Book Description
"Action inquiry" is the process of transformational learning that individuals (and even whole organizations) can undertake to better assess current dangers and opportunities, act in a timely manner, and make future visions come true. Through short stories of leadership and organizational changes in the areas of business, politics, health care, and education, this book illustrates how this process can increase personal integrity, improve relationships, and lead to company profitability and long-term success.
Customer Reviews:
Unique ideas that work, but some shortcomings...........2007-02-03
ACTION-INQUIRY is a great book with lots of useful concepts. The editorial and other reviews focus on the content and I won't repeat a lot of that. However, I have some other comments to make that may be useful and I can describe my experience applying the ideas in daily life.
The authors introduce the idea that every action is an inquiry and every inquiry is an action. The premise of the book is that you need to be in inquiry in every moment at different levels to make the best choices and approach decisions with full awareness. This is a useful concept and it is illustrated throughout the book with many real-life business examples.
As a former director in a large company, I can say that these are practical ideas that if applied could be very transformational to an organization. The challenge is to really impliment them and not just pay lip service to the concepts. This must begin with the leaders. If they don't buy into the model, it will be difficult to get other people onboard, but not impossible. The book is about each individual being a change agent through action-inquiry.
What I didn't like about the book is that I found there were too many examples to illustrate the same basic concepts, there was also quite a bit of repetition of concepts and an unnecessary use of jargon where plain everyday language would have done just fine.
I think this book could have been half the length and been just as effective. I also think the author could have presented his ideas more clearly and concisely. In places, he uses different language for the various levels of inquiry and this tends to make the flow more confusing than it has to be. In the next revision, it would be good to see some of these issues addressed.
However, I still recommend this book to business and other leaders. In fact, it is useful for anyone who wants to live with more awareness and choice through tuning into various levels of inquiry in the midst of action. Basically, we are talking about taking a systems approach to life where we have practices that give us access to better quality feedback. This is the essence of the book.
"Action inquiry" is the process of transformational learning .......2005-08-05
Action Inquiry offers a fresh approach to helping individuals and organizations learn in the midst of the cut and thrust of daily action. Bill Torbert and Associates detail a highly accessible process for transforming power into action. Through real-life examples, they illustrate how action inquiry increases personal integrity, relational mutuality, company profitability, and long-term organizational and environmental sustainability.
The Art and Science of Transformational Leadership.......2004-08-02
Does everyone in your organization do the best they can, as they see it, yet the organization still fails to achieve its desired results? Action Inquiry shows why this often happens and how to convert this seeming paradox into a transformational change, taking everyone and the organization to the next level of performance.
Whether we look at the level of the individual, project, organization, network, or society, we each follow a path of development over time. For example, I think about the world in a different way today than I did when I was 10, 20 or 30. Likewise, my organization sees the world different after 10 years of success than we did as a startup. Based on over forty years of observation in the field, Bill Torbert and his associates find that we often get stuck in early levels of understanding of the world, even as we grow older. While it's obvious that it is appropriate to act like a teenager when you are 16 and not when you are 30, when we apply this same developmental logic to organizational life, the authors find that most organizations get stuck in early levels of development (like the teenager) that were appropriate in the first years and not in later years.
To show us what can be done about this and its implications, the authors provide many examples of how the action inquiry approach helped these individuals and organizations grow to the next level, taking on a broader understanding of the reality that faced them, which led to greater value being created for all.
We can see that the evidence is mounting: those leaders who understand and work with an action inquiry approach to leadership and development create significantly more value for their organizations in the short term for the long term, sustainably. Based on rigorous theory and scientific evidence, this is the art and science of transformational leadership for leaders who can handle the truth.
