverts tend to be conflict avoiders, while extroverts tend to be more at ease with a confrontational style of disagreement.  The introvert, for example, may perceive anger exerted by an extrovert as an attack and not as a passionate display of expression, and as a result, the person may shut down. The extrovert, on the other hand may see the introvert’s perception of being attacked as a form of shutting down. These are totally opposite approaches, so they are bound to create conflict.

6. Deliberate practice is a process that is used by people to enhance a newly acquired skill, improve athletic or team performance, and to improve reading, writing, and interpersonal communication. The process entails identifying tasks or knowledge that is just out of your reach, striving to upgrade your performance, monitoring your progress, and revising accordingly. This process is best conducted alone for the following reasons: First, It takes intense concentration, and the other people can be distracting. Second, it requires deep motivation, often self-generated. Third, and most importantly, it involves working on a task that is most personally challenging.

7. There is a misconception that those who are the most assertive and eloquent in group discussions necessarily have the most insightful ideas. For example, when the author interviewed one of the students from Harvard Business School, Don Chen, he told her about a role-playing game called the Subarctic Survival Situation, in which students are divided into teams and asked to imagine that their group has salvaged fifteen items from a plane crash. They rank them in order of importance to the group’s survival first individually then as a team. Then they score those rankings against an expert’s, and finally they group watches a tape of their discussion.

One of Don’s group members had extensive knowledge about the situation, but his opinions were drowned out because he expressed his views too quietly. The point is that opinions that were the most dynamic or talkative person may not always have the best idea, and that leadership styles that value quick and assertive answers over quiet, slow-decision making may not always be the best approach.

8. Reward sensitivity can play an important role in how businessmen make their decisions. Reward sensitivity motivates us pursue goals like risky business ventures, s money, social status, and influence, and it also may motivate us to pay more attention to warning signals. There is a stark difference in how extroverts and introverts respond to reward sensitivity. Neuroscientists have identified that high activity in the part of the brain referred to as the “reward system” (the orbitofrontal cortex, the nucleus accumbens, and the amygdala) in which neurons transmit information through a neurotransmitter via a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is the reward chemical released in response to anticipated pleasures. The more responsive the brain is to dopamine the more reward sensitive a person will most likely be. Over sensitivity to rewards can be disastrous for business owners; The AOL-Time Warner merger, which wiped out $200 billion of Time Warner shareholder value, is a prime example.

9. Self-monitoring is a term for a psychological trait coined by psychologist Richard Lippa when he conducted experiments to monitor how well introverts can pose as extroverts. Those who self-monitor their behavior are highly skilled at modifying their behavior based on the social demands of a situation. They look for and respond to social cues. In contrast, low self-monitors have a smaller arsenal of social behaviors for their use. They are less sensitive to social cues. The issue is an ethical one: Should you stay true to your personality or should you just fake it? Supporters of this type of behavior see it as a way accommodate to different situations. Because of the phenomenon called behavioral leakage, in which our true selves seep out via unconscious body language, there are limits to how we can control ourselves.

10. With many personality traits, there is the issue of nature versus nurture: Are out personalities the product of our circumstances, our genetics, or both? The short answer is that we can stretch our personalities, but only to a certain limit. The great thing is that in spite of our genetic makeup, we can shape our own destinies. We can work to preserve the parts of our character we find most beneficial and improve upon or discard those that dislike.

Full Summary of Quiet

Chapter 1: The Rise of the “Mighty Likable Fellow”

