Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy, and Understanding at Work

by Michael Lee Stallard

Human connection affects much more than the bottom line. Organizations thrive when employees feel valued, the environment is energized, and high productivity and innovation are the norm. This requires a new kind of leader who fosters a culture of connection within the organization. Michael Lee Stallard's Connection Culture provides a fresh way of thinking about leadership and offers recommendations for how to tap into the power of human connection. If you want to begin fostering a connection culture in your organization, this book is your game-changing opportunity. Stop undermining performance and take the first step toward change that will give your organization, your team, and all whom you lead a true competitive advantage. Inspiring and practical, this book challenges you to set the performance bar high and to keep reaching. In this book you will learn how to: -foster a connection culture -emulate best practices of connected workplaces like those at Pixar and Duke University's men's basketball team -boost vision, value, and voice within your organization.

Genres: Nonfiction, Leadership, Business, Management

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2015

About the author

Michael Lee Stallard is president of Connection Culture Group and E Pluribus Partners. He speaks, teaches, and serves as consultant to leaders at a wide variety of organizations including Costco, Federal Reserve, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, Qualcomm, Turner Construction, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Treasury Department, Wellpath, and Yale-New Haven Health. Texas Christian University created the TCU Center for Connection Culture based on Michael and his colleagues' work.

Michael is primary author of Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared identity, Empathy and Understanding at Work, Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity and Productivity and a contributor to several other books. He is a regular contributor to SmartBrief. Articles written by Michael or about E Pluribus Partners’ work have appeared in leadership periodicals worldwide. Michael guest lectures at several universities and institutes and is a faculty member at the Institute for Management Studies .

Prior to founding E Pluribus Partners, Michael was chief marketing officer for businesses at Morgan Stanley and Charles Schwab. Earlier in his career, Michael worked as an executive in investment banking, marketing, finance and business development-related positions at Barclays and Texas Instruments.

Reviews

[Michael Ebaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this compact and highly readable book as I was invited to attend a small group of high-level leaders to hear the author, Michael Stallard, speak about Connection just a few months ago. I had never heard of him, didn't know his work, and dove into Connection Culture a week before attending. Having worked as a Director, Organizational Development for 25 years in major health systems, his healthcare story resonated deeply with me. His simple but highly useful description of sub-cultures that are a) Connection based, b) Control based or c) Indifference based rang loud and clear as both naming the problem and offering the solution. Very useful model. Solid.

Then I had the chance to hear him "live" for a few hours. He was disarmingly present, humble and authentic. It wasn't hard to see that he was role-modeling the very behaviors he wrote about that create a Connection Culture. Credible, well thought out and impeccably researched, Connection Culture will help any leader to see where they need to spend more of their time. Connection creates trust and trust is the oxygen in any relationship, especially work relationships which are by their nature somewhat compulsory.

The deeper model, Vision, Values and Voice also offers a strategic and useable path to creating connection with groups. He almost effortlessly makes his case, so don't be surprised that doing this sounds easier than it really is. A self-oriented careerist type leader (read ego) isn't likely to have the capability to follow the path to connection. In short, you have to genuinely care about people and / or be open to learning and seeing the value of connection in order to want to connect more. This book is curious, inviting, thoughtful, practical and full of compelling research on the essential nature of connection, a value our world seems to have lost. Disarmingly relevant and highly applicable. Highly recommended.

[Ann D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Stallard's "Connection Culture" provides a definitive description of best practices for leaders who build healthy organizations. Through research and story-telling, Michael and his co-writers employ both science and case studies to explain the intrinsic value of servant leadership.

The book's memorable examples of leaders who have chosen to emphasize team building, collaboration, and engagement with their employees, are inspiring. As a lifelong nonprofit executive, I so appreciate the thoughtful presentation of a philosophy which is relevant in the world of charitable giving. The message of caring for your team is equivalent to caring for your donors, so that together we may move an organization forward.

This book is the Connection bible, to be read, annotated, and read again. It's the number one book on a critically important topic, and a must read if you believe in healthy workplace cultures.

