We are surrounded by entrenchment - in our communities, at work, in our families and certainly politically. Entrenchment happens when an attitude, habit, or belief becomes so firmly established that it morphs from “what I believe” into “who I am,” and it makes change difficult and unlikely.

Enter fault lines: the cracks that split groups into subgroups based on aligning attributes like race or age. For instance, young Latino players might form a clique separate from older white players in a Major League Baseball team, creating internal conflicts that erode team cohesion and performance.

Faultlines can breed conflict and hamper communication, however, they can also foster a sense of belonging within subgroups. Accountants and marketers might struggle to collaborate due to their different professional languages, yet find comfort and cohesion within their own teams.

To combat entrenchment, leaders need to first understand the different types of subgroups and their effects. Consider spatial presence, surface-level characteristics like gender or race, knowledge bases, and deep-level identities like values and beliefs, which all play roles to a greater and lesser degree in subgroup formation and entrenchment.

Observing team interactions—who talks to whom, who aligns with whom—can reveal existing subgroups. Leaders should also be aware of their own potential alignments with these subgroups. To break down these entrenched barriers, leaders can mix up team memberships, emphasise shared goals and adversaries, encourage formal and informal time spent together, and engage boundary spanners who can navigate between groups. Embracing curiosity about other subgroups is also key.

Other Good Reads:

Toward A Temporal Theory of Faultlines and Subgroup Entrenchment - Meister - 2020 - Journal of Management Studies - Wiley Online Library

Is Your Organisation Digging Trenches or Building Bridges?

Faultline Theory: Why Teams Fall Apart | by Small World Solutions Group | Medium

On this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work, our gal pals focus on memory, how memory affects the workplace and how we can address or minimize memory issues. Crina had several experiences where people she was in meetings with or spoke to had wildly different recollections of what was said.

Let’s shout out to the ladies’ memories - which are better than males - at least according to

The Wonder Of You: Why Women Have Better Memory Than Men. This may be because memories “stick” better when we pay attention, focus on details and they are accompanied by feelings. It is kind of like telling ourselves a story and it makes our memories better.

Neuroscientist Lisa Genova has done a deep dive into memory and neurological disorders - in fact, she is scientist turned fiction writer telling stories about the experiences of people who experience neurological disorders. Her most recent book, Remember: The science of memory and the art of forgetting is non-fiction. She tells us that memory is essential to almost everything we do - walking, talking, interaction, watching a movie, eating. Without memory, we are untethered to the life we live.

Our brains are designed to remember what is meaningful, emotional, surprising, new and what we repeat and practice. This applies to our four kinds of memory: muscle memory, semantic memory (facts and information), episodic memory (what happened in your life) and working memory (doing things like writing, talking and problem solving).

We create memory when our brain takes in information, weaves it together and stores it to a neural circuit we can later access. Every memory actually changes our beautiful brains. And our memories are surprisingly accurate. We can train our brains to be better at memory, but the passage of time does impact the reliability of our memories.

Stress, lack of sleep, poor diet and lack of sleep can impact our memories. In short, think self-care for a better memory. In addition, writing things down, repeating what you have heard, telling yourself stories, making connections and calming down can all improve memory.

This is all to say memory is remarkable and also not always reliable - if we take care of ourselves and pay close attention our memories will better serve us.

Who knew that our ears could boost your business game? Active listening skills can amp up collaboration and productivity by a whopping 25%. Learning the art of listening also increases employee satisfaction by 30%. And a staggering 80% of workplace drama stems from poor communication. Clearly, listening isn't just kind — it's powerful. We spend about 45% of our waking hours listening. For the average American, that's around 7.58 hours a day. We hear between 20,000 to 30,000 words daily—way more than the 16,000 words we speak. Sadly, over 70% of workers suffer from poor listening habits, impacting learning (85% of what we learn is from listening) and problem-solving abilities. Listening Statistics – Word Finder by WordsRated; The Biggest Bang for Your Organization’s Buck? Active Listening Skills

Hearing is just your ears doing their job. Active listening? That's your brain going into overdrive, focusing on sounds and extracting meaning. It's a full-on mental workout involving attention, contemplation, and response. According to Harvard's Robin Abrahams and Boris Groysberg, active listening breaks down into three parts:

• Cognitive: Pay attention to all the info, both spoken and unspoken.
• Emotional: Keep calm and carry on, even if you're annoyed or bored.
• Behavioral: Show you're interested with verbal and non-verbal cues.

Ingredients for Active Listening

1. Presence: Be in the moment. Put down your phone, make eye contact, and show you're engaged. Avoid jumping to conclusions or trying to "fix" things right away.
2. Curiosity: Stay curious and humble. Ask questions to clarify and understand before you respond. Keep power dynamics and past feedback in mind.
3. Connection: Listening is about forming a connection. Understand and honor what the speaker values. This approach can lead to better progress for both parties involved.

Mastering the Art of Active Listening

1. Know Your Style: Identify if you're task-oriented, analytical, relational, or critical. Each style suits different situations.
2. Choose Wisely: Determine the best listening style for the moment by considering the conversation's goals and the speaker's needs.
3. Stay Focused: Don’t let insecurities or distractions (like checking emails) get in the way. Use mantras or meditation to keep your mind on track.
4. Ask Questions: It shows you're engaged and deepens your understanding. Questions can also uncover hidden emotions or unspoken points.

Remember, listening is more than just nodding and saying "Mm-hmm." It's about asking insightful questions and being truly present. If we stay curious, stay present, we can not only hear but understand and connect on a deeper level. Active listening isn’t just a nice-to-have skill; it's a game-changer. So, lend an ear, and who knows? You might just hear the next big idea.

What’s Your Listening Style?

What Is Active Listening?