Product Description
Learn to do what you love and love what you do with The 8th Habit, the long awaited follow up to Stephen R. Covey's #1 best-selling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey believes there is a great yearning, in both individuals and organizations, to discover their true "voice," to matter, to make a difference, to find greatness. The 8th Habit can help you acquire a new mindset and the tools—a new habit—to find your voice and your passion. When you do that, you feel more fulfilled and engaged with the world around you and, consequently, with your role in that world.
Customer Reviews:
Pioneering Infromation/Knowledge Based Management Concept.......2007-10-03
As a Senior People and Technology Management Consultant, I too have been frustrated by my voice, and the voice of others, not being heard.
I have also advocated that old Industerial Management techniques can not be applied to an Information/Knowledge Worker Based Management Era with emphessis on Empowerment, Teamwork, and Communal Efforts.
With 25+ years of management in startups and major corporations, I have realized that Mr. Covey's 8th habit, is the foundation to manage and lead greatness, innovation, empwerment, and super effectivity.
Ideas and concepts presented here, including the "Indian Talking Stick" are in agreement with some of the best management and leadership best practices such as the "HP Way", Dale Carnegie, and others.
There are also outstanding examples and suggestions to solve leadership problems.
A must reading!
Bruce Razban,
President/Founder, Razban Internet International,
Silicon VAlley, CA, USA
Habit for Humanity.......2007-09-30
Find your voice and inspire others to do the same. That's habit number eight. To find your voice there must be a conscience-based unity of mind, heart, body, and spirit. As an example, for a person to be fulfilled at work s/he needs to be able to use his/her talents and gifts (Mind), must be passionate about the work (Heart), must be paid fairly (body), and the work must have meaning (Spirit).
After explaining how to achieve personal voice, Covey shows how to achieve and institutionalize organizational voice. It requires the following:
1) Modeling - or setting an example to develop trust.
2) Pathfinding - creating a vision/mission, values, and strategic goals.
3) Aligning - changing structures, systems, processes, etc. to match the pathfinding.
4) Empowering - unleashing people's creativity and various other capabilities.
The concept of the Indian walking stick as a means of communicating and resolving conflict as well as the trim tabbing analogy for bringing about change are also well worth the price tag.
It's not "The Seven Habits," but it's really hard to go wrong with Covey. He genuinely seems to be focused on helping others improve in order to make the world a better place. Actually, the seven habits do weave their way in and out of this book. It also includes quite a few inspirational stories to include the father who leaves his son with the following advice on his deathbed, "Don't do life like I did. I never made a difference." For the first time the son realizes that he wanted his success to reach higher than him.
Nick McCormick - Author, Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager
Finding Identity for Self and Others.......2007-08-27
As with most of the Covey books, there are nuggets of wisdom hidden within this book, the challenge is to find them. The 8th Habit, (defined as `Find Your Voice and Inspire Others to Find Theirs'), attempts to teach one basic paradigm: That people are whole people - body, mind, heart and spirit. But its focus is on the voice. When this `voice' is defined (on page 5) by Covey as the nexus of talent, passion, need, and conscience, it is easy to relate to this foundation element of human nature - our calling or individual identity - from which our contribution to relationships (work or personal) flows.
After getting this identity piece, what may not be so easy to relate to are the next 323 pages of Covey speak, although there is an interesting discussion on the 4 intelligences - Physical, Mental, Emotional, & Spiritual - woven thru the chapters, and Appendix 2, which contains a literature review of leadership theories, was interesting! This book is recommended for those with the time and patience to pan for gold nuggets in a meandering and slow moving stream.
Stephen Covey did it again!.......2007-08-17
This is the perfect book to follow The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Read this book, get your Voice heard.
Surprised by the punch Covey still has.......2007-08-08
I expected to be underwhelmed by this volume. "More of the Covey machine," I thought. I was wrong. This book can reach a part of you that's beyond what you can get to by applying the first 7 habits. "Life changing" is an understatement.
Book Description
The business world is ready for an entirely new approach to leadership. Steve Farber has written the perfect book to energize business leaders and help them make the leap into extreme leadership. In fact, taking a giant
""L.E.A.P."" forward is exactly what Farber prescribes. What exactly is an extreme leader? One who cultivates
love, generates
energy, inspires
audacity, and provides
proof.
In his exciting and innovative new business parable, The Radical Leap, Farber explores an entirely new leadership model, one in which leaders are not afraid to take risks, make mistakes in front of employees, or actively solicit employee feedback. His book dispenses with the typical, tired notions of what it means to be a leader.
Farber, former Vice President and Official Mouthpiece of the Tom Peters Company, has written a business parable like no other, filled with vivid, fully realized, and eccentric characters, crazy plot twists, honest and believable conversations about leadership, and most importantly, an innovative program for leaders to inspire and engage their companies.
In The Radical Leap, we meet Steve, a leadership consultant who is intrigued and challenged by an enigmatic man named Edg, from whom he learns the concept of
L.E.A.P. Steve is then asked to help a friend, Janice, overcome conflicts at the biotech company where she works and bring back the company's inspiring former CEO. The company is revitalized, having undergone a radical and successful transformation.
