Book Description
In his best-selling book, Squirrel Inc., former World Bank executive and master storyteller Stephen Denning used a tale to show why storytelling is a critical skill for leaders. Now, in this hands-on guide, Denning explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time. Whoever you are in the organization CEO, middle management, or someone on the front lines you can lead by using stories to effect change. Filled with myriad examples, A Leader’s Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few available ways to handle the principal and most difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. The right kind of story at the right time, can make an organization “stunningly vulnerable” to a new idea.
Download Description
In his best-selling book, Squirrel Inc., former World Bank executive and master storyteller Stephen Denning used a tale to show why storytelling is a critical skill for leaders. Now, in this hands-on guide, Denning explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time. Whoever you are in the organization CEO, middle management, or someone on the front lines you can lead by using stories to effect change. Filled with myriad examples, A Leader's Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few available ways to handle the principal and most difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. The right kind of story at the right time, can make an organization stunningly vulnerable to a new idea.
Customer Reviews:
Go directly to the end of each chapter.......2007-10-11
This is a very scholarly book that really sheds light what it's like to be a business leader. Then Denning shows how storytelling can be part of an effective leadership tool box.
Each chapter ends with a couple of pages of great instruction--how to craft and deliver the story that chapter was devoted to. I found the table on page 18 to be a helpful overview of the eight types of stories, their uses and what reactions they should elicit from the audience.
However, business speakers who want to add stories to their presentations TODAY need to work with a presentation coach. In much less time, and with much more fun, your coach will get you to actually be a storyteller, not just think about telling stories.
Don't Miss the chapter on the paradox of innovation.......2007-02-15
Chapter 11, to be precise. It is the best critique of the Innovators Dillema and similar work that I have seen anywhere. It also has a good review of future vision techniques in Chapter 10. If I were teaching a graduate seminar in a business school, these would be assigned reading.
Put away the PowerPoint slides.......2007-01-29
Getting things done in business requires much more than hard facts and PowerPoint presentations -- it requires the ability to persuade, motivate and convince. Denning does a fantastic job demonstrating how to do this through storytelling - making your audience (your boss, teammates, customers) get involved in your idea, allowing them to put themselves into your story. Presentation slides have become a frustrating crutch -- few remember (or even trust) your numbers and unending bullet points. Put your audience inside your story - allow them to apply their own context to what you are explaining and they will start listening and participating.
Good leaders persuade through what often appears to be spontaneous narrative. They build credibility and respect. This book gives you the tools to strategically target and build your narrative to accomplish specific objectives. It spends time explaining purposeful communication and storytelling methods for different situations.
I thought the section on Values was a little out of place, as more of a lesson on values than as a storytelling method.
This is a book I will go back and read several times as I try to put it to practical use. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to succeed in business, especially given our overload of information from every angle. It will help you to find a way to stand out and be heard.
Great points but hard to read.......2007-01-14
I'm only in Chapter 2, and it is already clear that Denning makes a lot of great points in this book. It is most definitely worth every penny and more!
My biggest complaint is that the book is written like a 19th century philosophy treatise! Philosophy was one of my majors in college, so I am well-aware of the agony in reading philosophical text - instead of getting straight to the point, it meanders and loses the reader after every third sentence! In the first chapter of this book, Denning goes on and on about things you could care less about for over 20 pages. I had a sigh of relief when he finally put down all his points in the chapter in just two pages at the end of the chapter!
When I was reading in the plane, I thought at first the reason for my agony was that I was tired. However, each time I got bored with Denning's book, I switched to a novel, and I was not tired anymore! Hey, wait a minute! I thought this was supposed to be a book on storytelling! Why then was it written like an obscure Ph.D. dissertation? You don't believe me? See for yourself. Here's a sampling of the torture:
"Second, the apparent paradox of zero improvement in performance from teams in organizations overall - along with extraordinary gains reportedly made in specific instances - reflects the fact that teams are found at both ends of the effectiveness spectrum."
Now do you believe me!? :)
I'm not saying the entire book looks like the glob you see above. My point is simply that there are numerous sentences here that will require you to pause, say "Huh?", and then reread. So, if you are a speed reading junkie like me, please be very patient! Speed reading is not recommended.
Despite the stated criticism, Denning makes really good points in this book. The book has my complete endorsement due to the great points. Besides, as my philosophy professors used to tell me in college, if you don't have the patience to tread through the gobbledygook of philosophical treatises, then maybe you're not scholarly enough to major in philosophy!
Humanising Leadership Through the Art of Story Telling.......2006-10-22
In the weeks since I first read Denning's book, I have had to make a number of appearances. In one case, I was invited by the head of my department at my alma mater to speak to graduating students. Others were either speeches made in the course of marketing my services or training workshops. My deliberate incorporation of story telling made even normally dry technical subjects come alive. And in the case of the talk to graduating students, I like to think I must have touched a life or two.