[Kyle Farris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to see Michael Stallard speak back in 2016 at the ATD International Conference and Expo - he told the story of his wife's battle with cancer and set the foundation for the power of connection culture. It was memorable and impactful enough that I enthusiastically recommended him as a keynote speaker for a company event three years later (which was well-received). Following the keynote and workshop, I read through Connection Culture to reinforce the lessons. I highly recommend it. Michael does a fantastic job bringing together a wide array of psychological principles into a simple framework for healthy workplace cultures. An excellent resource for culture improvement.

5-Star: Everyone should read this.
4-Star: Everyone in this specific field should read this.
3-Star: This was a decent read for the specific field, but there are better options.
2-Star: It got me to the end of the book, so there is that.
1-Star: It was bad enough that I didn't finish it.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reality of workplace culture is that you'll have one whether you cultivate it or not. The question becomes, “Will it be your competitive advantage?” Stallard explains that too many organizations fall into the trap of two extremes. Leaders are either indifferent to their culture or lean into antiquated methods like command and control. I learned about Stallard’s approach in his first book, "Fired Up or Burned Out."

Tackling the topic of culture can be complex, yet this “sequel” is an elegant presentation of the three types of culture, how to cultivate a culture of connection, and the strategies that form these connections. Through research and real examples, readers gain a high-elevation understanding of why a connection culture is critical, and they discover specific action items designed for immediate implementation. The resources at the end also include study questions for groups who are interested in evaluating their culture together. I highly recommend this book.

[Danise DiStasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so taken by the simplicity of this message yet the depth of how difficult it can be to connect. Our society has glorified connecting via social media but that is not a connection at all. This book shares the truth rooted in the research of how being disconnected affects us physically, emotionally, and professionally. Businesses would benefit from taking this information seriously. Individuals will walk away with a much better understanding of what is missing in their life! Well done.

[Tafra Debisschop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas - really loved the book. The ending was a bit rushed with a flurry of ideas on how to cultivate connection pulled from multiple resources. Even though the ending could have been more thoughtful it was still a great read.

[Alina · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is hard to call this a book. A brochure, maybe? Acknowledgements start on page 95! Most of the book consists of pretty random examples of various companies where something has happened supposedly because of connection or lack of it.

[Brad Fry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great content, but not organized well.

[Jon Rugg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This resource is an easy read and must have for every leader and organization. It succinctly captures the power of Connection and underscores why it is an emerging theory of leadership and organizational culture. So impressed by this book, I based my doctoral research on its thesis and found empirical evidence to support Stallard's model of Connection.

[Brian Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connection Culture is yet another reason Michael Lee Stallard is on the top of his game. His first book (Fired Up or Burned Out) introduced us to the concepts of Vision, Value, and Voice. Connection Culture adds the “why” and articulates his mantra in simplistic terms that can be implemented within any organization. Stallard shows the reader the many advantages of “Vision, Value, and Voice” in the pursuit of connection, from the competitive advantages to scientific cases. Connection Culture holds both action steps and real world examples outlining the need for more people connection. Far too often performance in organizations suffers due to lack of people skills being utilized, with the usual excuse of, “I’m too busy.” Relationship management is a central aspect of any great leader, and Connection Culture will add value to any leader’s playbook. I highly recommend this book!

[Greg Owen-Boger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a favorite bumper sticker that reads, “I value people and business. In that order.” In “Connection Culture,” Michael Lee Stallard puts this pithy concept into action. He makes the argument for why we need to create the conditions for – and nurture – a work culture that places high priority on human connection. And when we do that, success follows. In his easy-to-digest (this is a good thing!) new book, he shows us how to achieve this type of success using solid research and real-world examples. “Connection Culture” ought to be mandatory reading in every business school and leadership training curriculum.

[Glenn Schiraldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb blending of the most important leadership principles with engaging stories and studies that held my interest. I very much enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone wanting to improve the work culture. I've read a lot on leadership, and this rates among the best.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our CEO was so impressed by this book that he made "Connections" our annual corporate theme. I thought the book was a great collection of theories and strategies to improve connections at several levels: employee to employee, employee to leadership team, and employee to company.

There are some old school types out there who think everyone should just buckle down and do their jobs and that there's no reason to be personally involved with people. This book references many studies that show that, indeed, personal connections improve productivity and profitability and extends employee longevity.

Good read, good material and many takeaways.