Books & Resources

Book Review: 5 Dysfunctions of A Team

A good friend of mine, John Quigley, recommended I read a book called “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” by Patrick Lencioni. Similar to “The Goal” and  other effective and transformative business books I have read, this book’s concepts are delivered through the telling of a single story. Its an easy read, straightforward, entertaining and insightful. However, there is a great amount of depth to the book that becomes apparent as one looks to remedy the dysfunctions in the real world.

What I enjoyed most about the book is that it provides an arc or a foundation for building a great team. Similar to what I have read in Wisdom of Crowds, Wikinomics and Open Space Technology, groups of people have an amazing quality to really make remarkable things happen in this emergent and non-linear process. These dysfunctions, when addressed and remedied really allow for a clearing or space for a team to excel.

Here are the 5 dysfunctions that every leader and team member should be aware of in order to see optimum results.

Dysfunction 1: Inattention to Results – This is largely a function of team members being more interested in status and egoic interests.

Dysfunction 2: Avoidance of Accountability – This is shows up as low standards or low goals.

Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment – This is a result of ambiguity of job, direction and goals of the team.

Dysfunction 4: Fear of Conflict – The is evident when you see an artificial harmony within the team. There is such a thing as healthy conflict.

Dysfunction 5: Absence of Trust – This dysfunction expresses itself as members of the team being invulnerable.

Throughout the story, Patrick does a great job capturing the essence of each of these dysfunctions and how a leader can go about addressing these dysfunctions. After identifying each dysfunction, I would say that the next most important part of the book is the final chapter of the book, “Understanding and Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions.” Within this chapter are a list of exercises and resources for addressing each dysfunction.

Below is a really great YouTube video from the author with a short summary of the dysfunctions.

Posted by bradyu3 on October 24, 2011 Read More Leave a comment
Personal

Locomotive

locomotiveI do feel like the life I live is mine. I do feel that I have the keen opportunity to enjoy it. But really for me, pleasure is like exercise for the soul. Doing simple and enjoyable activities ground me and have me be related to what is important in life. Nature, art, literature, friends….these are all areas of life that deepen my appreciation. And…..at the most basic level, these areas source and support my drive. I am a locomotive looking for its track. I spin my wheels and know they are good for something. I am not here to breathe and take up space. I am a builder. I see systems and I see a broken wheel the size of the planet, and I want to fix it. I want a world that works for everyone. I happily invest my life for those opportunities. Today, my koan, my question is…where should I lay my tracks and where should I put this soul to use.

Posted by bradyu3 on October 17, 2011 Read More Leave a comment
Personal

Avon Buddha

I wanted to tell one on myself in this post. Kind of a funny story…actually a very short story.

My mother in law loves everything Avon and gets her kids and In-Laws gifts from Avon, every Christmas :)

So one year she learns that I am a student of Eastern Studies and decides that getting a buddha ,from Avon, would be a great gift for our home. Upon opening the gift, I recall being mortified and really bummed. I remember thinking, “It’s just not right to have a Buddha from Avon! Avon is materialism incarnate, everything the Buddha taught to see past.”

Over the years the Buddha statue has stayed with us and oddly enough, my impression of the gift has changed too. I am a little embarrassed when I think of how offended I was by the ceramic mold that Amber’s mom had given us. Today I realize that its just a statue, nothing more. I like it. Even more interesting is that I actually like it because it is from Avon. There is something silly and profound about having a symbol of wisdom in your home and having it come from a place so detached from anything spiritual.

Thank you Mother-In-Law Phyllis :)

Posted by bradyu3 on August 5, 2011 Read More 1 Comment
Business Related Posts

8 Myths on Web Design and Strategy

Over the last few years I have encountered a number of interesting perspectives on how people treat websites and go about creating them. I think at the back of peoples minds are some myths that interfere with the true reality of creating fun, efficient and effective sites. So I created this article, which is my first stab at giving a name to some of these myths in the hopes of educating you, the reader, on what to avoid and embrace when creating your own web presence strategy. Please feel free to leave comments and criticisms below. I intend on developing the article further.

8 Myths Click Here To Download

Posted by bradyu3 on August 3, 2011 Read More 6 Comments
Uncategorized

Infusioncon – 2011

Crap, I don’t know how a month has passed so fast. Regardless, I wanted to get out this post about my experience from attending last months Infusioncon hosted by Infusionsoft.  (http://www.infusioncon.com)

For those readers that are not familiar with Infusionsoft, they are a software company that provides small businesses with a host of CRM/Marketing Automation tools. (http://www.infusionsoft.com)

Once a year, this company will host a 3 day free event to anyone wishing to attend.

Here are some aspects of the event that I found very interesting.

1. More than half of the people there were women. This is very unusual given that this is a software company, the application is technical and historically this his been a predominantly male event. I think this is representative to the growing number of new business owners that are women.

2. Over the course of the conference I connected with the owners and employees of the company. I was able to view first hand their commitment, personality and general good will towards their customers. It was fun to meet them, see the latest and greatest developments and figure out where they are heading.

