Bob Sutton, organizational psychologist and bestselling author, shares insights on how to overcome friction at work. They discuss steps for leaders to become better listeners, the advantages of inconvenience, and why it’s better to be a boring leader than an a-hole boss.
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Quick takeaways
Friction can be both detrimental and beneficial in organizations, and leaders should recognize the value of good friction in limiting excessive behavior or preventing errors.
Leaders should prioritize listening and asking questions over making statements, as genuine curiosity leads to more effective leadership and innovative conversations.
Deep dives
The Importance of Making Workplaces More Effective
Bob Sutton, an organizational psychologist, discusses his interest in improving broken workplaces. He emphasizes the responsibility of academics to have real-world impact and make workplaces more effective. Sutton believes that his mentor's perspective and his own personal experiences with broken systems motivated him to pursue this field of study.
The Role of Friction in Organizations
Sutton explains that friction refers to the obstacles that impede progress and slow down intended actions in organizations. While bad friction can be frustrating, Sutton highlights that friction can sometimes be beneficial. He provides examples such as the necessity of friction to prevent accidental orders through automated devices or the use of good friction to limit excessive software usage in organizations.
The Impact of Indifference and Privilege on Leadership
Sutton discusses the negative effects of indifference and privilege on leadership. He argues that leaders should not be shielded from inconveniences or protected from the daily realities faced by their team members. Sutton suggests that leaders should experience the same challenges and inconveniences as their employees to gain a better understanding of their needs and make more informed decisions.
The Importance of Asking Questions as a Leader
Sutton highlights the significance of leaders prioritizing questions over statements. He encourages leaders to maintain a balanced ratio of questions to statements and to genuinely listen to the answers provided. By adopting a curious and inquisitive mindset, leaders can create more fruitful and innovative conversations and enhance their leadership effectiveness.
Bob Sutton is an organizational psychologist and bestselling author. In this zesty conversation with Adam, Bob shares insights on how to overcome friction at work. The two also discuss steps for leaders to become better listeners, the surprising advantages of inconvenience, and why it’s better to be a boring leader than an a-hole boss. Bob’s latest book, The Friction Project, is out now. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts
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