Customer Reviews:
Since Everyone is on a Team - Read this book.......2007-01-25
I read this book initially with a focus on Business Team Building. I found it it simple and straightforward. I learned about creating a code of honor for myself first, and then for my family and business. It also helped me look at what I can do to improve me, create my own code and commit to the follow through and believe the results will follow.
Simple strategies - hard work to implement - abundant rewards for the people involved in the process.
I read a bunch of the negative reviews for this book and felt for my small invesment of time and money the book was worth 10 x's what I invested.
If you are a coach, parent, or in a business this will give you a new view on team builing for long term success.
I don't recommend this book.......2007-01-04
I am a big fan of Robert Kiyosaky, but I didn't like this book at all, what is a pitty, since I liked the other book by Blair Singer, Salesdogs. I expected much more from it. The author had only one idea -- "create a code of honor for your team" and wrote a book around it. Honestly, I don't think this book has anything to add. I suggest reading The Servant, by James C. Hunter instead. This one is a really awesome book about leadership.
Well written--but doesn't quite hit the nail on the head........2006-01-31
This is a very good book on the subject of finding the type of people to work for you. What it fails to do is to point out the specialty people required to get a business running and growing. That is what I expected, after reading the title. One thing that totally put me off as I read this book. The author spoke of owning a shipping business and having a time pressure to get a shipment loaded. All of the laborers pulled together as a team, working long hours and extra shifts without complaining or asking for overtime pay. Who made the lions share of the money? Not the ones who did the hard labor, but he as the owner. Compensation was something not mentioned in this book. I very much like the concept of a 'code of honor', in which this book was almost completely based. I am still not really sure, after reading this book, what the difference between a code of honor and a mission statement is. A couple of great books that also cover this concept very well are: On My Honor I Will, and The Lost Secret of Phenomenol Success. This kind of book makes you think about your values, and what you want from life. I recommend it. Just remember, it may not be what you expect.
DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!! .......2005-07-05
I am an entrepreneur and wanted some inspiration, sadly I just found a lot of crap in this book. There's nothing I can apply, anyone can come up with a book better than this. just by reading the index you know this book was written by someone who has no idea about business. I'll write it for you:
chap.1 why do you need a code of honor?
2 who you sorround yourself with will determine your wealth and success
3 creating your code of honor
4 what's your personal code
5 how to enforce the code to ensure championship play
6 leadership that teaches other
7 the biggest impact of the code
8 ensuring account. loyalty and trust
9 standing in the heat with the code
conclusion it's your time to have a code
the book is full of phrases like: (please ask yourself if you need to buy a book to learn this:)
"nature whats you to go for it" pg 122
"when in doubt support each other" pg 115
"accountability is in the stats, no stats no results" pg 108
"the code is an awesome recruiting tool and qualifier"
"steps for creating a code: 1 create a code in a sane environment"
"sample code: 1 never abandon a teammate in need"
Creating a Code of Honor.......2005-05-23
This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I was expecting a book on how to pick advisors like accountants, real estate brokerss, lawyers, etc. However this book was about creating a team that works according to a "code of honor" that is created by the team.
Essentially the code of honor is a set of rules that the team creates and lives by in order to maintain a high level of accountability and performance. The idea makes sense as teams and people and general need rules by which to live by. Author Blair Singer does a good job of organizing the information and presenting it in an easy to read fashion.
On the downside, I wish there were more examples in this book to illistrate the points he's makes. A list of rules would have been nice, or the lists of rules that some other companies have come up with.
However other than that, the book is well done. Anyone wanting to build a team or wanting to improve the accountability of their existing team should pick up this book. 4 out of 5 stars.
Book Description
"[
Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled shows] us how success in the workplace can be something more-but is never less-than the sum of our experiences, emotions, and intelligence. I really liked this book."
-
Marcus Buckingham, International speaker and best-selling author,
Now Discover Your Strengths and
First, Break All the Rules
"
Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled is one of those books that really makes you want to be a better manager, a better leader, a better person. The stories are powerful, the anecdotes are right on the money, and the wisdom is so evident and clear."
-
Pat Lencioni, Author,
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and President, The Table Group
"
Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled grabbed me from page one and never let go. It's one of those rare business books full of fresh, original stories that inspire us to take a look at our three Cs: commitment, character, and competence."
-Ken Blanchard, Coauthor,
The One Minute Manager® and
Leading at a Higher Level
"As a member of the senior White House staff and a veteran in banking and the executive search fields, I have interviewed thousands of highly successful people. In
Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled, Dr. Tim Irwin nails the essential differences between those who do well and those who don't. If you want to know what it takes to make it in any endeavor, read this book!"
-
J. Veronica Biggins, Senior Partner, Heidrick & Struggles
"In this inspiring and adventure-filled book, Tim Irwin creatively weaves in stories from his own experiences with hard-hitting corporate examples. It's a great read for those willing to do the work required to experience their own spectacular results and enjoy success."
