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My Nose, Other People’s Business

by cv harquail on January 4, 2010

I love sticking my nose into other people’s business.

There, I’ve said it. It’s true, if a little odd. I think it sometimes embarrasses my family, this interest in other people’s business.

If you ever run in to me at a dinner party, or picking up kids at Tae Kwon Do, or walking to the train, probably the third thing I’ll ask you about (after yourself and your family) is what’s happening with your business.

If I can, I’ll ask you about the direction your business is taking, how healthy (or not) your organization feels, whether you are inspired, and how you’re trying to make a difference there.

201001040622.jpgI’m not so much interested in whether that accounts receivable issue is under control again (although I can talk about strategies for that) or whether it really makes sense in this climate to take on extra debt to invest in a new laminating technology (although I can pose tough questions about that too).

But I can- and will – talk about your strategy, your boss, your employees, your big picture, your enterprise perspective, or even your own hopefulness about your new direction, if you’ll let me.

People often find my favorite line of inquiry a little surprising.

I imagine that people are surprised because, while we often want to talk with our friends about how ‘work’ is going or what’s up with our careers, it’s not often that someone asks us about the mood in the company, about our views of leadership, and about how our organization is being authentic or not.

And, some people seem surprised when questions like these come from a woman.

Especially when I meet someone new (as I did at that New Year’s Day brunch last week, when we were talking about the threat of content farms to the magazine industry) I feel like I need to mention that I have a PhD from a business school, that I’ve taught MBA students and execs for years, and that I work with organizations and managers to establish strategies for aligning their actions and their purpose. As much as I hate to think it, sometimes new acquaintances assume that I’m your stereotypical work-from-my-home-office mom with a blog who “writes” and “consults”, and who has more to say about PTA fund-raising than about the motivational effects of various programs for re-pricing employee stock options.

And thus, sometimes people are surprised when I start to stick my nose into their business.

But, once we get past that possible implicit barrier, here’s what I usually discover:

  • Most people quickly warm to the idea of talking about their business.

  • They are actually delighted to have someone to listen to them talk it out, to bounce ideas off of, and to ponder alternative perspectives. Once they get going, they can unfold some pretty sophisticated concerns, and they do enjoy looking closely at the big picture.

  • People secretly want to talk about their business, and just don’t get asked to do it often enough.

    The best part? Sometimes I can even ask a question that helps people reframe the situation in a way that feels more hopeful, in a way that helps them see how they can make a difference. That’s actually my favorite part.

    I am not quite sure why we don’t talk invite ourselves to talk with each other about our businesses, more often. It’s fun, really it is.

    So forgive me if at first I seem nosy, asking you about your business.

    I’m not trying to drum up another consulting gig (though, I’ll be here should you need me). I’m curious. I just want to know more about your business.

    I’m pretty sure you’ll have fun telling me.

    Photo: Wake up and smell the flowers from nualabugeye on Flicker

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    5 Blogs Every MBA Student Should Be Reading

    by cv harquail on September 8, 2009

    Every MBA student is pressed for time. Balancing demanding priorities, like classes, learning teams, job hunting, and family, while also getting some sleep, leaves little time for cruising the web looking for insightful posts.

    Lucky for you all, I can recommend 5 terrific blogs that can help you link what you’re learning in your MBA management classes with what’s happening in the real world.


    I have a particular bias about what’s important for managers and leaders to pay attention to, after 10 years of teaching MBAs and twice that consulting in organizations. My bias is that finance precepts, operations formulas and pricing strategies are plentiful, easy to find and easy to put into practice. In contrast, wisdom about leadership, management and organizations is more rare, harder to find, and more difficult to put into practice.

    What I’ve been discovering in the blogosphere are a number of writers – some academics, some consultants – who have a knack for raising important leadership and management questions, either by applying these questions to current business,organizational, and cultural events, or by examining the events themselves for insights. There are at least 2 dozen generalists, and probably another 2 dozen topical specialists, who raise important leadership & organizational issues day in and day out on their blogs. Here, I want to recommend five of these blogs to you.

    Neither “top blogs” nor “the best” blogs, but terrific

    These aren’t “the best” blogs or the “Top 5 Blogs”. Categories like “the best” feign objectivity and an established, concrete criterion, neither of which exists. Moreover, these categories are unnecessarily limiting– there are in fact a lot of “top” blogs that are “the best”.

    There are some blogs, however, that stand apart because of the ways that their authors delve into leadership and management questions from distinctive and (dare I say) authentic standpoints, giving you a take on issues that is so unique you won’t find it anywhere else.

    Let me recommend 5 blogs that are terrific enough that every MBA student should be reading them.

