37 pages • 1 hour read
Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, Karen DillonHow Will You Measure Your Life?
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2012A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Section 2, Chapters 8-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Section 2: “Finding Happiness in Your Relationships”
Section 2, Chapter 8 Summary: “The School of Experience”
Christensen frames this chapter by stating that children should be given opportunities to learn how to do difficult things, as it helps them learn how to solve problems and overcome adversity. He then discusses how in the world of business, hiring managers often look at resumes to judge candidates for markers of success. He recalls a seminar he led in which he asked professionals to measure their success rate: Managers hired the wrong candidate 25% of the time, showing how so-called markers of success were not reliable indicators for the managers’ specific needs. Instead, Christensen argues that a more reliable way of hiring would be to examine candidates’ experiences and measure them against a company’s specific needs. He recalls an instance from his time as CEO of CPS Technologies when the start-up needed a vice president of operations. The company narrowed down their pool to two candidates, one who had a well-established track record with an established, large company and another with a more modest track record but who was hands-on. The company chose the first candidate because of his credentials; however, his lack of experience with a start-up was limiting. Eventually, the company released him.
Christensen argues that in order to be fully prepared for a particular job, one should have a track record of being able to work through adversity. He discusses Nolan Archibald’s track to CEO of Black and Decker, which included difficult but sought after positions—including a position at an asbestos mine in Quebec. Experiencing adversity prepared Archibald for his role as CEO. Christensen discusses this concept in sports terms, detailing his favorite basketball team and the way their coach mismanaged his bench. The coach would only play his back-up players when a game was easy; however, during a championship game, he could not rely on his bench because he did not trust the players’ abilities. He had not given them opportunities to perform under pressure. He relied on his starters, and they became fatigued. The team lost the championship game.
Again, Christensen applies his theory to parenting. He recognizes that parents are often well-intentioned; however, when parents do not allow their children to experience failure, they deny them life lessons. He poses a hypothetical scenario of a high school student who waits until the last minute to complete a school project. Christensen suspects that many parents would offer to help their child finish the project, which the child learns to take advantage of. He argues that the child should face the consequences of procrastination and thereby learn a valuable life lesson. He also discusses participation trophies, suggesting that these deny children the opportunity to experience failure, which is a fact of life. Christensen recommends that parents appropriately challenge their children and give them responsibilities. This helps children develop problem-solving skills.
Section 2, Chapter 9 Summary: “The Invisible Hand Inside Your Family”
In discussing children and morality, Christensen mentions culture. He argues that culture in a company is not the same as atmosphere. For example, a casual dress rule is not necessarily culture. Rather, culture is something that develops over time. Citing Edgar Schein, an eminent scholar on organizational management, Christensen says that culture happens when groups work together consistently enough to develop an instinctive sense of what is expected from their company. He says that in many ways, culture is a self-guiding dynamic and limits micromanaging. If a company has an established, positive culture, employees won’t require micromanaging.
Christensen addresses different company cultures in this chapter, beginning with Pixar. He examines how constructive, honest criticism of work has helped Pixar create highly acclaimed animated films. He also examines the culture at Netflix and provides excerpts that the company posts outlining their culture. Christensen notes that a culture can form one way or another, even toward the unethical. He uses Enron as an example: Enron allegedly values respect and integrity, but the company did not conduct itself accordingly and caused a scandal.
Christensen contextualizes this theory of culture in a discussion of family. He argues that parents should intentionally decide what their values are and consistently hold to these values. He then uses examples from his own family: He and his wife, Christine, decided they wanted kindness and a love of work to be core values in their family. Naturally, as their children grew, Christensen and Christine instilled these values in them—not by simply voicing values like Enron but by modeling them. They also found ways to involve their children in household chores so that they grew to understand the intrinsic value of work. Developing a culture requires intention and consistency, and when patterns emerge in which parents veer from their established culture, they risk interrupting consistency.
Section 2, Chapters 8-9 Analysis
This section deals with positive strategies for parenting. Christensen recommends that parents do what they can to provide structure for their children, but not to overdo it. As is often the case, he employs a tone that acknowledges the difficulty of good parenting. He is not dismissive of parents who are well-intentioned but make unintended errors when raising their children. Christensen speaks from his own experience as a father and adheres to the ideas and practices that worked for him.
Earlier in the book, Christensen voiced the importance of accomplishment, something that can be achieved with adversity. When a person succeeds in working through challenges, they feel a sense of accomplishment, and this can increase self-esteem. Christensen argues that parents should likewise look for ways to challenge their children: “Helping your children learn how to do difficult things is one of the most important roles of a parent. It will be critical to equipping them for all the challenges that life will throw at them down the line” (140). Out of love, parents sometimes shield their children from struggle. While a mistake, Christensen recognizes that it is a parent’s instinct to help their children whenever they can. However, sheltering children compromises opportunities for them to learn valuable lessons. Instead, “As a parent, you can find small opportunities for your child to take important courses early on […] If they don’t succeed, make sure you’re there to help them learn the right lesson” (152). In other words, parents should allow their children to fail, to learn self-reliance. In the event of failure or misunderstanding, Christensen suggests that parents urge their children “to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and try again. Tell them that if they’re not occasionally failing, then they’re not aiming high enough” (152). This process teaches children the value of intrinsic motivation—reinforcing the theme of Extrinsic Versus Intrinsic Motivation.
As for children and morality, Christensen argues that culture will guide children toward making good decisions. Parents should be assertive when instilling a family culture because a lack of clearly defined expectations can form a dysfunctional culture. Furthermore, forming a culture is not a passive endeavor: “[I]t’s not something you can decide on, communicate, and then expect it to suddenly work on its own” (169). This process requires effort and consistency, and it can be tempting to give up or take a routine for granted: “With good intentions, many exhausted parents find it too difficult to stay consistent with their rules early on—and inadvertently, they allow a culture of laziness or defiance to creep into their family” (169). Despite this difficulty, enforcing rules is necessary for ensuring that children grow into responsible, successful adults.