-
Roger Staubach, Chairman/CEO, The Staubach Company and Super Bowl MVP
_____________
Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled features Tim Irwin's seven critical success factors as well as six common career derailers. With compelling real-life stories to launch each chapter, Irwin distills not only his experiences as a successful corporate psychologist but also what he has learned from others in thousands of interviews with senior executives. Inside you will also find how you can access free online self-assessment exercises and developmental resources.
Customer Reviews:
Commitment, Character, Competence.......2007-07-31
The advice in this book extends beyond the professional world and echoes in everyday life. This makes sense; we don't live double-lives, and there exists no magic, secret formula for success in business, medicine, or raising kids. It comes down to basic human virtues.
Commitment. Character. Competence. These attributes fuel the engines of success in life.
It boggles the mind how many books or programs offer axiomatic platitudes such as "it's not what you know but who you know" or "success is what makes you happy, so be true to yourself."
None such wasteful advice finds its way into this book. Rather, Dr. Irwin points out the objective, observable standards that exist in life, and our need to continually evaluate ourselves and measure our choices against those standards.
As the book says; it's simple, but it isn't easy. I highly recommend this book.
Run with the Bulls Without Getting Trampled.......2007-07-08
Tim Irwin's book, "Run with the Bulls," is by far the most insightful business book I have read this year. It causes you to take a look beneath the surface and determine how you can lead a life of significance and find meaning in your work. There are very few business books that take you to this level of personal reflection. "Run with the Bulls" is one of them.
run with the bulls.......2007-04-19
"Run with the Bulls" offers a practical approach to finding meaning and fulfillment in our careers. Tim Irwin uses straightforward language to express complex ideas. He has an engaging way with personal anecdotes that serve both to clarify his themes and share aspects of his family life. One of the book's many pleasures is its frequent use of cultural references. Dr Irwin's interests range from "New Yorker" cartoons to TS Eliot to popular movies like "Groundhog Day." His experience as a psychologist has given him unique insight into the complex issues that so often derail our attempts to pursue excellence.
If you are running your career you need this book.......2007-03-08
The best complete compilation and illustration of the keys to a great life and career.
Great Stories with a Powerful Message.......2007-01-31
"Run with the Bulls" is hard book to put down. I savored each chapter. The author tells real life stories as the foundation for a powerful message on principles of leadership. After reading the book I passed it on to my 18 year-old son who read it in a week. I wish I had known the principles which Irwin sets forth so clearly when I began my career! The stampeding bulls will trample the energy and enthusiasm out of many young professionals. I ordered six copies for my family members to help them avoid that fate.
Book Description
"There are always clients to please, rules to subvert, difficult tasks to perform, work to shirk, and upward mobility to seek. . . . Most people with work experience have encountered at least some version of exaggerated resumes, exploitative bosses, self-interested shirking, collusion against disliked colleagues, lying to clients, and countless other variants of lies on the job. This book tells the tale of such lies in the workplace and examines their impact on ethics, administrating work, and productivity."-from the Introduction
According to David Shulman, deception is a pervasive element of daily working life. Sometimes it is an official part of one's work-as in the case study he offers of private detectives, who lie for a living-but more often it is simply part of the fabric of life on the job. Shulman argues that workplace cultures socialize individuals into using deception as a tool in performing their everyday work. To make his point he focuses not on extreme cases but rather on less obvious forms of deception, such as pretending to show deference, shirking one's work, crafting misleading accounting reports, making false claims to customers and coworkers, and covering up business transgressions.
Shulman analyzes the motives, tactics, rationalizations, and ethical ramifications of acting deceptively in the workplace. From Hire to Liar offers readers both detailed accounts of workplace lies and new ways to think about the important effects of everyday workplace deceptions.
Customer Reviews:
From Hire to Liar.......2007-03-31
I will have to say, I am shocked at lying everywhere. I bought this because I became aware of lying everywhere I go. It is a good read.
Book Description
In a business era in which executives are taken away in handcuffs and corporate malfeasance and scandal dominates the business headlines, there is tremendous value in the stories of ethical companies and spiritual business leaders. The CEO and the Monk is one such compelling story, the story of KeySpan, the nations fifth largest energy giant and a profitable, Fortune 500 company, and the two KeySpan executives-one a former monk-whose unique working relationship is based on something as simple and powerful as "doing the right thing." This isnt yet another prescriptive business guide written by breathless consultants. It is a story about a real business and how two unusual and dedicated humanists can keep their eyes on profits and ethics at the same time.
Download Description
How KeySpan found phenomenal success by doing business the right way
In a business era in which executives are taken away in handcuffs and corporate malfeasance and scandal dominates the business headlines, there is tremendous value in the stories of ethical companies and spiritual business leaders. The CEO and the Monk is one such compelling story, the story of KeySpan, the nation's fifth largest energy giant and a profitable, Fortune 500 company, and the two KeySpan executives-one a former monk-whose unique working relationship is based on something as simple and powerful as "doing the right thing." This isn't yet another prescriptive business guide written by breathless consultants. It is a story about a real business and how two unusual and dedicated humanists can keep their eyes on profits and ethics at the same time.
