Organizations Books

The book is a concise compilation of case studies that encompass a myriad of experiences faced by companies and cultures in their pursuit of reaping the benefits of e-commerce. The cases provide a global focus on cultural challenges both geographic and organizational, a sampling of various information technology considerations, and customer interface and acceptance factors.
Two of the cases explore cultural issues in Latin and Asian societies. Their explosive demand for IT outpaced the substantial infrastructure shortfalls. Reliability of telecommunications systems, the lack of electronic payment methods, and weak processing infrastructures are just a few of the areas discussed.
The study of the Texas Instrument implementation and management of an e-commerce enabled enterprise information system clearly describes the paramount concern for the development of a strategic focus within the organization, the need for top management support, and most importantly the development of sound business processes. The significance of business process development is explored often throughout the cases starting with the first chapter where a description of the dynamic evolution of an e-commerce entity is taken from the concept stage all the way through implementation.
Finally, throughout all the cases it is clear that customer focus and direct customer interface during the development and implementation are key success factors in reaping the benefits of an e-commerce endeavor.
The variety of cases maintain your interest and offer a comprehensive collection of experiences that are sure to alleviate most start up and operational issues.

The big boom being over, many are apparently of the opinion that the Internet does not matter--at least on a global level. Cases on Worldwide E-Commerce gives many examples to the contrary. It shows interesting and instructive examples of how organizations are making use of the Internet and networking technologies to help them carve away at markets and improve operations.

"Cases on Worldwide E-Commerce: Theory in Action" is a great read for both practitioners and scholars. Because of the book's unique perspective on this timely topic, my students will find that it is required reading in my next E-Commerce class.

"Cases on Worldwide Electronic Commerce: Theory in Action" is a good read. It is very useful for both scholars and practitioners. I intend to use this book in my next Electronic Commerce class because it gives the latest perspectives on this dynamic topic.

This is a very worthy book that amply describes best practices for achieving a competitive edge in eCommerce. Dr. Raisinghani's book illustrates the methods used by industry to transform strategic plans for eCommerce into viable business operations. While written as an academic text, the book none-the-less offers insight into the practical nature of how different organizations went about leveraging their respective IT investments in order to provide superior customer value, cycle time reductions, and expansion of their operations to a global market. This book is highly beneficial in both the academic and business sectors...very useful and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the growth (or study) of eCommerce.

This book clearly articulates a strategically important concept. As the Chief Strategy Officer of a company in an industry that seldom dares to be strange, I hope that no one else in my industry reads this book. Implementing the ideas in this book will become my competitive advantage.

The correct platitude often offered up by a company is that their people are their most important asset and competitive advantage. But in reality, most staff is like electricity... you can't run your company without them, and it's the entry level cost of doing business. In Change To Strange: Create a Great Organization by Building a Strange Workforce, Daniel M. Cable examines how to create a "strange" workforce that actually *is* a competitive advantage over your rivals. It all comes down to your definition of "strange"...

Contents:
Preface; Be Strange. Be Very Strange.; Shine a Flashlight into the Black Box That Exists Between Your Workforce and Beating Your Competition; Organizational Outcomes - How Do I Know I Am Winning in the Way I Want to Win?; Performance Drivers - What Must Customers Notice About Us So That We Win?; Strange Workforce Deliverables - What Our Workforce Does to Make Customers Notice and Love Us; Job Specific Strangeness - Different Deliverables from Different Jobs; Strange Workforce Architecture - What Systems Will Produce the Deliverables I Need From My Workforce?; Strange Workforce Architecture - Breaking Out From the Pack; Strange Workforce Architecture - Taking the Next Step; The Magic of Metrics - Creating and Implementing Measurement Systems;Conclusion; Index

The "strange" that Cable talks about here is a workforce that obsesses about one or two key items that make a difference to the customer. For example, Whole Foods has a workforce that is obsessive about their product and presentation. These people can tell you just about anything you want to know about what they sell, because they believe in it completely. Their hiring systems are geared around making sure that new people coming into the system share that same obsessiveness, and the group is rewarded based on how well each person does. If you're not pulling your weight or if you're not obsessed like everyone else, you'll wash out. It doesn't mean you're not a hard worker or aren't cut out for working in food retail. It just means that you're not "strange" in the way you need to be to work at Whole Foods. This differentiator often is considered crazy or uncopyable by the competition. But since the customer loves it, Whole Foods has a niche all to themselves. And their people truly *are* a competitive advantage for them.

The other issue that makes this difficult is the measuring and metrics. Getting information from your customers about the few things you want to be strange about is hard work. The numbers often aren't easily obtainable without putting some effort into it. Which is another reason competitors don't want to follow that direction, and why changing your workforce to a strange workforce isn't easy. But if you want your company to stand out and be different/strange, it's a requirement to be able to track those factors and measure your people against them. Otherwise you may end up with good solid people, but just not ones that are strange in the areas in which you want to be viewed as unique.

