Strengthening Interpersonal Relationships

Excited to share the insights from my Venture Capital class at Stanford University Graduate School of Business where we discussed "VC Group Decision Making,” and explored how top investors structure their decision-making processes to find (and fund 🙂 ) the next unicorns.    Key takeaways:    1. The Power of Small Teams: VCs keep their teams lean (average of 5 partners) to streamline decisions and avoid groupthink. This aligns with research on optimal team sizes and Amazon's famous "two-pizza team" rule.    2. Diverse Decision-Making Models: We examined various VC decision-making approaches, from unanimous voting to independent decisions. Counterintuitive result: high-performing VC firms often avoid strict unanimity rules.    3. The "Agree to Disagree" Principle: As Alastair (Alex) Rampell from Andreessen Horowitz says, "Conviction must beat consensus." We explored how this mindset allows VCs to back potentially controversial but groundbreaking ideas.    4. Empowering "Rebels": We discussed real-world examples, like the Airbnb investment story, showcasing how VCs sometimes let individual partners champion unconventional deals.    5. Innovative Decision Structures: Some firms, like Founders Fund, implement flexible voting systems based on deal size, allowing for quicker decisions on smaller investments.    6. Fostering Constructive Disagreement: We looked at strategies like assigning devil's advocates, using "red teams," and implementing specific speaking orders to encourage diverse perspectives.    These insights aren't just for VCs – they're valuable for anyone involved in high-stakes decision-making. By adopting some of these strategies, you can make more informed decisions that will drive innovation and growth.    What decision-making strategies have you found most effective in your organization? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences! #stanford #stanfordgsb #venturecapital #startups #innovation #technology #founders #venturemindset

I was Wrong about Influence. Early in my career, I believed influence in a decision-making meeting was the direct outcome of a strong artifact presented and the ensuing discussion. However, with more leadership experience, I have come to realize that while these are important, there is something far more important at play. Influence, for a given decision, largely happens outside of and before decision-making meetings. Here's my 3 step approach you can follow to maximize your influence: (#3 is often missed yet most important) 1. Obsess over Knowing your Audience Why: Understanding your audience in-depth allows you to tailor your communication, approach and positioning. How: ↳ Research their backgrounds, how they think, what their goals are etc. ↳ Attend other meetings where they are present to learn about their priorities, how they think and what questions they ask. Take note of the topics that energize them or cause concern. ↳ Engage with others who frequently interact with them to gain additional insights. Ask about their preferences, hot buttons, and any subtle cues that could be useful in understanding their perspective. 2. Tailor your Communication Why: This ensures that your message is not just heard but also understood and valued. How: ↳ Seek inspiration from existing artifacts and pickup queues on terminologies, context and background on the give topic. ↳ Reflect on their goals and priorities, and integrate these elements into your communication. For instance, if they prioritize efficiency, highlight how your proposal enhances productivity. ↳Ask yourself "So what?" or "Why should they care" as a litmus test for relatability of your proposal. 3. Pre-socialize for support Why: It allows you to refine your approach, address potential objections, and build a coalition of support (ahead of and during the meeting). How: ↳ Schedule informal discussions or small group meetings with key stakeholders or their team members to discuss your idea(s). A casual coffee or a brief virtual call can be effective. Lead with curiosity vs. an intent to respond. ↳ Ask targeted questions to gather feedback and gauge reactions to your ideas. Examples: What are your initial thoughts on this draft proposal? What challenges do you foresee with this approach? How does this align with our current priorities? ↳ Acknowledge, incorporate and highlight the insights from these pre-meetings into the main meeting, treating them as an integral part of the decision-making process. What would you add? PS: BONUS - Following these steps also expands your understanding of the business and your internal network - both of which make you more effective. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

