Respect Trumps Harmony

Develop a high-performing team based on a culture where respect trumps harmony As teams become more diverse, we won’t always see eye to eye. We won’t agree on everything, and we may not even like each other. In order to achieve results, we need to have robust, candid and constructive discussions. Respect Trumps Harmony offers a proven approach to navigating the difficulties faced in teams and workplaces today. To build collaboration; strengthen innovation; and manage safety, risk and well-being, it’s critical that there is a foundation of respect, not harmony. Developed during author Rachael Robertson’s time leading one of the toughest workplaces on the planet—Davis Station, Antarctica—and further informed by over 15 years of research, case studies and feedback, Robertson suggests that harmony in the workplace is overrated, and can even be dangerous, and that above all else, respect is the key ingredient of a high-performance culture. A focus on respect over harmony improves everything from morale to productivity. Respect Trumps Harmony integrates the three pillars at the core of Robertson’s leadership practice: No triangles, The bacon wars, and Lead without a title, enabling you to: • Manage conflict and put an end to gossip • Improve accountability and the quality of feedback, • Recognise and manage dysfunctional behaviour • Build collaboration to strengthen innovation • Identify and manage risk • Inspire trust and confidence by displaying personal leadership, and encourage others to do the same irrespective of their title Respect Trumps Harmony is a contemporary leadership handbook, essential for all modern leaders and those who wish to transform the culture within their own team.

About the author vii Acknowledgements ix Introduction xi Part I: Respect trumps harmony 1 1 Harmony — the road to mediocre 3 2 Change is now business as usual 13 Part II: The three pillars to build respect in teams 23 3 No triangles: the importance of direct conversations 25 4 The bacon war: what seems trivial could be titanic 31 5 Lead without a title: hold on to your talented staff and share the load 37 Part III: Moments that matter and self-leadership 45 6 Edge moments 47 7 Self-awareness and self-leadership 59 Part IV: No triangles in action 67 8 Implementing no triangles 69 9 Research results and feedback 79 10 Research evidence and conclusions 87 Final thoughts 109 Appendix I: Frequently asked questions about no triangles 111 Appendix II: 10 steps for difficult conversations 117 Index 121