This book also struck me as something you can do for yourself and your skills. Perhaps you want to be known as someone with an obsessive attention to deadlines, design, or quality. You could use this same technique to find your own strange quality/qualities, figure out how to measure it, and them shape yourself into a competitive advantage over others...

While I don't expect an overwhelming majority of companies to run right out and change their HR departments to match this model, reading Change To Strange will at least open up that small window of doubt about whether you really are hiring people who are a competitive advantage for you and your company.

Companies often give a lot of lip service to the value of their employees but then go about treating and using everyone just about like every company treats and uses its employees. That is, with indifference and standardized "best" practices. Unsurprisingly, when an organization treats its people just about the same as every other company treats its employees (as inputs to be standardized and minimized), its dreams of having the company be something special, valuable, and unique are seldom to never realized.

Daniel M. Cable tells us that only a strange workforce, that is one that doesn't do things like everyone else, one that knows and has confidence in its uniqueness and specialness and in its goals and methods, can create something that is special, unique, valuable, and with a sustainable (ongoing - but adapting) advantage in the marketplace. Cable explains how and why your workforce can become something valuable and a driving force behind your success.

He starts off the book showing us how we too often treat our employees and the whole HR process as a kind of black box that just happens. We assume that if we are following the laws and standardized HR processes and avoiding being sued we are doing a good job. When we turn things around and start to view this whole concept the way the author frames it we can see that this kind of idea is indeed absurd. It is like building a process to build standardized widgets that claim no special qualities in the marketplace and then later wondering why, despite our fine leadership, those widgets fail to gain special attention in the market place or market dominance.

What I like about this book is the way Cable plays with our perceptions along the way. This is not your standard business book. He asks us questions that seem odd at first, and then we realize that is the point. Have you ever looked at the back of your hand and for some reason your perception changes and it looks a different size to you and in some ways quite different than it ever had before? That is what this book will help you achieve with your workforce. The author admits that building a "strange" workforce takes a great deal of effort and probably will take some time to achieve, but if you want to be regarded as special by your customers you have to be special. And to be strange (not normal - not typical - not ordinary) you have to have strange people working for you who have a strange sense of mission. This requires you to hire strangely, train strangely, measure performance strangely, and provide strange products and services (that is, surprisingly good and surprisingly desired products and services).

Cable provides a simple framework for this complex process and shows us how achieving this strangeness will get us noticed in the marketplace, allow us to satisfy our customers, and avoid the stagnation that often comes with initial success. The old tragic story of sticking with what works until it kills you has to go.

One of the great complaints among employees today is that they don't matter to management. Employees see through the rhetoric and that is why most companies are not only boring to work for, they are boring in the marketplace. Here is a way to turn that around and energize your company by unleashing the real power in your workforce. Of course, once you head down this path, not all your employees will go with you and there will be some significant turnover. Even good "ordinary" employees have to go. Because they provide inertia against becoming successfully strange.

So, get strange.

In this book, Cable puts forward a very interesting idea that more managers should have the courage to take seriously and perhaps even execute. The point is that managers should make a concerted effort to hire people that are "strange" rather than those that are similar to all other potential hires. His point is that conventional thinking and execution is inherently limited in the level of success that it can achieve. By strange, he does not mean "weird" or disturbed, the term is used in the sense of being capable of doing constructive and successful thinking outside the box.
Several examples of companies that have adopted such methods and are very successful are presented. One of the best is an explanation of the career of major league baseball general manager Billy Beane. Beane's position is that the standard criteria used to evaluate baseball talent are simplistic and incorrect. Since he rose to the position of general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Beane has fielded a team that ranks at the bottom in terms of salary and near the top in terms of wins. Much of his emphasis is on the "quality at-bat" where a player forces the pitcher to make extra pitches and is willing to accept a base-on-balls, even when there are runners on base.
Since this is a skill undervalued by all other teams, this has allowed Beane to acquire players for much less than other teams are willing to pay them. By molding the team in that image, he has developed a very successful team, although the Athletics have had a difficult time winning games in the playoffs. Given the current financial inequities that exist in major league baseball, this is truly a major success story that others should pay attention to.
Another example is the policy of Home Depot to hire contractors to work in the appropriate sections of the store. Therefore, when the do-it-yourself customer comes in, the person helping them is very knowledgeable and can provide the highest level of customer service. This service translates into an enormous competitive advantage over other stores and can increase sales several orders of magnitude over the extra salary expenses.
To his additional credit, Cable also is clear in stating that hiring "strange" employees is not for everyone. It requires courage to be willing to adopt a novel business or a non-traditional approach to an old one. In nearly all cases, the initial expenses are higher than in other areas and exterior observers are generally very skeptical of the new and novel ways of doing business.
I once participated in a faculty development seminar entitled, "A Whack on the Side of the Head." The purpose was to try to get us to think of new and novel ways to present our material. This book reminded me of that seminar, demonstrating that while going down a different path can be extremely challenging, it can also be very rewarding. From personal experience, those rewards are more than monetary; there is a form of satisfaction in being successfully different that is like no other. Perhaps the key to your success can be found in this book.

