Organizations Books

The book is well organized into questions for different stakeholders of the business and different situations a leader may face. The questions and the intended purpose of the questions are well explained. The book would be very useful for someone starting in a new leadership role or someone who has been in a role for a while and wants to recharge the energy of the role. The questions casue the leader and respondents to reflect and explore new possibilities. Excellent tool for business and other institutional leaders.

If someone had handed this book to me the day before my first leadership role, I would have been better at my job.

If I had read this book before the big crisis in my organization, I would have handled things differently, and been more effective.

If I had put to the test the questions that Chris Clarke-Epstein writes about, I would have been more satisfied with my work as a leader...and stayed with it.

This book is extremely readable, and yet challenging. It made me look at leadership not as a mantle to wear, but rather as a process of becoming. The act of questioning - in reality of questing - for what you, your organization, your employees, and your customers want, need, and desire is laid out with specific things to ask, and how to answer them.

78 Important Questions does not come with an answer section like a 10th Grade textbook. This is the kind of book where you have to find your own answers. Good thing the leader of the journey intersperses advice, stories, and encouragement in between queries.

I don't think this is a book for the feint of heart. If you're the kind of leader who basks in the status quo, then stay away. If however, you're not afraid of some work, of some personal soul-searching, and if you embrace change as a way to stay alive in business, then you need these 78 Important Questions.

Leaders struggle today with the volume and complexity of human relationships as well as the aspects of their jobs that don't directly involve people. Increasing demands challenge us with continual complications, too many choices, speed of change and action, and the sense of being caught in a whirlwind that defies the concept of life-work balance. We're expected to have all the answers, preferably before anyone else thinks about asking the questions.

Combine this gerbil-in-a-cage metaphor with the uncomfortable fact that most leaders haven't learned enough about leadership, and you have a dangerous combination. What is leadership? How is it different from being a manager? How can leaders keep their finger on the pulse of what's happening, inspire others to high achievement, guide their team members through difficult decisions, and still have time to actually finish a cup of coffee while it's still warm?

The solution is disarmingly simple: Ask questions. Listen to the answers. Ask some more questions. Give good answers to questions asked by others.

Easier said than done. There's an art to effective move-us-forward questions and answers. The secrets are in Chris Clarke-Epstein's book. She provides us with 78 valuable questions, but doesn't stop there. In addition to gaining a fine list of questions , we benefit from an explanation of the importance of the question, how to ask it well, and what might be accomplished through the questioning technique. The style is friendly, conversational, and supportive, seasoned with short stories or vignettes that illustrate the many helpful suggestions and observations offered by the author.

The book's chapters are organized to categorize the questions and the commentary surrounding them. The first category, presented after a few pages of positioning, addresses questions leaders need to ask themselves. Chapter 2 presents questions leaders need to ask customers. The third and fourth chapters explore questions to be asked of employees-lots of creative stuff here.

In Chapter 5, we ponder questions to be asked in special situations: new employees, coaching and mentoring, newly promoted leaders, and crisis. Questions leaders need to answer are followed by answers for special situations. What a handbook! You can read this book straight through as I did, or use it for reference (as I will). The last chapter talks about delivering tough answers, sometimes a difficult proposition for leaders. More questions are suggested in the appendix and a website has been established to continue the question-building process. An index facilitates reference. The Suggested Reading list is a bonus.

The book is peppered with quotes about questions and answers that reinforce the points and/or give the reader something more to think about. At the end of each chapter are questions and worksheets for the reader, encouraging some deeper thinking and reflection. Overall, a worthwhile book for leaders-and aspiring leaders-to read, absorb, and keep handy.

Not until I read Chris Clarke-Epstein's book did I realize how important it is for leaders to ask good questions. I great resource for how to build relationships and develop leadership skills. A quick read, a must read, for all leaders who want to be more effective.

