Provoke

CHAPTER 3 Personal Patterns

Some of the stories that we use to bring concepts to life are fun to write: they're evocative, pleasant to remember, and the better ones are strangely apt. Others feel a bit cringe-worthy … because they are so archetypical as to sound ripped from the reels of a corporate training video. Here's the thing, though: not only is this story real, but versions of this story happen all the time to the two of us. We've sat through meetings countless times – and we're sure you have, too – where it's going well until someone makes a comment from which a pile-on ensues.

With that, let's play the training video …

“I thought we were finally going to move! But in the end, we acted like ourselves again. Can I ask a favor? Can we chat for a minute tomorrow, early your time?”

Geoff looked down at his phone at the text from an old client in the United Kingdom. He had worked with Sammy for a long time at his prior company, but they hadn't spoken for a while as Sammy adjusted to his new company and role. Geoff was curious to hear what was going on when the phone rang the following morning.

After pleasantries, Sammy jumped into what he wanted to share. “So, we have been working on this new product launch for the last several months. I'm really excited, and so is the vast majority of the management team when we talk about things in private. But get them into a meeting, and all of a sudden the enthusiasm at the water cooler turns into silence in the meeting.”

Geoff asked ...