Farber's book reveals the questions leaders must ask themselves in order to truly become extreme leaders, including:
Why do I love my business, my employees, and my customers, and how can I show them how I feel? What effect do my actions have on the energy of the people around me? (OR, what are the unnecessary, time-consuming, bureaucratic policies and procedures that suck our energy?) How are we going to change the world of our company, our employees, customers, marketplace, and industry? What have I done today to show my commitment to my colleagues and customers?
Customer Reviews:
Motivation with a capital M.......2007-07-08
If you're looking to recharge your corporate batteries--or trying to acquire your first set--this book is for you. Farber tells the story, his story perhaps, of a management consultant who has lost his passion for the work. He's going through the motions until he encounters a series of oddball business visionaries who utterly transform his spirit. What makes these visionaries so odd is their fundamental approach to work: they infuse it with love. The LEAP in The Radical Leap stands for ...
cultivate Love
generate Energy
inspire Audacity
provide Proof
That's an approach to leadership that's as inspiring as it is daring. I wonder how many of us have the courage to follow Farber's way? The Radical Leap requires leaders to have a vision, bare their souls, relish their mistakes, invite risk, challenge conventional wisdom and express love always. Wow.
Farber was smart to write this as a novelette. If he had laid out his ideas in a typical self-help book, they would have sounded pie-in-the-sky. But as Farber relates his own transformation in narrative form, encountering a variety of hiccups along the way, his gives his ideas a concreteness that makes them seem not only realistic, but implementable.
Leap into Leadership .......2007-07-06
The Radical Leap that gets us to think about leadership - or extreme leadership, to use Farber's term. What exactly is an extreme leader? One who cultivates love, generates energy, inspires audacity, and provides proof. (Hence the acronym, LEAP in the title of the book.)
Along with compelling conversation about these four key points, the book has more plot twists, the characters are more interesting, and the language is a bit edgier than the typical business parable by Patrick Lencioni, Ken Blanchard or Spencer Johnson.
It was named one of the Top 10 Best Business Books for 2004 and received the Acclaimed Reader's Choice Award from Fast Company magazine.
Great LEAP- Distribute to Mgmt Team.......2007-05-29
I just finished Radical Leap within a week after receiving . . . you can easily get through this book in a matter of a few hours. Great story and content to help you get the most out of your organization. Well-organized - with specific questions at the back of the book to put the words into practice . . .
Corporate Rise.......2007-05-14
The "Radical Leap" provides a good overview for personal leadership. However, it does not provide enough specificity for someone really interested in reaching the top of his or her organization. I still believe it is a good book, but I would suggest Corporate Rise: The X Principles of Extreme Personal Leadership as a must read book.
Surfin' to Success.......2007-04-08
I read this book with my own organization's challenges in mind. The concepts seemed perfect in symetry and sharply delivered. The only reason I'm holding back the fifth star is because his insertions of setting descriptions and flavor were somewhat "off" in their delivery and a bit "forced." Still, the book has a powerful message and can be read in an afternoon.
Book Description
In the Simplicity Survival Handbook: 32 Ways To Do Less and Accomplish More, Bill Jensen, author of the best-selling Simplicity, offers step-by-step techniques to running your business more successfully and getting more accomplished in a shorter amount of time. In today's extremely fast-paced world, Jensen's user-friendly-and often hilarious-survival guide is an indispensable guide to workplace survival.
In a world of more-better-faster, the challenges and stresses in the workplace have never been greater. The new rules seem to be too much to do and not enough time. Time is at a premium and the pace is always increasing. And in an economy where worker talent (things like know-how, energy, attention, commitment, and creativity) is at a premium, everyone is trying to maximize personal productivity.
In The Simplicity Survival Handbook, Jensen offers the antidote you're seeking: a practical guide to doing less in a world of more. He also demonstrates how to make your time count. A few of the daily struggles that Jensen addresses include how to:
* Deal with Bosses Who Don't Get It
* Delete 75% of Your Emails
* Clarify Your Goals More Quickly
* Decide: Stay or Go
From "How to Write Shorter Emails for Better Results" to "How to Use Your Mentor to Help You Do Less," Jensen offers proven strategies for communicating more effectively, setting priorities, and balancing the competing demands on your time, while avoiding the time-sinkers. He also takes on corporate foolishness, walking you through how to be more productive and take greater control of your workday and, by extension, your life. The Simplicity Survival Handbook is an indispensable tool for anyone struggling to succeed in today's take-no-prisoners business climate.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book to save time.......2006-12-23
This is a must read for anyone who uses a computer for their work. The book suggests the reader skip to the summary in the back and save even more time by not reading the book - great idea. Since what Bill Jensen has to say can be said in so few words because he know what he wants to say, how he feels about it and what he wants the read to do.
Read it or at least the summary; then just hand it to a co-worked, family member or anyone you just want to help out.
I have deleted more e-mails without opening them then ever in my life. Since I read this book it has handed back hours a day to me that I was wasting on work and e-mails.