3. The last item I just really wanted to emphasize here was the notion of the small network of service providers that surround Infusionsoft. Infusionsoft is a powerful and technical application. As a result, not every individual is technically sophisticated enough to be able to take full advantage of the application. As a result there is a small community of vendors (including Infusionsoft) that support small businesses wishing to use Infusionsoft’s application. This event proved to be great in being able to network with various vendors and see the neat projects/products they have developed.

Infusioncon 2
Infusionsoft Pic

Posted by bradyu3 on May 1, 2011 Read More Leave a comment
Personal

My personal AQAL Map – From Integral Theory

The AQAL model was created by Ken Wilber as a core part of his contribution to Integral Theory. I have taken this model and extended it to map my activities and aspirations for my life as part of my Integral Life Practice. The idea behind this activity is to map my life, what I do with it and make sure that all dimensions of my existence is being exercised. It is kind of like “cross training.” Doing different types of activities as a part of a larger framework can really forward and support your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual dimensions.

Here is a very simple description of the AQAL Model and what you need to know to understand the basics of it.

Every unit of reality is both a whole and a part of a larger whole, has an interior and an exterior. A unit of reality also exists as an individual unit and (assuming more than one of these entities exists) as part of collective if other units. So this could apply to an atom, cell or a human being.

Observing the unit from the outside constitutes an exterior perspective on that unit. Observing this unit from the inside is the interior perspective, and so forth. If you map these four perspectives into quadrants, you have four quadrants, or dimensions.

For example, a human being has an interior dimension that is psychological/conscious, an external physical side which is the body, a collective interior which is shaped by language and culture and then a world of things in which that person exists, like a community. Here is a link to learn a little more: (Wikipedia)

So below, is an AQAL map with the roles or hats that I wear in my life. For example I place the practice of Yoga in the upper half, because it involves really only my mind and body. If I am a teacher of yoga, then I could place that in the lower left hand corner.

Brady’s Personal AQAL Map

AQAL 2011 BWU

I have added the various roles that I play in my life on top of this map and the various practices that I am a part of that support or overlap with the corresponding quadrant on the AQAL map. Also, I have also included a ranking of how strong or solid I think I am in this role. This year, I really have two major focuses…and that is my spiritual practices and my 1099 consultant role. Ultimately I would like to be able to draw these together where my work with companies is a spiritual expression of my gifts I would like to offer to the world. I also want to quantify that the rating of 3 is a rating of where I am versus where I think I can be by my 40th birthday. I think I am only a fraction of effective as I will be a eight years from now.

My Roles
Role (Rating on a scale of 1 – 10 with level of engagement) – Description
Partner (5)-  This is the role I have with Amber. Intimacy/ Roommate/ Explorer

Family Member (6) – This is the role I have with family. Unconditional support & interest.

1099 Consultant (3)  – This is the role I play for clients. Being of service and utility.

Friend (5) – This is the role I have with those that know all or parts of me.

Citizen (6)– This is the role I serve on the planet by the very nature of participating in life.

Seeker/Yogi (4)– This is the role I engage in when I seek truth to embody and realize.

Explorer (8)- Writer/Designer/Creator/Thinker/Inventor/Researcher – This is the role I find myself
in for temporal truth to be used in the here and now….may not be valid or useful in 5 – 100 years.

Child (2) – To be in guiltless play and fun.

Posted by bradyu3 on February 26, 2011 Read More 1 Comment
Business Related Posts

Reverse Engineer….from the beginning

Brett Harward (Author, Speaker and Business Coach) challenges his corporate & small business clients to find a company to model themselves after. Having a model to emulate helps individuals and organizations make decisions, establish direction and build organizational cohesion.

While I completely support this action and often tell clients to do the same, today I am reminded of a potential pitfall that may arise if attempted a bit naively.

For every model worthy company there has been a history for that company that lead up to where they are today. (You could say the same for any model worthy individual) That companies history informs them, gives them a personality that externally can not be read/seen/measured by others. In simpler terms, they went through a lot of CRAP to be where they are. The simplest thing someone could think would be, I want to be like “X” not really knowing what it took to get there or event how.

The REVERSE ENGINEER PART:

In the pursuit of being like company X, you may have forgotten that the path to be like that does not begin with modeling what they do today per say. For multiple reasons: You don’t have the expertise, connections, bandwidth, same position in the market.

So, in order to reverse engineer from the beginning, you will want start with the inquiry of:

  • Where did my model company start?
  • Where did they begin….and…where should I begin?
  • What part of this company can I begin to take on as my ideal attribute…what is realistic?
  • What are the romantic notions I am making up about this company?

At the end of the day, a model company creates a possibility for your company to embrace from head to foot, and from there to generate.

One could begin with mimicry…that may work. But at the end of the day you may be stepping over what it is really going to take, the deep stuff, to really see the real difference for picking a role model company to emulate.

What provoked this line of thought was a client. Lets say I have a client that wants to be the next Oprah. So if I am going to be the next Oprah, I should do the things that Oprah is doing now. It would be very very different to start with the intention, I want to be the next Oprah, what, specifically do I love about what she is doing and what is the next most specific and immediate action that I could take that would glacially take me in that direction. For example, the first step would not be get a TV show or work on your hollywood connections…or it could be. Potentially, your first action may be to find your unique voice that supports and inspires others. The possibility of being Oprah creates a concept for your mind to work with and a future set of actions.

