HBR IdeaCast

Amy Gallo, a contributing editor at HBR and author of "Getting Along," dives into the art of handling difficult coworkers. She discusses the importance of empathy and self-reflection while navigating workplace dynamics. Gallo outlines effective strategies for dealing with various personality types and emphasizes the need for adaptable communication. She also highlights how setting realistic goals can improve professional relationships and shares personal stories, including her challenges with a micromanaging boss.

Wendy Smith, a management professor at the University of Delaware, and Marianne Lewis, the dean of the University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business, explore innovative decision-making strategies. They argue against binary thinking, advocating for 'both-and' approaches that embrace ambiguity. The discussion highlights how this mindset fosters creativity, especially in navigating leadership paradoxes and managing uncertainty. Through practical advice and real-life stories, they reveal how embracing complexity can lead to personal and organizational growth.

Jamil Zaki, a Stanford associate professor of psychology, dives into the unsettling rise of workplace cynicism and its toxic impact on productivity and morale. He discusses the alarming findings from the 2022 Trust Barometer, revealing that nearly 60% of people default to distrust. Zaki highlights the difference between healthy skepticism and detrimental cynicism, offering strategies to transform workplace culture through hope and trust-building. His insights illuminate how fostering a positive environment can ultimately lead to better outcomes for organizations.

Nathan Furr, a strategy and innovation professor at INSEAD, and his entrepreneurial partner Susannah Harmon Furr delve into the benefits of embracing uncertainty drawn from their book, "The Upside of Uncertainty." They share how discomfort can lead to innovation and meaningful achievements. The couple discusses the transformative concept of 'transilience' during the pandemic, highlighting real-world examples of leaders who turned risks into opportunities. They stress aligning personal values with entrepreneurial decisions and developing resilience for navigating life's uncertainties.

Thomas Kochan, a professor at MIT Sloan School of Management, dives into the recent revival of unionization across various sectors. He discusses the reasons behind this resurgence, debunking common fears associated with unions. Kochan emphasizes the importance of empowering employee voices and adapting workplaces to meet the needs of younger workers. He also analyzes the successes and challenges of union efforts at companies like Amazon, advocating for cooperative relationships between labor and management to enhance organizational performance.

Aiyesha Dey, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, explores the hidden risks of CEO hiring in this engaging conversation. She argues that conventional metrics fail to capture critical character traits that could predict future misconduct. Dey discusses how executives' lifestyle choices, like materialism and minor legal infractions, can foreshadow serious ethical breaches. By shifting focus to personal behavior, she suggests, boards can make better hiring decisions to prevent corporate malfeasance.

In this insightful discussion, Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, co-authors of the impactful book on managing emotions, share their expertise on navigating intense feelings in the workplace. They explore the necessity of recognizing and expressing emotions like anger and anxiety, and how this openness can foster a healthier work environment. The duo offers practical strategies for transforming venting into growth, encouraging vulnerability among colleagues, and emphasizing the importance of emotional support in combating loneliness and despair.

In this engaging discussion, Georgetown Professor Kasra Ferdows shares insights on the power of open digital platforms, drawing from Haier Group's innovative approaches during the COVID-19 crisis. He explains how fostering collaboration can turn supply chain platforms into engines of innovation, urging companies to break free from siloed operations. Ferdows also highlights the importance of trust and network effects in driving business success, and how a growth mindset can help organizations adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

Bo Seo, a two-time world champion debater and author of "Good Arguments," shares his insights on transforming workplace disagreements into productive discussions. He emphasizes the importance of constructive debate for better outcomes, advocating for tools like the RISA checklist. Seo introduces techniques like the 'Four W's' for structuring arguments and highlights the need for role-playing opposing views to enhance engagement. Ultimately, he encourages fostering a culture of debate to improve team collaboration and communication.

Trier Bryant, co-founder and CEO of Just Work, discusses vital strategies to combat bias and inequality at the team level. He critiques corporate responses post-George Floyd's murder, highlighting the gap between superficial support and genuine change. Bryant shares practical approaches for individuals and teams to address unconscious bias effectively. He emphasizes the importance of 'calling in' instead of 'calling out' and offers frameworks for fostering inclusive environments. His insights empower individual contributors to drive real DEI impact in the workplace.