The #1 mistake I see companies make isn’t strategy. It’s collaboration. And it’s costing you more than you think. Here’s what’s happening: You’re treating performance like an individual sport. One “expert.” One “owner.” One “hero.” But here’s the problem with that approach… One study of 222 project teams found something remarkable: Groups outperformed their most proficient member 97% of the time. 97%. Let that sink in. So if your team is stuck, stop asking: “Who’s the expert?” Start asking: “How do we solve this together?” That shift changes everything. Here’s the simplest question I use with leadership teams: “What do you see that I don’t?” Then I do one thing most teams skip… I make it safe for the quiet people to speak first. Why? Because the first voices shape the whole room. If the loudest person goes first, everyone else just agrees or stays silent. Equal voice isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s how you get: • Better decisions • Faster alignment • Fewer blind spots And you have to measure it—not just outcomes, but collaboration behaviors. Try this for 30 days: Every meeting ends with: “What’s one risk we’re not naming?” “What’s one idea we didn’t hear yet?” Then assign the next step as a team— not a hero. Here’s the truth: If you fix collaboration, results follow. If you don’t, even great strategy collapses under friction. Stop building teams that depend on one genius. Build teams that compound intelligence. That’s how you turn good teams into unstoppable ones.

Let’s stop romanticizing input. Start professionalizing decisions. Because a team that hears everyone but can’t converge isn’t inclusive but indecisive. I see it all the time: 1. Teams bring bold, diverse perspectives to the table. 2. They brainstorm, debate, expand thinking. 3. But when it's time to choose - silence, hesitation, power grabs, or rushed consensus. The biggest problem I see in companies is that they treat decision-making as a moment, not a discipline. That’s where I focus in my work with leadership teams: Not just on hearing more voices, but on building the muscle of inclusive decision-making as a repeatable process that turns diversity into direction. Here’s how we do it: 1️⃣ Make decision rights explicit.  Who decides? Who contributes? Who needs to know? 2️⃣ Separate idea generation from commitment. Diverge first. Converge second. 3️⃣ Create a decision rhythm. Clear steps, check-ins, and closure points. 4️⃣ Build psychological safety to challenge, not just speak. No point in diverse ideas if no one can question the status quo. Because diverse ideas only create value when a team knows how to decide together. P.S.: Does your team know how to end a conversation with a decision and not just more ideas? —————————— 👋 Hi, I’m Susanna. I help organizations build high-performing, inclusive cultures by turning psychological safety and diversity into business strategy. Let’s work on how your teams & leaders think, feel, and decide - together.

What if instead of always TALKING about our intergenerational world of work, we actually DID something to help intergenerational teams thrive? 🤔 I'm often pulled into conversations about multigenerational teams and how they're having a hard time functioning. I read about generational mismanagement every. single. day. I see clickbait headlines about how difficult it is to work with Gen Z. I read story after story about how tough it is to navigate differences with older generations. I get stopped after presentations and get messages in my DMs about how people—managers, people leaders, employees, interns, senior leaders—need REAL help. So, instead of constantly talking about intergenerational workplaces and hoping that acknowledgment is enough, let's actually do something to make sure our teams thrive. Here are a few ideas ⬇️ ✅ Reimagine onboarding to focus on employee retention Onboarding processes should involve the utmost transparency and clear communication in order to establish a foundation of trust. Providing regular feedback and communication channels for every employee, new and seasoned, to engage with processes, programs, and decisions is crucial to productive intergenerational work. You could incorporate "Working with" documents, feedback maps, and quarterly/cadence-based norms setting with your team. ✅ Start an intergenerational Employee Resource Group (ERG) I just spoke with a new connection about how she's been steering an intergenerational ERG at her public (!) sector workplace for the past three years. Through a combination of socials and professional development opportunities, team members across all generations are able to share knowledge, learn from each other, understand each other more fully, and participate in meaningful exchanges in a professional setting. More intergenerational ERGs, please! ✅ Adopt channels for reverse mentorship and inclusive leadership structures Establishing a culture where every team member is valued for their unique contributions and insight, regardless of their title, is critical to ensuring an intergenerational team thrives. Consider areas (onboarding, project management/development, professional development) where an individual's strengths lend themselves well to teaching, mentoring, facilitating, or adopting. Ask yourself ➡️ What kinds of built-in mechanisms already exist for this structure to be successful? What needs to change? What can we audit? Intergenerational work isn't going anywhere, so we better DO something about it rather than just surface the same conversations ☕