The original "Simplicity" is a must-read companion.......2005-09-26
Bill Jensen's ideas and tactics have crystallized my ability to be effective. I read "The Simplicity Survival Handbook" before reading Jensen's original "Simplicity", and for me, "Simplicity" is superior because (1) it explains the rationale behind Jensen's ideas and (2) offers invaluable guidance on effective presentations. "The Simplicity Survival Handbook" 's examples were not as helpful to me as the initial wisdom and suggestions in "Simplicity". Read them both!
WOW! Buckle your Seat Belts. .......2005-05-13
What I like about this biz book:
1) Its fun and challenging "If your boss doesn't get it, and has a high likelihood of never getting it... time to say "goodbye". Pretty simple right?
2) Attitude of "You don't have to be a victim of corporate crap"... reminds me of a refrain I have heard from my husband when he talks about his day job "They can't even run their own life, I will be damned it they run mine"
3) Respect yourself more. Your time is valuable. Push back.
4) The complexity starts from within. From within my own company, within myself.
The How To Section(s)
Email
Scan incoming subject and author, if not relevant hit "delete"
Scan email for 1) action to take 2) deadline date.
In sending messages use the 3"x5" space constaint.
If it is simplier it is more likely to be done. Make it easy.
Remember the key: what do you want them to know, feel and do!
Presentations:
Turn the one point you want people to know into a question. Provoke conversations. Give everyone handouts. Use of Stories is a good thing.
1 hour presentation = 20 slides MAX!
Meetings Big Idea!! When you agree to chair a meeting approachit as if you have just been handed a portion of someones life. Because you have. Run a meeting like one that you wish you had been invited for.
Helpful hints 1) get only the important people 2) get the right people 3) define what success looks like 4) Mentally see the successful meeting 5) Put the objective of the meeting up front
6) Be passionate about the people and reason of the meeting.
Fix my job......please!.......2004-05-15
With a title like this, Jensen's book should be flying off the shelf. I know it caught my eye when I first saw it. We all want to "do" less and "accomplish" more and there are some excellent ideas in this book to help you do just that.
Nothing in this book is easy, though. Someone as inclined to follow the rules like myself will find it difficult, if not impossible, to implement the more demanding recommendations. This is a shame, as these people are those who would probably benefit the most.
Even if you don't think of yourself as a rabble-rouser, you should still read this book and take heart that there are some possible methods of extracting yourself from business situations that leave you feeling busy, but not very productive. There are ways of escaping the bureaucracy and yet keep your job.
The cutest, yet still effective, idea in the book is the "Less-O-Meter" associated with each chapter. These graphical gauges give you an "at a glance" reading on how much Courage you will need to put this tip in place, how difficult it can be and the possible yield to your productivity and happiness.
You may be ready to take on your whole company and engage in full-scale "pushback", but implementing even one idea from this book could do a world of good for you, your job and your career, while helping your company, as well.
Excellent Book.......2004-04-03
I think this book is the best book ever written for dealing with the business world today. I feel like it was written for me. I wish I had access to this book 5 years ago, I could have used it.
Thank you for your contributions for helping to make a healthier more informed work environment and employee for those who take a long time to get there.
Book Description
More than a million people have learned the secrets of effective conversation using Conversationally Speaking. This revised edition provides more ways to improve conversational skills by asking questions that promote conversation, learning how to listen so that others will be encouraged to talk, reducing anxiety in social situations and more.
Customer Reviews:
Practical principles to apply........2007-01-06
Good info. You can use it like a workbook. It discusses things such as how people see you and how to sharpen your social skills. It analyzes examples of people's social interactions and shows you how to do better. It even teaches you how to converse with others who may not be very skilled conversationalists.
After reading the book I was able to recognize improvements I needed to make and I felt I had the necessary information to make those improvements.
Easy Read. Useful Tips.......2006-03-22
This is a great book. I bought this book because I attend many work functions during the year and I find it hard to keep conversations going after the initial introduction. This book made it easier for me. I love that the book is thin and the advice is succinct. I was able to use his techniques at a black tie gala right after reading only half of the book. Even though it's a thin book, the author asks you to read one section and then go out and apply it before reading the next section. It really works. It's easier for me to start conversations now and to steer conversations to new topics when I feel like a topic is drying out. Very useful.
Very Good Basic Info.......2006-03-03
I ordered this book about 3 months ago and, as recommended in chapter one, I've been reading a chapter at a time, then trying out the suggestions. So far, with very minor changes in my behavior, I've seen very positive results.
I think that to say this book is for wallflowers only is superior and misleading. (I don't know anyone who couldn't polish up their social act a bit.)
Inwardly I have anxiety relating to people, sometimes mild or moderate, sometimes severe, but outwardly people tell me I seem extremely friendly and at ease. I'm not a mute or stammering wallflower. And I'm finding the suggestions in this book useful and interesting.
I noticed that I was tending to monopolize conversations, partially I think as a nervous habit. I wanted to be a better listener. This book shows you how to ask the kind of questions that put people at ease and help them open up and share their most interesting stories. Also tips on body language, how to give compliments without triggering knee-jerk modest responses, and how the talk yourself through moments of self-doubt. All good, basic strategies. I feel secure knowing these techniques are based on statistical evidence and clinical study of how people react and behave.