Robert B. Catell (Long Island, NY) is CEO of KeySpan Corporation, the nation's fifth largest energy company. Kenny Moore (Totowa, NJ) is a former monk and the Corporate Ombudsman at KeySpan. Glenn Rifkin (Boston, MA) is a veteran business journalist and the coauthor of Radical Marketing, The CEO Chronicles, Radical E, and The Ultimate Entrepreneur.
Customer Reviews:
Spiritual and Business-Savvy? Whodathunkit?.......2006-03-01
I work for an A/V company who does small trade shows and pharmaseutical companies. I ordinarally fall asleep during these presentations, but when Kenny hit the stage with his understated enthusiasm and wisdom about how the bottom lines of profit and spirituality can come together -- and make both bottom lines go up for all concerned -- I was transfixed.
All I do is run a sound board. I get a lot of free books from these shows, and to be honest I sell most of them on EBay.
I am keeping this one.
This should be a best seller!! BUY THIS BOOK!!!! Read why........2005-02-03
I'm not ordinarily a fan of business books, but I fell in love with this story about a company with heart, soul and a strong sense of moral responsibility and community. If we all lived our business lives like The CEO and The Monk, there would be no Enrons and all our bottom lines would be healthy.
There are so many places in the book that pull you up short and make you think, like the Monk's recalling words of Oliver Wendell Holmes: "Most of us go to our graves with our music still inside us." I felt energized reading this book, inspired to start all over again and make a difference. I am sharing this book with my staff. And, I've been buying copies and giving to friends who work in the corporate world. BUY THIS BOOK!!!!
Spiritually, Very Average.............2004-07-22
This book is "ok". If you use the track record of corporations to measure Key Span (Brooklyn Union), then what they've done is good, not great, but good. If you use a spiritual or moral measure, then what they've done is quite mediocre. The main accomplishment is that of the monk, Kenny Moore, who was able to foster direct and non-judgemental communication between the workers and management. This is a good thing and many companies would do well to learn from this example. Key Span does do a lot of charity work, but their motives for doing so, by their own terms of "enlightened self-interest", are just that, selfish. The company pressures average workers to give up their free time to volunteer for charity. The result is that Key Span gets publicity at the expense of their unpaid workers. This is PR on the cheap and takes unfair advantage of the already financially strapped workers. They hire social workers to aid the company in extracting money from customers who are unable to pay. On the surface it sounds good, but it's just a ploy to increase company profits by increasing collections. Much of the book is about the inside scoop on various Brooklyn Union/Key Span mergers and aquisitions, a bit boring. The rest is a lot of back slapping of both CEO and the Monk. There's very little investigative journalism here in terms of exploring contrarian points of view. What Key Span has done is just "ok", not great. They stand out not because of what good they've done, but rather because of what very bad other corporations have done. The bottom line, foster honest communication between management and the workers. The rest of the book is meaningless. It's the same old same old, the workers toil in order to make executives rich. Nothing new. That the CEO and the Monk can't see this is more telling than anything told in the book.
Highly Recommended.......2004-06-21
This book is great for anyone who is a CEO or owns their own business. Not only is it informative but it's entertaining as well.
Thanks for the book Mom!!
Nice Guys (and companies) can finish first.......2004-03-17
Finally, good news from inside the Corporate World! As the media focus our attention on corporate wrongdoing, the show trials of the rich and powerful, stratospheric salaries of greedy CEOs, and the "unaccountability" of managers and Wall Streeters comes a heartwarming and inspiration story of a Fortune 500 company with a soul.
The CEO and the Monk is the inside story of Keyspan's dramatic growth over the past decade, of its hands-on CEO, of the difficulties encountered as the "family" of a 100-year old, conservative utility absorbs the shocks of mergers and acquisitions and grows from $1 billion to $6 billion in revenues, tripling its workforce. All the while maintaining a clear focus on doing the right thing...and blowing the numbers out of the water while not losing its soul, as one financial analyst observed.
Bob Catell, Chairman of Keyspan, one of the nation's leading energy providers, is the CEO in the title. He's a career employee whose soft-spoken style and ready smile hide the tough inner man who created a whole new company amidst the chaos of de-regulation. Tough, smart, caring and candid about what it took to achieve his vision, he points out this was the opposite of the "asset-lite" and high-flying Enron of the 1990s. Same industry, similar starting point, different leaders...much different results.