In less than 175 pages, Dr. Daniel Cable delivers something "strange"; a 'how-to' book that nails the organizational performance connection between strategy and people! Written in a direct, talking style, by a Professor whose writing implies he is fun to learn from and with; this book argues the benefits of strategic differentiation and then explains in practical terms how to link effective strategic performance drivers to the people who must deliver that differentiating strategy. Using the term "strange" to emphasis the differentiation element of a successful strategy, the professor uses his 'strange workforce value chain' to show the steps from strategic theory to customer value creation.

1. Organizational Outcomes - three year out lagging indicators of strategic success.
2. Performance Drivers - what customers need to notice for the strategy to win.
3. Strange Workforce Deliverables - ways your people must be `strange' to make the performance drivers happen.
4. Strange Workforce Architecture - design and construct of your people management systems cause your workforce to be `strange'.

An obvious fanatic on measurement as the way to speak strategy with an organization, Dr. Cable noticeably understands the difficulties, time and hard work involved (as well as the many nuances) with creating and maintaining an organization's connection with its strategy. In fact, he is so concerned about the need for an understanding of the specifics, that he holds his favorite chapter, "The Magic of Metrics", for the final chapter of the book. In the meantime he covers "Job-Specific Strangeness" where he distinguishes the strategic leverage of jobs (not leadership positions); sorting them into executor (direct deliverers of 'strange'), operator (essential players in creating value), and outsourcer (cannot be linked to `strange' performance drivers) positions. In subsequent chapters he explains his "Strange Workforce Architecture", supplementing the specifics with numerous examples of 'strangeness' in action.

From uncovering the 'strange' performance drivers of a 'strange' strategy, to hiring and managing the `strange' people who fit with a 'strange' strategy's delivery, the professor conveys a compelling and instructive narrative. This book is recommended for anyone who has used or considered the balanced scorecard; it will put you on a 'strange' and better path.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

John Merrow's book is a thoughtful and well-informed guide to finding excellence in public education. It is both an insightful look at what constitutes excellence and a great "how to" book for parents who are trying to choose schools for their kids (I especially like "questions to ask" at the end of each chapter). Best of all, while critical throughout, Merrow remains hopeful that public education can be excellent and offers real solutions for some of the most pressing problems in education today.

This book is entertaining and remarkably thoughtful. It is filled with the wisdom and insights we have come to expect from John Merrow, whose work many of us have followed on NPR and PBS. If you care about our future, read this book. He is critical where criticism is warranted but every chapter contains many useful suggestions for improvement. Every chapter includes the questions we need to ask of our educators and of ourselves.

How do you choose a good school? John Merrow gives you guidelines to follow and questions to ask in your search. This book is a "must" for all parents. The questions at the end of each chapter are especially helpful.

This is a book that every parent will want to read. It's full of useful information, it's easy to understand, and it's positive in nature. The pathway to better schooling, and to a better experience for children, leads through this brilliant book. Buy it, or borrow it from your library, TODAY!

This is an immensely useful, irreverent look at public schools. The author is a former teacher and an award-winning journalist who has worked for National Public Radio and PBS. He is creative and extremely insightful. He says, don't use just one way to judge schools. Do most teachers leave right after the students? What do schools do if there is a bully? Is the school orderly without being rigid? Is excellent student work displayed? Is it creative, or does it all look alike? These are only a few of the excellent, unusual questions Merrow asks.
He also urges families not to make assumptions about a school - whether it's a charter, magnet or neighborhood school - it's location and classification just don't tell you enough.
This is a great book for families to read, even if they are not actively selecting a new school. Merrow describes wonderful - and awful things he's seen in schools all over the world. He is funny, creative,and immensely useful.
Joe N - St. Paul, Minnesota

All across the United States Churches are dying, and pastors are discouraged. Barnett's book isn't the 'cure,' but points to an important element of giving pastors and churches new life -- serving and loving others in Jesus' name. It sounds simple, and it is. But it means being willing to do what Jesus did, to dwell among the people and to love them no matter what. I highly recommend this book for pastors and churches who want to start dreaming again.

