92: Ed Kless touches all the bases for better connections at work [podcast]

Ed Kless grew up near New York City with parents in a "mixed marriage" – one rooted for the Giants and the other rooted for the Dodgers. Luckily, both teams moved before he was born, so it was easy for him to grow up a Mets fan. He's attended a game in 18 baseball stadiums across the country, with Citi Field being his favorite. He recalls a great story about being at the game when the Mets won the National League Championship over the St. Louis Cardinals in 2000, chanting Rick Ankiel's name as he continued to struggle to find the strike zone. He also brings up just how much baseball lingo has made it into the regular business world, with phrases like pinch hit, home run, touch base, and to 86 something. In this episode, Ed and I talk about authenticity consulting theory, which means saying what you see or saying what you feel. It's the most powerful tool we have to communicate. We also discuss how it's easier for an organization to shut down a positive culture than it is for them to foster it, because the latter requires buy-in from the individuals. Ed also says that "Human beings behave by what we believe, not because of what we know." This is what actually drives our actions. Unfortunately, this is directly at odds with the corporate world, which is based on what you know. So getting to the beliefs of each individual takes some time but results in a strong culture.