I've read this great work for many times. In Taiwan, there are too much fascinating heritage from US education and some unethical stuff, too. Although it seems to be a little unorganized, that's the ways of conducting academic research and nature of science. After all, Dr. Kennedy did write something insightful and helpful and, somewhat practical. Read it and know the academic community. I would say: "salvation lies within." I would like to see more revisory supplements and concurrent issues like Dr. Kennedy's works.

An outstanding antidote to misinformed university bashing. All new assistant professors should read this book. It gives excellent advice and insights into the inner workings of the university.

Great book. Not only should all assistant professors read it, but it should be required reading for all new doctoral students no matter what discipline. It illuminates the way universities actually work and details common pitfalls into which people entering the profession (academe and the professoriate)can fall. In addition, the reader is given an insider's look into one of the major research universities in the world (Stanford). It has the bonus of being extremely well written and a pleasure to read. Again, great book.

As an academic aspirant, I read this book with diligence and thoroughness. Twice. Donald Kennedy has an impressive academic achievement as an environmental scientist, along with institutional leadership experience as former President of Stanford University. In this book-inspired by a conviction of the need for academic aspirants to know the true workings of the academia- various duties of members of the academia are elaborated and modern day issues facing the universities are dissected. However, after reading the book twice, as excited as I was with the book, there were some deficiencies.

Traditionally, the roles of a professor in a university have been to teach and to research, with different emphasis on the two roles, in different universities. With this as an accepted view, Kennedy further breaks down the roles of the academic into mentoring, institutional service, publishing, as symbols of truthfulness and perhaps, closest to his heart, as agents of change.

In the 303 pages, Kennedy warns the current and the future members of the need to balance academic duty with academic freedom. With no implicit arguments, he stressed the need to re-focus on undergraduate teaching, a central role of universities. The members of the academia are not only teachers but also mentors and influential role models of the students in institutions of higher learning.

He also questions the current style and intensity of producing Phd students, the majority of whom make up the future professoriate. Kennedy exposes truths about the over-production of PhD students; the subsequent failure of many to break into the academia; the lack of teaching training for those who eventually become young professors.

What is personally the most exciting discussion was without doubt the one on research, research misconduct and the pursuit of truth. Kennedy carefully elaborates examples of the difficulty of research with appropriate stories of fictional but realistic characters. However, as a student of social sciences, I was nonetheless disappointed that many of the examples were in the field of sciences and there was no significant discussion of the field of social sciences or humanities. Added to that, there were hardly any examples of Kennedy's own experiences in research. Perhaps, the author thought that any personal experiences were materials insufficient to demonstrate the arguments or that he was uncomfortable in using his own experiences as examples. Either way, I felt that lessons of his own research experiences would have been very enlightening.

However, this short book has powerful insights and lessons for the future members of the academia, not excepting me. Somehow, after reading this book, I understand the fallacy of the ivory tower. Much of the universities' world, as a scholarly enterprise, lofty in their pursuit of truths and free of political man-handling, has changed into an institution under public scrutiny and subjected to public accountability. This book has inspired me to write a piece for a scholarship application. Despite the challenges to be faced by hopeful academics, the resolve is still strong in me to become one and that is, I believe, the essence of this book-the academia, despite its pitfalls, will always be sustained in its important mission of education and discovery, by future members, themselves the product of that mission.

Dr. Hemphill's book is certainly valuable to pastors, college and seminary ministerial students. It was greatly accepted as a textbook for my class in church growth at Temple Baptist Seminary. All pastors who are interested in a Bible base for church growth will find this book very helpful.

This is without a doubt one of the best books on church growth I have ever read. Everything Hemphill mentions is basic fundamental church growth strategy. He takes us back two thousand years to help us get a clear picture of what Jesus had in plan originally when he said, "upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it".

Hemphill has written an excellent book which focuses on biblical principles, not church growth strategies or techniques. This powerful book assists the reader to examine what kind of church has the power of God in it. As a former pastor, church growth consultant, and current seminary president, Hemphill is very qualified to write a book on church growth.