Denning shows you how to use stories to ignite action, build trust in your person and brand your organisation, transmit values, encourage collaboration, share knowledge, deal with harmful rumours and share your vision. Fusing all these story telling patterns into your leadership style will help you become an involved, interactive and transformational leader.
Customer Reviews:
The title of this book is decieving.......2007-09-10
This book is a human resource management book covering different areas in HR management with many boring and tedious examples. The book focuses on interview setting questions, employement and hiring. I was looking for a book on language, word structure and influencing techniques but this book is the complete opposite. In addition, this book does not have a "search inside" option nor a description.
Brilliant.......2007-08-27
I would recommend this book to anyone who has studied nlp or interested in the art of influence and wishes to further expand their knowledge. This books describeds meta programs in a very simple and straight forward way and how they are structured to fit the workplace, relationships (personal or professional) or any other context where you need to get yourself across efficiently and effectively.
Believe me when i say this is not a business book..it has a very readable writing style and helpful summary / appendicies section. I would recommend this book to anyone who really want's to use words that will change minds!
Informative with simplicity and clarity.......2007-08-11
This book is easy to read and very informative. If you have done NLP training you would have come across the Meta Programs, then this book takes your learnings to another level and gives indepth information on behaviours of people. A must read if you want to increase your ability to read people and their behaviours.
Great way to develop communication skills for change and better being!.......2007-07-29
This book is a great source of knowledge for people inner worlds from a perspective of who we get motivated, how we make desicions and move to action.
For those who know NLP it is a great guide for metaprograms and a lot of practical samples for the real life.
It is mainly focused on how to get results improving our communication skills, discovering how we can design our conversations to achieve the desired results.
Not what I expected.......2007-07-22
I am a hypnotherapist and I was looking for something to compliment that line of thinking. This book was not it. It is targeted at the business world. Perhaps persons in management could use it, but for everyday conversation, it doesn't help.
Book Description
A proven six-step process for acquiring the style, flair, and credibility needed to make it to the top
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, managers who do not exude an allencompassing self-confidence, style, poise, and energy, in short, "executive presence," are highly unlikely to make it to the corner office. Unfortunately, the vast majority of managers, even the most talented and ambitious ones, are not born with these personal qualities. In this breakthrough book, bestselling author and world-renowned executive development coach D. A. Benton helps readers acquire executive charisma.
In Executive Charisma, Benton outlines a proven six-step approach for learning how to think, act, and relate to others like an executive.
She provides powerful tools for fine-tuning the complete executive charisma skill set, including:
- Interpersonal communications
- Managing upwards
- Confidence building
- Business humor
- Executive bearing, and more
Drawing upon her experience coaching clients at American Express, Century 21, Merrill Lynch, Nabisco, Viacom, Pepsi, and other top companies worldwide, Benton clearly defines executive charisma and explains why projecting a commanding professional demeanor is so fundamental to corporate success.
Customer Reviews:
Be all that you can be.......2007-08-29
Benton's advice is very much in line with Napolen Hill's and Dale Carnegie's: be friendly and give acceptance to maintain esteem; ask questions and favors; show weakness, be human; slow down, shut up and listen. The author expands on each of these points and more, and provides great overview and examples on every topic. It's a great refresher, and a well-written book.
Stretching Good Material.......2006-12-14
Deborah Benton is a serious student of what makes successful business people successful, and her book 'How to Think Like a CEO" reflects the seriousness and depth of her work there.
This book, on the other hand, is a very long hike for a very small picnic. She has essentially re-worked very familiar ground for her into a book that simply doesn't have enough to say to fill its length.
There are times, for example, when while reading, one realizes that the last paragraph has been nothing but semi-connected quotes from people in the large archive of Ms. Benton's interview files. It doesn't really go together and it doesn't really make any new points.
I would strongly recommend 'How to Think Like a CEO' but I would definitely not recommend this book.
How to Make Friends with Influential People.......2005-04-21
D.A. Benton's Executive Charisma is a basic book on working your way to the corner office via popularity contest. There is a lot of common sense stuff in this novel, so much so that it begs the question "How did my VP, Director, Manager, Supervisor, get his/her job?" Clearly charisma is not a prerequisite to climbing your way up the corporate ladder in 98% of companies today. Maybe this book should be mandatory (prerequisite) reading for managers.
Although I enjoyed this book, I have to say that it is highly superficial, perhaps purposely, and does not address any one area in great detail.
DA Benton outlines the "Sacred Six Steps" to becoming an outstanding leader as:
- Be the first to initiate
- Expect and give acceptance to maintain esteem
- Ask questions and ask favours
- Stand tall, straight, and smile
- Be human, humorous, and hands-on
- Slow down, shut up, and listen
All in all a good basic read for leaders or those aspiring to project their ability. And god knows that we need more people in the workplace who are willing to project their ability????