Kenny Moore was a real monk who after 15 years left cloistered life in the monastery to rediscover himself and pursue a career in the corporate world. Despite the odds of succeeding in Corporate America - no MBA, no useful business experience, and a serious bout with life-threatening cancer and then a heart attack - Kenny signed on in HR and rose to be Corporate Ombudsman at Keyspan. He became the conscience of the company, but not without struggle and self-doubt. He took risks along the way - even brashly staging a mock funeral for key employees as the old Brooklyn Union "died" and the new Keyspan was a-borning.
About the book: This a fast, enjoyable read, with three authors' voices leading you through the pages, with informative and lively stories about corporate and personal success behind the scenes. These are told in the first person by the CEO, Bob Catell, and the Monk, Kenny Moore. There's an interesting narrative thread to guide the reader as well, presented by the third story-teller, the skilled business writer Glenn Rifkin, a former New York Times reporter. This is a warts-and-all tale and belongs on the reading list for senior managers - and those who plan to be CEO one day.
Hank Boerner
Management Consultant
Corporate Governance Advisor
Rowan & Blewitt
Mineola, NY
March 10, 2004
Average customer rating:
- A résumé of more than 10 years of research.
- Clear, Straightforward.
- A Complete book about organizational commitment.
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Commitment in the Workplace: Theory, Research, and Application (Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior)
John P. Meyer , and
Natalie J. Allen
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
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Binding: Paperback
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Retaining Valued Employees (Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior)
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Leadership: Theory and Practice
-
Applied Psychology in Human Resource Management (6th Edition)
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Job Satisfaction: Application, Assessment, Causes, and Consequences (Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior)
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Taking the Measure of Work; A Guide to Validated Scales for Organizational Research and Diagnosis
ASIN: 0761901051 |
Book Description
What is a committed employee? Are employees who are committed better or worse off than employees who are uncommitted? What are the organizational advantages and disadvantages of having a committed workforce? Commitment in the Workplace provides an overview of academic and popular perspectives on what committed employees look like and how they become committed. The multiple faces of commitment are examined as are the links that have been established between the various forms of commitment and organizational behavior. In addition, questions concerning individual differences, organizational characteristics, and work experiences associated with commitment are explored. The book concludes with a discussion of what organizations can do to manage commitment effectively, including commitment under more difficult circumstances, such as merger/acquisition, downsizing, and relocation. One of the great strengths of the book is that it summarizes the key organizational commitment research in such a way that the research findings can be evaluated for both their scientific merit and their practical value. The primary audience for Commitment in the Workplace includes students in MBA and executive MBA programs, researchers, and students and practitioners in the fields of organizational behavior and industrial psychology.
Customer Reviews:
A résumé of more than 10 years of research........2000-12-23
For newcomers in the field, this is probably the best book available.
Clear, Straightforward........1999-11-25
This is the best book about commitment in the workplace so far as I am concerned. Readers may find the style of writing, contents and structure so clear and straightforward.
If you STILL recognise employees' commitment to their organisation is composed of only one dimension based upon "affection" or "identification", probably you're wrong. And if you find your coworkers and supervisors may seem committed to the organisation, their behaviours lead to various results, not simply determined as a good citizen's.
This book will give you a key to solve what we think about "complexed" commitment. Essential for MBA students, researchers and HR managers. Good work, in a word.
A Complete book about organizational commitment........1998-03-19
The book is a complete review and application of the Meyer e Allen three component conceptual model of organizational commitment. An indispensable book for organizational commitment research.
Average customer rating:
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Small Groups as Complex Systems: Formation, Coordination, Development, and Adaptation
Holly Arrow ,
Joseph Edward McGrath , and
Jennifer L. Berdahl
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
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Binding: Paperback
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Theories of Small Groups: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
ASIN: 080397230X |
Book Description
"The emphasis on change at many levels of organization is critically important as is the first attempt to integrate sophisticated theory and research in organization psychology (e.g., Gersick, Hackman) with social psychological models of development such as Moreland and Levine."
--Reuben M. Baron, Emeritus, University of Connecticut
"Arrow, McGrath, and Berdahl’s ‘
Small Groups as Complex Systems’ will change the way you think about groups, the way you think about research, and even the way you think about science." --Donelson R. Forsyth, Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth U
"The book is excellent, one of those very rare works that will have substantial impact on the field. I would use the book without hesitation in any advanced graduate seminar dealing with groups."
--Donelson R. Forsyth, Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth U
"A conceptually elegant analysis of groups as systems. Although the systems approach has been growing more influential in various fields of social psychology in the last ten years, no one has put forward a definitive analysis that applies with fidelity the general systems approach to group processes. McGrath and his colleagues fill that gap, not by paying lip service to popular scientific concepts such as recursive causality, open systems, attractors, and complexity theory, but by fully integrating these concepts into their no-nonsense analysis of such group level processes as formation, task performance, composition, development, and termination. Empirical work is folded into the theoretical mix along the way, but the focus is unrelentingly conceptual with the result that the authors deliver on their promise of developing a powerful, unified theory of group dynamics."
--Donelson R. Forsyth, Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth U
"Theirs is an ambitious book. They have profound ramifications for experimental social psychology. It is worth mentioning that AMD (Arrow, McGrarth, and Berdahl) list an ethnographic approach, which often implies the adoption of hermeneutic and semiotic methods (a hallmark of the anti-Enlightenment tradition in psychology), as a possible way forward."
--Yoshihisa Kashima, American Journal of Psychology
What are groups? How do they behave? Arrow, McGrath, and Berdahl answer these questions by developing a general theory of small groups as complex systems. Basing their theory on concepts distilled from general systems theory, dynamical systems theory, and complexity and chaos theory, they explore groups as adaptive, dynamic systems that are driven by interactions among group members as well as between the group and its embedding contexts. In addition, they consider not only the group’s members and their distribution of attributes, but also the group’s tasks and technology in order to understand how those members, tasks, and tools are intertwined, coordinated, and adjusted. Throughout the book, the authors focus our attention on relationships among people, tools, and tasks that are activated by a combination of individual and collective purposes and goals that change and evolve as the group interacts over time.
Product Description
Two fundamentally different business models of capitalism are operating in the business world today. One is self-destructive and increasingly corrupt. The other is emergent, flourishing, and inspirational. The author explains the differences between the two and reveals the extraordinary results of the more successful model. Profit for Life draws on nearly forty years of research on the empirical connections between stewardship and profitability.
Customer Reviews:
Review of Profit for Life: How Capitalism Excels by Joseph H. Bragdon.......2007-04-08
Profit for Life shatters the old paradigm that success in business means sucking the life from people and natural resources by viewing both as dispensable commodities. By showing us how success in business--including big business--goes hand-in-hand with respect for human and natural communities, Bragdon frees us from the wrenching misconception that profit and citizenship represent a kind of zero-sum game.
Bragdon unites head and heart in one of the most uplifting books I have ever read. Profit for Life offers hope with a firm footing. I recommend Profit for Life to anyone with an interest in business management, strategic investment, or corporate citizenship.
Daniel D. Dutcher, J.D., Ph.D.
Project Director
The Clean Energy Group
Montpelier, Vermont
Book Review for Profit for Life: How Capitalism Excels.......2007-01-31
Book Review for Profit for Life: How Capitalism Excels
by Ann McGee-Cooper
How do you measure the value of servant leadership in business? How can we know it works? These have been two of the most frequently asked questions in our consulting practice over the past 30 years.
In Profit for Life, Jay Bragdon provides us with some compelling answers. He does this by setting aside much of the linear cause-and-effect thinking that drives business these days, and adopts a more rounded, holistic approach that gives us deeper insight into the firm.
The book is based on the experiences of 60 companies - Bragdon's "learning lab" - that broadly represent the industry/sector diversity of the world economy. Throughout the text he describes 16 of these pioneering companies, called the Focus Group. The distinguishing feature of all these firms is their effort to mimic living systems - in the ways they organize, manage and add value. This mental model is radically different from the traditional one that views the firm as a money making machine.
Although it may seem counter intuitive, the living system approach yields vastly superior results than the traditional one. For example, the average equity return of learning lab companies was nearly double the S&P 500 over the past decade; and their excess performance continues as this review is written. Bragdon expects such premium returns will diminish over time as the more effective methods of the living system model become copied and enter the mainstream. Nevertheless, these results are a strong affirmation of the milieu in which servant leadership normally operates.
Servant leadership, to Bragdon, is all about relationships. He says "relational equity" is the foundation on which companies build financial equity. When companies care about people and the things people care about, Employees become inspired and their inspiration cascades into everything they do, including their relationships with customers, suppliers and other key stakeholders.
The raison d'etre of these servant-led firms is value creation - value that permeates all relationships. Companies that excel at such value creation pursue a strategy Bragdon calls "living asset stewardship" (LAS). The fundamental premise of LAS is: Profit arises from life, and must therefore serve life if it is to be sustainable.
To understand the strategic value of living asset stewardship, Bragdon makes a critical distinction between living assets (people and Nature) and non-living capital assets (buildings, equipment and financial reserves). We see this in three contexts. First, people are closely bonded to Nature - genetically, physically and spiritually - in ways that capital assets are not. Second, living assets are the source of non-living capital assets. And third, because living assets are inherently creative and emergent, their value grows over time rather than depreciating as capital assets do.
The operating leverage in the learning lab and the 16 Focus Group companies resides in the human heart rather than in mechanistic financial gearing. This is supported by the fact that they generate consistently higher returns on equity while carrying substantially lower debt ratios.
Although traditionally managed companies have been adopting some stewardship practices in the past decade, Bragdon finds their approach differs fundamentally from those in his study. In the mechanistic view of these firms, stewardship is an add-on that is subservient to their drive for profit. By contrast, in companies that have adopted the living system model, LAS is deeply woven into the value creation process - reflecting the fact that they see themselves as "living" and therefore integral to, rather than separate from, Nature and society.
