The Decoded Company

Know Your Talent Better than You Know Your Customers

By: Leerom Segal, Aaron Goldstein, Jay Goldman, Rahaf Harfoush

Narrated by: Leerom Segal, Jay Goldman

As consumers we intuitively understand the benefits of being decoded. Google amazes us by generating answers before we’ve even finished asking a question. Facebook curates our uniquely individual newsfeeds. Spotify and Netflix use learning algorithms to customize our experience. At home, we choose companies that have figured out how to personalize our news, shopping, entertainment, travel, and learning needs.

At most workplaces, it's still one-size-fits-all policies, processes, and tools. Yet companies like Google, Starbucks, and Whole Foods have turned their algorithms inward to decode their talent. Their goal is not to get the better of their talent, but to empower the best from their people. The Decoded Company distills how this process works into three transformative ideas. Technology Can be a Coach, personalizing processes to the individual based on experience and offering training interventions precisely at the teachable moment. Data Can Be a Sixth Sense, codifying organizational battle scars using actual code that watches your blind spots and gives your people a decision making superpower. The third is that Engineered Ecosystems will prevail over hierarchies, reducing bureaucracy, increasing transparency, and be wildly inspiring to teams.

©2014 Leerom Segal, Aaron Goldstein, Jay Goldman, Rahaf Harfoush (P)2014 Gildan Media LLC

Critic reviews

“Next generation management calls for next generation tools. The Decoded Company shows you how to build truly 21st century operating systems that use data to empower talent, creating not just efficiencies but true capability across your entire business.” (Don Tapscott, International bestselling author of 15 books, speaker and Adjunct Professor of Management, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto)

I thought I was aware of what was going on....

What did you love best about The Decoded Company?

There were quite a few factors that went into my favorite part. The fact that the Authors were the narrators was very cool. You could tell the enthusiasm for the discussion that they had while reading. Secondly, the plethora of information. It was A LOT to take in but well worth it. I will probably listen to it again because I doubt that I was able to retain all of it!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not really characters but the book was well worded and concise. Very informative and kept me intrigued.

What does Leerom Segal and Jay Goldman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

You can just tell that they love what they are doing. That makes all the difference, especially when listening to a book. By hearing their enthusiasm got me into it and I wanted to keep listening throughout my day.. Thank god for the shower bluetooth speaker!!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think realizing how little I know about what goes on. I always felt that I was informed and in the know. I was surprised of the things that I had no clue about and how to handle them

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book, for anyone in a management or higher position. I run my own business and would recommend it to owners as well. Great read and can't wait to listen to it again, plus the other books that Leerom and Jay authored.

Thanks guys!

What an Amazing Book!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone in corporate management, project management, and business owners. It provides insight and profound narrative on how to better connect with your workforce.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Decoded Company?

I loved the section that referred to the "Relentless Pursuit of Awesome!".

What about Leerom Segal and Jay Goldman ’s performance did you like?

They were well spoken, clear in their communications, and entertaining. Like other reviewers have stated, it was refreshing to have two narrators.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Pursue Awesomeness!

Any additional comments?

Should be a required read for management training!

Knowing my talents better then anyone else

What made the experience of listening to The Decoded Company the most enjoyable?

Listening to the authors of the book narrate the book was very enjoyable. I also liked listening to them reading the book the way they pictured it being read since they wrote it themselves. Sometimes you loose that when passing it off to someone else to read.

What about Leerom Segal and Jay Goldman ’s performance did you like?

The speed they read was good speed to listen to. I also liked having two different narrators.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Knowing your own talents better then your customers do.

A business leadership book for everyone

What did you love best about The Decoded Company?

The wealth of knowledge delivered was daunting yet very well delivered, any buzzwords were explained and defined, and the book had plenty of lessons for both the normal employee along with leadership of a company. The lessons will equip people for the workplace of tomorrow with the tools that are readily available today.

What did you like best about this story?

I was able to discover new tools that assist my own use of data analytics as a supervisor and team leader. Not just to make justifying expenditures but the investments in our team members in order to build a culture within our startup that provides more then a place to go to earn a paycheck but develop a career with the company as it grows and develops.