This was a great resource for me since our vision is very similar and Pastor Matthews personal struggles and experience with the community not only enlighten the reader put those of us in similar ministry can gain hope and affirmation. What a blessing this book is and the reality of it so striking. I loved every minute in reading he accounts.

I was surprised to see this book was printed in the year 2000. The reason for the surprise is threefold: I firmly believe it is destined to become a classic so expected a higher sales number and currently there are only four reviews at amazon.com and lastly out of the four reviews ministry is mentioned often, yet the book is clearly intended for those who directly minister as well as for "the rest of us". To me, the hallmark of Matthew Barnett's work is the SINCERITY throughout, which was very refreshing. In the book, Matthew Barnett recounts how (at least at the time his book was published) it is common for other local churches to actually post signs stating "No Gang Members Allowed"!! Praise God that Our Lord does not place such constraints. "The Church That Never Sleeps" will awaken your mind, will and emotions to the Lord's calling for outreach and not only inreach in our daily lives. I enjoyed the many references to his relationship with his Father, Pastor Tommy Barnett, not because of "who they are" but because their Father-Son bond is a model for any parent at any time. A powerful reminder of how parents can influence their children by not only their action but their words and their time. This is slightly off-topic in a way but when Matthew's vast early and cumulative exposure to his Dad's Ministry is referred to, it caused me to recall a certain very young actor that people scoffed at for stating (on "The Tonight Show")his early exposure to the world of acting had prepared him to move into directing movies...two boys who grew to men, different backgrounds, influenced and influential, one goes on to Minister the Lord's work and the other films. Each has had a continuing impact on many lives as a response to their childhood and inner direction. Very interesting to me and this led to my further understanding we each have the same sort of choices to affect many on a daily basis. Which road will you allow The Lord to direct you? As a result of the book, I am very interested in checking out not only the L.A. Church but as well Rick Stoker of Wilmington, North Carolina, who relinquished a very successful career as a physician for college-level basketball teams in order to establish his own ministry. The book makes it so very clear even someone like me can help (disabled, chronic illness) even with small donations...I read once all those little errors the grocery stores make that customers rarely catch amounts to huge sums of money for the grocery business...hmmmm, I can choose small donations to help the Lord's outreach through these two individiuals. That is how the book inspired me. The book came to my attention courtesy of Joyce Meyer and her daily (televised locally, also via cable, also via radio, also via her website, including "podcast") program "Enjoying Everyday Life". Matthew Barnett was a recent guest. The one word that for me best describes this work is: sincerity. Destined to be a Classic.

This book is what real ministry is all about. If you are just starting out in the ministry, this book is especially helpful. Matthew Barnett brings you from the beginning of his ministry through his amazing journey to a thriving full ministry today. He brings us back to what is real in ministry. You will be forced to examine your life, your ministry in the light of what the gospels say real ministry is all about. This book will challenge you to come up higher and to throw off some of the old ideas about what church is.

Great book. For me, and I think for many others, it wasn't so much that the book had any new revelation or teaching as much as it reminds us of the true simplicity and purity of real ministry. You know, the stuff that we used to do when we were younger, and it worked, before we got sidetracked with OUR aganda, OUR goals, OUR ministry career. Thanks Matthew! Let's keep it simple. Phillipians 2.4 should be the theme verse: "Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Mary Mitchell's Class Acts is filled with good information, overlaid with a gentle philosophy, and is a good read to boot. It's the only etiquette book I've read cover to cover. It makes a perfect gift -- a lovely compliment to colleagues, clients and friends who are indeed class acts.

Mary Mitchell has written a stunningly clear, well thought-out, and concise book. Her background in etiquette, coupled with years of work in the field of corporate governance place her in the unique position of being able to match business accountability with manners at a time when both assets are sadly on the decline. Not only are her points well taken, but the book is well-written and entertaining. The suggestions and advice contained in this book are indispensable for just about anybody interacting with anyone else.

At last, someone who "gets it!" Mary Mitchell eloquently makes the case that respectful, ethical, balanced business conduct is not simply "do-gooder" window-dressing but an issue that strikes deep at the bottom line -- via the relationships created with employees, employers, customers, vendors, colleagues and, oh yes, investors. Take THAT, Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Adelphia, and all the rest! This should be required reading for everyone in business.

Class Acts is an essential book for today's personal and professional environment. The strength of the book comes from it's applicability to one's life lived in a 24/7 world. The lines between professional acts and personal acts are less clearly defined as one realizes that a "whole life" standard to behavior is the only way to conduct oneself. It is precisely this understanding of all "actions" and their impact on daily life, both on the individual and organizational level, that makes this book a boardroom to bedroom must read.