I long for a book on leadership that details how you become a great leader by being capable, producing measurable results, coming up with great strategic ideas, and making friends with those that you truly like and not just those that have influence over your career.
A Good Read!.......2004-03-01
Remember everything your mother told you. Stand up straight. Pull your shoulders back. Be outgoing. Smile. If you've forgotten these lessons, this is for you. It's not what you know, it's who you know - and what they think and feel about you - that makes all the difference in your career. Be human. Ask for favors. Ask for information. Pitch in. Have a sense of humor. Speak slowly and listen carefully. Author D.A. Benton's presumably deep, probing interviews with 500 executives convinced her that charisma isn't inborn. She believes that everyone can learn to be charismatic. Just follow the six steps that can turn even the most repulsive excuse for a manager into a charming, charismatic executive. So, read this and practice. There's no harm in it, and it might do some good. However, while recommending this basic manual, suspects that the nature of charisma is a bit like the way a jazz musician explained the nature of jazz - if you have to ask what it is, you'll never know.
Exploit Your Charisma, Your Personal Key to the Top.......2004-02-18
If you are an executive, or aspire to be one, read this book. Debra Benton simplifies the mystery of charisma into six practical, proven steps that anyone can immediately apply.
"Executive Charisma" is full of time - tested advice from the top business leaders of our time. It is a fast read, perfectly suited for busy people committed to life-long development.
As a practicing executive, I witness first-hand how top leaders relate to others on a daily basis. Those who know how to access and apply the 'soft' leadership skills are the winners, period. No matter how bright and classicaly educated a leader is, those who rise to the top have mastered the art of charisma.
Read Benton's book and learn how easy it is to turn up the juice on your executive charisma.
Book Description
In The Secret Handshake, top corporate consultant and USC management professor Kathleen Reardon explores and reveals the hidden rules on the ins and outs of corporate politics that you won’t find outlined in any employee handbook.
Based on hundreds of candid interviews with executives at Fortune 500 companies who have achieved their goals and joined the inner circle, The Secret Handshake lays bare the unstated conventions that govern and shape corporate hierarchies. Taking readers inside boardrooms to learn firsthand how the top decision-makers view and assess the employees under them, it offers invaluable advice on such career-building tactics and skills as getting noticed, networking, persuading others, knowing which battles to fight, and mastering the art of the quid pro quo. For all those who aspire to be part of the decision-making body of their organization, The Secret Handshake is the ultimate intelligence report on whom to trust and whom to watch out for, how to manage the inevitable conflicts that will arise, and how to read between the corporate lines.
Customer Reviews:
i borrowed it from the library, then listen to its cd's, and finally bought a copy to keep.......2006-01-18
This is a fantastic eye-opener. As a technically-competent guy, I am always puzzled that certain managers like me a lot, while others seem the other way. This book gives me the answers.
I read the book from library several times during my vacation; then listen to its CD's on my way commute; and finally decide to own a copy of the book to put onto my shelf.
Politics 101.......2005-09-27
As a career consultant, I'm always looking for books to recommend to clients and ezine readers. While we tend to assume corporate managers are all savvy, in fact many are surprisingly naive and we all can stand to learn more.
Secret Handshake is not as strong as Reardon's first book, They Don't Get It, Do They. The first book included novel and original ideas about a subject the author obviously cares about. But it's worth a quick read - not much more.
Reardon begins by categorizing both companies and employees in terms of their political styles. I'm always suspicious of profiles, but her ad hoc approach offers a face-saving way for people to say, "Hey, I'm just not political."
Overall this book includes useful perspectives, although some readers will not be impressed by the common sense reminders. Most corporate employees can figure out that one-upping the boss is bad timing. But some ideas (like he PURRR technique) will save some careers. The section on getting heavy-handed will be especially valuable.
And some will disagree with Reardon's interpretation of a situation. For instance, a young woman visits a recruiting booth while the company recruiter talks to Reardon. She politely excuses herself for interrupting and insists on leaving her resume. The young woman was interested in a sales job; in my opinion, her persistence should have been applauded!
I read this book after hearing Barbara Ehrenreich speak on her latest book, Bait and Switch. What a contrast! Ehrenreich questions everything that Reardon takes for granted. Reardon warns against "showing up the boss (p 59), while Ehrenreich would point out that stifling disagreement wouldn't be in the best interests of the company in the long run. Reardon accepts corporate values -- or at least implies, "Hey -- that's the way it is." I can just see Ehrenreich rolling her eyes and raising her eyebrows.
There are a couple of minor bloopers on pages 66-67. On page 67 is a reference to Daphne Merion - I think she means Daphne Merkin, a rather outspoken writer for the New Yorker.
And I question Reardon's version of the story behind Madeline Albright's nomination as Secretary of State. Reardon seems to suggest that Albright got the job in part because of her connections to Clinton. But other sources suggest that Clinton actually resisted naming Albright until he was pressured by female legislators. And in fact, some have questioned whether others were equally qualified.
But perhaps the biggest criticism of this book is that, although insights are valuable, it's..well, dull! We need more war stories and more anecdotes. The material has the potential to be as gripping as a novel -- and Reardon's first book (They Don't Get It Do They) managed to come across as much more reasonable.
Superb.......2005-09-22
Excellent writing. Tireless advise to those in psychology, business, education, or just plain living with people.
Social skills count.......2005-09-20
This book is more evidence that success in social relationships is important to career success and meeting your personal and professional goals. Reardon does a nice job of breaking down this otherwise complex and cloudy subject into digestable chunks, and throws in a few self-assessment quizzes to boot.
In the first part of book, she discusses the gradients of politics at work, which can be very helpful in allowing the reader to discover what type of political animal they are, and also shedding light on seemingly "crazy" behavior at work. It's validating to learn that there are more "pathologically political" organizations than the company you may have had the misfortune of working for.
More importantly, Reardon goes on to outline how honing your observation, interaction and acting skills can contribute to your ability to move up within an organization. She is right about the in-group, out-group dynamics of the workplace, but people in the out-group often make the mistaken assumption that the in-group has conspired to create the social, cultural and organization norms that exist, when, in fact, the in-group has usually just evolved in response to various social, organizational and business pressures and personalities.
The most important lesson of this book is the idea that observing and emulating leaders, leadership culture and political norms is of critical importance in finding your place at the top of the org chart. Immitation is not only the sincerest form of flatery, it also demonstrates, through your actions, that you believe in the company and its people.
A Brilliant Beginner's Guide to Politics.......2005-08-31
As a professional motivational speaker I recommend this book to my clients.
Dr Reardon's book is an excellent introduction to the topic of corporate politics. It takes you from the beginning and helps you to think like an Office Politician. Whether your goal is to merely survive at the office or if it's to advance to the very top. You'll find something valuable in this excellent well-researched resource.
I definitely recommend it!
In Everything Truth, Faith and Love
Destin
Book Description
The ComprehensiveCrystal Reports Resource You've Been Looking For
Mastering Crystal Reports 9 covers basic reporting skills, but its main purpose is to give you the complete coverage other books don't offer. You'll not only thoroughly learn the powerful features of Crystal Reports 9, but also how to develop custom applications to meet the specific needs of your organization. With Crystal Reports 9, this is more important than ever, because it provides unprecedented new ways to extend its analytical and reporting capabilities and make crucial information available throughout the enterprise.
Coverage Includes
* Building a report using all core report design elements
* Sorting, grouping, and charting data
* Connecting to various data source types
* Working with multiple tables in a report
* Creating custom functions
* Adding custom functions, graphics, and SQL commands to the Crystal Repository
* Understanding the multi-pass processing model
* Creating and using reusable report templates
* Retrieving data using SQL queries
* Understanding object oriented programming concepts as they relate to Crystal Reports
* Deploying reports to the desktop, corporate intranet, or Web
* Deploying a report as a web service and with ASP
* Creating Windows Crystal Reports applications using Visual Basic or the .NET platform
* Using Report Application Server for web-based reporting and analysis
Customer Reviews:
Very disappointing for a beginner.......2003-10-22
I'm a Crystal Reports beginner. This book is not useful at all. You can easily create a simple report by following the steps described in first two chapters. However, after that, I was totally lost. The book describes a lot of things available in Crystal Reports without following samples. There are samples available for each chapter on the web. However, there was no connection between the samples and the book. I don't how the sample reports were produced and I just couldn't learn how to create reports by just reading the book. I'm very disappointed at the book.
Disappointing for the Non-Beginner.......2003-04-16
Here are the good points:
. the examples do follow through many of the features of Crystal Reports 9
Here are the bad points:
. there is a lot of unnecessary verbiage which pads out the size of the book; the verbiage is intended to make the text friendly, but for someone trying to determine how a feature works, it is highly obstructive and irritating
. the typeface in which the book is set is quite difficult to read
. the examples do not pass on understanding of the principles of each feature; the attempt to grasp a general concept gets drowned in the details
. many features (too numerous to mention) are glossed-over, including advanced features needed by the enterprise programmer
. the index includes references which are totally useless (e.g. McLuhan, Marshall who has absolutely nothing to do with the topic) and lacks completely necessary references
. while not a "1,200 page tome" (see another review) it is a 639 page tome
While the title includes the word "Master", this book is really for the programming beginner. For example, veterans do not need another tedious review of object-oriented programming, or SQL, or Basic language syntax, and so on. Seeing as there are entire libraries on these topics, the reviews are necessarily inadequate anyhow.