The Antioch Effect is a balanced church growth book, which emphasizes the spiritual condition of the church without discounting the importance of methods and strategy. Using the church of Antioch as his model church, Hemphill examines eight characteristics of an effective church. They are supernatural power, worship, prayer, leadership, fellowship, vision, evangelistic passion and discipleship. The book is written from the perspective of a Southern Baptist church consultant who combines the experience of both a practitioner and a consultant. At times I thought the book bogged down but it was worth the read. The Antioch Effect contains solid growth principles to learn and practical methods to implement.

If you can find some mentors to lead you and friends through this study do it, but don't be afraid to start your own group. This is great for a neighborhood study. JE

This is a wonderful idea for strengthening relationships with older and younger generations. We are going to try it in our church. We may alter the program a bit as it is quite ambitious, but I think we can make it work. Be willing to work with it and don't get bogged down in the details of making it look just like the model.

This is a great book and program by a lady that really shows her love for the LORD!

Read this book and then buy more to give to your friends. This is a wonderful group program for older women to mentor younger women.

This book was very helpful in showing me the ins and outs of a 360 degree review system. Has the basic theory, how to implement the system, and ways t work around the resistance to change.

The book is excellent for development of policy for 360-Degree, why it should be implemented, and what steps to take before and after the feedback.

This is not an instructional book in the development of a 360-degree questionnaire.

The book provides excellent knowledge on what, where, who, when, and how. Highly recommended for knowledge, but not for building of the questionnaire.

Lots of ideas that can be transferred into one's real life situation easily.

"We wrote this book", write R.Lepsinger and A.D.Lucia, "with three audiences in mind. The first consists of 'human resources professionals' who are just beginning to look at 360-degree feedback as a means to address the business needs of their organizations. These are people who have not had much experience using 360-degree feedback to solve business problems and have many basic questions that require answers if they are going to use the technology successfully. The second audience consists of 'line managers' who have heard a lot about 'this 360-degree feedback stuff' and want to understand it well enough to determine if it is the right approach for their organization. The third group consists of 'more experienced HR professionals' who would like a compherensive reference work on 360-degree feedback that makes it easy to access the information they are looking for without having to skim through dozens of magazines and journal articles and textbooks."

In this invaluable study, authors organize their book into two parts :

(I). Preparing to use 360-degree feedback.

In this part, they :

i. offer basic information, including a definition of 360-degree feedback and a brief overview of its history and evolution.

ii. illustrate how a diverse group of companies (real cases) has successfully used 360-degree feedback to address different organizational issues, such as achieving business strategy, supporting cultural change, fostering individual development, enhancing team effectiveness, and identifying training and selection requirements.

iii. discuss and compare the two most common methods for collecting 360-degree feedback- interviews and questionnaires.

iv. focus on the use of interviews alone to collect data or as a supplement to the data provided by a questionnaire.

(II). Implementing a 360-degree feedback.

In this part, they :

i. focus on how to administer a 360-degree feedback process in a way that increases people's enthusiasm and ensures a high degree of confidence in the results.

ii. describe and compare three methods for delivering the feedback- group workshops, one-on-one meetings, and self-study.

iii. review what needs to be done after the feedback is collected and reviewed to ensure that recipients absurb the messages they have been given and take appropriate action.

iv. discuss the benefits and obstacles to using 360-degree feedback in HR management systems.

I highly recommend this invaluable study.

This book is a decent introduction to the Aum Shinrikyou. If you want a more detailed look read Ian Reader's _Religious Violence in Contemporary Japan_ which is not only the best source availible in english it gives comparative thoughts on groups such as the Davidians and Heaven's gate. As stated eariler this book is a good introduction because it gives good details on what makes Aum. However, don't let the title fool you too much because that is really only covered in one chapter. Also the book uses quite biased language against Asahara amd the upper echelons of Aum. Although they did do some very bad things at the end. Asahara and his group of followers at first were only trying to enrich themselves

MESSAGE:

In my new book by Edwin Mellen Press you list me TWICE as author, including as Daniel A. Matraux. My name is Daniel A. Metraux and I am the sole author of this book

Do you know Oumu Shinrikyou? There may be some people who do not know the name in foreign countries, but in Japan everybody know the name because the religion group broke incredible terro cases in Japan where is the safest county over the world, that is, one case that was a mass terro killing in Tokyo downtown metro, other that was a large terro killing in local town. The killed and injuried person was over a thousand.