Which scene was your favorite?

The approachability of the topics they delivered, there was such a wealth of information shared, but I never felt like I was drowning in jargon, the buzzwords were definately present but still I didn't have to have a phd in business to understand them, I have never studied business in my life, but i have worked in the tech industry and really enjoyed their insights.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me more aware of new resources to be able to assist with on-boarding new team members in order to avoid the sink or swim aspect of many startups in their youth that we see today.

Any additional comments?

I do look forward to any followups to this book in the future.

Motivational and engaging read!

This was an amazing listen! The structure of the book is well organized, easy to follow, and engaging. It is not only meant to be a toolkit for business owners to manage their companies, but is also deeply motivating. In one of my favourite phrases of the book, it pushes listeners/readers to follow the motto of “the relentless pursuit of awesome” that “inoculates against the inherent evil of ‘good enough’.” The Decoded Company truly provides the tools needed for building a successful company designed for the future. Any hopeful entrepreneur should give this a read!

A must read for the 21st century manager

Leerom Segal really hits the nail on the head when it comes to the technology driven workplace. I have heard so many theories about how management should undergo systems change and what practices should be updated, yet rarely do we have the chance to experience its success. Klick is a thriving example of how data can be friendly, and Segal does a wonderful job of breaking down the process to make it immediately applicable. I found the author’s case studies especially interesting, as they provided valuable insight into situations that many business owners or managers may not have the chance to otherwise experience. Whether you are just starting a venture, or have been in the same company for decades, this book is well worth the read.

Great book!

This book was thought-provoking and very easy to get through. I feel a connection with the authors since I’m listening to their voices and their story. The philosophy and concept of using technology to understand your employees and talent in order to improve business is very cool. Highly recommend!

Fantastic

What did you love best about The Decoded Company?

I loved that the stories that the authors used to illustrate the principals are relatable. I loved that the actual authors of this audible book were the narrators. Just that fact makes the book more authentic.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Decoded Company?

I found the second chapter about how the stop in production of the alarm clock almost cost the US the war.

What does Leerom Segal and Jay Goldman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I am an auditory learner so listening to this book helped me stay focused on the message. It's easy for me to get lost in the text and take things out of context when reading a book that is meant to teach me something.

Any additional comments?

There was a lot of useful information in this book. I found the narrative to be entertaining and it kept my attention. If it hadn't been for the few breaks I had to take I probably would have listened to the entire book in one sitting.

Awesome New Concept!

Would you listen to The Decoded Company again? Why?

Yes I will definitely be listening to this audio book again. It offers great insight as to how to transform my business into a "Decoded Company." There were a lot of helpful/actionable tips that I want to leverage to grow my company in this modern era.

What other book might you compare The Decoded Company to and why?

This book was a new concept for me, so it's hard for me to pick out other books that are similar.

Have you listened to any of Leerom Segal and Jay Goldman ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was the first book I've read by these authors, but I'm curious to learn more and take more action utilizing their philosophy.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't have an extreme reaction, but I was just intrigued throughout the book wondering what they were going to say next!

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book to business owners, CEOs, and entrepreneurs in general. There are many strategies discussed throughout this book that could be leveraged for greater financial success. Added benefit: Great narration

Insightful listen

What did you love best about The Decoded Company?

It was so easy to listen to - the authors really took it upon themselves to make the information engaging to consume. As someone who is just starting their career, hearing that industry leaders are paying attention to their talent is really cool. Klick integrates everything onto their "Genome" system including social elements and philanthropy.

What does Leerom Segal and Jay Goldman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think I've always consumed insightful non-fiction in audio form better and I think it's really cool that the narrators are the authors. It allowed me to think along the way and listen at a pace that suited me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think the whole notion of technology and data as a sixth sense and a way to simulate intuition was really cool. I guess we often think about this type of complex analysis for customers - where we should put stuff on shelves to buy more etc. - but less so for employees.

Any additional comments?

Great and fast read.