Diversity Doesn't Work

Imagine two groups of problems solvers. Group #1 is homogeneous. That is, everyone has similar personalities and areas of expertise. Group #2 is diverse and comprises a blend of different styles and experiences. Which group will perform better? In times of crisis and on simpler tasks, Group #1 will always perform better. They “speak the […]

Everyone Reacts Differently

Back in 1996, I was conducting an important three-day “train the trainer” session for a program we were launching at Accenture. I was personally training 200 top client partners and managers. It was critical that we got everyone’s buy-in. At the end of day one, the partner in charge of program, Bob, asked me how […]

Are You Playing With a Full Deck?

Today’s Wednesday Work Wisdom… Personality Poker is a tool I developed for helping organizations play with a full deck; enabling them to have a good balance of complementary styles. Why? Because opposites don’t attract. As a result, organizations naturally homogenize around one particular style.  (See my article, “Your Organizations is a Cult” for more on […]

Wednesday Work Wisdom: Your Organization is a Cult

Contrary to conventional wisdom, opposites do not attract. In fact, it has been scientifically proven that opposites repel. The reality is, like attracts like. As a result, your organization has a bunch of people who think the same way. People have personalities, and so do organizations. Many would call this their culture. This is an […]

Books in Chinese

I’m please to announce that both Personality Poker and Best Practices Are Stupid  are now available in Chinese.  I love the cover designs, especially the cat on the Best Practices Are Stupid book.

Work with People You Don't Like

When asked by a Fortune 20 company to boil down Personality Poker into a 350 word article for their intranet, this is what I created… We all have heard the expression, “opposites attract.” But in fact there is irrefutable scientific evidence that in relationships, opposites repel. We prefer to be around people who are similar to […]

Innovation & Poker Interview with Chris Taylor

I recently had the great pleasure of welcoming Chris Taylor into my condo.  He came with his video camera, an in depth understanding of my work, and an amazing interview style.  The result? One of my favorite video interviews…ever.  Be sure to check it out and learn more about Chris at Actionable Books.

My Interview on IdeaConnection

Vern Burkhardt is one of the best interviewers in the innovation space. I am pleased to have spent time with him for a two-part interview. Here are the first two questions/answers for the first interview. At the end you can follow the link to the IdeaConnection website for the other 38 questions. Vern Burkhardt (VB): […]

Why You Should Work With People You Don’t Like

[This article originally appeared on the American Express Open Forum] Contrary to “conventional wisdom,” opposites don’t do NOT attract. While individuals who are different than you might initially seem intriguing, in the long run these differences will invariably push you apart. This fact has been scientifically proven. Science aside, consider your personal relationships. If you […]

The Pygmailion Effect and You

The Personality Poker book is now available. Be sure to buy your copy today. Each book comes with a deck of the specially designed poker cards. And no, you do not need to know anything about poker to play! The only way you can lose is if you don’t have a personality. This is the […]