As the CEO of ULiveandLearn, an educational company, we have been involved in developing programs that offer training and continuing education programs. Often, the benchmark programs are the ones that ignite support across a broad group of users, from corporate managers to educators to community-based organizations.

We are looking forward to helping bring Class Acts live through programs that integrate the essentials of the book with case studies and programs for corporations and organizations.

The opportunity to create and sustain an environment of good manners, good relationships and good business benefits us all. Mary Mitchell clearly understands the power of her message and it's long reaching effects on everyone who cares enough to be a Class Act.

Class Acts by business etiquette authority and consultant Mary Mitchell is a straightforward, "reader friendly" guide to using good manners, etiquette, and positive relationships to improve business efficiency, profitability, and the lowering of daily stress levels while on the job. From the importance of accountability, forgiveness, and trustworthiness; to improving communication skills; to handling disagreement in the most effective manner (always disagree in private if possible, and carefully watch one's tone of voice while disapproving); to coping with the challenges of cyberspace; to knowing better than to pursue a workplace romance (or if one must, to pursue it with caution and close awareness of the other party's feelings), Class Acts emphasizes that it is the creation of good and enduring relationships which, in the end, are fundamental to the establishing of a good and profitable business climate.

I got this book for a class. It worked great. The book was clean and brand new. Thanks!

Very good reference on how to handle an elementary classroom. Children's environment and temperament were considered. Sample lay-outs included.

Smooth and speedy transaction. Updated emails on the tracking of my purchase were much appreciated. Great buy. Recommended.

Having purchased many types of teaching resources over the last few years, I have finally found one more helpful than all the others combined. Evertson not only outlines the procedures in an easy to read manner, but she also gives excellent examples of her theories in practice. I was expecting a book that strictly dealt with keeping order in the classroom, but what I received was so much more. This book describes ways to teach that will ensure that classrooms run smoothly and more importantly the students learn. I only hope that other new teachers find this text at the beginning of their careers as the advice contained is invaluable. If your budget or time schedule only allows for one book, definitely buy this one!

"Classroom Management..." is THE book for those who are looking for the proverbial Teacher's Manual. Apart from covering all the basics in a lot of detail, it offers checklists and (so-called) case studies. The downside of this is that the book starts out a bit dry and too straightforward, with instructions so clear-cut you would think they are for operating some sort of machinery. The "case-studies" are examples rather than studies, so the objection here lies with the misnomer. These are clearly minor drawbacks to a great book that only gets better as you read on. With a fabulous Further Reading section after every chapter, and delectable cartoons sprinkled throughout the book, it is an essential text for every teacher's personal library.

I work as a Communications Specialist... sounds impressive, but really it is all about listening...and this book gives real world examples and steps for improving how you communicate change in your company. Perhaps I enjoy it because it supports my own theory that a chat or memo from the CEO is nice, but who is the guy/woman? really?...the immediate supervisor is the one I interact with everyday... that person is the key to clear communication and the conduit to change.
This is an easy-to-read book, presenting clear practical solutions.

Nearly every CEO of a large corporation believes that words directly from his or her mouth will inspire front-line employees. Five decades of research show just the opposite, explain consultants and authors T.J. and Sandar Larkin. Their investigations emphasize the importance of communicating change through low-level supervisors, a group that has more credibility with front-line workers. They maintain that CEOs must go beyond simply telling supervisors what to do; they must also listen to these key employees and empower them by taking their suggestions seriously. The authors provide plenty of real-world examples to bolster their case. We recommend this clearly constructed argument to CEOs and to anyone charged with communicating with large numbers of employees. This engaging treatise, a classic, is ready to persuade its next crop of managers.

After years of being force-fed communications theories that didn't work, it was a real joy to see reality documented. The solutions presented are too simple to be acceptable to anyone more interested in documenting "quality" than running a business. These "rules" help: they work in practice (when was the last time you heard that about a communications theory?): and they will change your world.

My line of consulting has a lot to do with change management and communicating change so this was a good book to refer to for additional ideas and tools for the toolkit. One of the chapters that sticks out in my mind is the one that talks to how people prefer to hear certain types of messages (e.g. from their direct mananger, through an email, at an all hands meeting etc) The author uses actual data from surveys to back up his ideas which I fpund helpful - not only in helping me recommend certain vehicles for communication but also convincing others. Good resource.

I'm an academic--a professor of corporate communication--and this is one of the few books I recommend to students in this area. Larkin bases every one of his assertions on applied research in organizational communication--very refreshing from the "I did it in my organization, so it must work in your company" perspective of most business authors. Larkin also completely shatters myths around traditional corporate communication practices (e.g. the executive should communicate directly to employees around major change areas), and bases such assertions on research in the area *plus* his own consulting experience (of which he has a great deal). My students also loved this book. If you buy one book on employee/corporate communication, this is the one.

