Sean Linehan

AI roleplay represents a fundamental reimagining of how sales organizations build excellence.

Benefits of AI Roleplay for Sales Enablement

Measurement of trust in management in South Africa’s gold mines in the late 1980s produced unexpected results. Contrary to expectations, trust in management was not consistently low. Rather, the degree to which managers were seen as trustworthy varied immensely—not only from mine to mine, but even from one shaft to another on the same mine.Initially, researchers were unable to find a relationship between trust and such factors as the physical conditions (in the hostel and underground) of the mine, the labor mix, pay rates, trade union activity, and a lack of an HR function. An explanation for the findings was at last found in response to a new question: “Have relations with management changed (improved/deteriorated) over the last two years?  If so, why?”If management-employee relations had improved or worsened it could only because management had either addressed or not attended to employee concerns or problems.True reason for trustAdequate regard for employee grievances turned out to be the single criterion that was consistently applied by mine employees to assess their relationship with management. In other words, managers—individually and collectively—were accepted or rejected on the strength of their perceived interest in the well being of their employees.Trust, the researchers concluded, was either granted or withheld on this basis only—and the leadership of a mine was seen to be legitimate or not worthy of support. So, whether management was trusted was ultimately a function of the intent of the immediate supervisors, at any level in the hierarchy, regarding the people who reported to them directly.For the last 20 years our experience as an organizational development consultancy, working with diverse organizations across the world, has confirmed the findings from this initial research. In a retail bank, for example, we found trust levels in one branch to be dramatically different from a branch around the corner. Similarly, in a hospital we have seen variations in trust from ward to ward, purely as a function of the ward sister’s relationship with nursing staff.We have concluded that in any group there will always be two populations: one that is anti-management and another that is pro-management. But the size of the positive group, and hence the degree to which there is overall trust in management, will be directly determined by the perceived intent of each group’s leaders.Intent is about whose interests in the relationship are believed to be served. When managers are perceived as pursuing their own interests—to only be in the relationship to get something out of their people—trust in them will be low. Only when managers are there to serve their people, will staff be willing to give back because they trust that management has their best interests at heart.However, what those in authority must give to their people—what earns them trust—is not money. Across the world, we have found that what management needs to give workers distils down to only two factors:Managers must have a genuine concern for those in their charge. They have to care for their people as human beings—not as human resources that help their bottom line.Managers must enable their people to realize the very best in themselves.True price of powerThe price for getting employees to deliver on command is not money, it is care and growth. And it makes the power exercised by those in authority legitimate. When the price of power is not paid, people become resistant—no matter how much they are paid.And managers can only earn trust in one of two ways.Managers must “pass” the intent test. This is not a once-off test, but rather one that individual managers take every day of their lives. Trust is gained or lost managers take the intent test. The effect of how they score on the intent test is, in other words, cumulative over time.Managers earn trust through a process of allocation by the employees. With each incremental step of entrustment, there is greater trust in, and increased trustworthiness, in the relationship between manager and employee.Managers take the intent test whenever they are faced with a choice between their needs or their values. Values have managers place their own self-interests or needs second. The value that is operative in any command situation determines whether managers are giving or taking in that situation.To say that trust is the new workplace currency, therefore, is not correct. Trust has always been the workplace currency.

Is Trust the New Workplace Currency?