Cain describes how America became known for its fixation upon the idea of extroversion. She chronicles a notable figure in the public speaking arena, Dale Carnegie, and his metamorphosis from a humble, beginnings as a farm boy in Missouri to a prominent and distinguished authority and how he shaped America from what historian Warren Susman called a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality. Cain describes this stark difference: “In the Culture of Character, the ideal self was serious, disciplined, and honorable. What counted was not so much the impression one made in public as how one behaved in private…But when they embraced the Culture of Personality, Americans started to focus on how others perceived them.” (Cain, 21). This shift in cultural perception was due in part to the rapid industrialization, big business, urbanization, and mass immigration. Society was such that “Americans found themselves working no longer with neighbors but with strangers. “Citizens” morphed into “employees,” facing the question of how to make a good impression on people to whom they had no civic or family ties.” (Cain, 22). The psychological concept of the Inferiority Complex ran rampant during the craze of extroversion. This term was used to describe those who were insecure, passive, and uncompetitive; it was considered a grave liability in an increasingly competitive society. To be socially anxious was perceived to be an affliction that led to societal mores such as alcoholism and suicide. Those who were confident and personable were considered to have great success potential. Extroversion has been prized by our modern society, and is considered the ideal attribute that leads to success.

Chapter 2: The Myth of the Charismatic Leadership

Cain describes the wide mix of excitement, angst, and loneliness when she attends a seminar hosted by motivational guru Tony Robbins. She describes Robbins as having a hypnotic temperament-a bind of extroversion-on-steroids characterized, one, by exuberant, upbeat, over energetic, and overconfident traits that are consistent with the ideal salesman; the sales pitch was extroversion. Every interaction should be “a high stakes game in which we win or lose the other person’s favor” (Cain, 38). The more confidence that people can exude, the better people can sell themselves. Cain makes an interesting point in that “At the outset of the Culture of Personality, we were to develop an extroverted personality for frankly selfish reasons…But nowadays we tend to think that becoming more extroverted not only makes us more successful, but also makes us better people (Cain, 42). Cain visits the Harvard Business School, an institution known for its highly extroverted environment. According to the students she interviewed, being assertive is an important attribute to have, even when you don’t have all the facts; this is a sort of Catch 22. Should you act with the utmost confidence and make decisions based on incomplete information, potentially leading those who follow you into disaster, or should you hesitate in your decisions and lose the trust and momentum of your colleagues and potential investors? The student’s social and academic results depend upon how boisterous and opinionated you are. According to Cain it’s considered problematic when students do not voice their opinions. Socializing is imperative in and out of the classroom. In group discussions, the most rational and evidence based suggestions can be discarded because they are not voiced with enough assertiveness. The misconception is that assertiveness of opinion directly correlates to validity or soundness, but that may not always be the case.

Chapter 3: When Collaboration Kills Creativity: The Rise of the New Groupthink and the Power of Working Alone

Cain discusses the importance of creativity and how over-emphasizing group interaction can stifle it. Cain offers a critique of the cultural climate that claims to endorse creative individualism, but the phenomenon of the New Groupthink poses a problem. Cain exclaims that “The New Groupthink elevates teamwork above all else. It insists that creativity and intellectual achievement come from a gregarious place.” (Cain, 75). This attitude is emphasized from face to face interactions and team building exercise. This has bled over into the public school system. Critics have claimed that this style of teaching reflects a culture where people respect others based on their verbal abilities and not originality. Supporters encourage this style because cooperative learning gives students the tools that are in demand in the business world. The New Groupthink according to Cain arose out of the increase in exchange of ideas that came with the advent of the World-Wide Web, which is ironic because it was considered a medium for introverts, but Cain criticizes this saying that, “We failed to realize that what makes sense for asynchronous, relatively anonymous interactions of the Internet might not work as well inside the face to face, potentially charged, acoustically noisy confines of an open office.” (Cain, 79). In studies conducted by research psychologist Andrew Ericson, those who work in solitude are more likely to obtaining information and improving performance. This was because of what is called Deliberate Practice, in which a person identified points of improvement, work to improve those points monitoring and modifying progress accordingly. Cain mentions that this is effective for three reasons: It takes intense concentration; it requires deep motivation, often self-generated and; it involves working on a task that is most challenging to the individual. The point being is that space is vital to creativity. One of the most innovative ways to help resolve the problem of social judgment was the development of the concept of brainstorming by Alex Osborn. He believed that groups that were not bound by peer pressure made better ideas. Although brainstorming is considered popular because of its social benefits, there are some drawbacks that lead to failure. The fear of judgment was demonstrated by experiments performed by Solomon Asch on the dangers of group influence. The question that needed to be answered was “whether people conformed despite knowing the group was wrong, or whether their perceptions had been altered by the group; the conclusion was that group influence plays an important part. That’s not to say that group collaboration is altogether debilitating. The key to solving the problem is to create a healthy balance. Cain suggest that “we should actively seek out symbiotic introvert-extrovert relationships in which leadership and other tasks are divided according to people’s natural strengths and temperaments.” (Cain, 93)