Communication Gaps And How To Close Them by international speaker, seminar leader, author, and consultant Naomi Karten is a straightforward guide especially for businesspeople, but also useful for lay readers, to effective and positive communication. From recognizing and preventing misinterpretations or disassociated definitions, to becoming aware of communication differences, to learning to see things from the other party's perspective, to the value of gathering and analyzing customer feedback, Communication Gaps And How To Close Them offers no-nonsense advice for untangling the confusion between human beings. Black-and-white illustrations and the occasional humorous cartoon add a touch of zest to this highly practical guide especially recommended for anyone in an interpersonal business job, such as management or customer relations.

Naomi Karten's current work focuses on how to "mind the gap" between you and your audience. This advice is helpful whether your audience is one person or many, whether communications are in writing or in speech. Her advice goes deeper than the handy techniques she presents. She gives a wider view in analyzing the relationships, the context, and the internal states each of the participants (you the communicator and the listener or reader).

Her advice on understanding the other's perspective is a prime example of that depth. While making one's own case is necessary, understanding the other person's perspective is perhaps a more subtle requirement of communications.

I found this book not only helpful in my business communications, which the author targets, but also in the range of communications within my own personal life.

I recommend this book to all my business colleagues who struggle with the intention of good communciations and the results of poor communications.

This is a very readable (as it should be) text on communication. Karten does a good job of laying the foundation of communication in the first 4 chapters where she talks about the roles of senders and receivers in communication. Nothing in these chapters is really groundbreaking, but it sets the field for what is to come. Chapters 5-8 relate communication to the building of relationships. There are important ideas about how to build strong foundations, appreciate differences in people, trying to see the other person's point of view, and maintaining relationships. In these first two sections, one of the repeated themes is paying attention to the other person. Other people are different than we are, and we need to allow them to be themselves.

The last two sections of the book deal with customer service and managing change. The customer service section seemed pretty straightforward to me. If you are having problems with your customer interactions, chapters 9-11 have some good ideas for improvement. Chapters 12-13 deal with managing change. Most people have a hard time with change. In chapter 12, Karten presents a few models for explaining change; however, she focuses on the Satir model. The main takeaway for me was that people will struggle with change, and you cannot expect otherwise. Chapter 13 presents some good tips for how to communicate effectively when leading change.

The advice in the book is practical, but it will require discipline to make the changes necessary to improve your communication skills.

Naomi Karten's current work focuses on how to "mind the gap" between you and your audience. This advice is helpful whether your audience is one person or many, whether communications are in writing or in speech. Her advice goes deeper than the handy techniques she presents. She gives a wider view in analyzing the relationships, the context, and the internal states each of the participants (you the communicator and the listener or reader).

Her advice on understanding the other's perspective is a prime example of that depth. While making one's own case is necessary, understanding the other person's perspective is perhaps a more subtle requirement of communications.

I found this book not only helpful in my business communications, which the author targets, but also in the range of communications within my own personal life.

I recommend this book to all my business colleagues who struggle with the intention of good communciations and the results of poor communications.

This book is chock-full of immediately useful advice about making your communications count. It's not about "hurling words to and fro." It's about making your message count without overdoing it. Karten covers a wide range of communication media, from formal presentations, to e-mail, to team conflict.

Some of the advice wasn't new to me, but was a terrific reminder of the thought and effort that effective communication requires up front -- to avoid all the communication gaps that can take even more time later.

I especially enjoyed the antecdotes throughout the book that highlighted each point. I was amazed at how some of the people portrayed behaved and was humbled by how others reminded me of my own foibles.

Karten's advice relies on two basic principles: care that your message gets through and care about the other person's situation. This book gives the reader lots of practical tips on how to get the message across while building the relationship.

I'm recommending it to all my clients and peers who are constantly perplexed by the excessive time they spend communicating and the confusion and distrust that still persists.

I have had the pleasure of actually working with Bob Gilbreath at a very difficult client, and let me be direct: He is the real deal. Bob can dissect, diffuse, and elevate in the most difficult situations. This book conveys perfectly Bob's proven strategies for moving people from where they are to where they need to be. The only way his next book will be better is if it shows us how to figure out what he has discovered before he actually discovers it.

I am typically disappointed by business books that present a theory and some related anecdotes about the theory in 'action'. But, Bob Gilbreath's book provides real world application advice about how to 'compel' others to follow your lead. This book is geared toward people who are faced with the daily challenge of getting people to move in a desired direction, and if you are at all tasked to lead people (large groups or small) - this book is for you.

