Dr. Larry Stybel

Dr. Larry Stybel Speaking Topics

• How to Manage the AI Paradox at Your Company

  As AI use increases, it will be harder for companies to differentiate on the basis of technical superiority or analytical reasoning. At the same time, decision makers will increasingly mistrust what they see, hear, and read.

  Implication: perceived trust will become a key differentiator.

  In this talk, we show participants an easy way to measure perceived institutional trust.

  They will take a measurement of their company, and there will be discussions.

  We will also show how to measure perceived individual trust and there will be time for discussion.

  Once perceived trust is measured, we will discuss ways companies can increase their perceived trust scores.

• How to Manage Your Enemies at Work

  A problem in many knowledge-intensive industries is that they attract highly intelligent professionals who are great at diagnosing problems within their spheres of technical expertise, yet lack skills and a common framework to diagnose relationships at work.

  As work becomes more team-centric, this Knowledge Worker Paradox becomes more critical to organizational efficiency.

  A key source of individual stress and organizational inefficiency is diagnosing someone at your company as an "enemy" when they really are an "adversary/ally."

  A key source of stress is diagnosing someone as a "friend" when that person was always a "chum."

  We provide participants with a new system for diagnosing relationships at work.

• CALM ASSERTIVE LEADERSHIP: HOW TO FAKE IT UNTIL YOU BECOME IT

  You may receive criticism that you are too assertive, and your direct reports resent you. On the other hand, you may receive criticism that you are so unassertive, your colleagues do not respect you. Consider the case of a leader who faked it until he became it, Young George Washington was the Assertive Not Calm Leader whose outrageous murder of French soldiers while they slept created the spark that caused the French and Indian War.
  The War was a victory for Britain but it destroyed Washington’s hopes of having a military career as a British citizen.

  Washington’s natural temper was so violent, his aide Alexander Hamilton resigned his commission on the grounds of Washington throwing Hamilton down a flight of stairs on two occasions.

  Washington apologized and Hamilton remained on the staff. George Washington understood that his natural tendency towards Assertive Not Calm Leadership had cost him a cherished role in the British military. He didn’t want it to destroy his effectiveness in commanding untrained farmers who were fighting the world’s best military force.

  General Washington deliberately chose to become the Calm Assertive Leader we respect today. He created the role. And he faked it until he became it. Let us help you create your own model for Calm Assertive Leadership.

  Program Objectives:

  • How to differentiate yourself in interviews using Calm Assertive Leadership techniques.
  • How to create scripts you can use during meetings.
  • How you can alter blood levels of testosterone and cortisol without the use of drugs.

• "M*A*S*H*"

  "MASH" was a popular movie and television comedy in the 1980s. It can still be seen on television today. We argue that the tension within this fictional unit parallels the corporate culture tension we see today. We suggest MAS*H's leader Colonel Sherman T. Potter, M.D. as the appropriate role model for conflict management. Learning Goals:

  • Welcome to MASH Times: there are two classes of workers and there is tension between the classes, employees are understaffed and overworked. Some feel angry and trapped.
  • How Colonel Potter converts an enemy into an adversary-chum.
  • How to differentiate between adversaries and enemies.
  • It is critical that your team have a common vocabulary to discuss relationships at work.
  • The 'Courtyard' for turning adversaries into chums.

• KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BALL’ AND OTHER DANGEROUS CLICHES THAT COULD DESTROY YOUR BUSINESS

  Andre Tippett was a New England Patriots Outside Linebacker for eleven seasons and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His mother, coach, and agent all told him to 'Keep Your Eyes on the Ball'. Andre realized that if he took this cliché’ seriously, he would not be an aggressive player.

  In this talk, we discuss the Andre Tippett story in the context of common business cliches. We will review common business clichés and explore assumptions. How can you manage your people more effectively?

  Program Objectives:

  • Understand how the Andre Tippett story applies to you. ('Keep Your Eyes on the Ball'.).
  • Learn how to encourage your employees to be innovative ('We Follow Industry Best Practices').
  • Understand how to create reward systems that encourage innovation and learning from failure. ('Win-Don’t Lose').
  • Developing a dynamic systems approach to employee termination ('Off the Bus-On the Bus').