Episode 61- Marcus Buckingham on Nine Lies About Work

Called “the most inspirational data geek you’ll ever meet,” Marcus Buckingham is re-defining the future of work. After spending nearly two decades as a senior…

Episode 61- Marcus Buckingham on Nine Lies About Work

Called “the most inspirational data geek you’ll ever meet,” Marcus Buckingham is re-defining the future of work. After spending nearly two decades as a senior…

Called “the most inspirational data geek you’ll ever meet,” Marcus Buckingham is re-defining the future of work. After spending nearly two decades as a senior researcher at Gallup and then starting his own company, Marcus now guides the vision of ADP Research Institute as Co-Head and Talent Expert. In his new book, Nine Lies About Work, Marcus challenges our assumptions about organizations, talent and high performance. We talk about the myths behind many of our common beliefs about work and leadership, and explore how we can all become freethinking leaders who value our unique imprint on the world.

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“If you look at excellence in anything, you find idiosyncrasy. Average is homogenous.”

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Show Notes

What inspired him to study people and performance (1:57)
How he defines strengths and weaknesses (3:34)
The love it / loathe it exercise to identify unique strengths (7:33)
The message behind his new book Nine Lies About Work (10:18)
The nine lies about work (12:11)
People don’t care about what company they work for. They care which teams they’re on because that’s where work actually happens.
(14:03)
Teams are the defining experience at work (18:47)
The problem with cascading goals (20:05)
Why the best companies cascade meaning (22:19)
The importance of weekly one-on-one check ins (25:08)
People don’t need feedback; they need attention (29:34)
Feedback should be focused on facts, steps and praise when something works (33:33)
The best people aren’t well-rounded (34:30)
The problem with competencies models (37:44)
The only thing leaders have in common is followers (39:53)
Resources Marcus recommends for listeners (44:55)

Resources / People Mentioned

Gallup
Marcus Buckingham, ADP
Marcus Buckingham’s CareerIntervention (Oprah)
Nine Lies About Work by Marcus Buckingham
First Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham
Lionel Messi, soccer player
Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Soul’s Code by James Hillman
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
StandOut app
HBR: The Feedback Fallacy by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall
Emily Blunt, actress
Donald O. Clifton, Gallup

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