How Relationships Make or Break the Success of Leaders and Organizations. Diana McLain Smith, high end intellectual, worked with Argyris et al., offers a simplified way to understanding the essential dialogues in companies.

1. The Elephant in the Room
How Relationships Make or Break the Success of Leaders
and Organizations
Diana McLain Smith
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2011

2. Using the Ladder of Reflection
Step 5: Alter patterns that undermine learning and growth.
Step 4: Predict how patterns will affect learning and growth.
Step 3: Focus on patterns, not personalities or motives.
Step 2: Figure out how you together create undesired results.
Step 1: Look at what you’re both doing.
Endless Stream of events and behaviors
Diana McLain Smith
9/7/2012 jgillis767@aol.com 2

3. The Anatomy of a Relationship
“These 4 elements combine to
1. Actions and Reactions give a relationship its distinctive
character, one we intuitively
– Actions evoke reactions. recognize but have difficulty
seeing or changing.”
2. Frames
– Our interpretations of ourselves in relation to
others.
3. Social Contexts
– The backdrop prompting the need to respond.
4. Behavioral Repertoires
– Define the range of the responses at our disposal
Diana McLain Smith
9/7/2012 jgillis767@aol.com 3

4. Narrative Knowledge
Different Types of Experiential knowledge
Narrative Analytic Moral Practical
Personal Stories, Implicit theories, Principles, Personal action
(Highly Personae, Explanations, Moral logic strategies
Variable) Characters Constructs
Cultural Scenes, Roles, Implicit theories, Norms and Cultural
(Highly and beliefs, or Values routines and
Shared) Stereotypes assumptions Scripts
Diana McLain Smith
9/7/2012 jgillis767@aol.com 4

5. Interpretive Strategies
Interpretive Strategies
Views Connects Defends Renews
Strategy
Knowledge Knowledge Knowledge Knowledge
Test As a To what you see By debating: By exploring:
hypothesis (the observable make a case in light of what
“facts” of the based on what others see
situation) you see
Sense As an intuition To your feelings By pleading: By sharing: and
about the appeal to your ask others to
situation feelings; claim a do the same
right to them
Negotiate As a To how others By bargaining: By creating:
perspective see, think and trade-offs, or invent new
feel agreeing to insights out of
disagree each other’s
Diana McLain Smith
9/7/2012 jgillis767@aol.com 5

6. R–R–R
Reflecting Reframing Relationships
Diana McLain Smith
9/7/2012 jgillis767@aol.com 6

7. Bibliography
• Argyris, C., Putnam, R., & Smith, D. M. (1985). Action science:
Concepts, methods, and skills for research and intervention.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Higgins, J., & Smith, D. M. (1999). “Some feedback on
feedback.” Harvard Business Management Update.
• Smith, D. M. (2002). “Keeping a Strategic Dialogue Moving.” In
Peggy Simcic Brown and Roberta Wiig, eds. Corporate
communication: A strategic approach to building reputation.
Oslo, Norway: Gyldendal Norsk Forlag. www.actiondesign.com.
• Smith, D. M. (1999). “The Muck Stops Here.” In Peter Senge
and others, eds. The dance of change, 125-128. New York:
Doubleday.
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8. Veritas
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