Average customer rating:
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Managing Virtual Teams: Getting the Most from Wikis, Blogs, and Other Collaborative Tools (Wordware Applications Library)
Brenda Huettner ,
M. Katherine Brown , and
Char James-Tanny
Manufacturer: Wordware Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything
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Wikis For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
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Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms
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The Wiki Way: Quick Collaboration on the Web
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MediaWiki Administrators' Tutorial Guide: Install, manage, and customize your MediaWiki installation
ASIN: 1598220284 |
Book Description
Virtual collaborative team environments face unique challenges because their communication is not face-to-face. Managing Virtual Teams: Getting the Most from Wikis, Blogs, and Other Collaborative Tools provides practical advice for managers of distributed teams who must design the internal systems and meet deadlines with a diverse team, and for team members who want to develop and maintain professional relationships. To address these needs, this book is divided into three parts. Part I discusses team dynamics, project management and development, and forms of communication. Part II covers the types of tools currently available for collaboration such as wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, and more, and describes the different feature sets of each. Part III explains the various features of the book's companion wiki.
Book Description
The role we each play in our own downfalls create the profound--and profoundly entertaining--basis for this series of linked "meditations" as the author of The Abilene Paradox takes another irreverent look at the nature of life on the job. In this work, Harvey explores the ethical, moral, and spiritual dilemmas we all face in the modern world of work. But he does it in a most unconventional way. His is an approach that mixes equal parts humor, philosophy, and insight to make us laugh, think, and examine organizational behavior in a brand new light. The twelve essays themselves carry such spirited titles as "What If I Really Believe this Stuff," "On Tooting Your Own Horn," and "Ode to Waco." Altogether, it's an enthralling collection of wise and witty parables that illustrate the redemptive value of the truth in a voice that is ultimately understanding of human shortcomings.
Customer Reviews:
Harvey Tells It Like It Is.......2007-04-01
A must read! Harvey begins the book by relating and analyzing an event that happened when he was six years old. At once, the windows of my mind opened, and I began to be able to understand a lot of what has happened in my own life. I laughed out loud after reading on page 36 about the organizational back stabbing victim: "Blood flowing, he [ the Potential Victim] continues his journey into Real Victim status by retreating to the security of the organization's infirmary, which usually is located in the Human Resource Department, for an extended period of recovery." Been there, done that!
The views of a sage.......2006-09-01
I don't know what posessed me to pick up this book at the library. I'm not an avid reader and I was doing research on an unrelated topic. I suppose the title just grabbed me and I needed a break from my regular study. When I started reading this book, however, I didn't want to put it down. At age 39, I'm only just beginning to appreciate the wisdom 50+ years develops in some people. So when I started reading this very easy-to-read book, filled with "smart" humor and just the right amount of antedotal support, I was just soaking in everything I could. Maybe you have to be older to appreciate this book...but wouldn't it be great if you were smart enough to learn from it much younger....
Interesting ruminations on ramanagement.......2004-12-30
The book centers on a key concept - we victimize ourselves. Work is a political place, but most of the time, we see problems coming. If someone stabs us in the back, usually we get a warning, but are complicit by not assertively contacting the person doing us in. This idea of defeating poor office behavior through open and honest discussion is developed in depth throughout the book.
There are two downsides. First, this book perhaps has too much text for such a simple concept. Although this is good reading for a fan of Jerry Harvey (I am one!) the Abilene Paradox is a much more efficient (more ideas, less words) introduction to his material. Second, Jerry is perhaps oversimplifying the world. Office politics is best beaten by open book confrontation of problems, but life sometimes is more complex than that.
That said, this is still a worthwhile read.
Only for those who think..........2004-08-02
Jerry Harvey is great. The Abiline Paradox was wonderfully insightful and helpful and this one is also wonderful. His insights into spirituality, morality and human psychology are profound and helpful. This book is easy to read, it is fun and funny, but it is not a cookbook that tells you to do A, B, and C. It just helps you think deeply. If you want a cookbook there are a thousand books out there, I'm tired of them. Even the title of this book is thought provoking as is the rest of the book. Think for a change!
Open ended musings with no conclusions.......2004-05-24
As you've probably noticed from the other reviews, J. Harvey does a good job raising questions about morality related management decisions, e.g. backstabbing or betraying a co-worker.
My own enjoyment of the book suffered because there are no answers to the questions posed. Morality is not the sort of topic where one expects to the THE answer. However, I do require a speaker/writer to at least propose their answers, so I may compare and contrast them to my own views.
I recommend this book if you prefer an open-ended discussion with no suggested or implied solutions.
For new managers with their first inkling they might have a few misconceptions about what they've just gotten into, I recommend "Becoming a Manger: How New Managers Master the Challenges of Leadership" by Linda Hill.
Book Description
Business today is framed by two global tensions. On the one hand, the age of the Internet has ushered in an unprecedented interdependence. People from far-flung reaches of the globe now find themselves in close contact, and collaboration is the order of the day. On the other hand, we still live in an autonomous world of diverse nations and unique individuals, and the businesses and organizations that we have created to represent us are equally unique. In this conflicting environment, a special approach to leadership is called for, one that tames these two forces and integrates them in a political but ethical way. The Connective Leadership model defines that approach, emphasizing various modes of working with and through other people instead of bowing to authoritarianism. This includes creating short-term coalitions instead of long-term alliances and forming ennobling enterprises to which people want to commit themselves. Based on extensive research analyzing the leadership styles of more than 5,000 leaders and managers world-wide, Lipman-Blumen has developed an innovative strategy that demonstrates how to move beyond competition towards an "ethical instrumentalism" that employs the talents of others to achieve strategic goals. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, this book--originally published under the title The Connective Edge--provides the skills and information needed to move organizations, nations, and people into the emerging era with stellar results.
Customer Reviews:
An Intuitive Vision of the Future of Leadership.......2005-04-28
Jean Lipman-Blumen shares over 25 years of leadership research intertwined with an introduction to her revolutionary thoughts on how to break apart the aspects of leadership into nine distinct categories. The author is none too shy to establish concrete groundwork for the history of leadership in the United States for the uneducated reader. After abruptly slapping her readers in the face with the latest era of leadership - the Connective Era - Blumen presents her leadership style cautiously by saying those who attempt to lead in the manner she presents will be scorned as non-traditional and poor leaders by factions such as the media. The meat of this work is filled with example after example of people displaying certain aspects of her Connective Leadership Model - but none who embodies The Connective Leader. As readers come to the third section of the book, Jean Lipman-Blumen explains the necessary research organizations must do in order to appoint the proper leaders; then, awkwardly wedges in a section about female leadership; and finishes strong tying together this brilliant manual on how each of us can work toward becoming the self-actualized connective leader.
A Post-modern vision of leadership.......2004-08-05
Lipman-Blumen presents a post-modern vision of leadership, evolving from the conflict in society and organizations today between interdependence and diversity. Connective leaders are able to select and apply from several achievement strategies depending on the needs of a particular situation. This flexibility gives them the ability to bridge these two conflict forces.
The book is conceptual very strong...the ideas are insightful and well researched, using a variety of data sources. The two main limitations are that the book is not well connected to other related patterns of thinking in the literature and that it is not the strongest in the direction of how to be a connective leader. In fact, much of the text is really a restatement about how different leaders exemplify a particular strategy rather than how a leader selects and uses a mixture of these situationally. I understand why these limitations exist, but I can certainly not suggest that this is the only book on leadership you should read.
One other comment...the book has a very strong feminist slant, proposing a shift from traditional patriarchical values to a more inclusive world view. I think, on the whole, that is a very good thing. However, the author's understanding of Machiavelli takes his writing and thinking out of context. This is only a minor quibble, but I find it interesting how the author can be so dismissive in her effort to claim a new vision of leadership.
Wisdom, Eloquence, and Circumspection.......2001-08-01
As those who have read Hot Groups already know, Lipman-Blumen is one of the most innovative thinkers now commenting on the contemporary business world. With this book, she makes a substantial and truly significant contribution to our understanding of several separate but interdependent issues: leadership, connectivity, human development, intellectual capital, strategic alliances (both internal and external), and organizational transformation. Yes, yes, I know. There are hundreds of other books already published which discuss several of the same subjects and many of them are first-rate, as Lipman-Blumen would be the first to acknowledge. All of them are listed in her superb "References" section and key ideas from several are woven into her crisp narrative. One of the several reasons why this book is different is the provision and explanation of what she calls "The Connective Leadership Model" which is the focus of Part II. Typical of Lipman-Blumen, she does not suggest that hers is the only model to consider; in fact, she strongly urges her reader to correlate her or his organizations needs and interests with the structure of the model, selecting whatever is most important. However, I presume to offer a caveat: Although by now an overworked buzz word, "integration" of any combination of components is absolutely essential. Whatever the model, its components must be cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective as are those which comprise "The Connective Leadership Model."