Sometimes the sample dialogue is hockey; you have to dismiss the seemingly 50's style lingo and focus on the technique being illustrated (e.g. follow up a compliment with a related open-ended question). I think this book will help people who want to cultivate warm, comfortable relationships and feel more socially at ease and effective.
Not perfect, but definitely good.......2005-01-25
I found this book very helpful, albeit not perfect. It is written in a somewhat academic, dry style, but once you get over that you will find the information is worthwhile. The book is short and has many facts and skills packed into it - so if you want to actually adopt or fully utilize the information, I think a good amount of independent reflection on the material is needed. One thing I enjoyed was that this book is based on actual research - not just one very sociable person's life experiences (which is the basis for other conversation books I have browsed through). Garner reveals many interesting insights into human nature, which are encouraging to the shy and socially awkward! Overall I would definitely recommend this book to someone who wants to learn how to speak more easily and warmly to others.
Great Info!.......2004-12-27
Althought most of the information seems common sense, if you actively try applying each one of the tenets in the book it works great. The book does a great job of breaking down the kinds of conversations and what to do in the different sitatuations. Definitely would recommend !!!
Book Description
Have you thought about using Lean in your business or organization, but are not really sure how to implement it? Or perhaps you’re already using Lean, but you need to get up to speed. Lean for Dummies will show you how to do more with less and create an enterprise that embraces change.
In plain-English writing, this friendly guide explores the general overview of Lean, how flow and the value stream works, and the best ways to apply Lean to your enterprise. You will understand the philosophy of Lean and adopt it not as a routine, but a way of life. This highly informative book teaches you:
- The foundation and language of Lean
- How to map the value stream and using it to your business’s advantage
- The philosophy of Kaizen
- Different tools to improve management, customer service, and flow and pull
- How to “Go Lean” within your business and across the industry
- Avoid common mistakes in implementation
- Seek out resources for assistance
This simple, continuous improvement approach that minimizes waste and adds customer value is changing organizations of all sizes all over the world. Lean for Dummies will show you to take charge and engage your enterprise in a Lean transformation!
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-10-10
I enjoyed this book very much. It is a helpful overview of the fundamentals of Lean. It takes a couple of questionable liberties with some topics, but overall I highly recommend this book to be on any Lean practioners bookshelf. I also recommend Lean Six Sigma That Works: A Powerful Action Plan for Dramatically Improving Quality, Increasing Speed, And Reducing Waste Another good book to put along side of it.
managerial overview.......2007-07-08
This is a useful introduction to the concepts, philosophy, and general approach of Lean. It does not scare people off with formulas, and has very few of them. This is ultimately a negative factor because more technical detail in the right place would have been a helpful bridge toward actually trying to do something with Lean. I think one of the things that comes through if you read the book a couple of times is that lean manufacturing would be very tough to fully adopt at most American companies because it is often at odds with traditional accounting measures and corporate organizational structures--- and one of the original lean priniciples is respect and long-term development for workers, another alien concept.
excellent overview of the critical tools and concepts.......2007-07-06
In the 25 years that I have spent in the manufacturing industry I have read several books on lean and none approach the practical and yet thorough rendition of this intricate and multidimensional concept. It flows in a most logical way and offers the reader salient applications of the concepts while provoking ones own thoughts and ideas. In many ways its style is reminiscent of Deming, in Out of Chaos where the transformation of the enterprise is not some ethereal act of consultants but the dedicated efforts of an enlightened and energized workforce who lives manufacturing day in and day out. Fundamental concepts are clear, excellently explained and highly organized. Lean for Dummies is obviously written by two individuals with truly empirical hands on manufacturing experience for people who vitally desire needed improvements in our hyper competitive world..I am personally so very glad to have this new and refreshing powerful book for use in our business...ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT,INNOVATIVE, AND ENLIGHTENING... WE SHALL USE IT IN OUR FORTUNE 25 FIRM !!! WE STRONGLY SUGGEST A VERSION IN SPANISH AND LOOK FORWARD TO ITS PUBLICATION!
Thank you -
Esperaba más de este texto.......2007-06-10
Creí que este libro me proporcionaría un complemento importante para mi nivel de conocimiento sobre Lean. Desafortunadamante me encontré con un tema tratado muy superficialmente y de manera incompleta.
Great Introduction. Explains terms. Gives you a good start. But that's it........2007-05-12
A big advantage of the "Dummies" series is that the topic becomes more inviting and is read by and disucssed by relatively more people. A lot of fence sitters take this as a step to gain some understanding. And, books like these give some consultants and quality type of guys introduction into buzzwords to show off their knowledge and intelligence (Like I did after reading Wine for Dummies)
That said, I think the book is a very good attempt and explains a lot of core concepts about Lean. It is better read than a lot of books about Lean Manufacturing. It is very pictorial and easy to read.
Some of the simpler concepts can be directly applied and for folks who work in Quality or Six Sigma teams, it can give them more tools that they can use. But to go into a full scale lean transformation and to adopt the philosophy of lean, a deeper understanding and much more knowledge is needed.
That is not the purpose of this book and therefor deserves a full five stars for the attempt and simple explanation of the terms and concepts.
P.S.: There are a few errors. I found about about the funniest of those in a lean blog even before reading the book (both the pillars of TPS house are named Jidoka!)