Profit for Life builds on the brilliant work of Arie deGeus, former coordinator of Group Planning at Royal Dutch/Shell, and Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson. DeGeus' classic, The Living Company, noted that long-lived companies had a collective consciousness, were sensitive to their environments, tried to work in harmony with the world around them, and strove to leave a legacy to future generations. Wilson tells us this collective consciousness is an expression of humanity's deep affinity for life, which he calls "biophilia," and that our biophilic instincts have evolved over thousands of generations of natural selection.
In my work as a teacher of servant leadership, I would highlight the paradigm shift Bragdon describes. The mission of leaders in LAS organizations is to serve and grow their people because that is the source of the firm's liveliness and capacity for growth. As Robert K. Greenleaf said: "The first order of business is to build a group of people who, under the influence of the institution, grow taller and become healthier, stronger and more autonomous." That seminal quote is used twice in the book to describe the power and generative capacity of LAS.
I highly recommend this book and will be using it regularly in our practice.
Ann McGee-Cooper, Ed.D., Business Consultant & Executive coach
in the field of Servant Leadership & growing Learning Organization.
Ann McGee-Cooper & Associates, Inc.
An Extraordinary Book: A Must Read.......2006-11-26
I intend to recommend Profit for Life to all my current MBA students. Next fall I am team teaching an MBA core course that combines Operations Management and Managerial Accounting. I intend to make the case that your book should be required reading and part of the course.
I became familiar with the work of W. Edwards Deming in 1990 and attended one of his four day seminars a year later. I also began to follow Peter Senge's work and later read Margaret Wheatley's book, Leadership and the New Science. Tom Johnson's book, Profit Beyond Measure, has been required reading in my Advanced Managerial Accounting elective at the MBA level.
Bragdon's book has brought the ideas, theories, and concepts discussed by these individuals together for me in a way that I could not have imagined. More importantly, he has not only taken their ideas to the next level, but done it in a way that provides a tangible blue print for how to change our current style of command and control management with its focus on profit maximization to a LAS Theory of Management.
The use of the sixteen focus companies from the LAMP INDEX and the author's ability ability to clearly show the distinctions in their style of management from the traditional management models that continue to be taught in almost all business schools, and the success these companies have achieved not just financially, gives those of us hoping to change management education and core business curriculums a new hope.
Thank you for such an outstanding book.
Joseph F. Castellano
Professor, Department of Accounting
University of Dayton Business School
Excellent, highly readable information.......2006-11-18
This is not one of those lightweight business books that repeats its Chapter 1 message over and over. It's chock full of research-based information that anyone involved in the sustainability movement should have. The publisher is Peter Senge's non-profit, so if you're familiar with his excellent work over the years, this would make a great addition to your library. The author's passion for his subject is obvious from page one.
Book Description
This book dispels the myth that a business or organization has to choose between making a profit and protecting the environment. Appealing to employees at every level, it provides over 100 examples of environmental practices that bring savings or new sources of revenue. It also coaches readers to make their environmental cases to management using business language -- leading their argument with profitability.
Customer Reviews:
Practical hands on book.......2006-06-13
This book is unlike many how to business books out there. It actually gives you the steps to implement it. Whether or not the earth is warming, it makes sense for everyone to do their part to show their respect to our home. Buy the book. Save the earth.
Simple "How-To" Approach to a Leaner, Greener Organization.......2006-04-18
"Lean and Green" takes an enjoyable, practical, action-oriented approach to environmental change. It presents a step-by-step strategy that assures everyone that they can take positive steps within their organization by inspiring leadership that doing the right thing for the planet is also doing the right thing for the company's bottom-line. Pam removes many of the personal barriers we all face as we attempt to align our internal values with our external actions.
Most importantly - IT IS AN ENJOYABLE READ!!
Over a hundred examples from major companies from Intel to Polaroid discuss various commitments.......2006-01-06
Quite often the idea of profit and environmental health work against each other; but if 20 leading organizations as outlined in Pamela J. Gordon's Lean And Green: Profit For Your Workplace And The Environment can succeed at both, any business can. Lean And Green shows how these companies succeeded by adopting solid environmental principles which worked economically as well. Over a hundred examples from major companies from Intel to Polaroid discuss various commitments, from recycling and environmental management systems to involving top management on down.
Excellent. Practical. Hopeful........2004-11-16
"Lean and Green" is a must-read for anyone involved in business and/or sustainability. Personally, I've been involved in both. I've hosted my own radio show that included "lean and green" types of subjects. And I'm impressed by what Pam Gordon has done. Rather than being theoretical or abstract, she's drawn upon her corporate experience and expertise. She's provided a ton of real-world, lean-and-green business examples from IBM, Celestica, NEC, Apple, Horizon and many other companies. She's also provided a framework for people in business who want to introduce lean-and-green activities within their own companies. And, perhaps most importantly of all, she has chronicled some key indicators of a little-recognized trend these days: the shift towards a world of manufacturing that uses far less materials and energy and produces far less waste. "Lean and Green" is easy-to-read and hopeful. I don't recommend books very much. I recommend this one.
