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The Octopus Organization
book

The Octopus Organization

by Phil Le-Brun, Jana Werner
December 2025
Intermediate to advanced
368 pages
9h 6m
English
Harvard Business Review Press
Content preview from The Octopus Organization

ANTIPATTERN #32 BUILDING HOMOPHILIC TEAMS

Cognitive and intellectual diversity in teams amplifies problem-solving acumen.

THE TIN MAN BEHAVIOR

Forming teams made up of people with similar mindsets and backgrounds to create cohesion and harmony, and for perceived progress, within the group

THE RESULTS

•  Poor decision-making due to blind spots

•  Reduced team adaptability and resilience

•  Stifled innovation and curiosity

How Octopus Organizations Behave Instead

•  They build teams with cognitive and intellectual diversity.

•  They amplify constructive conflict.

•  They reimagine talent strategies to avoid biases and focus on culture-add, not just culture-fit.

The Tin Man Behavior

In 2013, Google’s ambitious new wearable technology division ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9798892791410