--Tim Galpin

I think there's something wrong with the Cover Jacket Design, and probably with the Title! This book deserve more that the few review and (probably) sales! The writer is a very successful speaker, but most probably the not a good marketers? i m not sure, but i think this is a GREAT BOOK with GOOD CONTENT.

I came across when opening several books and i was still unsure about this one, but there are no other books i can pick, so i bough this one, and it turn out to be a great book that i like very much.

There are only 201 pages with large fonts and not cramfull of printed letters but the insight and ideas are great. The book is about how to get others to act differently to affect a much better outcomes.

I like the MESSAGE, about how we should use the message in a communication to make other do the way we want them to.

Some biased in how people like to be persuaded, like: Simple over complex, powerful over weak, direct over subtle, predictable over possible, necessary over optimal, scare over abundant, want over need etc will make you a better communicator.

There are 4 chapters: MESSAGE, REACTION, GROUPTHINK and WITNESSING. I found golds scatter around that i can use, even that the whole book is not really that well narrated into one flow. But all in all this is a great book that will help you compel others.

With a title like 'Compel' and a man leading a donkey on the cover I guess I thought I was in for a manual on how to bludgeon my staff into submission or possibly how to hoodwink others into doing my will.

What I got was a rather eccletic but readable and insightful set of how to steps on leading, inspiring, and guiding others to change themselves. How many business books these days can cite the Talmud, Kahil Gibran, Thoreau, Picasso, Camus, Quintus Aurelium Symmanchus, and Dante -- all without seeming pretentious, strained, or misplaced?

Bob's recommendations on how to move others in your direction is both folksy and far-sighted; he interweaves many vignettes from professional experience and historical happenstance to elucidate his points.

I particularly like the analogy of the long distance runner and the effect of personal timepieces - that is one of those interesting factoids that, once learned, seems almost common sense but helps those of us searching for effective means of continuous feedback to search for better metrics.

If you are looking for a primer on how to motivate and lead others in a new direction, this is a must read prior to launching the effort.

One note of quibbling - I am not sure I agree with Bob's discussion of the 'Dark side of simplification' as I think he reduces the argument ad absurdum.

Compel attempts to teach you how to overcome opposition, in the author's own words, through "clarity over complexity, the direct over the subtle." This is an admirable goal and, I must say, this book is among the best that I've read that attempts to teach influence, persuasion or the answer to opposition in a simple way.

The book focuses in on four mechanisms of change:

-Message
-Reaction
-GroupThink
-Witnessing

Each chapter begins by defining the term on which the chapter is focused.

For example the first mechanism chapter, Chapter 1: Message, begins with this definition, "A usually short communication transmitted by words, signals or other means from one person, station or group to another." Certainly a simple definition, but the author's point is to teach you to shape your message so that it becomes a machanism for change. He provides a five step plan for doing this that is easy to remember and implement.


In order to influence reactions, the author suggests shaping the environment and setting or expressing expectations. This appears to be based on the well-known psychological principle that people tend to do what you expect them to do if the enviroment allows for it. This is sound management advice and is well-suited to the author's intentions.

I felt the GroupThink chapter was the least structured and beneficial in the book. I left the chapter feeling like I still wouldn't know how to implement the concepts, if it weren't for other books I had read such as Wikinomics and the The Starfish and the Spider. But then again, my reference to these two books may indicate that I did not fully understand the author's intent. He can certainly correct me, if I'm wrong.

Finally, the chapter on Witnessing - though short - was a nice wrap-up to the book. You leave the chapter feeling that you can indeed start to make a difference in the situations you're involved in and you also come away with some ideas of how to both create your own "witnesses" and apply other ideas in the book.

Overall, it is a good book on shaping people's thoughts and actions and will likely benefit any manager or leader.

CORPORATE AGILITY: A REVOLUTIONARY NEW MODEL FOR COMPETING IN A FLAT WORLD tells of a new business model, one that enables businesses to embrace workworld changes on a global scale. Currently most companies are unable to adapt to new methods of doing business, and become crippled by high fixed costs and new competition. CORPORATE AGILITY tells how to break this destructive cycle, offering tried methods by leaders of the Work Design Collaborative and providing a survey of value to any business library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Finally there is a book for the Facility Manager, I.T. Guy or H.R. professional looking to prove their point. How often have we heard the words; "That may be a great idea, but what is everyone else doing?" When it comes to leading edge ideas for changing the work place and the way we work, this book provides hard data based on what some of America's top companies are doing now.

Corporate Agility gives us a look into companies such as Hewlett Packard, Sun, IBM and others. It provides detailed analysis of how they are addressing the changing work place environment. How are companies staying connected with an increasingly mobile work force? How are they integrating Gen X, Gen Y & the Millennial workers? How are they reducing costs for work space, real estate and I.T. while increasing productivity and worker satisfaction? In depth case studies provide hard data regarding how different programs impact costs savings, worker productivity and employee satisfaction.

