SmartTribes

April 8, 2013
In her latest book, consultant Comaford (Rules for Renegades) offers sound advice for making merely acceptable business teams great. Using neuroscience research, the author defines two major states of being: “Smart State,” in which intelligent and thoughtful decisions are made; and “Critter State,” in which people behave in ways that are reactive, rather than proactive. Comaford then examines the myriad reasons teams hit speed bumps. Using major U.S. companies as examples, she shows readers how to achieve clarity, accountability, and develop a sustainable culture. Finally, the author outlines an action plan for readers and discusses how to transform even the bleakest of corporate cultures. Comaford deftly weaves in marketing prompts for her book throughout, with “Twitter Takeaways” at the end of nearly every chapter (and a request to use the hashtag #SmartTribes), as well as references to relevant information on her Web site. Despite some annoying buzzwords, the author provides an effective roadmap for business success. Agent: Jim Levine, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.

May 15, 2013
Standard techniques from the fields of self-help and salesmanship, repackaged as neuroscience and presented as a method to build effective teams. Business consultant Comaford (Rules for Renegades: How to Make More Money, Rock Your Career and Revel in Your Individuality, 2007) claims to offer a way to grow businesses into their next phase of activity by focusing on what she calls the brain's "smart state," rather than its opposing "critter state." These states are derived from her view of the functions of different physical parts of the brain, brain stem/reptilian part, mammalian limbic system and neocortex. The prefrontal cortex, where "everyone from quantum physicists to voodoo doctors knows there is a huge untapped potential," is responsible for advanced behaviors. From these divisions, Comaford proceeds to discuss how to mobilize the powers of the smart state to take advantage of inflection points that arise in the course of a business' development. Like the exponents of sales and closing techniques marketed in real estate, the author offers herself as "your scout and your coach, not your professor." Her emphasis is on the practical, and she concludes each section with a wrap-up, featuring action points and expected returns--but little substantiation for her claims. Meanwhile, such techniques as "mirroring" and "matching," which involve copying physical movements and postures of others, adopting their tones of voice and inflection, and inferring personality types from word use, are neither new nor related to neuroscience but rather are established parts of a salesman's repertoire. Not surprisingly, creating more effective marketing and sales messages is one of the projected results of adopting these techniques, along with closing deals faster. Comaford has experienced undeniable success in the business world, but she fails to adequately translate her methods into a compelling narrative.

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Starred review from July 1, 2013
Impressively, Rules for Renegades (2007) author and consultant Comaford creates a concrete plan for corporate change (and growth and performance) without mentioning the actual word change. That is a good thing, since more than half of initiatives labeled change just don't hit their mark. The author's selling point is the use of neuroscience, or what are called meta-programs, to influence and guide teams emotionally, psychologically, motivationally in order to move people from the Critter State (of fear) to the Smart State of innovation and high performance. Before she begins to explain how to step into another individual's Maps (that is, behavior and attitudes), she presents an important section on the five qualities that define top-performing teams (or Smart Tribes ): focus, clarity, accountability, influence, and sustainable results. There are three essential keys to starting your Smart Tribe, four factors of a sustainable team, six meta-programs that affect outcomes, and so on. What makes her presentation so contemporary are her sidebars, anecdotes, and end notes covering Stuck Spots (one where no one understood the CEO's vision) and when employees no longer care about customers' experiences.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)