reviews
By Alyson Nyiri, CHRL
WANT A MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK? READ EXTENDED BOOK REVIEWS ON WWW.HRPATODAY.CA. 46 ❚ SEPTEMBER 2015 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL
HUMANS ARE
UNDERRATED: WHAT
HIGH ACHIEVERS
KNOW THAT BRILLIANT
MACHINES NEVER WILL
By Geoff Colvin
Penguin Random House, 2015
Emotient has developed software
called Sentiment Analysis
that can tell you that person’s
overall sentiment (positive, negative,
neutral). Simply have your
employees speak to you online
and have the software analyze
their sentiments. Imagine what
could be learned about improving
learning and development.
Humans, though, have the social
necessity that individuals
be accountable for important
decisions. Further, relationship
building, teaming, co-creativity,
brainstorming, cultural sensitivity
and the ability to manage
diverse employees will continue
to be skills best done by
humans.
Talking point
The popularity of Big Data
is quickly and fundamentally
transforming HR. As such,
the skills of social interaction
are now more valuable than
general cognitive skills in the
work world. Empathy is the
new critical 21st century skill.
AGILITY SHIFT:
CREATING AGILE
AND EFFECTIVE
LEADERS, TEAMS, AND
ORGANIZATIONS
By Pamela Meyer
Bibliomotion, 2015
Agile firms grow revenue 37
per cent faster and generate
30 per cent higher profits than
non-agile companies. More
importantly, the core dynamics
of agility shift – interacting
and interconnecting – are key
to our ability to create and experience
meaning, purpose
and happiness. Agility shift is
the intentional development
of the competence, capacity
and confidence to learn, adapt
and innovate in changing contexts
for sustainable success.
Hiring people with these competencies
is paramount and
Meyer offers tips for organizations
on how to hire agile
Talking point
A recent trend in many new
business books is the search for
and implementation of meaning
in the workplace through
relationships with others.
Prominent thinkers are now
infusing their work with the
language and values of interpersonal
relationships.
workers.
DISRUPT YOURSELF:
PUTTING THE POWER
OF DISRUPTIVE
INNOVATION TO WORK
By Whitney Johnson
Bibliomotion, 2015
Disruptive companies are
those who secure their initial
foothold at the low end of
the market, offering inferior,
low-margin products. These
are the companies, Johnson
writes, you want to invest
in early because of the huge
growth potential. Johnson applies
disruption as a radical
way for individuals to disrupt
themselves, avoiding stagnation,
being pushed out by
“low-end entrants” (younger,
smarter, faster workers) and
fast-tracking their personal
and career growth.
Talking point
In today’s world of work, individuals
are required to adapt
and innovate at a pace not
seen in previous generations.
Workers must constantly
demonstrate their ability to
integrate new information and
their willingness to transform
their mindset and behaviour
in order to step into new
roles. n
SIMPLE SABOTAGE
By Robert Galford, Bob Frisch &
Cary Greene
Harper Collins, 2015
During World War II, the
Office of Strategic Services
(now the CIA) published a
classified document called the
Simple Sabotage Field Manual.
It detailed methods to disrupt
and demoralize enemy institutions
without being detected.
One section was devoted to the
methodical disruption of the
enemy’s organizations. Simple
Sabotage provides tips on how
to recognize saboteurs and
implement remedial actions
to stop destructive behaviour.
Rooting out sabotage is a
challenge as many actions are
distorted versions of accepted
organizational life, such as
enforcing rules or involving coworkers
in decisions.
Talking point
Examples of sabotage: haggling
over wordings of communications;
referring back to matters
decided upon at the last meeting
and attempting to re-open
solved questions; referring all
matters to committees, for “further
study and consideration”;
attempting to make committees
as large as possible – never
less than five.
