Dec 16, 2020
Barry Schwartz is an American psychologist. He frequently publishes editorials in
The New York Times applying his research in psychology to current
events. Schwartz's research addresses morality, decision-making and
the inter-relationships between science and society. His books
illuminate the underlying psychological plagues of our
time.
- Why We Work
- The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is
Less
- The Battle for Human Nature: Science, Morality
and Modern Life
- Practical Wisdom
Key Takeaways
[2:25] It’s Barry’s secret
desire is to play in Bruce Springsteen’s band, or to play center
field for the Yankees.
[4:25] Wise people have good
judgment and they use that judgment in the service of good
goals.
[9:25] There is an infinite
number of ways people can screw up. Putting more rules in place
doesn’t stop that from happening.
[10:30] As a leader, you want to
instill good judgment in your people so that you can relax the
rules.
[13:00] Most management systems
are designed to avoid developing wise employees.
[15:00] Barry shares a story of
how doctors learn to deliver bad news.
[18:00] Instead of stumbling
through your careers, mentors can help you find shortcuts and
prevent a lot of mistakes.
[21:20] Rules are okay if you
are seeking mediocre results. They do not work well when
extraordinary circumstances arise, which happens every
day.
[21:55] Employee incentives can
also be a double-edged sword because it can move focus away from
the people you’re trying to serve.
[31:20] When you plan on using
your judgment, there will be times you get it wrong. This means you
also have to be prepared for failure.
[33:50] Empathy is good, but too
much of a good thing can hurt others unintentionally.
[34:10] Organizations have to be
willing to tolerate imperfect outcomes and failures if they’re
trying to nurture people.
[39:00] In highly competitive
environments, leaders are afraid to relax because they don’t want
to fall behind, but people need that from time to time to produce
innovative results.
[41:15] If you’re trying to
build a workforce that lasts generations, setting up quarterly
metrics and goals only forces people to think short
term.
[42:00] Companies are making
critical mistakes. They’re hiring ‘plug and play’ people that they
can use today and not thinking about the resources and talent pool
they’ll be needing for the future.
[42:15] Hire people on character
and things you can’t teach, and then teach your people the skills
they need to know to get the job done.
[45:30] We have a narrow
understanding of what self-reliance truly means.
[48:55] Unfortunately, it often
takes trauma to get people willing to take a chance and to think
boldly about different ways to do things.
[51:35] As we navigate a new
world, be open to changing yourself.
Quotable Quotes
- “You
want people to use their judgment, but if you don’t trust the
people you’re overseeing to have good judgment, then, of course,
you have to give them rules.”
- “Better to come up with a rule that will keep
people mediocre than say, ‘Use your judgment.’”
- “A
lot of the stuff we learn to be wise, we learn the hard way, you
learn by making mistakes, but if you have a mentor, the mentor can
make sure the mistakes aren’t catastrophes.”
- “Courage is the mean between cowardice and
recklessness. If you’ve got too little, you’re a coward. If you got
too much, you’re reckless. You want just the right
amount.”
- “If you focus on rules, you’ll have rule followers.
Rule followers are okay if you are seeking mediocre
results.”
- “Most
companies hire on the basis of abilities that can be immediately
put to use. They want plug-and-play employees. This is a colossal
mistake.”
Resources Mentioned
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