Customer Reviews

The Thin Book of Naming Elephants: How to Surface Undiscussables for Greater Organizational Success

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The authors examine the idea that major problems are often not 'discussable,' although they are talked about in a destructive manner, and remain implicit. The consultant should help surface these "elephants" in a constructive dialogue, and push forward to making decisions, determining what are the next steps, and following through. This practical book provides guidelines to show how to achieve organizational change by learning to name "elephants" and take action. High Reliability Organizations, which reward people for pointing out any deviations from the expected, are discussed. The style of leadership needed to achieve change through getting people to open up and constructively participate in problem solving, is explored. This thin book is both broad and deep, and proves highly informative and thought provoking. It packs powerful insights for organizational change!

This book is right on target whether you are working with a company or with a non-for-profit. I found myself continually underlining relevant ideas. Hammond puts concepts we already know but tend to hide in the back of our minds in simple language that reminds us of how important it is to look at assumptions, accountability and involvement at all levels. She forces us to look at the consequences of speaking up vs not speaking up. I am an advocate (although after reading Hammond's book I am thinking of choosing a word that is less win-lose) of appreciative inquiry methods and also using public involvement in decision making processes and this book is in perfect alignment with both areas.

Anyone who has worked in a corporation knows that an elephant is not just an animal with four legs and a trunk -- an elephant is an issue or problem standing in the middle of the room that everyone knows about but no one is willing to acknowledge or deal with. Elephants are "undiscussables" present in every organization. The size and depth of these "undiscussables" are proportional to the vitality of the organization. It's my experience that high-performing, well-functioning companies have cultures in which honest debate is welcomed, assumptions and conclusions are openly mined for their basis in reality, and people are skilled in managing conflict. Unhealthy, dysfunctional organizations almost without exception have many elephants as a hallmark.

In the book "The Thin Book of Naming Elephants--How to Surface Undiscussables for Organizational Success," authors Hammond and Mayfield utilize the chilling report issued by NASA's Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) as a striking case study on organizational culture. The CAIB report concluded that NASA's broken safety culture had as much to do with the accident as the foam, and that the nature of the numerous undiscussables at NASA, the pressures of rigid hierarchy, and many unquestioned assumptions led to the fatal disaster.

While not every organizational elephant can lead to the loss of life or livelihood, the author's brilliantly make the case for a "simple but not easy" component of business's success: dialogue as a core competency. Specifically, they outline clear how-to strategies for achieving the following:

· Speak up and share any concern or idea

· Respectfully disagree or agree to disagree

· Share and debate multiple realities

· Question those in power

· Explore many alternatives before shutting down discussion or making decisions

· Take turns playing devil's advocate or the contrarian

Much of my work involves helping leaders discuss and debate issues in ways that produce shared understanding, informed decisions, and high-quality solutions. I consider "The Thin Book of Naming Elephants" a key textbook in my toolkit, and recommend it for those who simply seek to sharpen their personal communication ability as well as for those actively involved in moving organizational culture.

I love this book! Simple and powerful and ever so relevant. This is a must read for anyone involved in organizational or community change. You can create healing and remove the hidden agenda's that prevent you from moving ahead. Clear and powerful work with outstanding examples. A must read.

This is an excellent book about truth-telling in organizations. We've all heard the line about the elephant in the room that everybody sees, but no one talks about. This wonderful little book is filled with guidelines and suggestions for how to overcome organizational resistance to telling it like it is.

The centerpiece of the book is a case study of the NASA Challenger disaster (that's the shuttle that disintegrated over Texas on its re-entry because of a piece of foam that broke off and damaged a wing during take-off). It's a rather chilling story that highlights the stark contrast between NASA's espoused theories of truth-telling and "Safety First" on the one hand, and its culture of not making waves or challenging and embarrassing senior executives, on the other.

The book includes extensive discussion of how and why these "invisible" elephants grow up and thrive inside organizations. More importantly, however, it contains simple, straightforward advice on what to do - how to "name" and then discuss the elephants and their implications.

I particularly liked this brief summary of the core message, on page 32:

"Naming elephants is a three-part process. First, identify what is undiscussable, or name the elephant. Second, surface the underlying assumptions people have about the elephant of the situation. This creates the opportunity to view all the ways people see the reality of the situation (multiple realities). Third, learn how to have constructive dialogue involving Tops, Middles, and Bottoms."

Easier said than done, I know. But if you read this little book cover to cover, you'll be a whole lot better at doing what has to be done. And both you and your organization will be a whole lot more successful.

If you are looking for other books on this topic, I also recommend "The Secret Life of the Corporate Jester: A Fresh Perspective on Organizational Leadership, Culture and Behavior," by David Riveness.

This is a super little book that will have a huge impact on you and your organization! By following the simple steps outlined in this book you will be able to discuss the undiscussables, identify the unidentifyable, and make progress collectively like you never dreamed was possible. Another very helpful tool for your leadership toolbox!

I had read this within a couple of hours of having received it in the mail and probably highlighted about half of it ... it was that helpful! Perhaps I was a bit naive in assuming when I ordered it that it would be written for those who report to the elephant or to one who does not want elephants to be discussed, but was surprised (ultimately pleasantly so) to realize that the book is targeted to leadership. Well worth the investment and a great little resource as a starting point for discussion about (what else) ... elephants in the room!

I ordered this book because I wanted to see if someone could really write a book in fewer than 200 page on this subject and get their point across. Well, I read the book in no time at all and the authors did (very effectively) get their point across. This little book will enhance you both personally and professionally.

Neo-classical economics traditionally equates a successful or effective organisation with one that is profitable. There are some caveats around this view - can the organisation continue to be profitable over the long term, does its level of profit compare favourably with other similar organisations, and what about those many non-profit organisations where effectiveness is measured by an outcome or public good framework, rather than the bottom line?

If you suspect your organisation may not be as effective as it could be, there may be good cause to intervene in the organisations strategy system to intentionally cultivate more organisational effectiveness, and raise undiscussables. Naming Elephants provides an excellent source and synopsis of why and how anyone who has a stake in the success of the organisation could undertake this intervention, hopefully without being labelled a whistle blower, or suffering from punitive action.

The authors cover a lot of ground, using their own management consultancy experience and the lessons learnt from the reports into the Columbia and Challenger disasters. I especially liked the applicability to my own workplace, of the removal of the normalisation of deviance, the promotion of inclusive dialogue through minimising the 'Smart Talk Trap' and abstract thinking, and that environmental scanning is best done by all.

Great value - Naming Elephants has gone into my workplace Library.

Every leader and consultant should read this book. It is an easy read and can be completed in a short amount of time, but with much benefit. It will help in addressing difficult things in the workplace and other real-life situations.