Wisely, following a precise and eloquent Preface, Lipman-Blumen focuses in Part One on "The Changing Dynamics of Leadership" which, inevitably, have changed at least to some extent since she wrote this book, first published in 1996. Nonetheless, her rationale remains rock-solid. Then and now, organizations need (and will continue to need) leadership which is "more politically savvy and instrumental, yet more ethical, authentic, accountable, and particularly, more ennobling." She calls this new approach "connective leadership" and suggests that it can "potentially transform the destructive tensions of diversity and interdependence into constructive leadership action." I hasten to add that, in most organizations where leaders tend to be identified by title, political and economic leverage, degree of authority, the "connective leadership" to which she refers can -- and should -- include everyone involved in a given organization. Stated another way, what she seems to be advocating is what I call "collaborative initiative" which can (and should) function at all levels. Those organizations which achieve and then sustain such initiatives (e.g. Southwest Airliners) have a "connective edge" over their competition. Lipman- Blumen provides an excellent discussion of this point in Chapter 10 and Noel Tichy also has much of value to say about this in his own book, The Leadership Engine.
Lipman-Blumen organizes her material within three Parts: The Changing Dynamics of Leadership (a review and examination of "the origins and evolution of the human need for leadership"), The Connective Leadership Model (more about that in a moment), and Bridging to the Stage 3 World (an exploration of the "empirical organizational results and the philosophical implications of the Connective Leadership Model"). The nature of leadership which she advocates is "both provocative and savvy, yet pragmatic and honorable." I wish it were possible to reproduce in this brief commentary the model she presents in Part Two. Essentially, it consists of three separate but interdependent components:
DIRECT : The intrinsic, competitive, and power styles of leadership
RELATIONAL: The collaborative, contributory, and vicarious styles of leadership
INSTRUMENTAL: The personal, social, and entrusting styles of leadership
Lipman-Blumen correctly points out that the most effective leaders are those who possess an appropriate combination of all three. As I read Part Two, I thought about the striking differences between the leadership styles of Gandhi and Patton. Relying entirely on active (not passive) strategies and tactics of non-violence, Gandhi helped India to achieve independence. Patton was required to use entirely different strategies and tactics to rescue the American troops at Bastogne. For me, one of this book's most insightful chapters is Chapter 11, "Women Leaders: An Oxymoron? Or Does Gender Make a Difference?" Lipman-Blumen poses and then addresses a number of gender-specific issues. Once again, as I read this chapter, I thought about leaders such as Joan of Arc, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth I, and Catherine the Great...each of whom possessed a combination of direct, relational, and instrumental leadership styles in appropriate balance. That was their "connective edge."
Within the context of explaining the need for what she calls "connective" leadership, Lipman-Blumen examines the theme of the contradictory pulls of two global tensions, interdependence and diversity. The former demands collaboration and mutuality while often seeming to threaten the independence and individualism required by the latter. "Connective" leadership is needed to integrate or at least coordinate these two sometimes adversarial forces. The leader with a "connective eye" can help groups or parties who must work or live interdependently (through geography, industry, etc.) with those who often have quite different agendas and goals, to focus together on problems that the enlightened leader recognizes they share even when, especially when others don't "get it." Lipman-Blumen believes that these two global tensions will be with us for some time to come. Leaders who don't develop the understanding and skills to deal with them effectively are almost certain to fail. I am reminded of what Edison once said about innovation: It is the ability to make connections. That is as true of the Gaza Strip as it is of an incandescent light.
