There are two fast ways to ruin a great company and run a business into the ground. The first is to let lawyers run the company. The second is to let the financial controller run the business. Aviv calls on his experience as a military pilot to identify and explain the five altitudes of business conversations.

In this episode, Aviv continues his discussion on collective intelligence by expounding on the different levels, or altitudes, of business conversations. Specifically, Aviv provides best practices for identifying situations that are prone to collective stupidity, encouraging inquiries about conversations’ altitudes and finding new and creative ways to unleash the collective intelligence of your team

• 00:45 – Aviv breaks down the fourth collective intelligence, focusing on the five altitudes of business conversations
• 04:16 – Aviv expounds on the definition and some causes of collective stupidity
• 06:06 – Aviv analyzes the five altitudes of business conversations
• 12:29 – Aviv recaps and reiterates the value of each individual altitude
• 14:32 – Aviv poses five critical questions that must be answered as we look to frame and choreograph the conversation flow
• 16:25 – Now it’s your turn, identify situations that are prone to collective stupidity, reframe opportunities by encouraging an emergent inquiry about the conversation’s altitude and find creative ways to unleash the collective intelligence of your team

Full show notes: http://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf92

Jeff Cates is the CEO and President of Achievers, an industry-leading employee voice and recognition solution that accelerates a culture of performance. Prior to his time at Achievers, Jeff was the CEO and President of Intuit Canada, during which time the company was named a top great place to work in Canada year after year and was also recognized as a top employer for women and millennials. Jeff’s impressive background also includes roles with industry leaders Apple and Hewlett-Packard. In this episode, Jeff and Aviv expound on the democratization of employee engagement, the value of innovation and the role that passion plays in leadership. Finally, Jeff shares his insights on the importance of wanting to do good, give back and truly connect with people as a leader.

• 00:46 – Aviv introduces today’s guest, Jeff Cates who shares what he enjoys most about his work at Achievers and the work they are doing to hear the voices of their employees
• 07:24 – Jeff expounds on employee engagement and the philosophy that shapes his approach
• 14:07 – Jeff speaks to where his passion for leadership and helping people came from
• 17:08 – Formative moments from Jeff’s early career with Apple and Hewlett-Packard
• 24:08 – Jeff reflects on the importance that innovation has played throughout his career
• 30:07 – Jeff details the guiding principles that are critical for building high functioning leadership teams
• 32:56 – A moment where Jeff showed courage as a leader
• 35:18 – Jeff highlights the different challenges posed from working in a large and a small organization as well as insights he has gleaned from sitting on different boards
• 38:40 – Where Jeff sees himself in five to seven years
• 39:25 – Advice Jeff would give to his younger self
• 42:31 – Two learnings Jeff values above all others and final words of wisdom from Jeff

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.avivconsulting.com/cnf91