Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-02-13
I really enjoyed this book. One reason is because it is a short book, and another is that it is written in easy, understandable terms.
Best place for on line purchases.......2006-03-02
As always, very happy with the service received by Amazon. Pront delivery and in perfect condition.
Overall a very good book.......2005-12-09
This is a very well written book. I used this book as part of my MBA program. No frills or fluff - just goes right to the point and explains it well in relatively fewer words. Also helped me tremendously in my job and the knowledge gained from this book does helps me in doing a better job. A must read for all managers.
Easy to understand.......2005-10-26
This book gets right to the point. Even though it is direct it also offers excellent examples to help you understand the information quickly.
Well written and solid intro to the field of Org Behavior.......2004-07-13
"Essentials in Organizational Behavior" is a solid text for a course surveying the field of Organizational Behavior. Its sixteen chapters are grouped into four parts. Part I introduces the field of organizational behavior, its goals and functions within an organization along with some challenges and opportunities.
Part II contains chapters two through six and focuses on how individuals function within an organization and the considerations managers need to have with values, personality, motivation, emotions, and how individuals make decisions.
Part III contains chapters seven through twelve and discusses groups in the organization. It begins discussion foundations of group behavior, some basics on work teams, communication, leadership & creating trust, power & politics, conflict & negotiation.
Part IV discusses the Organization System in chapters thirteen through sixteen. It begins with the foundations of organizational structure, culture, and then gets into the role of human resource policies and practices. The book concludes with Organizational Change and Development.
There is an epilogue to wrap things up, endnotes, and index and a glossary.
The book is clearly written. I like the way the author presents a variety of views and theories and never becomes dogmatic about a certain approach. Because it is concise it actually has a chance of being read (the usual 750 page textbook is largely left unread in most courses). However, to really become proficient in any of the many topics presented here the student will have to do much more study and practical work. I am confident that any teacher adopting the text for coursework would make the necessity for further study clear to the student. The endnotes do provide many fine sources for such study, but I would like to have seen some sources organized into a list of readings for study organized by topic. It would have added a few pages, but would not have overburdened this text.
In any case, this is a good introductory read for anyone who wants to a quick tour of the universe of Organizational Behavior.
Amazon.com
The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player is another in a long line of titles by John Maxwell aimed at helping people attain their personal and leadership potential in the workplace. The book is organized into short chapters, each devoted to one of the 17 qualities that Maxwell deems essential to a successful and harmonious workplace, qualities such as competence, discipline, adaptability, commitment, selflessness, and preparedness. Maxwell's prose reads like a series of sermons, peppered with inspirational stories and quotes from personalities as diverse as Vince Lombardi ("The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender") and Henry Ford ("Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success"). The book is for Maxwell fans and anyone looking for a sensible and formulaic approach to improving their lot, both at work and in life. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
Where can a person go to learn how to become a better team player? Your choices are definitely limited. John C. Maxwell takes the pain out of knowing what makes a team tick. If you want to have a better team, you have to develop better players. Great team players, like great teams, are formed from the inside out.
The qualities Maxwell teaches quickly take you to the heart of teamwork. Anybody can understand them and apply them -- whether at home, on the job, at church, or on the ball field. If you learn the 17 essential qualities of a team player, you can become the kind of person every team wants. If everyone on your team does it, there will be no holding you back.
Customer Reviews:
Great book to use to facilitate team discussion.......2007-02-19
I used the 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player as a book to use for team discussions affirming or confirming how the team would operate. The chapters are a quick read and the qualities described supporting a successful and harmonious workplace cover most required behaviors of a good team member.
While John Maxwell's material is mostly from non-profit experiences, the stories and quotes are relevant and applicable to corporate America just as much as in the non-profit settings. In some cases my team offered criticisms of the examples, but even in those cases the opportunity to have the team discuss and agree on the essential attributes of teamwork was a success I would not have achieved without the support of the book. I have not used the websites referred to in the book.
How Effective of a team player are you?.......2007-02-02
Oh this is a wonderful study. We are going through leadership training in our church and our homework lol is to read this book. It is very good material. My husband and I enjoy it so much we go back and reread the chapter we've done read.
The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player .......2006-11-06
This book is very well written. It should be required reading in Organizational Behavior and other Management courses.
Misleading?.......2005-11-04
Many books and subjects taught should have a disclaimer stating that the information you are absorbing may not apply to the real world.
The only way I see the information in this book working is in a small company on its' way up. Im not saying that the information within is alltogether baseless, however, there are more than a few times while reading where I wondered what would be my fate if I had someone with a secretive agenda within my group of subordinates and I began to let down my guard just enough for them to knife me in the back? This book never suggests looking out for oneself. Dont get me wrong, trust is good, but you cannot allowed yourself to be disarmed by it.