I highly recommend this book to senior-level executives, of course, who seek that "edge" for themselves as well as for their organizations. But I also highly recommend this book to others whom Lipman-Blumen may not have had primarily in mind when she wrote the book: Clergy, teachers, coaches, and (especially) parents. Youth ages (let's say) 6-16 also have a great need for the "connective" leadership which Lipman-Blumen advocates. The impact of their leadership on young people may well have much greater impact than that of anyone else, especially now when the world is more interdependent than at any prior time in human history.
If you read just one book on leadership, this is it!.......2001-07-31
The Connective Edge is a remarkable book, one of my very favorites. In it, Jean Lipman-Blumen presents the the Connective Leadership model, consisting of nine "Achieving Styles." She advocates developing all of the styles and merging them into a balanced leadership approach that can address any challenge in our increasingly complex world.
This book has enabled me to better understand myself, my colleagues, and the organizations with which I interact. The Achieving Styles are presented in a way that allows the reader to understand the components of leadership and to identify his or her preferred styles. Dr. Lipman-Blumen also shows how to strengthen one's less preferred styles and how to apply the concepts of Connective Leadership to effective relationships with people, organizations, and society.
The Connective Edge, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, works on every level. The model it presents is balanced, flexible, and practical. Professionals or students in any field will learn a great deal from it.
A brief review can't do this book justice -- a rating of 5 stars is not high enough! I have given or recommended it to friends, family, and colleagues, and the feedback has been 100% positive. This is a winner!
Far Reaching, Insightful.......2001-05-26
There is no shortage of books out there that try to categorize leaders into different leadership styles. Often, the leadership styles delineated seem arbitrary. That is the difference between Lipman's book and other books: Lipman has outlined some really useful categories for leaders. These styles are: instrumental, relational, and direct. These styles are further divided into three categories each. Lipman also makes it clear that the most successful leaders use a range of these styles and do not overuse the one style they are best at. Lipman uses dozens of examples to make her ideas easily understood. And many of the leaders (like the Brazilian activist Chico Mendes) she mentions are ones I haven't found in other leadership books.
The chief prediction of the book (that leaders who do not foresee the consequences of a connective world will not succeed in tomorrow's world) is brilliant and far-reaching...
Average customer rating:
- Leadership Wisdom
- Common Sense Stuff
- Insightful!
- High on the "must read" list
- Real Asset
|
Leadership Skills for Managers
Marlene Caroselli
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Skills for New Managers
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Communicating Effectively (The Briefcase Books)
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Motivating Employees
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Effective Coaching
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Presentation Skills For Managers
ASIN: 0071364307 |
Book Description
Leadership Skills for Managers is an in-depth exploration of the abilities and qualities of a leader (as opposed to just a manager). Leadership attributes such as problem-solving, team-building, and communication are analyzed. Tools, techniques, and real-life examples help the reader develop a plan of action for transforming a vision of leadership into an implementable reality.
Customer Reviews:
Leadership Wisdom.......2006-06-25
This is a good introductory book into the principles and practice of leadership. It teaches about the leadership skills that are critical in today's highly dynamic operating environment where change is the only constant. In this case, it is essential to have leaders (rather than managers) who can provide the vision for the organization, show the direction and motivate people towards the realization of the vision.
The author clearly explains the critical attributes of a leader which include team building, good communication skills, decision making ability, and the ability to motivate and coach others for the effective accomplishment of goals.
The book is a good investment for those who in leadership positions, particularly those who are at the beginning of their careers in this field without much experience or previous training. The author gives useful tips which are excellent guide readers. The checklist at the end of each chapter is a useful tool to reinforce what the reader would have studied in the text.
Common Sense Stuff.......2005-10-24
I found this book only provides common sense stuff, not very insightful. There are numerous grammatical errors throughout this book.
Insightful!.......2005-04-04
If this book were an entrée, it would mostly consist of meat and potatoes. Author Marlene Caroselli accompanies her valuable handbook on the basics of leadership with insightful quotations and anecdotes. "Basic" is the operative word here. The book makes no pretense, for example, of delving into the theoretical side of leadership development. Nor does it prepare managers for specific business tasks that they're more likely to encounter as leaders, such as budgeting and strategic planning. Rather, this book is specifically tailored for current managers who have leadership ambitions, and for newly minted leaders who need a little expertise to seize control of their new roles. We recommend it as a solid menu option with lots of good advice for that eager-to-lead audience. The book is thoroughly crafted to achieve its purpose, though more experienced readers may find themselves asking, "Where's the gravy?"