Chapter 4: Is Temperament Destiny? Nature, Nurture, and the Orchid Hypothesis

The author recounts a story when she had to give a presentation to business clients. She tries hard to convey a sense of easiness and self-confidence, but the fear and trepidation still looms in her. She poses the question, “Are they (personality traits that tend toward introversion) the result of “nurture”-the way I was raised? Both of my parents are soft-spoken, reflective types; my mother hates public speaking too. Or are they my “nature”-something deep in my genetic makeup?” (Cain, 99). Cain mentions a study conducted by developmental psychologist Jerome Kagan which was a “series of groundbreaking longitudinal studies” which “documented their psychologies and personalities” (Cain, 99). The study involved exposing babies to various stimuli such as recorded voices, popping balloons, and inhaled cotton swabs. Those that reacted violently were termed “high reactive” which consisted of 20 percent of the participants, and those that had little reaction were termed “low reactive” which consisted of 40 percent of the participants. The remaining 40 percent fell in between those extremes. Kagan predicted that those in the high reactive group would most likely develop into quiet teenagers. Follow-up tests were conducted with different people and stimuli at different ages (two, seven, and eleven years of age). Some of the children and parents were interviewed in regards to their personal experiences. Cain describes some of the scenarios: “Did they prefer one or two close friends to a merry band? Did they like visiting new places? Were they risk takers or were they cautious? Did they consider themselves shy or bold?” (Cain, 100). The results of Kagans study were surprisingly conclusive. Those that were extremely reactionary and sensitive to the stimuli “develop serious, careful personalities,” and those that displayed a more calm and relaxed attitude as infants “were more likely to become relaxed and confident types.” (Cain, 100). Kagan also measured their heart rates, blood pressure, finger temperature, and other properties because of their relation to an organ called the amygdala. The amygdala is considered to control the emotional aspects of the brain that receive information from the senses and informs the rest of the brain and the nervous system. It helps to detect new or threatening aspects in the environment which contributes to the fight or flight responses. Kagan’s conclusion was that the high reactive infants were such because their amygdala was stimulated in response to what they perceived as an intense environment, and the low reactive infants displayed their relaxed behavior not because they were inherently introverts, but because they were not as stimulated by the things around them. The point of the study was to dispel the misconception that extroverts were necessarily considered pro-social, meaning that they were more apt to interact with others, and introverts were disparaged as people who were aloof and didn’t like interacting with people. High reactive children tended toward an alert attention personality where they focus more intently and evaluate decisions more carefully and exercise deep reflection when making observations, especially when around others and are vested more emotionally, but were these results conclusive? Was the entire introversion versus extroversion personality question solely based upon the reactions a result of our nervous system? Kagan initially thought that personality was a result of nurture and not something that was innate. Kagan discussed with Cain that a multitude of environmental factors that work independently or in connection to the nervous system. One theory suggested by biologist E.O. Wilson was that the fear of public speaking was an evolutionary byproduct of early human ancestors. Cain offers her own insight into this controversy: The interaction of our genetic makeup with our personal experiences shape who we are. She poses the question, “To what degree is our temperament destiny?” (Cain, 109). She alludes to the theory of gene environment interaction which basically states that people who inherit certain traits seek out life experiences that reinforce those traits. These people are termed orchids, which are people affected by positive and negative experiences.

