A great movie about this issue with talent is The Gambler. Mark Wahlberg portrays a gambling-addicted English literature professor, who divides the world into geniuses and idiots, but ultimately, he learns we do have a choice more often than we think. The result is hard to absorb because it feels like an illusion. We see smart, experienced business school students, and we find it difficult to imagine that they would combine to produce a poor performance. We see unsophisticated, inexperienced kindergartners, and we find it difficult to imagine that they would combine to produce a successful perfor- mance. But this illusion, like every illusion, happens because our instincts have led us to focus on the wrong details. We focus on what we can see—individual skills. But individual skills are not what matters. What matters is the interaction. The business school students appear to be collaborating, but in fact they are engaged in a process psychologists call status management. They are figuring out where they fit into the larger picture: Who is in charge? Is it okay to criticize someone’s idea? What are the rules here? Their interactions appear smooth, but their underlying behavior is riddled with inefficiency, hesitation, and subtle competition. Instead of focusing on the task, they are navigating their uncertainty about one another. They spend so much time managing sta- tus that they fail to grasp the essence of the problem (the marshmallow is relatively heavy, and the spaghetti is hard to secure). As a result, their first efforts often collapse, and they run out of time. Safety is not mere emotional weather but rather the foundation on which strong culture is built.” Pg. 6

However, interruptions can have a positive nature too: if they happen due to overexcitement during creative sessions, they may not have a detrimental impact. Spotlight your fallibility early on – especially if you’re a leader Purpose comes through creating a compelling narrative around shared goals. We invest in stories, and they make us believe in why what we're doing is important. As Simon Sinek suggests, 'We need to start with why?' People buy into a narrative, and the promise of being part of something great or revolutionary galvanizes massive shifts in mindset.

Skill 2. Share Vulnerability

The reason may be based in the way we think about cul- ure. We tend to think about it as a group trait, like DNA. Strong, well-established cultures like those of Google, Dis- ney, and the Navy SEALs feel so singular and distinctive that hey seem fixed, somehow predestined. In this way of think- ng, culture is a possession determined by fate. Some groups have the gift of strong culture; others don’t. Where does great culture come from? How do you build and sustain it in your group, or strengthen a culture that needs fixing? We've all been there. Sitting in a job interview, we're asked the question, 'So, what do you think your weaknesses are?' Our response is to cunningly disguise strengths as weaknesses in a bid to save ourselves from actually revealing that we're flawed. 'Well,' we might muse, 'I'm a bit of a perfectionist.' This isn't the approach we should be taking; we need to own our flaws and vulnerabilities because perfection is a myth, and being vulnerable shows character and develops trust. When we open up to other people, this creates what's known as a "vulnerability loop." A "vulnerability loop" is the snowball effect that arises when people start sharing and trusting each other, as one person opens up He suggests that leaders be mindful of how they build their teams. Leaders should be painstaking in the hiring process—they should hire for cultural fit and ensure all employees become well-versed in the organization’s cultural norms through the onboarding process. He also says they should be painstaking in the retention process by eliminating the “bad apples” before they spoil the barrel and negatively impact the group’s chemistry. Lesson 2: Share Vulnerability Instead, when it’s your turn, share one of your flaws. Lesson 2: Share your own shortcomings to show people it’s okay to make mistakes.

The three “lessons” in The Culture Code remind me of the three must-haves for motivation that Daniel Pink outlined in Drive. Pink identified purpose as one of the most effective motivators for people. Like Pink, Coyle sees purpose as one of the most effective motivators for teams. Team members need a shared sense of purpose to spark collaboration, build trust, and drive positive change. The Culture Code” by Daniel Coyle consists of three parts, each of which is dedicated to one of the three special skills. Below you can find a short summary where you can read more about them: When is the last time that you were part of a group where you had that kind of experience? Would you ever want to leave that environment? He then describes “belonging cues” which are “behaviors that create safe connection in groups.”

Build Your Game Plan

Daniel Coyle is an editor, advisor to the Cleveland Indians, and New York Times bestselling author. From a young age, he's been fascinated by teams and teamwork, and has dedicated his career to researching and understanding the idea of group culture and performance. Purpose makes vulnerability and safety possible because it keeps employees united to not only work together toward a vision but also to support each other in the process. It greases the wheels of collaboration by keeping individuals motivated to work together for a positive outcome. The groups I studied had extremely low tolerance for bad apple behavior and, perhaps more important, were skilled at naming those behaviors.” Pg. 81 Summary: A great read that’s super helpful to anyone looking to intentionally build a culture. Coyle has uncovered three keys to culture: 1. Build Safety 2. Share Vulnerability 3. Establish Purpose. He supports these ideas with research that’s laid out in an engaging and interesting manner. For organizational leaders and pastors building a culture is paramount. This book demystifies the process. My only critique is that it does drag on in a spot or two, but overall it doesn’t. If you are working to develop a culture at work or at home, this is a must read! Imagine that you see a stranger, and you have to ask each other questions: set A includes questions like “What was the best gift you received and why?”, “What was the last pet you owned?”, while set B is more challenging: “What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?”