High on the "must read" list.......2001-02-06
Leadership Skills for Managers(published by McGraw-Hill) provides some unusual slants on the topic of leadership. For example, the assertion that "leaders form strategic alliances" was something I hadn't considered before. The Prism of Partnerships showed exactly how to form such alliances. Thank you for some new slants on an old subject.
Real Asset.......2001-02-06
This book is a real asset to any business manager - a must read- easy to follow - great tips for sound management.
Amazon.com
Creating Women's Networks is a comprehensive manual for female employees who truly want to accomplish as much as possible in corporate America, and employers of either gender who honestly want their entire workforce to be the best that it can be. Based on a variety of extensive studies conducted over the past 15 years by Catalyst--a respected non-profit research and advisory group "dedicated to helping women achieve their full professional potential and showing businesses how to capitalize on those talents"--it examines successful women's groups that are operating today in companies such as Kimberly-Clark, Texas Instruments, Kodak, and Dow Chemical, and offers detailed instructions for both creating new ones and increasing the effectiveness of those already in existence. Filled with checklists, charts, breakout points, and first-person suggestions that turn the advice into a hands-on program, the book follows the life cycle of the very organizations it helps to define. The first section, for example, lays out all critical initial steps like understanding the company environment, building support, and actually getting underway. The second deals with ongoing maintenance, focusing on ways to keep the coalition on track and tackle challenges that inevitably develop. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Discover a dynamic new force in leadership development. This remarkable guide shows companies exactly how they can better retain and increase leadership talent through the establishment of women's networks--networks that link specific female employee concerns and larger organizational goals in ways that bolster the bottom line. Based on the cutting-edge research of Catalyst--America's foremost nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women in business--this guide explains why women's networks are valuable. It shows how companies large and small have leveraged women's networks to their advantage. And it provides a detailed framework readers can follow to create a network within their organization. Charged with first-person success stories, it will prove invaluable to executives and managers concerned with decreasing turnover, increasing employee satisfaction, and optimizing the leadership potential of their entire work force.
Customer Reviews:
How to...and Why.......2001-01-05
In the Introduction, we are told that "Women's networks are a phenomenon that grew out of the overlapping need of companies to reach out to the women in their organization and the critical need of women to reach out to each other." Enlightened employers recognize that both needs are immensely important. Here is a book which does indeed provide a "How-To Guide to Women and Companies." Part One explains how to design and implement a women's network. Part Two explains how to extend and strengthen that network. Then the reader is provided with a wealth of Resources which include "Catalyst's Summary Findings from The Women's Workplace Network Survey" and examples of successful women's networks (Dow Chemical, Bausch & Lomb, Kodak, and Kimberly- Clark). Of special value to the reader is a series of charts (eg Chart 4.2, "Support Continuum: Middle Management") and Checklists (one per each of the seven chapters) which, together, provide just about all anyone would need to design, implement, strengthen, and (yes) defend a successful women's network.
This book tells you everything you need to know........1999-05-25
I wish I had this book last May (98') when we started our Women's Mentoring Network at work. The good thing is after we read it we realized we had done alot of the right things. If you haven't started your network yet or want to compare how you're doing with other companies this is the book you need to read.
Book Description
A complete set of best practices, tools, and techniques for turning conversations into a rich source of business information
Many organizations are now recognizing that the untapped knowledge of their members can be used to benefit every aspect of their business, from making smarter and faster decisions to improving products and efficiency. This book offers a clear-cut road map for building a successful knowledge management system to capture and fully exploit the knowledge exchanged in conversations.
Written by two of the foremost experts in online communities, this book covers a set of best practices, tools, and techniques for using conversation and online interaction to provide affordable and effective knowledge-based benefits and solutions. With a unique and invaluable perspective, the authors offer guidance for collecting, capturing, and cataloging knowledge so that it can be used to improve efficiency and reduce costs in areas ranging from internal procedures through customer relations and product development.