Chapter 5: Beyond Temperament

Cain expands upon the nature versus nurture issue by discussing experiments conducted by Dr. Carl Schwartz; he wanted to determine whether the results discovered by his predecessor Kagan were apparent when measuring brain activity. Schwartz conducted his experiments by exposing his patients to a series of pictures while under an MRI scanner to evaluate brain function. What he found, according to Cain, was similar to the results found in the Kagan experiments; high and low reactive states are present in adults. Personality was malleable. Cain mentions the rubber band theory of personality; our personalities are shaped by environmental, social, and physiological factors but only within our physical limits. Cain mentions that during points of when the amygdala is working in response to the fear and anxiety one feels when, for example, meeting strangers at a party, the prefrontal cortex works to soothe those unwanted fears. It is a balance between our emotions and our brain’s ability to deal with those emotions. Cain discusses the story of one of her clients, Ester, who was a tax lawyer that was an introvert who although she was knowledgeable about her profession, she had trouble relaying that knowledge in a public setting. This is because the level of stimulation she experiences is at an uncomfortable level. Cain ties this situation with studies performed by psychologist Hans Eysenck who hypothesized that humans seek optimum stimulation preferences, and he thought that the answer between yet another difference among introverts and extroverts could be found in the ARAS (ascending reticular activating system). Cain describes this as a part of the brain stem that has excitatory mechanisms that cause us to feel awake, alert, and energetic. It also has calming mechanisms. She mentions that Eysenck predicted that the ARAS was responsible for regulating the amount of sensory input, whether the channels of distribution were open or constricted. He thought that introverts were more open to sensory input and overstimulation, and that the opposite was true of extroverts. Our current understanding of how the brain operates suggests that this is not the case. The AARS does not regulate stimulation like an on and off switch. Different parts of the brain are stimulated at different times and at varying degrees, and different types of stimuli elicit different responses.

Chapter 6: Franklin Was a Politician, But Eleanor Spoke Out of Conscience

Cain documents the social progress made by one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century, Eleanor Roosevelt. Cain also describes the personalities of her and her husband and how they clashed. Eleanor was the more socially conscious and introspective type, while Franklin was more out-going and vivacious. Cain mentions that their relationship was a combination of “a sense of his confidence with her conscience.” (Cain, 133) Cain discusses a recent innovation in how introverted traits are perceived. She mentions that what previous scientists on the subject have termed high and low reactivity are now termed sensitivity. She mentions Dr. Elaine Anon’s contribution to the nature versus nurture debate was a radically different approach. It was easy to assess the behavior of extroverts, who were able to express their emotions through social contact, but introverts on the other hand were not easily discernable because “you don’t really know what’s going on inside.” (Cain, 136). Anon conducted experiments by interviewing those who described themselves as introverted; her questions consisted of gathering what their interest, relationships, creative activities, philosophical, and religious views. She boiled these interviews down into a questionnaire and developed twenty-seven attributes based on the responses. She termed people who exhibited these attributes as highly sensitive, which were sensitive to sight and sound, had difficulty when being observed, or judged for general worthiness. They were “philosophical or spiritual in their orientation rather than materialistic or hedonistic.” (Cain, 136). They also tend to process information in more subtle ways focusing on small intricate details. Cain claims that “[Anon's] findings challenged accepted tenets of personality psychology.” (Cain, 137).

Chapter 7: Why Did Wall Street crash And Warren Buffet Prosper?