    5 Blogs Every MBA Student Should be Reading


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    Work Matters, by Bob Sutton

    Bob’s blog is one of the most popular management blogs, and for good reason — Bob is one of those rare academics who is simultaneously killer smart, funny, self-effacing and kind, qualities that come out in his topic selections and his writing. His “No Asshole Rule” is the best known of his many books and research articles. While the “No Asshole Rule” is ostensibly the focus of the blog and the topic that draws readers initially, it’s Bob’s curiosity and relevance that gets readers to stay and participate.

    Some posts to sample:
    The Accuracy of First Impressions: An amazing old study about “thin slices” of behavior
    When Layoffs are Immoral: Randy Cohen in The New York Times
    Wal-Mart and Girl Scout Cookies: Thin Minty-gate


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    Positive Organizational Behavior, by Bret L. Simmons

    Bret is a lucid and lovely writer, a thoughtful teacher, and a dynamic citizen of the world. His blogging ranges widely across management and leadership topics, often following his teaching, and always imbued with that kind of uncommon common sense that makes even the most esoteric question matter. Bret’s posts combine insights from his personal leadership and management experience with the analytic rigor of his scholarly training. Take one part Air Force officer, one part McDonald’s Corporate Manager, a Phd and an sense of purpose and -viola – you’ve got Positive Organizational Behavior. Follow @drbret on Twitter.

    Some posts to sample:
    The Courage to Participate in Transformation as a Leader
    The Stepford Organization
    My Advice to New MBA Students


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    Management Craft, by Lisa Haneberg

    Word for word, no management blog is more useful on a daily basis than Management Craft by Lisa Haneberg. Lisa is both a professional writer and a management consultant; her skill at both is part (but absolutely not all) of what makes her usually short posts so powerful. What really sets Lisa’s work apart is her focus. Each post has a point, each question is provocative, each recommendation is useful. Follow @LisaHaneberg on Twitter.

    Some posts to sample:
    Topics Your Management Training Programs Should Address, But Likely Don’t
    10 Ways to Manage Your Mistakes
    10 Questions Every Leader Ought to be Asking


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    Edge Economy, by Umair Haque

    Umair is a writer with a strong vision and an even stronger moral and intellectual compass. He writes provocatively about the role of business in society, innovation, and radical management. His blog is hosted by Harvard Business School press, so it has the imprimatur of “The Establishment”. But make no mistake– Umair’s out to change business as we know it, for the better. Read Umair’s blog if you want to think right now about questions that will only occur to other managers months (or years) from now. Follow @umairh on Twitter.

    Some posts to sample:
    The Case for Constructive Capitalism
    How to Build (and Use) Thick Power
    What Would a Fair-Labor iPod Cost?


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    AuthenticOrganizations, by CV Harquail

    Reading Authentic Organizations will give you regular opportunities to think differently about leadership & organizational challenges.  Questions of authenticity — about how organizations can align identity, action and purpose — cut across so many facets of organizations that these questions are relevant to discussions about strategy, reputation, branding, marketing, HR, social responsibility, and of course leadership. We get to go beyond theoretical discussions to consider in real life how our collective and individual desire for authenticity can lead us to contribute to our organizations, our cultures and our society.  Follow me @cvharquail on Twitter.

    Some posts to sample:
    Wal-Mart Knocks Off the Girl Scouts
    What’s your *personal* ROI as a Brandividual?
    Organizational Identity, Employee Branding and Political Contributions: Should you care if The Body Shop leans Republican?

    What blogs do you think MBA students should be reading?

    I’d love to hear what blogs you think MBA students should be reading, and why you recommend these blogs, so that we can share your recommendations.
    I’ll be recommending more blogs in future posts, so sign up for AuthenticOrganization’s RSS feed or email newsletter to stay up to date.

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    Are Apologists for Layoffs Actually Just Bad Economists?

    February 26, 2009

    Here’s a post in honor of my friend Ian Ayres, a law & economics scholar who celebrates a big birthday today. Ian is constantly challenging academics of all stripes to stretch their thinking by asking themselves hypothetical questions. His favorite rhetorical tactic always seems to include two words: Why Not? Ian eschews any line [...]

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    The Only Harvard Business Review Article You Need to Read

    January 27, 2009

    Rarely am I inspired by the Harvard Business Review.
    Despite Harvard Business Review’s efforts to revamp their print edition (with a zippier format, hip graphics and bite-size summaries) and to expand their online initiatives, HBR has always felt behind the times. Even when HBR has addressed issues critical to my own research or [...]

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    An Agenda for Management Innovation: 25 Challenges

    January 27, 2009

    1. Ensure that management’s work serves a higher purpose.
    Management, both in theory and practice, must orient itself to the achievement of noble, socially significant goals.
    2. Fully embed the ideas of community and citizenship in management systems.
    There’s a need for processes and practices that reflect the interdependence of all stakeholder groups.
    3. Reconstruct management’s [...]

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