Newsletter 62: Thoughts on diversity and monoculture, seven terrible author habits, three people to follow, and three books to read. What teams must share — and what they mustn’t In more than 40 years of work, I’ve been part of some amazing teams. Looking back, what strikes me is how effective and functional almost all…
A great collection of case studies and stories are what make business books come alive. But if the protagonists of your stories all look alike, you’re limiting your audience and constraining your insights. An expansive view of diversity The purpose of case studies and other stories in your book is to allow your reader to…
I’ve ghostwritten text for a diverse group of people: Voices I don’t change my writing style that much when writing in the voices of these people. Why? Because of what I’m writing. I’m writing about business strategy or personal productivity, in general. That requires an authoritative tone. Anyone can take on an authoritative tone. It…
I want you to imagine that you’ve been invited to a casual party at my house. Here’s who will be in the room: A guy near retirement who has cofounded some of the most disruptive entertainment companies of the 21st century. A young Black woman with a cache of stories about unusual and accomplished people…
According to the Washington Post, the Trump administration has a list of words that analysts at the Centers for Disease Control aren’t supposed to use in budget requests. While banning words can make sense, the words that these officials picked were a pretty dumb way to politicize a scientific organization. Here’s what the Post wrote,…
James Damore, a Google engineer, published an internal manifesto about gender and discrimination at the company. He’s either a sexist tech bro or a First Amendment hero bravely proclaiming forbidden truths, depending on your perspective. His generalizations about how women think are the problem here — they’re what got him fired. A fresh look at the…