The analysis and case studies also let you key into a network of resources to help with your projects. Furniture systems, architects, designers, real estate brokers and I.T. solutions are all discussed. The Future of Work community is a door to a nearly endless supply of thinkers and practitioners dedicated to solving today's work place issues. Regardless of the size organization you are trying to change, Corporate Agility will provide the ammunition you need to get the project designed, approved and completed.

All Real Estate organziations struggle with driving dramatic change in their organizations, whether stemming from the challenges of supporting 4 generations under a single (physical or virtual) roof, dramatically reshaping a portfolio and costs or creating a stragety that aligns with the overall business strategy -- this is THE book for you. It's written with a relevant, direct approach and loaded with practical case studies that can easily be applied to your operations.

The authors do a fantastic job connecting people, technology, and facilities. The intersection of these circles becomes the heart of the new workforce for tomorrow today. The authors offer insights that define the mobile worker; actions to serve this worker; and recommendations to manage this worker. It is an outstanding compilation of ideas with impact.

In the Introduction, Charles Grantham, James Ware, and Cory Williamson explain that they assembled a small group of thought leaders from major corporations and collaborated with them when conducting a survey among decision-makers in both labor and management "to discover how new technologies, the changing workforce, and economic globalization were changing how and where people worked, and what those changes meant to the future of work in the so-called Information Economy." The survey responses confirmed what they had only suspected previously: "most businesses had been unable, or unwilling, to adapt their traditional management styles to the new conditions." Various factors resulted in a crippling loss of corporate agility. "These Industrial-Age behemoths are often referred to as corporate dinosaurs, in an effort to describe just how slow and unwieldy they really are - to say nothing of being nearly extinct - and there may be even more truth and insight contained in that image than anyone ever intended."

Grantham, Ware, and Williamson pose an especially interesting question: How can a business evolve from being a dinosaur to a jaguar, and do so in the space of months, not millennia? In this book, they provide their response to it, what they characterize as "a collaborative, strategic approach to management that acknowledges and leverages the growing interdependence of human resources (HR), corporate real estate (CRE), and information technology (IT), a process we call collaborative strategic management." In this volume, they explain to define, develop, and then implement the CSM process, and thus achieve corporate agility. The co-authors organize and present their material within ten chapters and draw upon a collection of wide-ranging, cutting-edge ideas drawn from pilot programs, case studies, and evolving best practices established by members of the Future of Work community. (The co-authors invite you to visit www.thefutureofwork.net/index.html.)

FYI, the quoted phrase in this review's title was formulated by James O'Toole while identifying major barriers to leading change in a book that bears that name. Grantham, Ware, and Williamson have no illusions whatsoever as to the difficulty of defining, developing, and then implementing the CSM process to achieve corporate agility. They realize that many organizations cannot overcome "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom" and will not survive. These are the "dinosaurs" to which they refer. However, other organizations can become agile and thus adapt to rapid, model-shattering changes in the global economy. These are the "jaguars" to which they refer.

To me, it is especially appropriate that the process of defining, developing, and then implementing collaborative strategic management requires organizations to be actively involved in all manner of alliances and mutually beneficial partnerships between and among members of global communities such as Future of Work. This is precisely what Satish Nambisan and Mohanbir Sawhney also have in mind in Global Brain: Your Roadmap for Innovating Faster and Smarter in a Networked World. They wholeheartedly agree with Grantham, Ware, and Williamson that agility is more, much more than a highly desirable attribute; it is, in fact, a key to organizational survival. Hence the importance of this brilliant book that will be of incalculable value to those planning for or have already embarked upon the perilous and complicated but necessary process of strategically integrating the effective management of real estate, human resources, and technology assets.

And as Charles Grantham, James Ware, and Cory Williamson point out, "It does that in a collaborative fashion that requires a change in decision-making processes and styles from what most organizations rely on today. [Moreover, an agile enterprise organizes itself into three (and only three) levels that center on completion, survival, and renewal." In this context, I assume that "completion" refers to achieving the given objectives, whatever they may be. However, collaborative strategic management is a journey rather than a destination, an on-going process that must be constantly renewed with appropriate modifications. Only then can an organization sustain its agility.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat and Competing in a Flat World co-authored by Victor Fung, William Fung, and Yoram (Jerry) Wind as well as The New American Workplace co-authored by James O'Toole and Edward Lawler, O'Toole's aforementioned Leading Change, Henry Chesbrough's Open Business Models, Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis' Judgment, Richard Ogle's Smart World, Frans Johansson's The Medici Effect, James Kilts's Doing What Matters, Dean Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measurement, and Enterprise Architecture As Strategy co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson.