  We are all well-acquainted with the sacred cows of  the workplace: the conventional wisdom to try hard, work well with  others, and focus on producing excellent work. These are cherished  nuggets of advice, but in practice, they have a dark side -- blind,  unthinking pursuit of these goals leads to inefficiency and a slew  of unintended consequences. How can any manager upend conventional  wisdom, identify and avoid the dangerous behaviors that masquerade  as virtues in traditional work culture, and ultimately lead in the  smartest, most productive way possible?     Based on the authors extensive coaching experience in  Dukes Executive Education programas well as on the  latest scientific research in behavioral economics, neuroscience  and psychologyTipping Sacred Cows reveals a  simple set of steps to avoid the unintended consequences of the  various sacred cows that backfire at work. Breeden examines the  seven business virtues that can turn into the most powerful, hidden  and damaging sacred cows. In their manifestation as sacred cows,  these seven qualities show up in workplaces around the world, in  every industry, and at every level of leadership. Each has a  well-deserved reputation for being good and virtuous. They are  the most frequently advocated, widely beloved, and least frequently  questioned orthodoxies at work.They are:     Balance: Attempting to be all things to all  people, without deciding to be anything truly meaningful and  distinctive to anyone.  Collaboration: Holding too many team meetings and  creating a culture of learned helplessness with little individual  empowerment and accountability.  Creativity: Wasting time and money coming up with  an unneeded new idea but ignoring the bottom line.  Excellence: Too much investment in producing  perfect work instead of developing the quick and dirty solution  needed now.  Passion: Racing down a path seeking success brings  burn-out and disappointment instead.  Fairness: Sabotaging each other to ensure no one  gets more than their fair share.  Preparation: Wasting time in long planning  sessions instead of productively working out just-in-time solutions  with just the right people.     For each of the seven most common sacred cows, Breeden offers 3  simple strategies for overcoming their allure and achieving real  results. Tipping Sacred Cows wont advocate that  we slaughter sacred cows. Rather it argues that to save these  time-tested values by upending the shrouds of conventional wisdom  that bog them down. Tipping Sacred Cows shines a light on  the hidden traps that lie between good intentions and good results,  clearing a path so readers can finally realize their fullest  potential at work.   

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Tipping Sacred Cows: Kick the Bad Work Habits that Masquerade as Virtues

2013

Wiley

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