Useful at the level to which it is pitched.......2003-02-25
The core theme is that, if you reduce waste and increase recycling, it will be good for the environment and for profits. The theme is supported with a wealth of examples. This is a book for those who are 'putting a toe in the water' rather than for those who wish to move beyond the first steps, but is useful at the level to which it is pitched. It helps to contest the pernicious myth that business profitability and environmental responsibility are at odds with each other.
Average customer rating:
- Impact of diversity on organizational culture
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Ethical Dimensions of Diversity (SAGE Series on Business Ethics)
Willie E. Hopkins
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
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Practical Ethics in Public Administration, Second Edition
ASIN: 080397289X
Release Date: 1997-02-11 |
Book Description
"This is a fascinating and mind-stretching discussion. Very original analysis of the ethics-diversity relationship and process model . . . . The authorÆs examples of the changes in one organization over a 10-year period are striking . . . . Makes a distinct contribution . . . . Allows the reader to go beyond the current models and keep the focus on organizational culture and management practices." --Patricia Arredondo, Founder and Director, Empowerment Workshops, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts Will increased diversity in the workplace lead to greater deviation from corporate ethical standards? Can the codes of ethics in U.S. corporations effectively govern employee ethical standards? Few, if any, of the current books on ethics in the American workplace consider the ethical concerns in an environment characterized by diversity. Ethical Dimensions of Diversity takes an in-depth look at the relationship between the many kinds of diversityùincluding cultural, racial, ethnic, and a variety of othersùand the ways they affect decision making within organizations. Author Willie E. Hopkins provides a theoretical overview, and also identifies points of potential conflict and subsequent effects on individual/organizational ethical paradigms, as well as suggesting possible ways of reconciling these conflicts. Ethical Dimensions of Diversity gives students and professionals the analytical skills and sensitivity necessary for dealing with the difficult combination of ethics and diversity, while also providing the practical application that business ethicists, and human resource professionals need.
Customer Reviews:
Impact of diversity on organizational culture.......1998-09-03
Hopkins' discussion of the ethical dimensions of diversity is both timely and relevant and his process model of the ethics-diversity relationship provides a framework from which ethicists, OD practicioners and organizations who are addressing a changing work environment and workforce can begin a dialogue. He rightly recognizes and frames in intellectual terms, the dilemma with which this reviewer agrees. Today's organizations, as organizations have always been, are comfortable with the way in which power is distributed and maintained in that distribution. What Hopkins verbalizes, I believe helpfully, is the fear that I have heard expressed (or suppressed) in my discussions with managers, that is, that diversity will result in the chaotic introduction of mores and values that may not be consistent with those held in place by the status quo and, likely, most reflective of dominant views.
The importance of opening a dialogue to identify, examine and evaluate the presence and application of ethical standards in organizations and the possible entrance of new mores and values represented by diversity is high.
His process model of the ethics-diversity relationship offers a framework for initiating this dialogue. His references to other sources, such as his re-presentation of congruency and national culture clusters is a helpful resource for those uneducated about the distinctions. He also provides ten case studies by five scholars which could serve to generate healthy discussion among managers and those interested in the intersection of ethics and diversity.
The appreciation this reviewer has for Hopkins' introduction of the topic of the impact of diversity on the organizational culture is, however, overshadowed by her concern about his understanding of and presentation of many of the issues outside of the philosophical treatise on mores, ethics and culture. Hopkins' own prejudices and biases as well as his ignorance regarding distinctions between and among identity groups--such as ethnic cultural groups, sexual orientation identity groups, gender groups and legally-defined racial groups--and of classes protected by non-discrimination law were continously exposed in his discourse.
Book Description
This woman's experience is far from unusual. As authors Pat Heim and Susan Murphy have learned through twenty years of corporate consulting on gender differences, time and again, professional women fail to support one another and even actively sabotage their female colleagues with subterfuge and "catfights."
The fact is, relationships can be either the best or the worst things to happen to women at work. Studies have shown that women have a greater capacity than do men to encourage and improve each other's professional performance-with better results for all if their relationships are good, and worse results if they are not.