Book Description
Streamline the processes vital to optimum performance
With over 100,000 copies sold worldwide, Improving Performance is recognized as the book that launched the Process Improvement revolution. It was the first such approach to bridge the gap between organization strategy and the individual. Now, in this revised and expanded new edition, Rummler and Brache reflect on the key needs of organizations faced with today's challenge of managing change. With multiple charts, checklists, hands-on tools and case studies, the authors show how they implemented their Performance Improvement methodology in over 250 successful projects with clients such as Hewlett-Packard, 3M, Shell Oil, and Citibank.
Customer Reviews:
Best Process Book Ever.......2006-11-10
This book presents some interesting concepts on Process Design and Performance.
The best business improvement book ever written.......2006-10-28
Don't let the date this book was published influence your decision to buy - it is timeless. I am on my second copy of this book and would characterize it as the best book on business process management that has ever been published. This is "The Book". Everyone I know in the Business Process Management field has this book. I recommend it to every client and every business improvement team member that I work with.
The information contained in this "gem" can help anyone involved in process improvement. Consultants, executives, managers, process team leaders, process team members - it doesn't matter whether you are working in manufacturing, finance, logistics, sales or human resources. It also doesn't matter whether you are new to BPM or have been in the field for 20 years. This book will change the way you think about organizational structure and approaching business process.
Trying to characterize what parts of the book were best, would be like trying to dissect what parts of the blue sky you like best. It is all great stuff - each chapter is better than the next, and will help you understand what needs to be done to make business improvement initiatives work. It is well written, easy to understand the concepts, with hundreds of useful illustrations and models to learn from.
I would give this book 6 stars if I could ...
Classic.......2006-04-09
This book will survive the trends, since most of the trends are based on the principles in this book. The names will change (Quality Circles, Just In Time, TQM, Re-engineering, Six Sigma, ...), but these principles and how well they are implemented will determine a companies' efficiency and quality.
Simply the best of "Best Practices" - Invaluable.......2005-08-06
As a business process and systems analyst, I have used the techniques in this book extensively to document existing and proposed processes and systems.
The diagramming techniques ensure thorough identification of all relevant interfaces and will assist in identifying those frustrating and toxic business processes that defy verbal description, but once diagrammed, seem to become clearly understood. I cannot count how many "Ah-ha" moments I have seen when confused managers, too deep in the trees to be able to see the whole forest, finally see the problems with their business laid out in clear pictures drawn with the techniques taught in this book.
Best companion for process improvement.......2004-06-28
This is by far the first book that dealt with process improvement and change from all angles. This book provides examples that will help the novice in preparing and implementing change. Packed with examples and worksheets to guide the reader thru the whole process. However, since it was written in 1995, this book does not cover prevailing technologies but is still useful in understanding the foundations for change. If you are looking to implement business process change/improvement, read this book in conjunction with a more recent book by Paul Harmon "Business Process Change" who happens to be a student of Mr. Rummler. Paul Harmon's book cover such topics as CMM and Six Sigma when implementing process change.
Book Description
Promotes an unconventional, quantum leap strategy for achieving breakthrough performance. This powerful new method replaces the concept of attaining gradual, incremental success through massive effort. Instead, it puts forth 18 key components for building massive success while expending less effort. Your staff learns to multiply their personal effectiveness, leverage their gifts, and leap beyond ordinary performance expectations.
Customer Reviews:
Great self improvement book.......2007-10-17
If you're looking to take your career or yourself to a higher level, this is one book that will certainly help. It's an easy read, too.
Simple language........2007-04-10
Great little book for learning how to take the leap of faith needed in business ventures.
The key in the approach.......2006-05-29
This is an excellent book which will help you multiply your effectivness. The key is not in trying harder but in changing your approach by focusing on the ends rather than the means.
Disappointed.......2005-06-29
I was very impressed with Pritchett's book "The Employee Handbook of New Work Habits for a Radically Changing World" so I purchased this one. I didn't find it worthwhile. It seemed like it was simply a few pages of advice like take more chances which had no value.
"You 2" For Me.......2000-12-07
This book is the ultimate book for individuals who value success. Easy reading but it is quite powerful in it's message. "You 2" explains how to make quantum leaps in your personal and proffesional life. This is a must have selection for people who are in sales or self employed.
After reading this book I took a new understanding to the powerful message of getting "uncomfortable" to take things to the next level.
Product Description
This book shows how to make a difference in the lives of customers and communities. It has been used by managers and decision makers in over 40 states and seven countries. Its plain language talk-to-action methods produce results.
Customer Reviews:
Common sense? How radical!.......2007-08-29
Common sense? Lack of jargon? Plain, understandable language? Minimal paper? Humor? How can this be in a text on managing social change?
The writing shows the broad span of Mark's expertise and interests. The structure of the approach reflects linear logic that can only come from a mind trained in math. No mushy thinking here! The style shows some experience with teaching, and the humor shows a person who is comfortable with himself and who has no need to impress. Very useful!
My review.......2007-03-24
This is a short, easy to read book that gets right to the heart of performanace measures in government agencies. A absolute "must read" book for anyone working in the public service.