You may have some questoions when you hear the title[Aum Shinrikyou and Japanese Youth], some questions why the case had the connection to the word Youth. But in my thinking, the connection is very important. Because the persons who had believed the cult reliegion was young men or women except some old person like the leader Syoukou Asahara.

In Japan now, people have many their heart ploblems. I think that the cause is many things, however one example that there are some people who are not filled by mental herlth with the overpopulated, the society that chase their benefit and so on. I have lived in Tokyo over 20 years, and I feel that the Japan is getting to bad thing on the youth mental problem especially.

For example, the number ofthe young men that have been into their home without the society activity like working and school is increasing day by day, the youg men is called [Hikikomori] in Japan, in one report, the number is said over a million. The cause that the youger do Hikikomori is various. But the some of them have their mental problems or mental disorder in medical genre. Maybe such condition is not alway in Japan, in such big city like Tokyo even if that is foreign countries, the possibirity will exist.

Oumu Shinrikyou tempted such young men with mental problems, who do not know how to live their life and so on by playing Oumu's clever tricks. There were many high school career young men like Tokyo university, medical shool etc in Oumu too. Japan is a perfect shool career society, for that if men can not enter to high school(compulsory education is till junior high school and after that the future rely on their endeavor) it is said that their future no exist. On the other hands, even if they enter to such high carrer school like Tokyo university, some of men lost their way because they had done nothing except of study in their life, it is not study in good mean, the study for entering high carrer shool only. You may think that the condition is a little curious. But in Japan the most important thing is how to enter well known university rather than what to how to study in university. Japanese universities is like brand name goods almost. When we consider about such young mental problem like Hikikomori or the distorted school carrer problems in Japan, we understand about the connection of Youth and Oumu.

I think that they that commited such terro cases is off course criminals, but on the other hands they will be victims on the points that I wrote in up writing, that some of them have their mental problems. Such thinking may not be the proper thing. But I think so.

In Japan the main theme is how to chase the county benefit, how to develop their GNP and so on. But everybody do not care about how to cope with our mental problems. That is very dangerouse thing. I think that the same shing can be said in big town over the world.

Thank you for reading my poor English and writing.

HELLO--PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE PUBLISHED A SECOND BOOK ON AUM SHINRIKYO--BUT YOU LIST ME AS AUTHOR DANIEL A. MATRAUX. IF YOU GO TO THAT LISTING MATRAUX YOU WILL FIND IT. PLEASE CHANGE TO MY CORRECT NAME, DANIEL A. METRAUX

This book looks small, but it offers a BIG gift to those who really care about corporate responsibility and the direction we need to be going today. I could not stop reading it when I got it. It has a series of short articles that can be read in a few minutes about various options corporations are employing to take more responsibility for what they do and their long term impact on the environment and the world's resources. It makes an exciting read because each company approaches CSR slightly differently, and the outcomes are most encouraging. It should be a "must read" for trainee management and for the CEO's of any large corporation which is planning to be around for the next 30 years. What is great is that women created this book...women from different backgrounds, but sharing a similar goal. They inspire by their intention to "awaken" everyone to what we SHOULD have been doing in business practices for years, and they offer the bottom-line evidence that this is good business practice. But this book really made me excited about the future of American business practices. And I am a college educator. I shared some of these articles with my college students to inspire them to see ways that they might contribute. It was like a light went on. They had not known that business is not always the monolithic monster, gobbling up resources and despoiling the land for profit. Their eyes lit up with the possibility that they could enjoy working for a company that takes responsibility for its impact on the world. It is a small book, but it carries a very BIG note of hope for the future.
Awakening Social Responsibility: A Call to Action Guidebook for Global Citizens, Corporate and Nonprofit Organizations

Derickson & Henley have really captured social responsibility in a global world. The use of multiple authors and giving each a voice in this book is masterful. In Chapter 5, Dinesh Chandra states, "If others do not feel safe,we are not safe. If others are struggling, we experience the consequence of the struggle. If others are poor, no matter how wealthy we are, we experience the consequence of impoverishment." This spoke to me about ourselves in the global economy. The book is a great read for those awakening to a larger life.