I wanted to learn Crystal Reports 9 and this was excellent.......2003-02-20
Already a SQL, VB, and .NET programmer, I wanted o add CR to the repetoire. I picked this book up from Amazon and was pleasantly surprised with the depth and descriptions. If you're looking for a book that gives you the low down on CR, pick this one up.
I also travel as a consultant often and this book is not a 1,200 page tome either (which I appreciate).
Enjoy!
has to be the worst.......2003-02-19
This has to be the worst title I have picked up in a while. The author rambles on and on and on about things that have nothing to do with Crystal Reports. Endless filler material here with sample code that looks like it came straight from the Crystal web site. In terms of report design and use, Crystal: The Complete Reference (Peck) is a much better book and I wish I could swap this one for it!
Best & Comprehensive.......2003-01-31
This is one of the best and most content rich of all the Crystal Reports books.
Contains everything from the most basic usage to the more complex reports, formulas, SQL and programming issues.
If you are an instructor and need a book to use teaching CR this is the book for you.
Book Description
Mastering Business Negotiation is a handy resource for any leader or manager who needs practical strategies and ideas when conducting business negotiations. Grounded in solid research, the authors - experts in the field of business negotiation - reduce the huge volume of available information into an accessible handbook for busy executives who need to prepare for everyday negotiations as well as for more demanding and complex negotiation situations.
Mastering Business Negotiation offers down-to-earth advice for learning to play the negotiation game and shows how to:
- Understand the game so you can better control what happens
- Predict the sequence of negotiation activities and move from disagreement toward agreement
- Identify the strategies and tactics of other players in the game.
- Apply the rules of the game - the "do's and don'ts" that will ultimately lead to success
Customer Reviews:
A great how-to-guide.......2007-08-12
With this book, intended as a `working guide' and a `how-to-guide', the authors have reduced the huge volume of available information on the art of negotiation into an easily accessible resource for busy executives who need to prepare for everyday negotiations. But this book will also be useful for any person wanting to learn the art of negotiating.
Negotiating is a bit like breathing. Everybody negotiates constantly -- all day long. You negotiate with your family, friends, shop owners, customers, colleagues...and even with yourself! In fact, we negotiate with ourselves all the time.
Self-negotiation is usually a conversation between our more rational self and our impulsive, subconscious self. These are the "should I or shouldn't I" discussions in our heads. According to the authors, the most important thing to understand in negotiating with yourself is to continue to pay attention to both sides of your brain. Learning to listen to your inner voice--your intuition or your gut--may be the best thing you can do to avoid a negotiating disaster (p. 46-47).
Fundamentally, negotiation is all about each party's efforts to influence the other. Social interactions are all about influence. No person is an island. Yet most people never study influence in depth, and so they go through life, and negotiations, in constant ignorance of the forces of influence at work around and on them.
This book offers down-to-earth advice for learning to play the negotiation game. The authors walk the reader through every negotiating pitfall and opportunity. In the preface the authors tell the readers "we don't make this stuff up." This book is grounded in lots of solid research. I really enjoyed reading it.
The following are some notes I took while reading this book that you might find helpful:
According to the authors, individuals who master negotiations are rated high in emotional intelligence by their peers, tend to be promoted more rapidly, are more productive and emerge as natural leaders. Whether it's sales, customer service, engineering, management or any other area of business, negotiation skills play a surprisingly large role in career success. This, then, is the negotiation imperative: Recognize the many times each day you have to negotiate and influence others. In doing so, treat these as opportunities to advance your personal goals, help your business prosper, and build stronger supportive relationships in a widening business and professional network.
The authors' research shows that the business that negotiates better generally grows and prospers faster than others.
According to the authors, to choose the right negotiating strategy, you need to address these two important factors: the outcome and the relationship. When considering the outcome, you need to ask yourself what you will win or lose on the substantive issues in negotiation. When considering the relationship, you must ask how the negotiation process, and the specific outcome settlement, will affect your relations with the other player now and in the future (p. 22-23). Consider the following story: A comedian found a creative way to cope with a landlord's expectation for a bribe. Wanting to rent a five-room apartment in a new complex, he was told that he'd have to go on a waiting list, and wait about two years before getting an apartment. The comedian then ran his hand in his pocket and dropped a thousand dollars in the trashcan, and left. About a half hour later his phone rings, and the landlord tells him that he has one apartment left. The comedian immediately signs a five-year lease. About four days later, the landlord calls the comedian. "Mr. White, that money in the trashcan was counterfeit." The comedian replied, "I know, that's why I threw it away!" The comedian's style didn't do much for the relationship, but it got him what he wanted at a bargain price (p. 76).