Knowing the history, is the beginning of reverse engineering.

Posted by bradyu3 on January 19, 2011 Read More Leave a comment
Personal

Personal Countertop Creation Process

I don’t know where I got the idea….but somewhere along the way over the last few years I saw or heard about concrete counter tops. In retrospection of the last few months, I realized that I had gone through some process that started with an idea and ended with adobe colored concrete countertops in my kitchen. I thought it would be useful for me to document the steps I went through for this project.

A few things to know about me….I am handy when it comes to turning a wrench or pounding a nail and love applying abstract ideas/concepts to real world scenarios.

Step 1: I saw or heard about concrete countertops. Then I did nothing for a long time. I can’t remember when

Step 2: Then I called a professional and asked what it would cost to be done in my house. $100/square foot or more! That would be a minimum of $2500 for my kitchen.

Step 3: I did my research. Learned that people make these by themselves and that there are mud kits for people to do this. I called my cousin that is in the construction business…he gave me the name Buddy Rhodes. (http://www.buddyrhodes.com/)

Step 4: I bought the intro dvd from BuddyRhodes.com on doing concrete countertops.

Step 5: Watched a ton of youtube videos on concrete countertops.

Step 6: I created a plan to do my kitchen and I took a professional to coffee. I was currently living in Boise at the time and was getting ready to move back to Salt Lake City and remodel my home…this countertop was part of the remodel. While in Boise I found a professional concrete installer and took him to coffee. He was so helpful, patient and kind and walked me through the process again and he reviewed my plans and made some suggestions.  Here is what is crucial about this conversation. While talking to him I learned where I was thinking in line with reality and where I was off. This was huge for my confidence level. This is the same thing that I did with my cousin. Somewhere inside of the conversations, I got enough insight and confidence to do this with minimal error.

Step 6: Did the work. 2 and a half days of hard work and nearly $900 bucks later….I had 25 square feet of new concrete countertops. :)

countertops

Posted by bradyu3 on December 26, 2010 Read More Leave a comment
Personal

CURIOSITY – Beware of this intellectual badge of honor

“A thirst for knowledge and need for information never leads to a  thinking* inquiry (original or transformative thought*) . Curiosity is always the concealed arrogance of a self consciousness that banks on a self invented rationality. The will to know does not will to abide what is worth of thought.” – Martin Heideger

With the help of Werner Erhard (see video below), I believe the above quote from Heideger is more readily accessible. I have found particular resonance with this statement for the fact that I have a thirst for knowledge, a tenacious drive for more information. This propensity for more information is a fault at times and here is why. I can see that at some point, “MORE INFORMATION” is a major distraction from real thinking. I want to qualify by what I mean by thinking. I am using the word the way Heideger uses the word. Thinking is real, honest to god thought that leaves the person thinking, altered. This type of thinking ignores the historicity stored in your brain, leap frogs culture and penetrates a new depth of the topic at hand. “Thinking” is rare and is not the gesticulation of information bits into ever complex or clever combinations. Thinking at the most profound level is a balance of information, space and seeing the formless symmetry in what lies before you.

So, I would like to leave you with a simple thought…. often times you have all the information you need. If that is true, then how and where do you go to think at a profound level. Curiosity is great and worthwhile, but at some point you have arrived with the information at hand and only need to see it clearly.

Posted by bradyu3 on November 1, 2010 Read More Leave a comment
Books & Resources

The Goal – A book Review

I had the pleasure of recently reading “The Goal” by Eliyahu M. Glodratt and Jeff Cox.

The Goal

The Goal

It was suggested to me by Dr. Tony LaTurner of Pacific Business Review LLC.

I have prepared a 3 page outline of key content throughout the book.

In short, here is what I have began to see as a result of the book. The essential and intrinsic order of companies can be realized through measurements. Measurements that are optimized in isolation tend to have compounding effects in an organization that pull the company away from the goal. Local optimum to do not add up to maximum efficiencies.  This book points to three critical measurements.

Throughput – the rate at which the system generates money through sales.

Inventory – the money that the system has invested in purchasing things which it intends to sell.

Operational Expense – the money the system spends in order to turn inventory into throughput.

The real goal is to reduce operational expense and reduce inventory while simultaneously increasing throughput. All of these must be done together, and none of them in isolation. Notice, that there is no mention of efficiency in this measurement system.

For me the most powerful section was on the two phenomenon of “dependent events” and “statistical fluctuations.” These two mathematical paradigms form the basis for why the Theory of Constraint works and why the typical organizational model for efficiency/production is flawed.

Below you will find that I have taken the time to capture three pages of the most eloquant and useful material from the book, at least in my opinion. This is my first read of the book, I am sure I will be coming back to it in future posts taking a deeper cut at some of the concepts.

Click Here to get the book review

TheGoalNotes2

Posted by bradyu3 on October 19, 2010 Read More Leave a comment