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How Social Evolution Affects the Dynamic of Organizations with Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at University of Oxford

How Social Evolution Affects the Dynamic of Organizations with Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at University of Oxford

FromThe CFO Playbook


How Social Evolution Affects the Dynamic of Organizations with Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at University of Oxford

FromThe CFO Playbook

ratings:
Length:
46 minutes
Released:
Jun 28, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

This episode of the CFO Playbook features an interview with Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at University of Oxford and Co-author of The Social Brain: The Psychology of Successful Groups.Professor Dunbar is British anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist and a specialist in primate behavior. He is best known for formulating Dunbar’s number, a measurement of the “cognitive limit to the number of individuals with whom any one person can maintain stable relationships.” His research is concerned with trying to understand the behavioral and cognitive mechanisms that underpin social bonding in primates and humans.In this episode, Professor Dunbar talks about how evolution affects the dynamics of organizations, the seven pillars of friendship, the impact of work on personal relationships, and the observable changes in a sense of community overtime.--------Guest Quotes:“In a C-suite level, you have to find ways of sharing your time and not micromanaging everything, that's where the disaster comes, I think, because you destroy everything. You try and micromanage the whole of a big organization, not only do you make a hash of that because it's too big, but you also don't have any time left over for your family relationships and so on, and they fall apart. So, you’ve got to trust the people you work with, as it were, below you, in the layers below you to do their job, and that has to be the culture. And, there are places where that happens, you have this sense of trust and obligation and people work willingly, as it were, and overwork, maybe,  willingly, not for the money they're paid but out of a sense of pride and obligation to the job they do. If you encourage that kind of attitude again, which used to be much more common, then you don't have to worry about what's going on down below because that's being taken care of in the layers below you. You can sit back and deal with strategy, which is what C-suite folks should be really concerned with because, and sparing yourself enough time at the corners of the day to invest in your own kind of family and social environments.” - Robin Dunbar--------Topics:02:51 Introducing Robin’s book: The Social Brain: The Psychology of Successful Groups06:35 How evolution affects the dynamics of organizations11:36 The seven pillars of friendship18:21 Difference in application for group sizes in a workplace setting30:32 Generational changes in the sense of community38:47 The impact of work on personal relationships--------Sponsor:This show is brought to you by Soldo, the brighter way to manage business spending and expenses. With Soldo, you can control every expense, track spend in real time, automate financial reporting, and then use those insights to fuel growth. Learn more at Soldo.com--------Links:Connect with Robin on LinkedInThe Social Brain: The Psychology of Successful GroupsConnect with Fran on LinkedInThe CFO Playbook Listener Survey
Released:
Jun 28, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (80)

Being a good CFO isn’t just about managing money anymore. The modern CFO is being asked to implement new technology, guide product and business decisions, and look ahead to the future. But how do you stay ahead of the curve? In The CFO Playbook, you’ll learn how world-class CFO’s and finance leaders set goals, manage teams, leverage technology, plan for the future, improve systems and processes, and so much more. Each week you’ll get insights that help you grow yourself and your company. Have a specific topic you’d like us to cover? Head on over to cfoplaybook.fm to submit any questions you’d like our guests to answer on future episodes.