The hottest Organizational Behavior Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Compensation is Communication

The Radar • 19 implied HN points • 19 Apr 24
💼 Business Management Organizational Behavior Corporate culture Human Resources Career development
  1. Compensation is a clear signal from an employer to an employee, offering insights into future viability with the company and helping individuals frame expectations and make decisions.
  2. Organizational cultures often hide true intentions behind layers of confusing messaging, especially regarding compensation, which may not necessarily reflect individual performance but rather the company's desire for retention.
  3. Understanding the true meaning behind raises can empower individuals to make informed decisions about their future within a company, recognizing signals of either retention or potential exit based on financial health and performance evaluations.

TBM 229: Winnable and Unwinnable Games (Part 3)

The Beautiful Mess • 927 implied HN points • 07 Jul 23
💼 Business Management Decision-making Leadership Problem Solving Organizational Behavior
  1. Hierarchy creates a chain of communication in which information gets oversimplified as it moves up, leading to an unwinnable game
  2. Passing information up the chain results in details being shaped and possibly distorted based on audience and perceived urgency
  3. The ideal conditions for a 'good game' are challenged in scenarios where goals become unclear, feedback loops are long, and motivations are dwindled

The Sheer Stupidity of Sweating the Small Stuff

The Radar • 59 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Organizational Behavior Resources Corporate culture
  1. Broken windows theory highlights the impact of respecting the environment on criminal behavior, where fixing small issues can prevent larger violations.
  2. Sweating the small stuff in management can lead to top-heaviness, allowing unproductive managers to justify their positions by focusing on trivial matters.
  3. Overemphasizing minor issues can distract from addressing real problems and lead to ineffective management, ignoring actual priorities and resource allocation.
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Teleocracy & Prestige

Becoming Noble • 757 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
💼 Business Organizational Behavior Entrepreneurship Business strategy
  1. Organizations like big tech companies have a unique capability to help young men reach their full professional potential through exposure to elite performers and a culture of audacious projects.
  2. To attract young elite talent and transform them, alternative structures need to offer opportunities for prestige, independence, wealth, and growth, emphasizing mission, service, transformation, and recognition.
  3. Building attractive spaces for elite talent involves strategic embedding of factors like perceived external prestige (PEP) in organizations by leveraging unique strengths, to compete with elite liberal institutions.

The Donkey, Fox, Sheep, & Owl | LSW#43

The Leading Sapiens Weekly • 29 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
💼 Business Workplace dynamics Leadership Organizational Behavior Career development Human Resources
  1. Everyone has some level of political awareness in the workplace, but it varies in understanding and application.
  2. Reading involves understanding the external world and organization, while carrying focuses on ethical behavior versus manipulation.
  3. Owls are wise in politics, balancing awareness, integrity, and interpersonal skills.

Founder DNA

The Leadership Lab • 196 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
💼 Business Leadership Organizational Behavior Team Dynamics Personal Growth Feedback
  1. Every aspect of your team's culture reflects your strengths, blind spots, and dysfunctional behaviors as a leader.
  2. Founder DNA influences how teams adopt a leader's habits and behavioral patterns, leading to organizational dysfunction.
  3. Team culture stems directly from a leader's psychological and relational patterns, affecting how employees interact and behave within the organization.

Why Must You Pay Sales People Commissions?

Dan’s Substack • 2 HN points • 19 Apr 24
💼 Business Sales Compensation Company Culture Employee Motivation Organizational Behavior
  1. Salespeople being paid commissions is a common practice, but it can lead to various recurring problems like high turnover and internal disputes.
  2. Research suggests that higher incentives, like commissions, can actually reduce performance in some cases, which is a counter-intuitive result.
  3. The debate over sales commissions reflects two different views of worker motivation: Theory X, where employees are seen as lazy and need external rewards, and Theory Y, where workers are viewed as self-motivated and thrive on autonomy.

Why influence without authority is a vital skill for anyone

The Caring Techie Newsletter • 27 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
💼 Business Leadership Management Career growth Team Dynamics Organizational Behavior
  1. Influence without authority is a vital skill for everyone, from individual contributors to senior management.
  2. To get things done efficiently, you need to master the art of influencing without authority.
  3. Influencing without authority is essential for achieving career growth, turning ideas into reality, and building valuable relationships.

Fools and Horses

The Radar • 19 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
💼 Business Corporate culture Leadership Organizational Behavior
  1. Pushing a team too hard can lead to negative consequences despite short-term gains. Just like overworking horses can lead to their breaking, overworking employees can lead to burnout and reduced efficiency.
  2. Managers should not ignore ethical concerns in pursuit of business results. It's important to prioritize employee well-being over just achieving immediate goals.
  3. Systemic issues like work overload cannot be solved by individual efforts alone. Companies must address root causes and provide adequate resources to prevent burnout and maintain a healthy work environment.

Terry and His Dumb Ideas

The Radar • 19 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
💼 Business Organizational Behavior Management Workplace culture Leadership Career development
  1. Organizations should avoid adopting policies that seem sensible but are self-defeating in practice, leading to negative outcomes.
  2. Coercing individuals into seeking higher positions when they lack ambition can have detrimental effects on both performance and organizational culture.
  3. Great organizations protect and celebrate those who create value, avoiding the mass rationalization of dumb ideas that can lead to decline.

TWH#50: Simple Explanations For Complex Phenomena

The Hagakure • 119 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
💼 Business Product Management Software Engineering Agile Methodology Organizational Behavior
  1. Our brains seek simple explanations for complex phenomena due to our evolutionary history.
  2. Predictability and control in knowledge work are often illusory, leading to eroded trust and inefficiencies.
  3. Embracing uncertainty and complexity in work requires shifting mindset towards experimentation and adaptation.

TWH#48: OKRs Are Not OK

The Hagakure • 53 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
💼 Business Management Leadership Strategy Startups Organizational Behavior
  1. OKRs are commonly used in startups but often fail to work effectively due to misuse and lack of context.
  2. Senior leaders typically use OKRs for control and predictability, focusing on execution rather than learning and exploration.
  3. The VC-backed startup model emphasizes predictability and control over complex systems, which can hinder innovation and adaptive learning.

The Jelly of the Month Club

The Radar • 0 implied HN points • 28 Dec 23
💼 Business Leadership Work Culture Organizational Behavior
  1. Recognize and reward employees with monetary gestures instead of empty symbols like donuts, t-shirts, or pizza parties.
  2. Employees deserve fair recognition and appreciation for their contributions to the company.
  3. By properly acknowledging employees' efforts and value, companies can increase job satisfaction, reduce turnover costs, and boost overall performance.

We Are Not Family

The Radar • 0 implied HN points • 13 Sep 23
💼 Business Leadership Organizational Behavior Workplace dynamics Employee Relations Ethics
  1. Organizations are not families - they don't operate in the same way. While workplace bonds may feel strong, the dynamics are different.
  2. Leaders should avoid likening professional settings to families to prevent manipulation. Loyalty in a work setting should be earned, not assumed like in a family.
  3. Work decisions can have lasting effects on trust within an organization. Actions that prioritize business interests over personal connections can lead to disillusionment.

Season 03 - Newsletter 04 --> Navigating the Maze: 3 Insider Tips for Succeeding in a Matrix Org

Product Hustle Stack Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 09 Oct 23
💼 Business Management Communication Organizational Behavior
  1. Identify key personnel in a matrix organization: decision makers, blockers, and allies.
  2. Understand the motivations of individuals in the organization for effective collaboration.
  3. Prioritize clear and consistent communication with stakeholders to drive alignment and progress.