This book provides step-by-step solutions for developing an effective knowledge network, including how to:
* Formulate strategies and create action plans
* Select the right tools for peer-to-peer networks, interactive communities, and events
* Work with legacy systems
* Train staff and stimulate participation
* Improve productivity and measurement criteria
The companion Web site contains templates, checklists, a discussion board, and links to software.
Customer Reviews:
Does not mention wiki...note publishing date of 2002!!.......2005-12-30
This is a good book on knowledge management. It provides an adequate historical reference and a succinct framework for the opportunities and incentives for KM but it is as of 2002. This book needs updating. It's not bad but is pre-wiki and web images are dated. Buy used...don't spend $40.00.
Powerful book.......2002-10-18
Review of Building the Knowledge Network: Best Practices, Tools, and Techniques for Putting Conversation to Work
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was written in a conversational tone, and pulled together all the different pieces I've been reading in many sources. It starts with a brief history of knowledge sharing/conversation/communications which I found fascinating (and I am not a history buff!). Nancy & Cliff compared the anti-conversational attitudes of the Scientific Management during the Industrial Age, showed how the Hawthorne Studies caused the shift from the organization to the worker, and information systems. With the emergence of computer networks, the knowledge explosion has shown no sign of abating.
They discussed how the lessons of the pioneers of early communities such as the WELL assisted communities of today to flourish. Trust became communities' foundation with open communications offering challenges to community managers/moderators/facilitators.
The authors' inclusion of quotes from the ideas of the "greats" in community building/managing and knowledge management (KM) such as Stephen Denning, Thomas Davenport, Etienne Wenger, Tom Peters, Michael Hammer and Howard Rheingold, among others offered powerful evidence to their premises. Throughout the book are helpful charts, checklists and other graphics.
A whole chapter was devoted to culture and the tools that enable differing cultures. They discussed the three relationships between people and content and the three dimensions of collaboration (the cornerstone of communities).
Another chapter was devoted to external stakeholders and customer relationship management (CRM). They touch on what new skills will be required to operate within online learning and knowledge sharing communities And they touch on what paths our technical future may take and how to integrate all these new technologies.
They see a "collaborative future" from within and without organizations, as globalization becomes more widespread. The day of hoarding knowledge towards power are over, long live the new king of collaboration! This book is for anyone who wants to start an online community and for those who want to reminisce about "the good ole days," for those who want to read about what the big companies are doing, and all in context. "Context" is a word near and dear to my heart-for so often we forget to put information in context, whether in conversation or training. Nancy and Cliff have completed a truly delightful read in their book. I highly recommend it!
Book Description
One of the leading pioneers in the field of organizational change argues that real transformation does not result from corporate mandate but from the expression of the spirit and passion of the people in the organization. He suggests ways to release this spirit and dissipate the "Soul Pollution" -- apathy, stress, and exhaustion -- that plagues today's workforce.
Customer Reviews:
A Good Read!.......2002-02-23
Harrison Owen's book has its share of shortcomings, but there is certainly something to recommend here as well. Owen's explanations of organizational change, complex adaptive systems and chaos theory as they apply to business and innovation are lucid and easy to understand. Less appealing are his lapses into jargon that seems more appropriate to a yoga class than a human resources department, and the theoretical tone that permeates the book. We from getAbstract recommend this book to anyone in search of an alternative perspective on modern management.
The Difference That Makes a Difference..........2001-02-09
is that this book is clearly written from the heart, and offers a deeply human solution to the "soul pollution" in today's workplace. I've read most the well known books on organizational change/transformation - and there are some excellent ones - but this one really rings true.
Mr. Owen suggests that management, a barely disguised euphemism for control, is a figment of our imagination. He holds that choas is actually the natural state of human affairs, not the exception. If we let go of outdated beliefs, and simply observe how things really get done, we will transform toxic workplaces into inspired organizations. By simply embracing what is.