In Lewis Carroll's `Alice in Wonderland', the Red Queen is a petty tyrant who fails to flex her style to the circumstances. "The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties: "Off with his head!" she said without even looking around." The master business negotiator should not act like the Red Queen. There are multiple styles and strategies of negotiation, and the master negotiator should assess the situation before choosing which one to use (p. 38).
According to the authors, your mastery of the arts of power and influence not only puts you in control of your negotiations, but also inoculates you against a great many ploys and tactics that will be used against you. Some negotiators have won over and over by using just one or two of the more potent techniques. There are several major tactics you should be aware of and protect yourself against. These are (p. 239-244):
1. Watch out for cascading yeses. If you are being maneuvered into agreeing repeatedly, the other party is herding you in his or her desired direction. Never let yourself be herded.
2. Watch out for power plays. Do you always have to accommodate more powerful players? You can defend against power plays by recognizing that you do have control over the outcome in every negotiation or interaction. This isn't a hostage situation; you have a lot more choice than you think.
3. Watch out for strange requests. Research shows that an unexpected request has considerable persuasive power when used in certain ways. Defend against strange requests and unexpected behavior by focusing away from the behavior and evaluating the substance of the request or position instead.
4. Never let someone get you intoxicated during a negotiation. Don't try to negotiate over a lunch or dinner where alcohol is being served. Drinking and negotiating don't mix.
Goleman, a psychologist and author of the best-seller `Emotional Intelligence', provides the following insight to negotiators: "Just as the mode of the rational mind is words, the mode of the emotions is nonverbal. Indeed, when a person's words disagree with what is conveyed via his tone of voice, gesture, or other nonverbal channel, the emotional truth is in how he says something rather than in what he says." (p. 59).
There are some very practical and amusing stories and anecdotes throughout the book. Sometimes you try to negotiate, but the other party acts as if he doesn't care. A chronic borrower begged an old friend to lend him a hundred dollars. I'll pay it back the minute I return from Chicago," he promised. "Exactly what day are you returning?" the friend asked. The man shrugged. "Who's going?" (p. 197).
The authors warn about losing one's cool in negotiations. They cite as an example the exchange between Vice President Richard Nixon and Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union in 1959. Nixon initiates it by trying to explain that the United States and the Soviet Union shouldn't get engaged in angry threats and ultimatums. But Khrushchev's immediate angry response throws Nixon off balance, and soon they have exchanged threats--precisely what Nixon meant to avoid (p. 66).
Nixon: The moment we place either one of these powerful nations, through an ultimatum, in a position where it has no choice but to accept dictation or fight, then you are playing with the most destructive force in the world.
Khrushchev (flushed, wagging a finger near Nixon's face): We too are giants. If you want to threaten, we will answer threat with threat.
Nixon: we never engage in threats.
Khrushchev: You wanted indirectly to threaten me. But we have means at our disposal that can have very bad consequences.
Nixon: We have too.
The authors say that we need to be aware of the self-fulfilling prophecy: something we believe so strongly that we actually make it come true. It often happens in negotiation when one party expects the other to behave in a particular way, and, as a result, actually makes the party behave that way. This tends to happen if the other party is using competition because they think you are, or you are using competition because you think they will be. Anticipating that the other is going to be competitive, we prepare to be competitive ourselves. The cues we give off in this preparation--our language, tone of voice, gestures, and behaviors--let the others believe that we intend to be competitive. So they behave competitively, which confirms to us that our initial assumptions were right. In essence, we can make the other party competitive by behaving competitively. When we adopt this strategy, we need to understand that we may be making the other side more competitive than might otherwise be necessary or appropriate (p. 89-90).
This is really a great "how-to-guide" to negotiation, and you'll find yourself referring to it often before tough negotiations.
A comprehensive guide to negotiation .......2007-07-20
Authors Roy L. Lewicki and Alexander Hiam clearly are familiar with the academic research governing negotiation, but they don't let this direct, pragmatic guide get bogged down in it. In fact, they use many real life examples to clarify their advice. Lewicki and Hiam don't add that much new material to the study of negotiation; experienced negotiators will find much of what they say familiar. However, they deliver a strong, methodical, hard-headed approach. They break negotiation into specific skills, concepts and activities that anyone can study and learn to do more skillfully. At the same time, they are realistic about the challenges involved - and about the fact that sometimes other considerations (such as power or apathy) trump negotiation. They present all this with useful traces of humor. We recommend their book to everyone who is serious about learning the art of negotiation, especially novices.
Working Guide to Making Deals and Resolving Conflicts.......2007-02-20
The authors argue that style is one of the hallmarks of the master negotiator.
Roy J. Lewicki, a business professor at Ohio State University and Alexander Hiam, a consultant, argue to master every negotiating opportunity and resolve conflicts, you need to adjust your approach. By considering the importance of both outcome and relationship, you can adapt your tactics to the situation.