Cain begins with an anecdote about a person who because of high hopes of return on his investment invested almost his entire life savings in the stock of General Motors during the time leading up to the financial crisis in 2008. Cain uses this situation to illustrate a concept psychologists call reward sensitivity. Cain explains that “reward sensitivity motivates us to pursue goals like sex and money, social status, and influence…” and having extreme sensitivity can blind our judgment to the point we “take outsized risk and ignore obvious warning signs.” (Cain, 157). According to neurobiologist Janice Dorn we have something called the “old brain” which includes various structures, including the amygdala, and it’s highly interconnected with the nucleus accumbens, sometimes called the brain’s pleasure center. We also have the “new brain” which is “responsible for thinking, planning, language, and decision making…the seat of rationality.” (Cain, 159). Introverts are less susceptible to impulse and make more use of the rational side of the brain, and therefore are less inclined to take risks. Extroverts, on the other hand, are more inclined to take risks because of their high reward sensitivity. Cain mentions that “the neurons that transmit information the reward network operate in part through a neurotransmitter-a chemical that carries information between brain cells-called dopamine which is released in response to anticipated pleasures. The higher the level of dopamine in the brain, the more likely a person is to pursue risky behavior. It’s important to note that the theory of introversion and extroversion is in its infancy and is not absolute. Cain explains that “Since the days of Aristotle, philosophers have observed that these two modes-approaching things that appear to give pleasure and avoiding others that seem to cause pain-lie at the heart of all human activity regardless of where people lie on the reward sensitivity spectrum” (Cain, 171).

Chapter 8: Soft Power: Asian-Americans and the Extrovert Ideal

Cain focuses on the differences in perception of introverts versus extroverts in dealing with Asian-American culture and how it differs significantly from the extremely socialized American culture. This sentiment is expressed lie this: “… [Asian] parents schooled a generation ago in Asian cultures were likely taught this quieter style as children. In many East Asian classrooms, the traditional curriculum emphasizes listening, writing, reading, and memorization. Talking is simply not a focus, and is even discouraged.” (Cain, 184). This can come as a culture shock. Another problem Cain mentions is the dismay expressed by professors that deal with the culturally reserved students and their inability to adopt Western educational norms. In the San Jose Mercury News article called “East, West Teaching Traditions Collide,” teachers have trouble coaxing any participation out of their students because of the “deference barrier” created by Asian students’ reverence for their teachers. These scenarios just reinforce stereotypes and miss the fact there are cultural differences in personality within a particular country or region. For example, in terms of group identity, Asian cultures focus on seeing themselves as part of a greater whole and place tremendous value on cohesion. By contrast, American culture focus on the power of the individual. What may be seen as submissive and weak by American culture is considered by Asian culture to be a deeply felt concern for others. Cain discusses the idea of ‘relationship honoring:’ “It’s because of relationship honoring, for example, that social anxiety disorder in Japan, known as taijin kyofusho, takes the form not of excessive worry about embarrassing oneself, as it does in the United States, but embarrassing others.” (Cain, 190). The personality differences embodied by each culture (Western respect for freedom and individuality and self-expression in contrast to the Eastern ideals of introspection and group cohesion) should be valued because of its importance to humanity as a whole.

Chapter 9: When Should You Act More Extroverted Than You Really Are?

The issue discussed in this chapter is the person situation debate. Cain asks, “Do fixed personality traits really exist, or do they shift according to the situation in which people find themselves?” (Cain, 206). A similar issue arises concerning the free-will issue discussed in Chapter 5. There are physiological limits on our behavior. The question becomes whether we should manipulate our behavior within the range available or remain stable. At what point does trying to find a feasible balance become meaningless? This issue is addressed in a new field of psychology called Free Trait Theory. The theory explains that people are “born and culturally endowed with a certain personality traits, but we can and do act out of character in the service of core personal projects that are meaningful, manageable, and supported by others” (Cain, 209). Richard Lippa, research psychologist performed a study where he monitored a group of pseudo-extroverts and actual extroverts and measured their body language. The results showed that the ability of pseudo-extroverts to pass themselves off as extroverts is due to a trait known as self- monitoring in which people modify their behavior based on social cues to fit to social demands. There is also the phenomenon called behavioral leakage in which our habitual selves leak out; this would inhibit how much introverts can portray themselves as extroverts. Cain offers three key steps in identifying your core personal projects. Introverts may find giving presentations or human interaction more rewarding when they are doing something that vies them purpose and meaning: First, think back to what you loved to do as a child and the happiness and excitement you experience. Second, pay attention to the work you gravitate to. Finally, Pay attention to what you envy.