Derickson and Henley have demonstrated by the very format what Awakening Social Responsibility is all about, promoting the dialogue of corporate and global citizenry to speak directly to the issues facing each of us as individuals. The timing could not be more awakened, joining other illustrious authors such as Bill Clinton's "Giving" in the national discussion. I opened the pages of Awakening Social Responsibility to participate in a prominent forum with corporate brillance and individual leaders. I have been given a voice and a pragmatic, effective tool to maximize my individual action with Awakening Social Responsibility. This is a timeless work and a timely one! It is work I will be sharing (gifting) with others this Holiday Season!

This book was very inspiring! In this changing world, there is a huge need for each of us to be more involved personally and professionally in making improvements on a global basis. We often read about the problems of the world, and we do care. However, it is never clear what we can do to help specifically or how we can get our company to take these issues more seriously. This book provided actionable ways to engage in green initiatives, employee giving, volunteering, etc. and inspires one to go out and get things done. It also spelled out ways to change the mindset of companies to take advantage of these strategic opportunities. I can see how these baby steps start to have a snowball effect, and the collective energy will move things in the right direction. This book was well written and offers sound advice and solutions. A great read!

Today it seems that we the church are more independent than interdependent, this book helps to foster how we as saints can build more loving caring relationships that cross Racial, Social and economic lines. As paul says in Colossians 2:2 " My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in LOVE, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ."

"God's frozen chosen?" HA! I am a New Englander - born and raised. On behalf of my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ here in the Northeast, I'd like to inform the world that we are indeed chosen - but we are no longer frozen! The warm wind of God's Spirit has been melting much of our cold independence and pride. THIS BOOK CONFIRMS THAT THE SPIRITUAL ICE AGE IN NEW ENGLAND HAS COME TO A CLOSE! Read about real pastors - real people - real churches in the Northeast where God's plans and purposes are unfolding. Macchia provides a brilliant blend of real-life circumstances with practical guidelines. This book filled me with faith, hope, and renewed strength to press on in my role as a vital part of the Body of Christ in my region.

This book is for God's frozen chosen everywhere who long to become His freed indeed!

The author provides ten characteristics of a healthy church, revealing the principles they represent and the process whereby a church can become healthy. Based on two major surveys of what people want in a church--and what they actually experience in their church. Loaded with real life stories of churches in the northeast that exhibit one of more of the ten characteristics. The author reveals a strongly biblical and deeply spiritual approach, with a real heart for the church. A former children's and youth minister who eventually became associate pastor in a large Boston area church, the author, Stephen A. Macchia is president of America's largest regional association of churches, Vision New England.

I find this book to be a helpful way of looking at the local church. The author is not devloping a particular model, or specifically prescribing how to "do it right." Instead, he is submitting principles that can be applied in virtually any setting. There is a healthy mixture of real life stories, biblical principles and exhortations. The author clearly has convictions about the need for health in the local church, and he communicates his convictions well.

The 10 characteristics outlined in the book are worth regular review, and can be used to help develop a vision for healthy balance in ministry. The book doesn't hold out any quick fixes, but rather upholds the value of healthy sowing and reaping over time. Many, many churches will benefit from the concepts and principles presented in this book.

The book written by Richard Hughes and Katherine Colarelli continues with the tradition of the Center for Creative Leadership of producing tools and information based on solid research and experience.
The book proposes a model of strategic leadership composed of three large competency clusters: strategic thinking, strategic acting and strategic influencing and then it explains and analyze each of these clusters, providing, not only a theoretical explanation of the different skills but also examples, tools and activities to develop them.

Before I bought this book I did not realize that it is such a very useful resource. If you are looking for a resource to inspire your startegic leadership, it is the right one.

