Expertise
Below is a curated selection of ASG Principals’ public talks, ground-breaking books, articles and podcast interviews on organizational behavior and conflict.
Click here for an in-depth collection of our public talks, podcast interviews and articles.
Selected Video
Talk @ Google: Conflict Mastery
Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler
In this talk, Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler teaches us how to courageously master the most challenging conflicts, even when that seems impossible. Watch the video
PON at Harvard Law School: Solve the Unsolvable - Even Without the Other Side’s Cooperation
Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler
This talk brings to life the concepts in Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler’s book, Optimal Outcomes. She introduces practices to free yourself from the toughest situations at work, at home, and in public life, and bring lasting transformation to your relationships, teams, and organizations. Watch the video TEDx Talk: The Power of Paradox
Wendy K. Smith
ASG Principal Dr. Wendy K. Smith provocatively suggests that great leaders adopt a paradoxical approach. She highlights the nature of paradoxes, and strategies for effectively embracing them. Watch the videoBooks
Optimal Outcomes: Free Yourself from Conflict at Work, at Home, and in Life
by Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler
Selected as a Book of the Month by The Financial Times, and based on Dr. Goldman-Wetzler's popular course at Columbia University, Optimal Outcomes reveals eight groundbreaking practices proven to help people everywhere free themselves from the conflict loop. Get the book
Emotions in Long-term Conflict
by Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler
This book presents original research examining the links between humiliation, anger, aggression and depression. The research suggests that humiliating events involving collective-level identity characteristics (such as race and religion) produce more aggressive responses than other types of humiliating events. Get the bookSelected Articles
“Both/And” Leadership
by Wendy K. Smith, Marianne W. Lewis & Michael L. Tushman
Many organizations become mired in ongoing conflicts and tensions that leave them stuck trying to move forward. Based on 20 years of research, ASG Principal Dr. Wendy K. Smith and her colleagues present a new model showing leaders how to embrace, rather than solve, paradoxical tensions. Read the article The Ambidextrous CEO
by Michael Tushman, Wendy Smith & Andrew Binns
In a hyper-competitive world, organizations must manage innovation while simultaneously enabling stability and efficiency. Drawing on research across 12 top management teams, ASG Principal Dr. Wendy K. Smith and her colleagues argue that leaders must become ‘ambidextrous’. They describe how ambidextrous leaders organize and support their senior leadership teams. Read the article
Resolving Tough Conflicts - One competency at a time
by Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler
This article describes five competencies leaders must develop to effectively deal with difficult conflicts: Complexity, Interconnectedness, Values, Imagination and Courage. Read the article
These 4 Habits Could Be Making Your Life Harder
by Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler
Habits are hard to break, and that’s even more true if you aren't aware of them. Becoming aware of conflict habits means the difference between staying stuck in a repetitive rut and becoming free from it. Read the articleAs Featured In
FT Business Books of the Month: February Edition
Optimal Outcomes is named a Business Book of the Month by The Financial Times. Read the article
Steeped in Conflict? Here's How to Break Free
by Rodger Dean Duncan
The author interviews Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler about how leaders can free themselves from recurring conflicts at work using the Optimal Outcomes Method. Read the article
6 Powerful Ways to Free Yourself Completely from Office Drama
by Marcel Schwantes
What if the conflict is so intense, so deeply emotional, or so complicated that people can't even stand to be in the same room? The author outlines six ways to free yourself from conflict at the office based on the book Optimal Outcomes. Read the article
Book Review: Optimal Outcomes
by Joshua Sinai
The author offers a review of the book Optimal Outcomes. Read the article
Does Political Banter Belong in the Office?
by Virginia Backaitis
The author outlines Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler's and others' suggestions on how to handle talking politics with colleagues at work. Read the article
6 Effective Ways to Set Boundaries With Your Family When Working From Home
by Stephanie Vozza
The author highlights Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler's and others' suggestions on how to work from home effectively while also managing family at the same time. Read the articleSelected Podcasts
Dear HBR: Disagreeable Colleagues
In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer listener questions with the help of Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler. They discuss what to do when you manage a high performer who gets on everyone’s nerves, your teammate unfairly berates you, or you don’t get along with your boss. Listen to the podcast Fast Company's Secrets of the Most Productive People: How to Stay Sane While WFH w/ Kids
Fast Company's Deputy Editor Kathleen Davis and Head of Video and Podcasting Scott Mebus turn to Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler for advice on how to set expectations with your boss and coworkers, how to carve out time for both work and parenting, and how everyone should be rethinking work. Listen to the podcast
Before Breakfast Podcast with Laura Vanderkam: Honor Your Shadow Values
Understanding people’s secret motivations is powerful. In this episode, host Laura Vanderkam describes how the concept of shadow values, from the book Optimal Outcomes, can help you save time and energy by understanding what drives other people's behavior. Listen to the Podcast
Disrupt Yourself with Whitney Johnson: Optimal Outcomes
Conflict is inherent in the process of climbing an "S-curve" of learning. There will be challenges, there will be friction. Conflict is a constraint, so what do you do with it? Does it stop you or does it become a tool of creation? Host Whitney Johnson and Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler discuss. Listen to the podcast
Play to Potential: Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler
Host Deepak Jayaraman and Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler discuss our tendency to look at conflict in simplistic, binary terms. Jen offers techniques to understand the various dimensions of a conflict and the interconnections between the various people involved in any situation. Listen to the podcast