“Defy: Sunita Sah’s “The Power of the World’s NO Requiring Yes”
In Defy, Sunita Sah analyzes why we are all conditioned to be obedient and how it becomes a corrosive force. We want to believe we stand firm in the face of fraud, but in many cases we hesitate, freeze, or act in line with our values. Defiance is not our default — that’s an exception, she says.
Professor and organizational psychologist Sah uses case studies such as corporate whistleblowers and her own life examples to highlight how and why the rebellion sacrifices the outcomes of compliance. I’m doing it. Her research finds that pressure from others cannot understand exactly what compliance and rebellion is, and that individuals don’t know how to act after they decide to ignore it, causing individuals to suffer obstacles. That’s the reason. She also recognizes the risks and disproportionate consequences faced by marginalized groups when taking action.
SAH is challenging the assumption that Defiance must be dramatic or “superhuman.” Instead, a quieter act of resistance – saying no when we mean it, and speaking when it matters can have a profound effect. “It’s not just about brave people and extraordinary people. It’s available and necessary for all of us,” she says. Anjli Raval
“ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication,” Andrew Brodsky
The lifelong immunity deficiency as a result of Andrew Brodsky’s treatment of leukemia as a teenager means he is a natural expert in virtual communication and frequently needs to be far away. This gives him a subtle understanding, not a bad or good thing about binary.
Early in the book, he explains the scenario. Doctors break bad news for children. Our natural instinct is that such life-shattering information should be direct. But if the family doesn’t receive the tragic news in a barren, friendly hospital setting, Brozky asks. “They don’t have to leave the comfort of their home. It’s especially useful because kids are very nauseous and dizzy. After the difficult call is over, there’s no need to talk to front office staff about health insurance details. Family members accept life-changing diagnosis in their home privacy without interacting with strangers or dealing with logistical hassle.
This thoughtful take highlights the trade-offs involved in communication. This means that in some cases text or email is desirable. In the book, Brozky tackles these troubling questions, such as whether to turn on the camera, whether to use emojis professionally, and whether to tackle the overwhelmingness of communication.
This is not a reread of an increasingly intense debate about the benefits of remote and office work. Rather, they recognize that there is likely some form of communication through telephone or computers, where they work, from construction sites to hospital doctors. His framework Ping represents much less snapping perspectives, initiatives, nonverbal and goals and is a thought-provoking guide to these tools. It becomes even more important as artificial intelligence accelerates grip in the workplace. Emma Jacobs
“Less Rules, Better People: In Discretion,” Barry Lamb
The arc of human history bends towards injustice. Or Barry Lamb argues that it will lead them to be unfair towards a very inflexible rule.
The suggestion that more rules make life fair is a bit twisted, but in this punchy paper, Lamb elegantly creates the case. Tracking the evolution of legal thinking from ancient China to modern bureaucracy, he argues that as organizations become more complicated, they are increasingly dependent on Byzantine rules. This reduces the discretion of the individual. It may make the rules more consistent, but it doesn’t make them fair.
Lamb shows this point with some lively anecdotes that raise difficult questions. Should a champion stock car driver follow the same speed limits as the average citizen? Should a domestic abuser be arrested if that would make his girlfriend’s life worse? In each scenario, Lamb shows that letters of law may not be guided less than their spirit.
Unfortunately, he believes that the infusion of AI will exacerbate legalism. Algorithms are the ultimate rule-based decision maker. The book concludes with suggestions to avoid this excessive pedantic future, including more evidence-based decision-making, or flexibility of rule enforcers. Many are wise, but perhaps a nightmare to implement. It’s the irony that the author undoubtedly recognizes. Misha Frankl Duval
“Microsoft’s Insider’s Guide to Innovation,” by Dean Carignan and Joann Garbin
All the innovators the authors interviewed for this guide showed what they call “serious joy” in the challenge. That’s good news. Because reading how they innovated is a pretty tough job.
To be fair, “Microsofties” Carignan and Garbin do not expect all readers to plow from start to finish through this guide. Readers should take the author’s advice and immerse themselves in the seven case studies the book offers or explore the four patterns they identify there.
Some insights are valuable and shed some light on Microsoft Culture. For example, the wisdom that breakthroughs can emerge from unauthorized or unorthodox side hustles is accepted, but the book highlights the need to ensure and maintain executive support for the project.
Perhaps the book’s most compelling case study, Xbox Story details how the team can rebuild gamer’s trust after the failed release of the Xbox One. The most frustrating examples relate to the evolving use of AI and Microsoft’s Openai’s ChatGPT. Andrew Hill
“Who needs college now? Kathleen Delaski, Imagine a future where degrees are not important
Is the year of higher education boom coming to an end? Kathleen Delaski thinks that – at least as far as traditional universities are concerned. This provocative book envisions a future in which a four-year degree is no longer the major gateway of a career. “The New Age is dawn,” Delaski insists. The next decade or so will be entering the “first” period of skill. The university can be replaced with a more diverse menu: apprenticeship, work experience, short courses, boot camps, perhaps matched with Amazon-style platforms and presented in an ever-evolving “skill wallet.” Traditional universities need to adapt.
Delaski is a savvy guide to this new world. She founded the Educational Design Lab, which supports innovation focused on her university work. The book is packed with case studies that include her own various careers and interviews with educators, employers and learners. But it focuses on the university as a route to getting a job. Those who view higher education as having a more nuanced major role (personal and social development, learning for itself, e.g. research) are unhappy with the limited mentions that these are described in the book. You might be hugging.
Still, it is awfully necessary to take seriously how to reform universities. They often pay debts on people, but they do not acquire the skills they need, and exclude non-traditional or “new majority” students. Registration is declining in the US, and AI is still learning. This is a thought-provoking read for those interested in what might come next. Bethan Staton
