If you are a book lover like me, you probably have a core set of your favourites that you keep on going back to. For me, Principles by Ray Dalio, is at the top of that pile and is never far from reach.
Ray Dalio has so beautifully and humbly condensed his personal and work lessons into a clear set of principles that I return to so often in my own life and in working with our clients at Team Dynamics. For me, the foundation of this book rests on the critical role of radical truth and transparency in a business and team and the meaningful work relationships that support the achievement of great things.
Let’s look first at radical truth and transparency. I think this is one of the most difficult things for any organisation to achieve. We keep on thinking about salaries and figures as being transparent, yet it’s way beyond that. It means being transparent about the conversations we have with others and the gossip that’s going on around the office and our part in it, whatever level of management we are in. It means being transparent about how we think and create, and the dark places we all have that we don’t want to talk about.
In order to cultivate radical truth and transparency, you need to have a foundation or basis upon which they function, being meaningful relationships and meaningful work. The most meaningful relationships we can develop arise when we and others speak openly about everything that is important, that we learn together, and we understand the need to hold each other accountable to be as excellent as we can be. When we have these kinds of relationships with the people we work with, we can pull through any challenging times. And don’t we have these times at this moment?
At Team Dynamics, one of our most important roles when working with a leader and team, is to cut through all the noise and the stories we keep telling ourselves that shroud the truth. Sometimes championing the cause of the truth in the room, or in a moment, can leave you battle weary. The resistance to the truth or the ‘elephant in the room’ can be immense and deep. Yet even if the steps forward are small, all progress is good.
When I feel my commitment to truth and radical transparency flagging, Ray Dalio’s Principles is there for me. It gets my mind back into what makes the difference and how meaningful work relationships can literally change the world. It renews my courage to speak the truth and hold others accountable to their truth. And it will do the same for you.
To find out more information about this book, visit Amazon HERE, or even better, order your copy at your local bookstore.
Think of your teams the way that sports managers do: No one person possesses everything required to produce success, yet everyone must excel.
Ann’s Favourite Quote From Principles, by Ray Dalio