Page 144 - HBR's 10 Must Reads 20180 - The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review

LET YOUR WORKERS REBEL

entered the lexicon (see “How GE Teaches Teams to Lead Change,”
HBR, January 2009).

Hire people with diverse perspectives. Decades’ worth of research
has found that working among people from a variety of cultures
and backgrounds helps us see problems in new ways and consider
ideas that might otherwise go unnoticed, and it fosters the kind of
creativity that champions change. At Osteria Francescana the two
sous-chefs are Kondo “Taka” Takahiko, from Japan, and Davide di-
Fabio, from Italy. They differ not only in country of origin but also
in strengths and ways of thinking: Davide is comfortable with im-
provisation, for example, while Taka is obsessed with precision. Di-
versity in ways of thinking is a quality sought by Rachael Chong, the
founder and CEO of the startup Catchafire. When interviewing job
candidates, she describes potential challenges and carefully listens
to see whether people come up with many possible solutions or get
stuck on a single one. To promote innovation and new approaches,
Ed Catmull hires prominent outsiders, gives them important roles,
and publicly acclaims their contributions. But many organizations
do just the opposite: hire people whose thinking mirrors that of the
current management team.

Step 6: Voice and Encourage Dissenting Views
We often seek out and fasten on information that confirms our
beliefs. Yet data that is inconsistent with our views and may even
generate negative feelings (such as a sense of failure) can provide op-
portunities to improve our organizations and ourselves. Leaders can
use a number of tactics to push employees out of their comfort zones.

Look for disconfirming evidence. Leaders shouldn’t ask, “Who
agrees with this course of action?” or “What information supports
this view?” Instead they should ask, “What information suggests
this might not be the right path to take?” Mellody Hobson, the presi-
dent of Ariel Investments and the chair of the board of directors of
DreamWorks Animation, regularly opens team meetings by remind-

126