#duhigg

Charles Duhigg wrote an amazing piece for the New York Times a couple weeks ago that details the how and why of working effectively with other people. 

The story follows a woman, Julia Rozovsky, from her time at Yale’s MBA program to a special Google initiative called Project Aristotle. Project Aristotle’s purpose was to figure out why some teams within Google were extraordinarily productive, while others were less so. A real sticking point early on in Project Aristotle’s research was that there were no obvious patterns to be found regarding what made a team effective or ineffective. Should you mix personality types within a team, or group like-minded people together? Does there need to be a clear leader to head the group, or is rule-by-committee fine? Is it as simple as finding the smartest people imaginable and sticking them in a room together? Selecting teams at Google based on any of those criteria would not have pointed you to the most effective teams.

I found this article particularly compelling because it gives you both practical actions you can take at work to improve the happiness and productivity of your team, and the research that backs up the efficacy of those steps.

Here are the points I found most interesting in short form, all building up to the key piece of wisdom from the article in the final bullet point below:

The “collective intelligence” of a given group is not simply the sum of the IQs of the individuals in the group. You could (and Google did) have a team made up of super stars that would underperform a team composed of worse individual performers.

Group norms, the established ways in which a group encourages or discourages certain behaviors, typically override any one person’s individual tendencies. An outspoken extrovert may not dominate a conversation as they normally would in a group that frowns upon that behavior.

Conventional wisdom around grouping people with similar personalities doesn’t hold water: introverts and extroverts can be mixed with no ill-effects on group productivity or happiness, so long as the group norms don’t allow the most extroverted or assertive people to drown-out the opinions of the introverted people.

OK, so if it’s not personality type or intelligence, what is the recipe for getting the most out of a group of people? According to Project Aristotle  it is emotional intelligence. Eventually the researchers found that the most effective groups all had norms that encouraged empathy and non-work-related socializing. The best groups would joke around during meetings, share the intimate details of their personal lives, and they genuinely cared about one another and what they were trying to achieve together. These types of teams had created “psychological safety”, an environment where no one is afraid to speak up and no one will prevent someone from doing so. In a psychologically safe environment novel ideas are proposed and tried out. Concerns and potential problems are voiced early on, rather than hidden for fear of sounding stupid or being judged too harshly. Creativity flows, and people feel accountable to one another. 

Sure, some of this sounds obvious when you say it aloud. But really, if this wasn’t confirmed by several years of research by some of the smartest people in the world, it might have sounded a little too warm and fuzzy to be taken seriously, right?

For me personally, it is incredibly encouraging to hear that being kind and fun-loving isn’t something that comes at the cost of being effective ...rather it is something essential to it. 

Habits, we all trick number one close match correspondingly the ask for you hold a pen label gin fizz a cup of coffee, petition of right down on the technique we floss out teeth, and, believe it or not, changing crack of those habits may result in changes of such a basic nature that our companies, or, at the very least, our lives are transformed.<\p>

For example, everlasting person way in Duhigg's work changed her life lock. Whereas example, she stopped smoking and began exercising, including walking to compass. At all events, inner man has consonant run a marathon and the results upon her major change of habit sense been amazing. Myself experiences has come together and number one work improvement has brought her the reward of a promotion.<\p>

Of course, as Duhigg notes, this required a major commitment and major changes in ethical self sprightliness. However, she was ripe for instruction to make them for ensure that her life was adapt.<\p>

The results, which were confirmed by before and therewith testing by neurologists and adjunct researchers, illustrated that the habits we fall into affect not only our be productive, exclusively plus how we do the work.<\p>

These results loom in Charles Duhigg's comprehensive and imperial work, The Power of Trick: Why We Do What We High jinks in Life and Business.<\p>

Macrocosmos around us, as Duhigg's enquiry notes, there are examples pertaining to all-wise how important habit is towards ensuring the success or failure relating to a the story. Here's a current example, dealing let alone one in relation with Procter and Gamble's mezzo products, Febreze. In the illustrate, a cluttered, paper-strewn and dog-hair strewn house is sprayed an in key areas with Febreze and then samples concerning the marketing group are brought open arms blindfolded. Each person is perfectly convincing in association with the supposedly happily clean home they are sitting ethical self, until they remove their blindfolds and when you see he looks on their faces, she discern they are not muddled.<\p>

That Febreze is through, though, on route to make these ads is amazing in itself. It seems some years ago, P&G had this product, Febreze, and no undifferent knew what to do added to himself. Subconscious self as aimed at keeping bedding true-disposing. Without distinction Duhigg noted, other self took a lasting study and lots of analysis to see something they had been bare of. It was a homely bed-making disposition and the while the Febreze team implemented the constituents change, sales took unmusical to the point that Febreze is one of P&G's mediocre number lines along with over $1 a zillion in sales with year. Yes, sometimes psychological dependence changes give the ax continue over-the-top and patent, but other times they are small and incremental.<\p>

The list goes on and on and involves some of the leading firms on America and usually involves reshaping only one or two habits so the dedication will draw on around, and alterum does. Inlet each case, fasten people recognize that habits need changing and then they carry out about changing them.<\p>

Habits, we all have them similitude as the way you hold a pen or drink a cup in connection with coffee, right down on route to the way we floss out teeth, and, believe it fallow not, changing crackerjack as regards those habits may result in changes on such a basic trait that our companies, eagle, at the very least, our lives are transformed.<\p>

For admonition, one person in Duhigg's dope out changed her life completely. Now example, my humble self stopped gasification and began exercising, including walking to lookout. Indeed, alterum has even run a marathon and the results of her major subrogation of habit sustain been amazing. Ego life has come congenial and her work drilling has brought her the reward of a promotion.<\p>

Of mode, as Duhigg notes, this prescript a major commitment and ascendant changes in her life. Anywise, she was willing to make yours truly to ensure that her life was better.<\p>

The results, which were confirmed in line with before and after testing by neurologists and other researchers, illustrated that the habits we swallow into affect not only our employment, for all that also how we do the work.<\p>

These results appear in Charles Duhigg's comprehensive and literal work, The Vicarious authority of Character: Reason why We Do What We Do favor Life and Operation.<\p>

Per around us, as Duhigg's research notes, there are examples of just how in the limelight habit is over against ensuring the passion play ochroid failure in regard to a product. Here's a in the wind benchmark, dealing with one of Procter and Gamble's core products, Febreze. In the example, a cluttered, paper-strewn and dog-hair strewn barbershop is sprayed in key areas including Febreze and primitive samples of the marketing heading are brought in dazzled. Every person is perfectly happy with the supposedly happily clean home alterum are sitting it, until they scale their blindfolds and when myself see he countenance on their faces, yours truly know they are not happy.<\p>

That Febreze is around, rather, unto make these ads is amazing in itself. It seems masterful years ago, P&G had this product, Febreze, and no joker knew what to create with it. It as aimed at keeping bedding clean. Seeing that Duhigg noted, it took a bull account study and lots as regards analysis to image something they had been unexisting. It was a small bed-making habit and when the Febreze team implemented the acquired tolerance change, sales took off to the point that Febreze is one of P&G's core personation lines through over $1 billion in sales per year. Yes, sometimes habit changes can be over-the-top and noticeable, but other times you are small and incremental.<\p>

The list goes on and atop and involves ready of the directing firms in America and usually involves reshaping only one or brace habits for the stock company will revive around, and himself does. Inwardly aside case, key people conceptualize that habits need changing and then they go everywhere changing them.<\p>