The following strategies can be adapted:
* Avoiding - otherwise known as Lose - Lose. The priorities for both the relationship and the result are low. Neither is important enough to pursue the conflict further.
* Accommodating - otherwise known as Lose to Win. Importance of relationship is high; importance of the result is low.
* Competing - otherwise known as Win to Lose. Importance of result is high; importance of relationship is low.
* Collaborating - otherwise known as Win - Win. Importance of result and relationship is high.
* Compromising - otherwise known as Split the Difference. A combination approach.
The authors state it is important to prepare for the negotiations. They offer an eight step method:
1. Define the issues and goals.
2. Order the issues and agenda.
3. Analyze the other party.
4. Define the underlying interests.
5. Consult with interested parties.
6. Set goals for the process and outcome.
7. Identify you own limits.
8. Develop supporting arguments.
As you interact with the other party, it is important to recognize that everything you do and every decision you make is part of the negotiation. The authors advise following these rules to pilot the middle ground in a competitive negotiation.
1. Stick to your planned target and walk-away points.
2. Do not reveal your target until you are close.
3. Never reveal your walk-away point.
4. Get the other party to make big concessions.
5. Keep your concessions few, slow and small.
6. Investigate the other party's level of concern for the outcome.
This book is an invaluable resource for anyone facing a negotiation. And who isn't? The skills and techniques discussed by the authors will prepare everyone, from the high-powered business executive to the person facing informal day-to-day challenges of selling, buying and getting along with colleagues.
Book Description
This pocket-sized reference emphasizes Spanish commercial vocabulary with terms and translations covering banking, labor and management, accounting, transportation, manufacturing, communications media, computers, electronic data processing, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Boring layout, more dictionary-like than anything.......2007-03-11
Very thorough as far as words used in various business types, but very straightforward (boring). Not enough real life examples for my liking. Any more cut and dry and it would be a dictionary. Blah. I'll use it for reference than as a study guide as I had intended.
Not bad, needs update.......2007-01-04
I work as a translator and occupational Spanish instructor at a university in the US. I use about 12 sources of information when I translate and this is one of them. I purchasd the book simply due to a lack of other options.
This dictionary of sorts is organized into functional business areas such as accounting, sales, human resources etc. The authors did an extensive amount of work putting this together but I would say it is past due for an update to make itself useful in the US.
Here are some observations:
PROS
- Very nice size and the print is easy to read.
- Price is reasonable.
- Thoughtfully laid out.
- The authors seemed to really know what they were doing
in terms of language expertise.
CONS
- The Spanish used is that from Spain, so for someone learning US Spanish, it has great limitation. Although, a large part of the vocabulary is the same and translating is a moving target. But if you are working with the Spanish or studying there, it could be a good resource.
- The showstopper here is the fact that there is no English to Spanish glossary, and the reason I would recommend buyers go elsewhere. In other words, if you want to quickly find a word in Spanish and you know the word in English, you are out of luck. Strangely, it does have a Spanish to English glossary so you must first know the word in Spanish, so you can learn it is English. Just plain bizarre considering the cover is written in all English. But, this is something the authors could remedy in another version and make it very useful.
[...]
For now, I would recommend looking at another book.
Only has 3,500 entries, and is over 10 years old........2006-05-11
I am a business translator, and have bought every English-Spanish dictionary published for almost 25 years now. This dictionary has only 3,500 entries, and was translated in 1997 from a 1995 German book. Hence, the book is not current, is very limited in scope, and worse of all, not even oriented towards English or Spanish.
I gave it two stars because its sample sentences may be helpful for beginners. This book will be of no use to anyone of an intermediate of advanced level in either language. It is completely inadequate for business translators.
I recommend your buying one or both of the following: Webster's New World English-Spanish/Spanish-English Business Dictionary, or The Oxford Spanish Business Dictionary. If you only need one, then buy Webster's New World English-Spanish/Spanish-English Business Dictionary. Do not buy Mastering Spanish Business Vocabulary : A Thematic Approach, unless you are aware of and accept these limitations.
Thematic Approach helps you master one thing at a time.......2000-06-14
This book is very helpful. I read it before studying marketing for a year in Mexico. It helped me get a grasp on the vocabulary in my classes.
Later I was offered a job because I spoke Spanish and knew about business. This book helped forge the foundation of an international business career.
Currently I manage an import/export business in Monterrey, Mexico. This book has been extremely helpful.
I highly reccomended this book to a professor at the University of Tennessee for required reading use in his classes. (Spanish for Business)
Very Helpful.......2000-03-28
This book has proven very benificial to me. I am in the process of moving to South America with my employer. I am a Human Resource Manager and this book has helped me greatly with my spanish buisness vocabulary. Another book that I have found to be even more indispensable for me and a definite "5" star is the book "Spanish for Human Resources Managers."
