Carol Sanford | Indirect Work to Exceptional Improvement

Unlocking Business Growth - exploring achievements, challenges and what's interesting

Thinking and questioning originated in Carol Sanford’s childhood; through influences from indigenous, white supremacist, and even fundamentalist Christian customs and beliefs. How we are in, and view, the world drives our engagement and impact. From the contradictory, perhaps clashing, cultural influences Carol developed a drive to think, question, and write.

Influenced also by studying and observing the success of basketball coach Phil Jackson’s model that cultivated role models and excellence through indirect work Carol wrote her latest, sixth book, Indirect Work. She seeks to stimulate thinking and develop inquiry; to encourage readers to overcome paradigms, to escape the chains and shadows (as described by Plato). Thinking not about the book content as a template or instruction, but about the influence on the reader - their own opinions about what is raised in the book, how they can argue with that content, and work to form their own opinions and ideas. Then test them.

Learning is as much about how one engages with new information and experience as it is about the information itself. Carol encourages listeners and readers neither to accept nor reject anything she, or anyone else, says or demonstrates without first working it through with their own experience, reflection, and disagreements. Society needs to stimulate its own enquiring mind and then develop a methodology of learning to think.

Tune in to hear about:

• A glimpse at the book Indirect Work.
• How Phil Jackson became the winningest coach in the NBA, and elevated the value and attractiveness of the sport, without coaching (including discussion not included in the book).
• What to do instead of setting goals, and what billiard balls have to do with it.
• How Colgate in South Africa rapidly transformed their results, their structure, retained the employee team, and benefitted society through indirect work.
• And more.

Mentioned in this episode:

Carol Sanford website