Hello!Yes, I got all my hair cut off. The Houston humidity is not a curly girl's friend....but I digress... I want to tell you about my new book! It is called, The Management Development Handbook, from ASTD Press. I did not actually write this book, I was the editor. I had the opportunity to invite the people to contribute who I thought had something important to say about management. There are 37 authors and 37 chapters and it is a whopping 538 pages.Sometimes these compendiums are a bit like verbal museums – they include all the classics and well-known authors. I decided to take a different approach and invite contributors who are active NOW and who are exploring the latest and emerging trends in management. You will recognize a few of the names but may never have heard of many of them. And that is WHY I invited this eclectic group of authors to participate – because they are people I think we should all get to know.The book is not cheap – ASTD has it price around $100 bucks (wow, I know). But it is like getting 37 little books in one. You can download an excerpt here that includes my introduction, table of contents, the Foreword, and a sample chapter. Some of the chapters are sassy, irreverent, and/or story-like. Some share the latest research. Some are lengthy, while others are more like short essays. One chapter is a set of screen shots from the best employee handbook I have ever seen. One chapter is a collection of provocative columns from one of the authors of the legendary Cluetrain Manifesto (yeah, I know, how cool is that?). Words like “cry,” “love,” and “irreverence,” are shared in this handbook about management.I love that about the collection! There is something for everyone. I think it offers a lot of value and hope you can pick up a copy for your management library.Who is this book for? All managers and those who develop managers. The chapters speak directly to managers.The book’s page on ASTD is here.I would like to thank ASTD Press for supporting my somewhat non-traditional approach to this book. Doing the museum version is safer because the well-known names ensure a certain number of sales (like having Al Pacino and Meryl Streep in a movie). Projects are always more fun when you work with a partner who lets you color outside the lines.And I want to thank all 37 contributors!!!! I am a huge fan of your work!Here is the table of contents with a list of all the contributors. Many of them are bloggers who I have been following for years.The Management Development HandbookTable of ContentsIntroduction – Into the Future We Go: Lisa HanebergForeword: Betsy MyersSection1: Fundamental Ideas for Managers         Complexity and Perseverance: Margaret Wheatley, Ed.D.The Way We're Working Isn't Working: Tony SchwartzIrreverence as a Managerial Tool: What managers can learn from Tina Fey, Martin Luther, and Bob Dylan: Michael Kroth, Ph.D.Five Universal Themes in Business: Todd SatterstenPositively Using Your Power: Sharlyn LaubyNew Evidence of Servant Leadership’s Efficacy as a Managerial Approach: Bret Simmons, Ph.D.The Manager’s Role in Creating a Learning Culture: Kevin EikenberryBuilding Your Craft: 10 Important Perspectives for Effective Managers: Randy BoekManaging Scenario Projects: Thomas ChermackWomen and Power: Jeffrey Pfeffer, Ph.DBrainpowered Tone Tools to Manage Excellence: Ellen Weber, Ph.DSection2:  Managers as Culture BuildersWho Says There's No Crying In Leadership?: Terry (Starbucker) St. MarieThe LKP Field Guide - An Inspiring Model for Communicating Expectations: The LPK Design Team (via Anne Stone)Rethinking Your Organization as a Community: The Open Source Way: Chris GramsFrom Quality to Excellence - Essential Strategies for Building a Quality Oriented Culture: Tanmay VoraWelcome to the Challenges & Joys of Moving to an Economy Where Access Triumphs Ownership: Lisa GanskyShould Managers Care about Employee Happiness?: Michael StallardThe Manager as Extreme Leader: Steve Farber and Steve DealphWinning with a Culture of Recognition: Derek Irvine and Eric MosleySection3: The Goal - Teams Who Do Their Best Work TogetherCreating a Sharing Society: Raj SettyAre SMART Goals Dumb?: Mark MurphyHow Team-Building Really Works: Steve RoeslerGet Rid of the Dotted Lines: Accountability and Authority in Managerial Relationships: Tom FosterPerformance Management at Ground Level: Wally BockThe Improvisation Edge: Secrets to Building Trust and Radical Collaboration at Work: Karen HoughEngaging Management: Put an End to Employee Engagement: David ZingerCreating Winning Teams: Vikram BectorCo-Create: Project Excellence for Teams: Steve MartinYou're Not the Boss of Me: Jodee BockMake Talent Your Business: Wendy Axelrod, Jeannie CoyleSection 4: Management is a Social ActUnmanaging the Network: David Weinberger, Ph.D.How to Fascinate: Sally HogsheadValYouCasting: The New Workforce Social Competencies: Terrence WingUsing Social Media to Create Systems of Engagement: CV HarquailHow to Run a Great Web Meeting: Wayne TurmelConvening: The Ultimate Management App: Patricia Neal, Craig NealThe multi cultural and multi generational workplace – what are the future challenges to leaders: Alfredo Castro

Sean Linehan

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