Filled with original essays by Howard Gardner, William Damon, Mihaly Csikszenthmihalyi, and Jeanne Nakamura and based on a large-scale research project, the GoodWork® Project, Responsibility at Work reflects the information gleaned from in-depth interviews with more than 1,200 people from nine different professions—journalism, genetics, theatre, higher education, philanthropy, law, medicine, business, and pre-collegiate education. The book reveals how motivation, culture, and professional norms can intersect to produce work that is personally, socially, and economically beneficial. At the heart of the study is the revelation that the key to good work is responsilibilty—taking ownership for one’s work and its wider impact.
In this landmark book, Preston Smith attributes the recent decline in innovation to pressure from financial markets that drives management toward rigid development approaches such as phased development processes, Six Sigma, and project office. These processes have unintentionally (but effectively) made changes during development more difficult, disruptive, and expensive, while the need for change continues at an accelerating pace. Flexible Product Development is a hands-on resource that provides the tools and strategies needed to restore flexibility to any organization and remove the obstacles that stand in the way of responsive new product development. Preston Smith introduces approaches that can enhance development process flexibility by creating and maintaining development options, delaying decisions, and, in general, reducing the cost of change. Step-by-step, he explains the basics of flexible product development, provides a broad array of flexibility-enhancing tools, and guides the reader in modifying the organization?s values to embrace this new way of operating.
Recessions – there may not be anything we can do to stop them, but we have plenty of choices when it comes to our response. During a recession too much time can be spent trying to guess what impact it may have, while too little time is spent exploring the strategic options available. Survive, Exploit, Disrupt addresses the need for companies to shift their strategic thinking during an economic downturn. As trends change and consumer behaviour becomes less predictable, companies that triumph over economic downturn fall into three categories: survivors, exploiters and disrupters. This book shows executives how to navigate their way through the many challenges a recession represents for their business, and capitalise on the opportunities these periods of upheaval present. Inside you’ll discover: the drivers of change during a recession how to adapt to recessionary periods how to exploit growth opportunities and identify disruptive opportunities specific actions you can take to survive a recession. The result is a solid basis for recession-proof strategy that companies can implement to ensure that they survive the tough times.
Take a satirical scamper through organizational life in the midst of changing times, brought to you by master storyteller and former World Bank executive Steve Denning. With wisdom and a healthy dose of wit, Denning introduces a cast of furry characters who together learn the fine art of change through storytelling in their quest to overcome obstacles, generate enthusiasm and teamwork, share knowledge, and ultimately lead their company into a new era of success and significance. Through the stories of Squirrel Inc., readers will learn that the ability to tell the right story at the right time can determine the outcome of any major change effort. In each chapter Denning's squirrels learn to use storytelling to address leadership challenges: How to bring about change How to communicate who you are How to transmit values How to foster collaboration How to stop rumors How to share knowledge How to lead your organization into the future
Do you want to be charged up every day? Do you want to be focused for every meeting? Do you want greater health, balance and happiness? Facing a continual barrage of tasks coupled with a tough economy, many people feel completely drained by day’s end. To stay ahead of the game, you need to capitalize on your energy, to go full throttle when needed. Based upon his years of research as well as his coaching experiences with professional athletes and top executives, Dr. Steinberg has developed an energy management system comprised of 6 key emotional strengths. When you learn to master these strengths, you will thrive on the inside, regardless of what is happening on the outside. Full Throttle is filled with incredible stories, realistic examples, topical insights and hands on tools-Here is what you can expect to gain from reading this book: Get Focused for every meeting Develop greater balance in your life Become more productive but work less hard Plug up all the energy drains Discover your inner flame of excellence Be able to overcome obstacles and adversity Be happier in your moments
In his previous books, noted management consultant Glenn Shepard showed managers how to get the most from their workforce. Now, in How to Be the Employee Your Company Can't Live Without, Shepard shows employees how to get the most from themselves, their jobs, and their careers. This practical, actionable guide explains what today's managers are really looking for in employees, what they place the highest value on, and how employees can surpass expectations to gain raises and promotions. Based on common-sense principles that will work for anyone in any career, this practical, real-world guide shows you how to: Answer the one question that will immediately make you a highly valued employee Excel in your job by simply showing your employer how much you care about your job Create job security by earning a reputation as the most reliable person around Learn the right way to make mistakes Develop the kind of professional work ethic that gets you promoted Be the problem-solver companies are looking for And take control of your professional destiny! Millions of Americans feel stuck in dead-end jobs that are getting them nowhere. Often they think, despite their best efforts, that no one will notice or reward their success. How to Be the Employee Your Company Can't Live Without shows you how to excel at the office and garner the recognition you've worked hard to earn. Master these principles and apply them every day at work and unlimited success will be your reward.