Got what I needed and then was done..........2007-01-10
Interesting book, hits you over the head with the point. could have been more and less at same time.
A Tool for All Public Sector Organizations.......2006-12-08
"Trying Hard is Not Good Enough" and the Results Accountability framework are proven and effective tools for all federal, state, local and non-profit organizations looking to improve conditions of well being for the clients they serve. Having trained or provided technical assistance in the implemention of Results Accountability to leaders in all sectors, including undergraduate students, I have found that the concepts in the book are easy to grasp by all. The book also shows how to effortlessly get from talk to action on the issues that matter most.
Laugh and learn.......2006-07-26
Finally a book on this topic that is powerful, direct, clear...and funny. Friedman has vast experience in the US and overseas in getting governments to use outcomes and it shows in this book. The advice is extremely well thought-out, effective, and fun to read. This book works if you are just learning about the topic or about to launch a major overhaul. Highly recommended.
Book Description
More and more business leaders are catching on to an often-overlooked fact: consciousness is our basic faculty for survival and success. Without it, we forget what's important to us and lose sight of the steps we might take to reach those goals. "Conscious business," explains Fred Kofman, means shining this awareness on every area of your work: in recognizing the needs of others and expressing your own—in seeing the hidden emotional obstacles that may be holding your team back—in making good decisions under pressure—and even in delving into such "spiritual" questions as "Who am I?" and "What is my real purpose here?" In Conscious Business, this visionary teacher and consultant to Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! and other leading companies presents the complete training manual in the breakthrough techniques he has shared with over 20,000 executives on four continents, including: • Unflinching integrity, the key to "success beyond success" • Why culture, not know-how, is the best place to first focus a company's improvement efforts—and how to pull it off • Right leadership, and how it translates into making more money "A conscious business fosters peace and happiness in the individuals, respect and solidarity in the community, and mission accomplishment in the organization," teaches Fred Kofman. With Conscious Business, you hold the definitive resource for maximizing profit and potential in the workplace and beyond. Available in two formats: book and audio CD.
Customer Reviews:
I can't think of anyone who shouldn't read this.......2007-01-31
The hard part about starting or running a business is not the long hours, the tight deadlines, or the stresses of being overworked in the face of an insecure future. The real challenges that make or break us surround dealing with our own integrity, our priorities, and conflicts with others.
This book covers those challenges and offers many tools and examples of how we can manage them and come out ahead having built a stronger foundation and a stronger company.
I personally can't stand the idealistic tones of the book but I will admit, unlike most of these books that I have read, this one is much more grounded inthe harsh challenges of reality such as the fact that, while in business and in dealing with others failure is not an option but success is not always achieved.
If you read this book you will find yourself referencing it as you deal with life on any level because the authors clear mind and direct language gives you the language to describe and communicate the situation and how best to manage it.
CONSCIOUS BUSINESS.......2007-01-29
Fred Kofman does a good job explaining his concepts, however his accent can be a little disconcerting at first. If you are a Landmark Education graduate, the material on these CD's is very nearly a rip-off of the same concepts (i.e., having Integrity, Honoring your Word, etc...). For non-Landmark graduates, these CD's cover many soft-skills concepts that can be effective in your personal life, but he applies them (a little obscurely) to a work environment. If you are trying to get your own business off the ground, "Conscious Business" does not offer strategies for doing so, but rather best practices to remain successful. In other words, you won't find tips regarding how to file your returns, collect data effectively, or document discipline. You will instead find tips about the importance of keeping your word, how to stop stressing about work, and things of that nature. The program was not bad--in retrospect, I would have found it no more than $15 worth of value. Take that for what you will.
A Unique Value Creation Model .......2007-01-16
Business is an essential part of our lives. Doing business consciously, Fred Kofman, a co-founder of the consulting firm Axialent, is an essential part of living consciously. The author presents a business model where managers are more conscious of the inner and outer lives of employees.
Anyone who works intuitively understands there are two types of managers. As a professor of accounting, Kofman begin his classes by having students listen to one of Beethoven's pieces over and over. Gradually the students would realize that the music was not in the CD; but in the listening. In music as in business, Information's only value is in how it is interpreted.
Most recognize the need for smart employees with the latest in technical competency. Kofman argues it is more important, and less recognized, that organizations recruit and retain employees with high-level consciousness.
He draws a contrast between unconscious attitudes and their conscious counterparts. They are:
Unconscious Attitudes.....................Conscious Attitudes
Unconditional Blame.......................Unconditional Responsibility
Essential Selfishness........................Essential Integrity
Ontological Arrogance.....................Ontological Humility
Unconscious Behaviors....................Conscious Behaviors
Manipulative Communication..........Authentic Communication
Narcissistic Negotiation....................Constructive Negotiation
Negligent Coordination.....................Impeccable Coordination
Unconscious Reactions.....................Conscious Reactions
Emotional Incompetence...................Emotional Mastery.
These qualities are simple to understand; yet, they are difficult to implement. They represent common sense; yet, they are not found widely in common practice. They seem natural, yet they challenge deep-seated assumptions individuals hold about themselves, others and their world.