Chapter 10: The Communication Gap: How to Talk to Members of the Opposite Type

Cain notes that there is a disparity in communication between introverts and extroverts, and she discusses ways that people can dissolve it. She describes a couple-one extrovert and the other introvert-who have personalities that are polar opposites. The husband thinks that his wife is anti-social because she is reluctant to join him at his dinner parties, and she feels as if there is something wrong her. This issue arises out of the misconception that introverts are anti-social and extroverts are pro-social. People are sociable to differing degrees, based on a variety of social, societal, and environmental factors. This is what psychologists refer to as the “need for intimacy.” Those with highly valued levels of this trait tend to prefer “sincere and meaningful relationships over wild parties” and “extroverts seem to need people as a forum to fill needs for social impact, just as a general need soldiers to fill his or her need to lead.” (Cain, 226-227). This difference in personality can brew dysfunction in relationships. For example, Cain refers to the couple’s misunderstanding of how each of them resolved conflict. She mentions that, “When Emily lowers her voice and flattens her affect during fights with Greg, she thinks she’s being respectful by taking the trouble not to let her negative emotions show. But Greg thinks she’s checking out, or worse, that she doesn’t give a damn. Similarly, when Greg lets his anger fly, he assumes that Emily feels, as he does, that this is a healthy and honest expression of their deeply committed relationship. But to Emily, it’s as if Greg has suddenly turned on her.” (Cain, 232) Cain address Greg’s misunderstanding that venting anger in an argument may be counterproductive when dealing with someone who sees his behavior as an attack. Emily, on the other hand, must break her cycle of slipping into guilt and defensiveness; to see past Greg’s anger and address his actual points. It’s a delicate balance between being assertive of one’s position without being overly aggressive.

Chapter 11: On Cobblers and Generals: How to Cultivate Quite Kids in A World That Can’t Hear Them

Cain describes a situation where a couple became deeply concerned for their child when he exhibited signs of passive behavior. The parents were out-going, passionate, and competitive-a stark contrast in personality. They just assumed he was depressed. The issue was a specific case of Dr. Jerry Miller, child psychologist calls poor child parent fit. The parents were well meaning, but failure to step back from their own preferences and analyze the situation from the perspective of the child led them to believe that their child needed to be fixed or treated. The potential for emotional and psychological damage is obvious in situations like this. Cain suggest that parents should not see shyness as a negative trait, but as an opportunity to learn about what drives their children to be who they are. Cain advises parents of introverted children to work with them on their reactions to new social situations and to not mistake their “caution in situations for an inability to relate to others… [They're] recoiling from novelty or over-stimulation, not from human contact (Cain, 248). She later advises that parents should gradually expose their children to new situations taking care to respect their limits. Help the child to understand that it is fine to feel uneasy and hesitant, but applaud them when they take initiative to venture into new social territory. Avoid associating shyness with negativity. Cain also suggests enlisting the help of a pediatrician to help locate social workshops. They can learn how to enter groups, introduce themselves to new peers, and read body language. She also critiques the classroom structure that is designed mostly for extroverts. She mentions that “We tend to forget that there’s nothing sacrosanct about learning in large group classrooms and that we organize students this way not because it’s the best way to learn, but because it’s cost-efficient,” and that classes dominated by group discussions leave students “little time to think or create.” (Cain, 253). Can offers advice on how to foster an all-inclusive school environment. Help children find out what interest them. When dealing with group work situations, encourage introverted children to take the initiative and claim responsibility for a role that interests them. Children do not necessarily have to make assertions when contributing to a discussion, but they can contribute questions that may add to the discussion.

The Video Lounge

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYn6NeWemVw.]

Susan Cain is interviewed by Forbes Magazine, in which she describes the overall thesis of her book and how she arrived at it. She describes a culture that has been negatively biased against certain traits associated with introversion, such as shyness, and seriousness. As a result of this rampant bias, introverts are encouraged to act more like extroverts instead of their “true selves.” This stress leads to what she calls “a waste of talent” as a result of introverts trying to fit into a world that does not always work in their best interest. She addresses the common misconception of introversion equating to anti-social, but she mentions that introverts are not anti-social, just differently social, meaning that they may prefer an environment that has less social stimulation (a glass of wine with a close friend as opposed to a large party). Cain mentions that there is a sea of change in perception of introverts in society. She hopes to change the psyche of the culture by unmasking the stigma and shame associated with individuals who identify as introverts, and she hopes to change how workplaces and schools structure their environment to be more inclusive for introverts.