Research has shown that emotional manipulation (EM) can significantly impact individuals’ well-being and productivity. It can systematically influence cognitive control, which is crucial for effective decision-making and problem-solving, and can also affect individuals’ interpersonal relationships and overall mental health, further impacting their productivity and satisfaction in the workplace. Collaborating with manipulative individuals can be daunting, but it's an opportunity to sharpen your interpersonal skills and navigate complex dynamics effectively. 🤔 Reflection moment: 1️⃣ How do you typically respond to manipulative behavior in the workplace? 2️⃣ What strategies can you employ to maintain your composure when faced with manipulation? 3️⃣ How can you leverage challenging interactions as opportunities for personal and professional growth? 💡 Tips to collaborate with manipulative people effectively: 1️⃣ Challenge Accepted: Working alongside manipulative personalities isn't easy, but treat it as a masterclass in emotional intelligence and resilience. 2️⃣ Unveiling the Tactics: Recognize the manipulative tactics at play and decode the underlying motives. It's the first step toward reclaiming control of the situation. 3️⃣ Mirror, Don't Mimic: Instead of engaging in a power struggle, mirror their behavior with empathy and understanding. It disarms their tactics and fosters authentic communication. 4️⃣ Set Boundaries, Stay Grounded: Establish clear boundaries to protect your interests while staying rooted in your values. It's the foundation of healthy interactions. 5️⃣ Elevate Your Response: Respond strategically, not reactively. Choose your battles wisely and focus on long-term solutions rather than short-term wins. 6️⃣ Seek Support, Stay Resilient: Surround yourself with a support network of trusted colleagues and mentors. Their insights and encouragement can bolster your resilience in challenging situations. Share your insights and experiences in working with manipulative individuals. #coachingtips #lifecoaching #workplacewellbeing

Don't tolerate bullying behavior! Remember these 7 Steps to Deal with a Bully at Work... 1. Recognize the Behavior Bullying isn’t always obvious. It may include sarcasm, exclusion, public humiliation, micromanagement, or persistent criticism. If a pattern of behavior makes you feel anxious or devalued, take it seriously. 2. Document Every Incident Keep a detailed, dated log of what happened, when, who was involved, and how it affected you. This evidence is vital if you decide to report the behavior or pursue legal support. 3. Set Boundaries When Safe If it feels emotionally and physically safe, assertively but calmly tell the person their behavior is inappropriate. A simple statement like “Please speak to me respectfully” can sometimes interrupt a bullying pattern. 4. Report Internally If the behavior continues or is serious from the start, report it to your HR department or a trusted leader. Present your documentation and focus on the impact to your work and well-being—not just your personal feelings. 5. Take Care of Your Mental Health Bullying can lead to stress, anxiety, and burnout. Don’t ignore your emotional health. Talk to a therapist, seek support from a trusted friend, or use your company’s employee assistance program (EAP). 6. Explore Your Options If leadership fails to intervene, you may need to consider transferring teams or finding a healthier work environment. Sometimes leaving a toxic culture is the most empowering decision. 7. Know Your Legal Rights When bullying involves discrimination based on protected categories (e.g., race, gender, age), it may be unlawful harassment. Visit eeoc.gov or consult an employment attorney to understand your options.

An insight from my Managing Groups & Teams class at Stanford I found extremely fascinating: 👉 A team almost always performs worse than its best member individually. Imagine 4 people give a test: A scores 99 B scores 90 C scores 80 D scores 70 Now if all 4 take the test together, you’d expect a near-perfect score (because you have an 'expert' on the team). But in reality? You often get ~85 – an average, not the maximum. This happens because of regression to the mean (stats nerds gather! :P) and some very human dynamics: ▪️ The “expert” loses confidence when others disagree (“maybe I’m wrong”). ▪️ Pressure silences the expert (“what if I’m wrong and they’re right?”). ▪️ Conformity bias – it feels easier to blend in than to stand apart. ▪️ Diffusion of responsibility – when everyone owns the answer, no one fully owns it. ▪️ Over-deliberation – discussion eats into clarity, introducing doubt where there was certainty. So how do you avoid this? 💡 Acknowledge expertise in the room. If you aren’t the expert, talk less, listen more. 💡 As the expert, explain your reasoning clearly and with humility – not just “I know this,” but why. 💡 Leaders set the tone. Create space for the expert to share, without fear of being “that person who always knows best.” 💡 Use structured decision-making. For example, take individual inputs first, then discuss. This preserves independent judgment before the group effect kicks in. We actually did an exercise on this – working with a military expert on surviving a military-style drill. Our team was one of the rare groups that outperformed even the expert’s solo score. That felt like magic – but it was really method + discipline + respect for expertise. A powerful reminder: the wisdom of crowds works only when individuals bring their best judgment forward before the crowd dilutes it.