Kofman opens the reader's conscious to a unique resource for maximizing profit and potential in the workplace and beyond. Written concisely and coherently he communicates an uncommon wisdom about the truth of our emotions and healthy interpersonal practices in business and life.
A clarion call for balancing fiscal obligations with ethical and moral responsibilities.......2007-01-06
Written by Fred Kofman (co-founder and president of Axialent consulting company), Conscious Business: How to Build Value Through Values is a straightforward guide to applying conscious awareness to its fullest extent, recognizing the needs of others, and effectively expressing one's own needs order to build responsibility, integrity, leadership, and reputation - all of which are invaluable tools to a business' continued success. Drawing from real-world examples by such famous companies as Microsoft, Yahoo!, and much more, Conscious Business reveals how being mindful of fundamental human virtues and even "spiritual" questions such as "Who am I?" and "What is my real purpose here?" are positive, empowering assets. A clarion call for balancing fiscal obligations with ethical and moral responsibilities for increased success in all dimensions of business life.
Creating a Cooperative Culture of Improving Performance.......2006-12-14
Conscious Business is the first book I've read on an important subject I'd like to tackle as an author: How to move those in an organization from focusing on their selfish interests to concentrating on what creates the most good for the most people . . . with the least potential harm to any individual. I thought that Dr. Kofman did a good job in defining one path to creating mutual benefit in Conscious Business. If people in your organization seem to be emphasizing their own careers rather than the tasks that need doing, this book is a must-read for you!
Let me agree with Dr. Kofman about his warning for readers: It's much easier to understand his principles than apply them. But with practice, you can do great things.
Here are the goals he sets:
"In the impersonal It dimension, the goal is to accomplish the organization's mission, enhancing its ability to continue doing so in the future, and delivering outstanding long-term returns to shareholders. In the interpersonal We dimension, the goal is to establish cooperative, trusting, and mutually respectful relationships, a community of shared purpose and values in which people feel they belong. In the personal I dimension, the goal is to live in a state of flow, feeling a transcendent happiness that comes from living in full integrity, with one's principles and ideals."
As you can see from this quote, Dr. Kofman draws heavily from his interest in Buddhist tradition and other streams of spiritual beliefs that are outside of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The text is enlivened by quotes from many sides of the spiritual spectrum and psychologists. As a result, the material will speak directly and deeply in places to virtually any reader, regardless of background and beliefs.
The risk he points to is a real one: If we don't make our intentions explicit and specific, people will take the knee-jerk route of looking after themselves. That self-focus is the basis of much bureaucratic behavior, procrastination, avoidance, poor customer service, misconceptions, disbelief about what needs to be done, poor communications and over-reliance on tradition.
A key exhibit in the book can be found on page 17 where Dr. Kofman draws a contrast between relying on unconscious versus conscious attitudes in business. Here are the unconscious attitudes and their conscious counterparts:
Unconscious Attitudes.....................Conscious Attitudes
Unconditional blame.........................Unconditional responsibility
Essential selfishness........................Essential integrity
Ontological arrogance......................Ontological humility
Unconscious behaviors.....................Conscious behaviors
Manipulative communication..............Authentic communication
Narcissistic negotiation....................Constructive negotiation
Negligent coordination.....................Impeccable coordination
Unconscious reactions.....................Conscious reactions
Emotional incompetence...................Emotional mastery
The book goes on to devote a chapter to each of the seven conscious attitudes (excluding conscious behaviors and reactions from the list above). Since those attitude titles are not exactly self-explanatory, let me see if I can explain each a little more.
Unconditional responsibility is the Victor Frankl concept of determining your response to a situation, even if it is a situation you cannot change. You take charge of choosing your response.
Essential integrity is acting in accordance with your values, even if the results are less than perfect.
Ontological humility is being open to seeing what's going on from the perspectives of others and valuing those perspectives.
Authentic communication means sharing your emotions, opinions and knowledge openly with those who appear to be headed in the wrong direction . . . and encouraging them to do the same. From that baseline, you can then proceed to develop options that may better fit what's needed.
Constructive negotiation is focused on finding a great solution for everyone, rather than simply winning your point.
Impeccable coordination involves making informed commitments, staying on top of what's needed to meet those commitments and letting others know when things go wrong to devise solutions that may improve matters.
Emotional mastery means being able to function objectively, even if something outrages or frightens you.
As you can see from these terms and concepts, Conscious Business is a book of applied psychology by someone who is well versed in the field. The strength of that approach is that Dr. Kofman can reference psychological works that you may know well to give you a touchstone. The drawback is that the book can seem to be too academic if you aren't familiar with the terms and references.
Two things humanize the book from those weaknesses:
(1) Each chapter opens with an extended example of a business problem involving unconscious behavior and reactions. The key concepts are then explained and applied to turning the extended example into a way of employing conscious behavior and reactions.
(2) Dr. Kofman has had many interesting experiences that he deftly weaves into his story. I was especially impressed by his learning from having lived in a totalitarian regime in Argentina as a youth and his mountain climbing experience in South America.
All that said, the opening of this book was awfully abstract and academic. It wasn't until page 42 that I began to resonate with the material. So be patient. The book is quite accessible and interesting from that point on.