Like a lot of people, especially women, I left corporate America because I was unable to reconcile their values w/ mine. Always puzzled by people who contrasted their "work personalities" with their "real personalities", I'm more convinced than ever that separating from ourselves at work is not only unnecessary, but destroys the organization along with the selves that make it up!
Spending time with Harrison Owen's voice allows you to hear your own.
Book Description
A casebook approach to studying crisis communications means learning from the actions of those who have experienced crises. What did they expect? What actually happened? Were they prepared? What were their strategies? What were their challenges, pressures, and problems? Were the news media adversarial or supportive? If they had to do it again, what would they do differently? These and other questions are answered in the case studies of this second edition.
Presenting organizational and individual problems that may become crises and the communication responses to these situations, this revision of Fearn-Banks' very successful text:
* presents crisis communication theory, including a critique of the communications of White Star Lines after its Titanic sank on its maiden voyage;
* describes ways of determining the most likely and most damaging crises that may strike an organization;
* centers on causes of crisis--rumor, "gotcha" television news and the non-expert expert, and crises caused by the news media;
* gets into the 21st century and cyberspace-caused crises, including mini-cases of rogue Web sites and e-mail rumors;
* explains how to communicate with the news media, lawyers, internal publics or audiences, and external publics; and
* includes narrated case studies illustrating how spokespersons and managers used communication in several kinds of crises.
The text is supplemented by a workbook, enabling students to test their knowledge and develop their skills. Written as a primer for crisis communications, public relations, and communications management, Crisis Communications serves as an essential resource in the practice of public relations and corporate communications.
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Overview of How PR Crises Are Handled.......2001-07-09
I anticipated that reading a book about my profession would be rather dry, but was actually quite riveted by this book. It goes into excellent detail about the way a wide variety of crises are handled and offers common sense and explicit guidlines about how to deal with crisis communications.
Such a variety are included that it is likely to cover an area familiar to any PR professional.
She includes detailed interviews with those in charge of dealing with the media and several crisis communications plans. From NIKE to the postal service shootings, the book takes an inside look at how different PR professionals reacted to the variety of circumstances.
It is always useful to look closely at what others in your business are doing and this book does an excellent job of conveying that. This book consolidated many things I knew but had not put together completely.
Book Description
"Buzzanell's edited book has a poststructural sensibility in its emphasis on dialogue, absent voices, and the open-ended, constructed nature of knowledge. . . . In summary, I would recommend this book highly. . . Buzzanell's reader would be a corrective for traditional texts used in communications, Master of Public Administration, and Master of Business Administration programs."
-NATIONAL WOMEN'S STUDIES ASSOCIATION JOURNAL
Rethinking Organizational Communication From Feminist Perspectives reconsiders organizational and managerial communication theories, research, and practice from multiple feminisms. Part I consists of theoretical analyses that reconceptualize and extend boundaries in our thinking about work and organizing processes. The chapters propose an alternative view of public-private discourse, stakeholder ethics, socialization processes, and negotiation by contrasting traditional approaches with feminist values. Part II presents women’s voices through interview excerpts, poems, diary entries, and stories and explores the ways in which these concrete details of ordinary lives represent missing facets and nuances of our organizational and managerial communication work. Part III contains chapters that rewrite organizational and managerial constructs. The authors not only offer alternative reconceptualizations, but also suggest specific tactics and long-term strategies devised from feminisms for revising organizational and managerial communication processes and practices. The final section of the book draws together the themes of the book and encourages a continuing dialogue on the issues.
To read Patrice Buzzanell's latest edited volume,
Gender in Applied Communication Contexts, please click here: http://www.sagepub.com/book.aspx?pid=9790
Books:
- AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law (Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law)
- Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (8th Edition)
- Beautiful Evidence
- Becoming a Woman of Influence: Making a Lasting Impact on Others
- Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions
- Building Type Basics for Recreational Facilities (Building Type Basics)
- Business Communication: Process and Product (with InfoTrac®)
- Business Communication: Process and Product (with InfoTrac®)
- Business Grammar, Style & Usage: The Most Used Desk Reference for Articulate and Polished Business Writing and Speaking by Executives Worldwide
- Case Studies in Organizational Communication: Ethical Perspectives and Practices
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