Crucial Talks Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Crucial Talks Episode 15 To Err is Human, but not SAC Policy Jan 21, 2018

Show notes

People should not be treated as parts of a machine that can be replaced. Curtis Lemay pioneered long-range bombing tactics and the Strategic Air Command. Lemay cared about his people and lead from the front. He didn't ask anyone to do anything he wasn't willing to do himself. However, he also did not differentiate between "the incompetent and the unfortunate." This can create a lack of trust and can stifle communication. It can also make us blind to system issues because we are looking at people as problems. For more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and feel free to contact me.

Crucial Talks Episode 14: Risks and Roles, Sense-making and Decision-making - R-100 & R-101 Jan 14, 2018

Show notes

The roles we play in our organizations, our society, and our lives can impact the decisions we make and how we make sense of the world around us. On October 4, 1930, the R-101 airship collided with the ground resulting in an inferno killing 48 of the 54 people on board. In this episode, we'll use the R-101 as a case study to discuss the impact of the roles we play on our decision-making and sense-making. For more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and feel free to contact me.

Crucial Talks Episode 13 Three Legs of the Burnout Stool: Avoiding Dissatisfaction, Fatigue, and Apathy Jan 07, 2018

Show notes

Avoiding employee burnout can be accomplished by thinking of it as a three-legged stool. The three things that make up employee burnout are: 1. Feeling a lack of accomplishment, 2. Fatigue, and 3. Apathy. By using social identity (group belonging and team esprit) we can build the capacity to avoid employee burnout. This episode uses scenes from the movie "Office Space" to discuss the affects of burnout and how we can avoid it.

For more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and always feel free to connect via email, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

Crucial Talks Episode 12 Eustress, I Stress, and We Stress. Social groups can build the capacity to deal with stress Dec 31, 2017

Show notes

Eustress is positive stress while distress is negative. In many of our organizations and in our general lives, people look at stress as an individual phenomenon. The reality is that stress is more impacted by groups and social belonging. If we start looking at stress as a capacity that we can manage we can begin to develop positive ways to handle stress. For example, with group belonging, what may be considered distress to an individual may actually turn into eustress when dealt with by a group. In addition, if we build a group's capacity to deal with stress through positive in-group belonging and esteem, we also increase social bonds between members of that group. In other words, it becomes a positive cycle where stronger group bonds lead to better stress management and better stress management leads to stronger group bonds. For more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and make contact with me. Thank you for listening.

Crucial Talks Episode 11 Use Identity to Build Relationships: Christmas Presents, Presence, and Snickers Bars Dec 23, 2017

Show notes

In this episode, I tell a story of going to buy my wife a Christmas present. It started as a clear in-group/out-group matchup between the sales associate and me. However, I pivoted. I became present in the moment and began to think about the identities that the sales associate played in her life. That allowed me to gain empathy. Because of that empathy, I communicated in a way that brought us into the same group. I also found a way to become an ally and not build trust. I didn't expect a discount, I merely wanted to see if we could develop a short-term relationship based on a shared identity. We did and I was able to transition from a "customer" to an ally. This encounter lasted mere minutes, but shows the power of using identity and the roles we play to understand others and understand the world around us.

Crucial Talks Episode 10 Lightning Strikes Twice: Goals and Storytelling Dec 17, 2017

Show notes

In Episode 10 of the Crucial Talks Podcast we talk about lightning striking twice. This title came form the interesting story of James Otis, who felt he would be killed by lightning, which he ultimately was. He was struck by lightning two times in his life. We use the story about James Otis, a man John Adams credits with planting the seed of revolution in the American Colonies. We also listen to part of a TED Talk by Nancy Duarte where she talks about stories and her outstanding work to determine a pattern followed in many of the greatest presentations (www.duarte.com). We see that James Otis did the same thing that Nancy talks about. He talked about what is and gave people a vision of what could be.

In our example, lightning strikes once with goalsetting and again through storytelling. These two lightning strikes help us draw people together and overcome differences. By setting superordinate goals, we can help groups set aside their difference and work together. The more superordinate goals we develop, the more we build collaborative capacity. For more information or to contact Mike Sedam, please visit www.crucialtalks.com

Crucial Talks Episode 9 #metoo - Strength in Numbers and the Power of a Goal Dec 10, 2017

Show notes

#metoo was started in 2006 by Tarana Burke. In October 2017, Actress Alyssa Milano used it on twitter and the #metoo movement took off. This episode looks at the #metoo movement as an example of a superordinate identity and superordinate goal that can bring diverse individuals and diverse groups closer together. It is an example of how differences can be overcome when people can share an identity. It also shows how a goal that cannot be rejected, cannot be ignored, and takes more than a single person or small group to reach is powerful. If you would like more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com

Crucial Talks Episode 8 Stories - Blueprints to Reality Dec 03, 2017

Show notes

Storytelling has been around as long as people have banded together. It's how we pass on information, create emotion, and change behavior. People are social creatures and there are a lot of things that are similar between us and other social creatures. We depend on each other for protection. We live together to produce food and shelter. We need validation from each other. What differs people from all other social animals is the fact that we can fabricate reality. We can share information in a way that allows us to make sense of the world around us. This episode talks about the importance of storytelling to social construction and also discusses the characters we adopt for ourselves in the stories of our own lives. Please visit www.crucialtalks.com for more information. Thank you for listening!

Crucial Chat: The Phalanx - Stronger Together Nov 29, 2017

Show notes

The Phalanx is a close formation of warriors made famous, at least in my mind, by the movie 300. The Spartans would form up densely in close ranks and interlock their shields, which made their ranks difficult to penetrate. There is also an example in the movie Gladiator when the gladiators are being attacked by a superior force using chariots and long range weapons. Maximus has them form into a phalanx and they end up being victorious. Without their close ranks, they would have been massacred. Social belonging works in much the same way. The closer the group is, the better they can deal with external attacks. The looser the group or, even worse, having no trust and internal strife allows people to be defeated easily. Please visit www.crucialtalks.com for more information. Thank you for listening!

Crucial Talks Episode 7 Maslow's Motivators - Social Needs at the Top of the Pyramid Nov 26, 2017

Show notes

Most of us understand Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It is easy to visualize the triangle with physiological needs at the bottom and esteem needs at the top. However, even Maslow himself admitted each need does not need to be 100% fulfilled before moving up the hierarchy. People are complex and nothing is 100% or linear in our social systems such as in families, at work, and in society. This episode talks about how to split Maslow's hierarchy into social vs. money market motivators to help us drive behavior in a positive way. Please share the podcast with anyone you think might want to be part of our community of practitioners. Also, feel free to reach out to me via www.crucialtalks.com if you'd like more information.

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