Book Description
Two renowned investment advisors and authors of the bestseller The Great Reckoning bring to light both currents of disaster and the potential for prosperity and renewal in the face of radical changes in human history as we move into the next century. The Sovereign Individual details strategies necessary for adapting financially to the next phase of Western civilization.
Few observers of the late twentieth century have their fingers so presciently on the pulse of the global political and economic realignment ushering in the new millennium as do James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg. Their bold prediction of disaster on Wall Street in Blood in the Streets was borne out by Black Tuesday. In their ensuing bestsellar, The Great Reckoning, published just weeks before the coup attempt against Gorbachev, they analyzed the pending collapse of the Soviet Union and foretold the civil war in Yugoslavia and other events that have proved to be among the most searing developments of the past few years.
In The Sovereign Individual, Davidson and Rees-Mogg explore the greatest economic and political transition in centuries -- the shift from an industrial to an information-based society. This transition, which they have termed "the fourth stage of human society," will liberate individuals as never before, irrevocably altering the power of government. This outstanding book will replace false hopes and fictions with new understanding and clarified values.
Customer Reviews:
A must read.......2007-10-17
A extremely thought provoking read. I found myself putting the book down and contemplating on what the author just stated. A must read for any investor or anyone for that matter.
James Dale Davidson - a scammer.......2007-02-22
Before you buy any of his books, make sure you research his previous books. I have never seen anyone so wrong, from his book "The Plague of the Black Debt." From that book, "...Bill Clinton is going to be a one-term President. He's going to get clobbered in the '96 election....I'm as sure of this as I am that the sun will rise tomorrow." He got 1/2 of that right. "...Bill Clinton's failure will take place against a backdrop of deep depression, urban riots, and people losing their homes."
none of this happened in when he wrote this trash in 1992, nor 2007. It was a scam for his Strategic Investment Limited Partnership.
Research this clown first!
Individual Sovereignty? Think about it........2007-02-04
The central idea is that our civilization is disintegrating, but not to worry we can save ourselves and become sovereign individuals. They go on to describe the police state that the US and UK have become and the privatization (looting) of our assets owned by government (us) as a wonderful event and while trouble makers will resist things like having there every move tracked by micro chips in the car etc. the "sovereign individual" will prosper. The scheme of transferring our public assets to private hands and then charging us for what we already paid for is not a condition that ethical people would ever recognize as an opportunity, but a crime that needs to be stopped.
Evidently having the cheesy British title "Lord" helps peddle ideas to the intellectual stillborn.
Required Reading for thoughtful individuals........2006-08-31
A must read perspective to understand current mega-societal economic, legal and political trends.
10 Years Later and it's coming true.......2006-04-11
I first read this book in 1996 and found it very interesting. It certainly gives a good history lesson. Last year, I decided to reread it. I have found many of their predictions come true, and none have been proven false yet. Unfortunately, I do believe the authors underestimated the power of the OECD to bully so called tax havens into capitulating. It is now almost impossible to open an offshore account as an American citizen. Not because it is illegal, but because offshore banks refuse to deal with the reporting requiremtns for Americans. A must read for any enlightened individual.
Book Description
- Providing intermediate- and advanced-level coverage of all aspects of System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) 2007, this invaluable resource discusses designing, planning, deploying, managing, maintaining, and scripting SCOM 2007
- Millions of IT professionals work in Windows Server environments and this book delivers exactly the information that systems administrators and network application developers need to deploy, manage, and maintain SCOM 2007
- A hands-on approach offers numerous real-world scenarios to show readers how to use the tool in various contexts
- The companion Web site contains a collection of ready-to-use scripts with directions for implementing them in network systems
Books:
- The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More
- The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning: A Project of the Music Educators National Conference
- The Order of Things: How Everything in the World Is Organized into Hierarchies, Structures, and Pecking Orders; Revised Edition
- The Road (Oprah's Book Club)
- The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert
- The Ten Faces of Innovation: IDEO's Strategies for Defeating the Devil's Advocate and Driving Creativity Throughout Your Organization
- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Jeep Wagoneer/Comanche/Cherokee 1984-98
- Dark Horse
- Public Economics: Selected Papers by William Vickrey
- Statistical Concepts for the Behavioral Sciences
- The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
- Yearbook of Tourism Statistics 2006: Data 2000-2004
- Pricing for Profitability: Activity-Based Pricing for Competitive Advantage
- The New Fibonacci Trader: Tools and Strategies for Trading Success
- The New Savory Wild Mushroom
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
The Story Factor (2nd Revised Edition)
Squirrel Inc.: A Fable of Leadership through Storytelling
The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations (KMCI Press)
Improving Your Storytelling (American Storytelling)
Storytelling in Organizations: Why Storytelling Is Transforming 21st Century Organizations and Management