Personal Insights

Why I think:

• The author is one of the most brilliant people around…or is full of $%&#, because:

Claiming that Susan Cain is one of the most brilliant people around would be an overstatement. However, I do think she does bring great insight into the world of introverts. As a self-identified introvert, I can relate to the personal experiences of herself as well as those she interviewed. She makes a passionate and articulate case for the power of introverts by dispelling the misconceptions associated with introversion. She gives criticism where it is needed, but she also offers suggestions on how to solve problems such as disparities in communication and group interaction in regards to introverts.

• If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. Although I enjoyed the insightful anecdotes that helped to lead into the topic of each chapter and topic, there was a problem with continuity. The specific issue was tying the anecdote back to the main topic of the chapter. The scientific studies were very informative and offered demonstrable, testable, and measurable means of validating her points, but some could have been left out. Overall, the author could have simplified her explanations to help keep the reader’s interest.

2. When mentioning parts of the brain that were involved in biological processes involved with evaluating personality (such as when explaining the processes associated with the amygdala), providing diagrams for readers to refer to would have been helpful. I would have also left out parts of the scientific research that seemed speculative.

3. When describing terms, especially those that are as broad and expansive as the terms introversion and extroversion, there is a problem of being too broad that people who may not consider themselves introverts are inadvertently identified as such. Those who may consider themselves cerebral, sensitive, thoughtful, and bookish may also be outgoing and assertive; it’s just a matter of perspective. I would have honed in on a specific definition and worked from there.

• Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. Prior to reading the book, my negative experiences with people who were disdainful of my introversion colored my perception. I have considered introversion as some disease that needed to be cured. After reading the book, my perception is more positive, and I understand that as she mentioned, I’m not necessarily anti-social, but differently social.

2. Like all other personality traits, introversion and extroversion is pervasive throughout different cultures. Also, there is a spectrum with which each person falls into. There is no culture that is distinctly introverted or extroverted, but people that react differently to certain social situations and to varying degrees.

3. Communication, especially when dealing with those that have an opposite personality type, should have a holistic approach. Both sides should be wary of how each person approaches conflict resolution. For example,  a person who may think that releasing anger as an appropriate means of resolving conflict may not do so well when arguing with a person who may not be as aggressive or assertive.

• I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. Whenever I am confronted with people who misconstrue introversion as a socially debilitating disease, I would use this as an opportunity to educate others on the idea that what makes humanity interesting is the different personalities and methods of expression that gives each person its uniqueness. We are not doing ourselves any favors by demonizing our differences.

2. I would work more diligently to combat my fear of public speaking just as the author had done. She utilized the desensitizing approach: exposing herself to the thing that she was afraid of in manageable doses. When faced with situations where I have to discuss topics, I should treat the feelings of trepidation and fear as excitement and eagerness; have a positive instead of a negative perspective when dealing with stressful situations.

3. Understanding and nurturing the social needs of others is essential when dealing with others that differ in personality. If I were to have children, I would not let my past experiences of struggling with the negativity I experienced because of my introversion color their attitude. I would not force them to adapt to what’s considered normal just as a matter of convenience. I would enforce the idea that whatever their personality type, it is being positive and influential members of society that matters.

• Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

Judith Warner in her New York Times offers words of praise and disdain for Susan Cain’s book. Warner hints at a contradiction by mentioning that “Introverts may be an odd audience for a book about power and leadership-concepts that necessarily involve the tiring and unappealing prospect of having power over, and leadership of, other people.” She applauds the author for her honesty in exploring and dissecting the cultural disparities that introverts experience: feeling unappreciated, undervalued, and jealous of their extroverted counterparts. Although Warner approves of Cain’s keen and informative writing she makes notable criticisms as well. Warner mentions that Cain fails to convincingly engage the adult audience through her defective definitions of the word introvert, her misconceptions about the how truly content introverts are, and her “gratuitous sloganeering,” which devalues the scientific research. Warner mentions that Cain’s expansion of the word introvert to include “all that is wise and good” has devoid the word of any specific meaning. Warner exclaims that if Cain associated herself with introverts outside of the business world, she may have been aware of introverts who were content with themselves.

Abhijit Bhaduri of The Times of India is less scathing, describing her work as an interesting read. He gives a basic synopsis of the book, and he also addresses the differences often associated with introversion and extroversion: “Extroverts get energized by meeting people. Introverts need quite time to charge their batteries at the end of a day of meeting people. The introvert will not hesitate to talk about the most intimate details of his life with the passenger on the next seat in a flight.” He encourages people to read the book because “If you are an introvert, the book will make you walk tall. This is a book that you have waited for. If you are an extrovert, you will feel a little sheepish about how much you have missed by ignoring introverts around you.”

Jon Ronson of The Guardian offers his personal insight into the work by relating his own personal experiences as a self-professed introvert. It was a personal revelation and a sigh of relief for him to finally figure out that he was not alone. Ronson makes a snide remark about the saturation of extroverted culture saying that “We think extroverts are great because they’re charismatic and chatty and self-assured, but in fact they’re comparatively narcissistic and unthoughtful and we’re committing a grave error structuring our society around their garrulous blah.” Ronson is ecstatic to find that the attributes that he once considered a detriment to himself are those that actually add substance to his persona. Although Ronson praises Cain for her whimsical comparisons of the fragile personality of introverts to orchids he also critiques the immaturity of this comparison when he says that “…Then I feel embarrassed that I derived pleasure from being compared to an orchid and I realize that sometimes Cain succumbs to the kind of narcissistic rhetoric she eschews in extroverts.” He further critiques her for her litany of anecdotes and scientific studies, and that so much emphasis shouldn’t be placed on them because “we still have very little idea about why certain bits of our brains light up under various conditions.” Ronson expressed his displeasure at the lack of mention of ambiverts, and that her insistence on trying to fit people into two boxes is not helpful for her cause.

Sam Rocha’s review is not as abrasive but still critical. He applauds her for her powerful storytelling and her ability to build a poignant and persuasive case for the power of introverts. He also critiques Cain for complicating the word introversion and extroversion by saying that, “…much of the book relies on a provisional, yet artificial, binary between introverted and extroverted.” Rocha still gives her praise for relaying an important point about human personality as a whole: “…we are not blank slates, as Lock and Pinker claim, we carry certain dispositions in our hearts and minds and bodies that do not necessarily come from our environment. There is mystery inside us all.”

Bibliography

Bhaduri, A. (2013, March 29). Book Review: Quiet by Susan Cain. The Times of India. Retrieved from http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/just-like-that/entry/quiet-by-susan-cain.

Cain, S. (2012). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking. New York: Crown Publishers.

Rocha, S. (2013, February 19). Is God an Introvert? A Review of “Quiet,” by Susan Cain. Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/blogs/samrocha/2013/02/is-god-an-introvert-a-review-of-quiet-by-susan-cain/.

Ronson, J. (2012, March 22). Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain – review. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/mar/22/quiet-power-introverts-susan-cain-review.

Warner, J. (2012, February 10). Inside Intelligence Susan Cain’s ‘Quiet’ Argues for the Power of Introverts. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/books/review/susan-cains-quiet-argues-for-the-power-of-introverts.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.

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Contact Info

To contact the author of this article, “A Summary and Review of Quiet by Susan Cain please email joseph.jones-3@selu.edu or day17@suddenlink.net.

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About the Publisher

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Laborde Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.org), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. His blog, Career News 24/7, can be viewed at http://wyld-about-careers.blogspot.com/.