Leading in a Culture of Change: Personal Action Guide and Workbook is an essential companion to Michael Fullan's bestselling book, Leading in a Culture of Change. This practical guide is designed to help leaders in all sectors (corporate, education, public, and nonprofit) manage and drive productive change within their organizations. The workbook is filled with illustrative case examples, exercises, and resources that you can use with individuals or groups. It will help you (and any change agent) integrate the five core competencies—attending to a broader moral purpose, keeping on top of the change process, cultivating relationships, sharing knowledge, and setting a vision and context for creating coherence in organizations—and empower you to deal with the issues of complex change.
Karl Albrecht’s bestselling book Social Intelligence showed us how dealing with people and social situations can determine success both at work and in life. Now, in this groundbreaking book Practical Intelligence, Albrecht takes the next step and explains how practical intelligence (PI) qualifies as one of the key life skills and offers a conceptual structure for defining and describing common sense. Throughout Practical Intelligence, Albrecht explains that people with practical intelligence can employ language skills, make better decisions, think in terms of options and possibilities, embrace ambiguity and complexity, articulate problems clearly and work through to solutions, have original ideas, and influence the ideas of others. Albrecht shows that everyone’s PI skills can be improved with proper education and training and challenges all of us—from parents and teachers to executives and managers—to upgrade our own skills and help others develop their own PI abilities.
A career guide to more significant business results in a shorter period of time Results Through Relationships shows professionals how to establish break-through relationships with new prospects and their existing networks, including colleagues, bosses, customers, clients, vendors, and others. Many people assume that only new contacts will help them achieve their goals, but in reality, many breakthroughs happen within existing networks. This handy career guide focuses on the bottom-line behaviors that expedite trust, improve workplace performance, and increase profit. Author Joe Takash presents a nine-step process that anyone can master, and his formula proves that we're all in the relationship business first.
You have what it takes to be a CIO. Do you have a strategy for getting there? Now you do. «Gregory Smith has written the definitive work on how to achieve leadership success in IT. This well-written and carefully researched book is a must-read for any IT professional with aspirations toward the top IT spot. Years from now, seasoned IT leaders will be crediting Smith's book with playing a role in their success.» —Martha Heller, Managing Director, IT Leadership Practice, Z Resource Group, and cofounder, CIO Executive Council «Wow! Put all the tips, advice, and strategies in this book to use now. The road to the top is rarely straight—follow Gregory's advice and the path will reveal itself to you!» —John R. Sullivan, CIO, AARP «While most professions have a distinct road map to the top, there is no standard career path to becoming a CIO. Smith addresses this unique challenge and provides aspiring CIOs with encouragement, advice, and essential skills based on years of his own and other CIOs' cumulative experience – an important effort for the profession that Smith's fellow members in the CIO Executive Council embrace and applaud.» —Mark Hall, General Manager of the CIO Executive Council «Teaching students what a CIO really does has been tough. We've had to choose between anecdotal treatments based on trade press articles and integrated academic frameworks that offer little in the way of lived experiences. Greg's book fixes that. By organizing interviews with leading technology executives, trade press reports, and his own experiences as a CIO, he provides an organized and comprehensive view of the job and its important role in modern organizations.» —Fred Collopy, PHD, Professor and Chair of Information Systems and Professor of Cognitive Science, Case Western Reserve University