Good data leads to better decisions? Think again. Human psychology—not just algorithms—shapes how we interpret and act on data. Ignoring this reality is a common blind spot for organizations today. Somewhat paradoxically, effective decision making with data requires high emotional intelligence–a fact that's often overlooked in the rush toward automation and objective decision making. Emotional responses–such as fear of missing out, confirmation bias, or status quo bias–will not be eliminated by data. These psychological factors compound at the organizational level through group dynamics. The key insight? Instead of trying to eliminate psychological factors from decision making (which isn't possible), we must learn to consciously recognize them and work with them constructively. Forward-thinking companies are already combining data literacy training with deeper understanding of human decision making. This positions them to make better, more nuanced decisions in an increasingly complex world by helping decision makers embrace a powerful truth: good data often reveals uncertainties and complexities rather than eliminating them–and that's exactly what makes it valuable. This perspective shift helps us approach data communication differently. Rather than seeking "the one true number", we can become comfortable with communicating confidence levels and error margins (while acknowledging the human tendency to round probabilities into binary certainties). The real opportunity lies in finding the sweet spot between machine speed and human reflection. While our systems can process vast amounts of data in milliseconds, building in thoughtful "pause points" allows teams to contextualize insights properly and extract maximum value. These moments of reflection create space for what matters most: bringing together diverse perspectives–analysts, domain experts, customer advocates, and sometimes even ethicists–to spark powerful insights while naturally guarding against groupthink. Data-driven decision making isn't about suppressing human psychology–it's about working with it intelligently. The ultimate goal of becoming data-driven isn't to be literally driven by data, but to become psychologically informed in how to best use it.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 Trust is not a one-size-fits-all virtue. We've spent a week decoding its signals and have learned that it's a different dialect for every generation. Here's what each generation defines as trust: 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Trust comes from 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭, humility, and consistency. 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬: Trust is built through 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 and responsibility. 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝐗: Trust is 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲. 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬: Trust is 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲. 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝐙: Trust is 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 and authenticity. 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚: They’ll trust what they 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 more than what they’re told. But frameworks don’t rebuild trust. 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨. We learned that from a real case of trust transformation at a company I know well. A few years ago, a series of leadership decisions created a "bucket moment" of distrust. Morale plummeted, communication broke down, and performance suffered. The foundation had cracked. Instead of trying to fix the cracks with explanations, the leader chose to repair first. They applied the 3𝐒 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 to restore connection. 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: The leader created space before responding, allowing emotions to settle. 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥: They spoke clearly and honestly, publicly owning their misstep. 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐜: Their actions matched their message, starting a process of consistent follow-through. With the repair process underway, they began the proactive work of rebuilding with the 4𝐏 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥. They committed to 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 by delivering on every single small promise. They enhanced their 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 with daily check-ins and active listening. Most importantly, they rebuilt 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 by openly discussing failure and showing vulnerability. They also became multilingual in trust. They held 1:1 conversations with each team member, asking, "What makes you feel genuinely trusted here?" They learned that their trust language was not a single solution but a mosaic of individual needs. The results weren't immediate, but over time, they were profound. The team's productivity and innovation soared. Trust wasn't just rebuilt; it was transformed into a new kind of resilience. Trust isn't built once. It’s built every day, across decisions, silences, setbacks, and recoveries. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮? Which generation’s trust needs are you most attuned to right now? Save this if it resonates. Share it with someone navigating cross-generational trust. Repost to help your team reflect on where trust breaks and how to rebuild it. #HarveysLeadershipRhythms #TheLeadershipSignal #MultigenerationalLeadership #Trust #LeadershipReflections #SixGenerationsOneWorkforce #LeadWithIntention