Amazon.com
"Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible." The Stoic philosopher Epictetus was born on the eastern edges of the Roman Empire in A.D. 55, but The Art of Living is still perfectly suited for any contemporary self-help or recovery program. To prove the point, this modern interpretation by Sharon Lebell casts the teachings in up-to-date language, with phrases like "power broker" and "casual sex" popping up intermittently. But the core is still the same: Epictetus keeps the focus on progress over perfection, on accomplishing what can be accomplished and abandoning unproductive worry over what cannot.
Book Description
Perennial wisdom on how best to live with serenity and joy in a thoroughly contemporary and delightfully pragmatic new adaptation. "Wise as a grandfather, earthly as the Tao."-- Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart
Customer Reviews:
A beautiful spiritual book.......2007-10-22
I have read this four or five times, and I have found that it is truly a manual to live by. If this manual replaced the Bible, the New Testament, and the Koran, people would be much more peaceful and contented. It has great common sense advice, and such a simple, humble tone. It reminds me of the Tao Te Ching, but less mystical. Every time I read it I feel better about life. I think anyone would benefit from reading it.
Most helpful "self-help" book I've ever encountered!.......2007-08-23
While some reviewers might object to the "updated" terminology of Lebell's adaptation of Epictetus' philosophy, I must say that the reason this edition is so effective is largely because the "abstract", "scholarly", "dry" language that one usually encounters (with conventional translations of Epictetus' philosophy) is here replaced with a pleasing approximation of how Epictetus himself would likely speak TODAY (assuming his native tongue were English).
IMPORTANT NOTE: Though I certainly do esteem my copy of this excellent, conventional-book edition, I must say that the alternative AUDIO edition is infinitely more powerfully effective for ME. Indeed, since discovering the AUDIOBOOK edition (an excellently judicious abridgement of this conventional-book edition) some years ago, I've found myself listening to it over and over and over, and I expect to do so for the rest of my life! I certainly can't say THAT about any other audiobook (with the possible exception of the audio edition of "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" by Dale Carnegie). If everybody would listen to that audio while commuting to/from work (and/or at bedtime or upon waking), this would likely be a kinder, saner world.
Therefore, IN ADDITION TO (or, initially, instead of) this conventional-book edition, you should absolutely purchase the "audio download" edition of this book so that you can have it as either a conventional compact disc or as MP3 files (for your iPod, MP3 player, computer, etc.). [As of this writing, you can find Amazon's "audio download" edition by first "searching" on the ISBN number of the CASSETTE edition (1574530887) and then clicking on the "Also Available" audio download edition link near the top of the page.] The price for the "audio download" edition is remarkably low; indeed, it may well amount to the greatest "self-help" bargain you'll ever encounter!
Regarding this TEXT edition, be aware that only the latest (2007) edition [ISBN: 9780061286056] includes two RECENTLY WRITTEN essays by author Lebell: "Epi-Who? How a 200-Year-Old Dead White Male Changed My Life" and "Why Would Anyone Want to Be a Stoic?". These helpful and gratifying essays (appended to the reprinted text of the prior, 1995 edition) should prove helpful/entertaining to most readers, especially newcomers to Epictetus' teachings. Oh, btw, the latest edition also features all-new cover art.
Timeless and Crucial Reading for Those Who Care........2007-04-01
The Art of Living is a great compilation of wisdom as it was once expressed by Epictetus and has been presented by Sharon Lebell. I use this book for various purposes: to read when I need inspiration; to be confronted with the simple wisdom that is captured in daily occurrences, and as material to guide my students in management courses at various levels toward enhanced acceptance, understanding, and respect for life and the living.
This book has also determined the direction of my books "The Awakened Leader: One Simple Leadership Style That Works Every Time, Everywhere," and "Spirituality in the Workplace: What it is; Why it Matters; How to Make it Work for You" (co-authored with Dr. Satinder Dhiman and dr. Richard King).
The values presented in "The Art of Living" are not merely timeless. They are crucial for our sense of humility in a world where it's all about appearances and impression establishment.
The values of this book have been richly incorporated in both, "The Awakened Leader," and "Spirituality in the Workplace," with the intention to provide contemporary readers with useful material to remain a successful member of society, while not becoming victimized by it.
Outstanding book.......2007-03-27
This is one of the most valuable books that I own. The ideas in this book are remarkably incisive and perceptive. I've always found ancient philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle to be interesting, but none other seems so directly pertinent to everyday life. Many of his ideas show interesting parallels with Buddhism too.
As far as this paraphrased edition goes, I like that too. I have read other translated versions. Yes, it is not translated to the letter but it skilfully preserves the essence and meaning. The concepts are the same. It is also a lot more readable than any other version I have seen before. If you read this and feel inspired, then go consult a more literal translation. But read this one first.
Money spent on this book will not be wasted. These ideas are worth their weight in gold.
Good Ideas Presented.......2007-01-12
I appreciate the review, "Even Watered Down Epictetus Is A Treat." This version is perhaps watered down by academic standards, even errant in its conception. I like the book immensely, however, precisely because it is geared for contemporary audiences. I like the writing style and the risks Lebell takes in interpretation. She's no fundamentalist. The words are alive for our time, not for the sake of preserving academic sawdust.
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