In In the Company of Women, Heim and Murphy draw from the latest research on brain structure, evolution, and socialization to explain why women's workplace relationships are unique. They describe what makes catfights happen-and how to avoid them. With startling insights into the meaning of everyday behavior, they offer straightforward techniques to change female conflict into female alliances by resolving discord peaceably, making the most of women's unique leadership skills, and building relationships with female superiors, colleagues, and employees.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting reading.......2007-09-18
This book was pretty good. The first part validated what I pretty much figured out for myself the hard way. At least with the knowledge you get from this book that this type of behavior and attitude is universal among women everywhere and is "normal," you can deal with it more constructively or let it go more easily instead of dwelling on it. I did enjoy reading the first part of the book - probably 3/4 of the book was helpful because it validates what you know or can sense about what is going on around you, and that is empowering and reassuring. The guidance given in this book for dealing with other women is somewhat like remembering difficult algorithms though. And, unless you can convince every other woman you ever deal with to read the book and follow precisely the "rules" you have to follow in order to have perfect harmony among the women in your life, you still have to just use your gut instinct on how to deal with each particular woman or...well, you already know what will happen or you wouldn't be interested in reading this type of book! To be honest, I started reading the last part of the book (which directly relates to being in a supervisory position) and just couldn't read any more.
Wishing everyone (men and women) would read this!.......2007-05-08
I have struggled my entire life in relationships with women. This book opened my eyes.
Interesting theories, apply as you will.......2007-02-04
This is a thought-provoking book, and I recommend it for any woman, whether you work in an office or not. It says much about the conflicts that arise between us, the reasons behind them, and some solutions on how to handle them.
One of my favorite chapters was "Handling Conflicts With Style." I recently covered conflict styles in a college freshman seminar course, and I appreciated how they were expanded in this chapter. There are some interesting paragraphs on ow to handle sabotage and deliberate distractions, two things I have experienced firsthand and was poor at resonding to.
There are many wonderful suggestions in the chapter "How To Be An Effective Female Leader." Several aspects of leadership are discussed, and skills are suggested in detail, to balance the troubles many female leaders experience.
There are some parts of the book, however, that I do no agree with.
Although the Power Dead-Even Rule is absolutely true in every respect, it does little to solve the problem that I have with power-hungry, conrolling women in my work environment. Honestly, why should I care what gets a co-worker to turn against me? Of course, having some knowledge of the root of the problem is extremely beneficial at maintaining some sort of balance. At the end of the day, however, I am able to put my head on the pillow and fall asleep based simply on the advice I received from a dear friend:
It's not my business what other people think of me.
This may sound like foolish advice at first, but you know what? It's TRUE.
And the advice to use gossip as a tool is WAY off the mark. I have been able to maintain my position at my job for many years based on a principle that I believe deeply in - that gossip does NOTHING to improve anyone's character. You want to build trust among your coworkers? Don't gossip!! Find something else in common to discuss.
I'm a little irritated at the excuses given for indirect aggression - you know what? A person's personal issues should be worked out before or after work, there's no excuse for a bitch.
Downplaying your achievements is good to keep in mind. But ultimately, you really should be yourself, not a puppet. My point is, when you apply what you gain from this book, don't forget what you have learned before.
This Book has Changed my Life........2006-05-08
I have to say, I felt pretty disgusted with myself, having to pretend to be insecure and self-depreciating, just to get other women to like me. But by God it works.
I tested the techniques out on my very next female customer. I refused to accept her compliments, kept downplaying myself and my accomplishments, while praising her instead and pointing out all the ways in which I felt she was better.
Result: She LOVED me. We actually linked arms and skipped! No kidding! She convinced her husband to give me $500 on a job that wasn't worth half that much money.
Not only is this book helpful in avoiding petty jealousy, the evil eye, and female sabotage, applied to business situations it can be a real cash cow!!! $$$
Take those psychology books that advise you to "Project Self Confidence!" and "Toot Your Own Horn!" and throw them in the garbage. If you are not a man, that will not work for you.
This one tip alone will save your friendships: Don't you dare ever tell a woman good news. If you have good news tell a man. If you have bad news tell a woman.
If you're just bustin' to tell all the girls how your new boyfriend is rich, famous and hunky, DON'T, unless you a have your own personal security detail and somebody willing to start your car for you.
If they find out anyway, make your good fortune sound negative. Tell them he beats you and he slept with your sister. : P
I can sum the whole book up for you: Women can't stand to see another woman happy, especially if they're not. Better learn how to operate within the "Power Dead Even" Rule.
Women Working Wisely.......2006-02-06
This book has been an invaluable reference and resource for me. Pat Heim's experience in addressing relationally aggressive behaviors between women in the workplace shows through in every page she writes. With "In the Company of Women" she adds one more feather to her impressive cap and advances each reader's understanding of this important issue.
Books:
- Run With the Bulls Without Getting Trampled: The Qualities You Need to Stay Out of Harm's Way and Thrive at Work
- Sensemaking in Organizations (Foundations for Organizational Science)
- Social Strategy & Corporate Structure (Studies of the Modern Corporation)
- Social Work Values and Ethics (Foundations of Social Work Knowledge Series)
- Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership and Change
- Standards of Practice Handbook, 9th Edition
- Surveillance Countermeasures: A Serious Guide To Detecting, Evading, And Eluding Threats To Personal Privacy
- Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success
- Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56
- The Bipolar Workbook: Tools for Controlling Your Mood Swings
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