Seth Godin, an influential author of 21 bestsellers and founder of altMBA, shares insights on transforming ordinary meetings into significant conversations. He emphasizes that effective communication starts with confidence and permission, urging leaders to create a culture where dialogue thrives. Godin critiques traditional meeting styles as barriers to progress and advocates for 'page 19 thinking'—a collaborative approach to innovation. Listeners are encouraged to redefine their meeting dynamics, fostering relationships that lead to meaningful work.
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insights INSIGHT
Three Songs of Work
Seth Godin introduces three "songs": safety, increase, and significance.
Significance represents fulfilling work, exceeding expectations, and feeling valued, contrasting with mere survival (safety).
insights INSIGHT
Meetings as a Symptom
Meetings are a symptom of managers' need for control, not genuine collaboration.
They often prioritize the manager's time and power over the team's, hindering true productivity.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Shift to Conversations
Replace meetings with conversations; conversations involve genuine listening and potential for changed minds.
Managers often resist true conversations as they perceive them as threats to their control.
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The Song of Significance
A New Manifesto for Teams
Seth Godin
In 'The Song of Significance', Seth Godin addresses the disconnection and disengagement in modern workplaces, particularly in the era of economic instability and remote work. Through 144 provocative stanzas, Godin critiques outdated industrial management practices and proposes a new approach that emphasizes significance, purpose, and human value. He argues that leaders should focus on creating a culture where employees feel valued, empowered, and trusted to deliver their best work. The book uses analogies, such as the comparison between industrial work and the cooperative behavior of honeybees, and includes real-world examples from various organizations to illustrate the benefits of this new approach. Godin's work is a call to action for leaders to transform their organizations into thriving ecosystems where employees find meaning and significance in their work.
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Seth Godin: The Song of Significance
Seth Godin is the author of 21 international bestsellers that have changed the way people think about work. His books have been translated into 38 languages. Seth writes one of the most popular marketing blogs in the world, and two of his TED talks are among the most popular of all time.
He is the founder of the altMBA, the social media pioneer Squidoo, and Yoyodyne, one of the first internet companies. His blog is at seths.blog and his newest book is The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams*.
Seth says that the foundation of all real skills is the confidence and permission to talk to each another. No place is that more apparent than in our meetings. On this episode, Seth returns to help us move towards meetings of significance.
Key Points
The song of significance is about work that matters, being part of something bigger than each one of us, and doing things we’re proud of.
Many organizations and leaders hold meetings, but they are often reports and lectures. Meetings of significance are conversations.
Despite knowing the critical important of conversations, we tend to resist them in our roles. Our work is to begin those conversations.
Start with agreement on what a meeting is how we do work that matters through it. The problem is rarely with Zoom. The problem is how you show up to facilitate the meeting.
Create the culture you need to serve people well by setting the tone for it. You have more power than you think.
Resources Mentioned
The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams* by Seth Godin
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
Five Steps to Hold People Accountable, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 306)
The Way to Have Conversations That Matter, with Celeste Headlee (episode 344)
How to Lead Meetings That Get Results, with Mamie Kanfer Stewart (episode 358)
How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551)
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