Article Summaries & Reviews

Some of the journal articles listed in the Read, Reflect, and Relate to Your Growth page may not be accessible without a paid subscription. Below are a few summaries of a some such articles so you can get the gist of the content and perhaps spark ideas for further searches on your own.

Work-Life Balance

Give Your Organization a Work-Life Vision
by Monique Valcour
From the Harvard Business Review (September 01, 2014)


Reflections from the Reviewer: Much has been said already about work-life balance, and more has been said than has been done. The enlightenment this author provides is that of the concept of human energy and energy management. Simply stated, it is poor management of one’s energy to burn out. It is best for the organization and staff person to allow that staff person to live in such a way that they have optimal human energy on a sustainable basis.

 

Independent Summary of Key Points:






“Here’s a work-life vision that might serve you well: The best managers in our organization are the ones who best manage the energy of their teams. Energy is something we can all recognize as a precious resource, which is only valuable in use, yet must not be over-exploited and should not be wasted. In an organization, energy is the essential “human resource” to be channeled – every bit as important as financial resources to success, and often more so.”






This article was reviewed and summarized by Bruce Becker, SIL HR Project Manager.

   

Original Article: https://hbr.org/2014/09/give-your-organization-a-work-life-vision


Prioritization

A Better Way to Set Strategic Priorities
by Derek Lidow
February 13, 2017


Reflections from the reviewer: The author gives a tight, worthy, specific process for setting priorities and allocating resources.  For clarity, the reviewer took the liberty to simplify and get more readily to the end-state advocated by the author, which maintaining integrity with the process advocated.

Independent Summary of Key Points:








[i] Reviewer made a simplification for clarity

[ii]  Reviewer made a clarification


This article was reviewed and summarized by Bruce Becker, SIL HR Project Manager.


Additional Resources: Original Article   Https://store.hbr.org/product/a-better-way-to-set-strategic-priorities/H03FAI

Building Trust

The 3 Elements of Trust
by Jack Zenger  and Joseph Folkman
February 05, 2019

Reflections from the reviewer: Trust is a priceless treasure that is hard to earn and easy to lose, yet it is so very worthy to strive for. There is a strong correlation between staff trusting their leader and evaluating him or her positively. So how can trust be earned or re-established? The authors of this article have identified three key elements that build a foundation of trust. Interestingly, the authors showed that variation in the trust rating of a leader could be primarily explained by these three elements.

Independent Summary of Key Points:

By understanding the behaviors that underlie trust, leaders are better able to elevate the level of trust that others feel toward them. Here are the three elements.


Positive Relationships. Trust is in part based on the extent to which a leader is able to create positive relationships with other people and groups. To instill trust a leader must:


Good Judgement/Expertise. Another factor in whether people trust a leader is the extent to which a leader is well-informed and knowledgeable. They must understand the technical aspects of the work as well as have a depth of experience. This means:


Consistency. The final element of trust is the extent to which leaders walk their talk and do what they say they will do. People rate a leader high in trust if they:









This article was reviewed and summarized by Bruce Becker, SIL HR Project Manager.


Additional Resources:  Original Article-  https://hbr.org/2019/02/the-3-elements-of-trust

Collaboration

Which Kind of Collaboration Is Right for You?
by Gary P. Pisano  and Roberto Verganti
From the Harvard Business Review (December 2008)

Reflections from the Reviewer:  Often one thinks of collaborating with his or her immediate colleagues or friends. The authors of the referenced article have broadened this concept, having done considerable research on collaborating with parties outside of the organization. This article builds on the premise that we understand and embrace a higher level of connectedness and the opportunities it brings. I found their “Four Block” graphic particularly insightful, helping one to find the optimal type of collaboration for the case at hand. Within the arena of language translation, which is highly complex, SIL likely will find the closed type of participation more beneficial, whereby fewer parties participate, yet they bring more expertise to the collaboration.  This article should provide the reader with some new tools in his or her toolkit for expanding their use of effective collaboration.

Independent Summary of Key Points:

















This article was  reviewed and summarized by Bruce Becker, SIL HR Project Manager.


Additional Resources:

Original Article: https://hbr.org/2008/12/which-kind-of-collaboration-is-right-for-you

https://www.academia.edu/41967662/Which_kind_of_collaboration_is_right_for_you

The Four Ways to Collaborate

How to Choose the Best Mode of Collaboration