I really like to have more books from CCL :-).

Becoming a Strategic Leader is a focused and wonderfully written work for those who believe in approaching challenges in a strategic way. The authors, trainers and researchers at the internationally acclaimed Center for Creative Leadership (www.ccl.org), use a framework familiar to strategic planning processes to improve the likelihood of obtaining results in enhancing one's leadership effectiveness. The content is solid and full of real life examples and applications. This book will appeal to those who are drawn to a logical approach to problem solving but should also engage the heart of others seeking to add structure to their own development or that of their teams. If you liked Execution, and Good to Great, you should like this as well. It is well worth a look.

Dr. Christopher Evans
www.christopherevans.org

Most of the publications that come out of CCL (or Center for Creative Leadership), which I have acquired for my personal library, are seemingly well-supported by research findings & concisely written by the respective authors, who apparently hold impeccable track records in their fields. This particular book is one of them. (CCL has earned its #1 Rank in Leadership Education by Business Week).

My primary interest in strategic leadership stems from my relentless search for better understanding of the thinking processes that go inside the heads of leaders. To be more precise, the strategy formulation processes! This has been by burning passion for more than two decades.

In this book, the authors have artfully as well as logically demonstrated how readers can exercise effective strategic leadership through their distinctive & systematic approach:

- strategic thinking (Chapter 2);
- strategic acting (Chapter 3);
- strategic influencing (Chapter 4);

These serve as the synergistic driving forces. In the authors' own words: Driving strategy as a learning process. (I am actually quite tempted to use the term, `syn-vergent' instead of `synergistic' [driving forces] as the former term was originally coined by Michael Gelb, in Thinking for a Change, which means `the art of balancing convergent and divergent thinking modes, logic and imagination, reason and intuition.' In the current book under review, the authors contend that strategic thinking engages the heart as well as the head.)

With an excellent introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 6 shows how readers can apply the above approach in the broader organizational context.

Chapter 7 sums up the book: Becoming a Strategic Leader, using surfing as a metaphorical platform (I like it!) - keeping your balance while learning the best path to follow amid constantly changing conditions.

Throughout the book, the authors discuss in depth the specific competencies & perspectives related to each of the above driving forces, as well as their interdependency in producing a more wholistic (or more appropriately, `syn-vergent', as explained above) & meaningful strategy.

In conclusion as a whole from the standpoint of reader friendliness & action-packed learning, I rate this wonderful book a 5.

So, readers, please add this book to your Strategic Thinker's Bookshelf.

Attention Readers: To complement as well as to reinforce your understanding of Chapter 2 of this book, please read `Choosing the Future: The Power of Strategic Thinking', by Stuart Wells.

I have used this book as a text book in many Change Agent classes I have taught and have found it to be a very pragmatic and useful guide. It is a shame that it is out of print now. In fact, the last class I tought, I had to go scrounging around the office to find copies on bookshelves to use. I wish they would republish it.

The list of consequences "when bad things happen to good projects" or What-NOT-To-Do is worth the price of the book. I wish I had read this book before starting my 6+ years as a consultant helping organizations to improve. This book presents most of the lessons that I've learned during those years and gives quite a few additional ideas on organization change.

Don't let the garish cover art distract you. This is a solidly good book, which I regularly recommend to my clients. Of course, I can't vouch for the Price Waterhouse consulting group's ability to get clients to change successfully or whether they even follow their own advice. I just know that I do apply the best ideas in this book (plus some of my own) in my consulting practice.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Easy to read and it truly made sense. We are just beginning an effort to change our organization and this book has helped us plot our course. I am encouraged that this book will help us achieve positive change for our company and employees.

If you're trying to figure out why a project isn't going well, this book just may solve your problem. It takes you through the basics of change mangement, and makes you aware of just what you're dealing with. Good, practical advice that made me wear out a highlighter. When I showed it to other IS people on our Oracle software implementation project, they said "that's us"!!! We didn't realize we were in the middle of a change project - now we can try to take a step back and regroup.