HBR.ORG JanuaRy–FeBRuaRy 2012
reprint F1201F
Column
Candor, Criticism,
Teamwork
by Keith Ferrazzi
For the exclusive use of L. Zhang, 2023.
This document is authorized for use only by Limeng Zhang in Strategic Management (MGMT 4890) taught by Kelly Ashihara, Dongguk University from Dec 2022 to Jun 2023.
W e’ve all been there: trapped in
pointless meetings where par-
ticipants are afraid to speak
honestly. We twiddle our thumbs through
diplomatic PowerPoint presentations, wait-
ing for the meeting to end so that the real
conversations—which usually happen in
private—can begin.
The desire to avoid conflict is under-
standable, but it’s one of the most debili-
tating factors in organizational life. Lack
of candor contributes to longer cycle
times, slow decision making, and un-
necessarily iterative discussions. A too-
polite veneer often signals an overly po-
liticized workplace: Colleagues who are
afraid to speak honestly to people’s faces
do it behind their backs. This behavior
exacts a price.
My team interviewed executives at
six top banks to gauge their teams’ level
of candor. We found that the teams that
scored the lowest on candor saw the poor-
est financial returns among those banks
during the recent global economic crisis. In
contrast, groups that communicated can-
didly about risky securities, lending prac-
tices, and other potential problems were
able to preserve shareholder value.
Indeed, in our research at more than
50 large companies over the past three
years, we identified “observable candorâ€
as the behavior that best predicts high-
performing teams. But asking people to
be candid in the absence of a supportive
organizational culture is a challenge. We
believe that forthrightness should not just
be encouraged but required. We’ve devel-
oped three techniques to help coworkers at
all levels interact more directly:
Keith Ferrazzi is the CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, a research-
based consulting and training company, and the author of
Who’s Got Your Back (Broadway Books, 2009).Ferrazzi
Colleagues who are afraid
to speak honestly to
people’s faces do it behind
their backs.
1. Break meetings into smaller
groups. When five or more people meet,
those with confidence and commanding
voices will dominate. Even strong speakers
may find it hard to take risks in front of a
larger audience. One solution is to break a
big meeting up into groups of two or three
to brainstorm for a few minutes, and then
have a spokesperson from each group re-
port back to the entire team. Smaller groups
promote higher degrees of risk taking and
increase the odds
Building the Emotional Intelligence
of Groups
by Vanessa Urch Druskat and Steven B. Wolff
Reprint r0103e
For the exclusive use of L. Zhang, 2023.
This document is authorized for use only by Limeng Zhang in Strategic Management (MGMT 4890) taught by Kelly Ashihara, Dongguk University from Dec 2022 to Jun 2023.
80 Copyright © 2001 by Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.
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For the exclusive use of L. Zhang, 2023.
This document is authorized for use only by Limeng Zhang in Strategic Management (MGMT 4890) taught by Kelly Ashihara, Dongguk University from Dec 2022 to Jun 2023.
Building the
march 2001 81
W
Emotional
Intelligence
of Groups
By now, most executives have accepted that emotional
intelligence is as critical as IQ to an individual’s effectiveness.
But much of the important work in organizations is done in
teams. New research uncovers what emotional intelligence
at the group level looks like – and how to achieve it.
hen managers first started hearing about
the concept of emotional intelligence in the 1990s,
scales fell from their eyes. The basic message, that effec-
tiveness in organizations is at least as much about EQ as
IQ, resonated deeply; it was something that people knew
in their guts but that had never before been so well artic-
ulated. Most important, the idea held the potential for
positive change. Instead of being stuck with the hand
they’d been dealt, people could take steps to enhance
their emotional intelligence and make themselves more
effective in their work and personal lives.
Indeed, the concept of emotional intelligence had real
impact. The only problem is that so far emotional intelli-
gence has been viewed only as an individual competency,
when the reality is that most work in organizations is
done by teams. And if managers have one pressing need
today, it’s to find ways to make teams work better.
by Vanessa Urch Druskat
and Steven B. Wolff
For the exclusive use of L. Zhang, 2023.
This document is authorized for use only by Limeng Zhang in Strategic Management (MGMT 4890) taught by Kelly Ashihara, Dongguk University from Dec 2022 to Jun 2023.
It is with real excitement, therefore, that we share these
findings from our research: individual emotional intelli-
gence has a group analog, and it is just as critical to
groups’ effectiveness. Teams can develop greater emo-
tional intelligence and, in so doing, boost their overall
performance.
Why Should Teams Build
Their Emotional Intelligence?
No one would dispute the importance of making teams
work more effectively. But most research about
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