Is the book worthy? ABSOLUTELY. All I am saying is that it should be taken with a grain of salt and not blindly adhered to.
not so surprising .......2005-04-26
nothing new , a lot of generalities, i am a bit deceived by the book ...
Book Description
This masterfully crafted introduction provides balanced coverage of all the key elements comprising the discipline of OB, in a style that readers will find both informative and interesting.
This includes not only traditional topics such as personality, motivation, and leadership; but also cutting-edge issues such as emotions, trust, work-life balance, workplace spirituality, and knowledge management.
People participating in any group or organizational activity.
Customer Reviews:
Essentials of Org. Behavior.......2005-01-14
Received book in excellent condition and in a timely manner!I would not hesitate to order from the seller again.
One of the best intro to OB.......2002-12-19
I find Robbins's OB one of the best introductionary books for OB. Though it does not contain lots of case studies, to get started with concepts, the easy to read layout and the interesting activities that he presents makes it a very good book to get started. I personally started my OB with a much more detailed book, but after I found this one, I used this as the starting point, to get the ideas, and then used more high level books to explore further.
Why not 5 stars, well, coz as I said, I did need to look at other books to explore in detail!
For the budding manager.......1999-12-20
This is a great book to understand the fundamentals of organizational behaviour. It is simple to understand, and the excellent layout and graphics make it enjoyable and ignite your curiosity. I read it from cover to cover in a matter of days. However, I do agree that more relevant case studies and applications should have been included.
Decent overall review of OB theories........1998-10-16
Robbins discusses current OB theory in a brief, concise manner. He does not provide many examples of real-teime applications, however. This is a hinderance to the book's usefulness as it is sometimes difficult to conceptualize how many of the theories might be practically implemented. Overall, a decent reference book.
Book Description
The Managerial Moment of Truth explains a powerful new concept that can dramatically improve performance and increase productivity, at no cost, in virtually any company or organization. Developed by organizational consultant and bestselling author Robert Fritz and proven in practice by coauthor Bruce Bodaken, the chairman, president, and CEO of Blue Shield of California, the book provides a dynamic technique to help people face up to reality and confront the truth in order to correct mistakes, learn from past performance, and adjust processes to build a more successful organization.
Given human nature, most managers, when faced with the harsh facts of substandard performance, tend to soften the truth with their direct reports, so as not to offend or upset them. They tend to avoid mentioning mistakes, missed dates, an incomplete project, unacceptable quality of work, and the like. Then, if the problem becomes egregious, the manager may suddenly overreact with a contentious confrontation that results in little long-term behavior change. Or else the manager will try to work around the substandard performance, shifting the workload to top performers on the team rather than addressing reality directly with the person concerned. Bodaken and Fritz provide a step-by-step approach for continuous improvement, in which managers deal with performance issues early on, to help employees face the truth without being made to feel denigrated, inept, or incompetent -- which would only defeat the desired goal of improvement. Moreover, this approach also greatly enhances the manager's own career success.
When managers understand and use this practice, they can produce more top performers and add from 25 to 40 percent more actual capacity to their organization. At Blue Shield of California, for example, more than one thousand managers have been trained in this approach, with impressive, measurable results, helping the company become one of the fastest-growing health care plans in the state. Other companies, all at the top of their industries, are now using MMOT with great success. As widely acclaimed author Peter Senge notes in his foreword, "This is not a book with just a bunch of 'good ideas.' It is a call to a simple but transformative practice, vital to building an organization truly worthy of people's highest achievement."
Customer Reviews:
The "gestalt" of mutual exploration and learning.......2007-02-07
Here's the core concept: the "managerial moment of truth" (MMOT) occurs when a supervisor and someone for whom she or he is directly responsible share a face-to-face interaction during which both are completely honest with each other about a given situation or issue. These interactions can involve praise and recognition for performance "above and beyond the call of duty," constructive criticism offered in response to unacceptable performance or inappropriate behavior, or collaboration on the solution of a problem or obtaining an answer to an especially important question. These and other interactive situations offer unique, potentially invaluable learning opportunities to create a shared experience during which important truth is revealed.
In this volume, Bruce Bodaken and Robert Fritz explain how the "managerial moment of truth approach" - one of mutual exploration and learning - can achieve and then sustain a decisive competitive advantage for any organization, regardless of its size or nature. They assert - and I wholly agree - that all managers must decide whether or not to ignore or explore especially important performance issues, especially in today's world where change is the only constant, especially in the workplace. They focus on how to prepare for and then create moments of "unvarnished" truth of substantial benefit to an individual, work teams, cross-discipline teams, senior management, subcontractor relationships, and strategic alliances. "Today, organizations are faced with sudden shifts in marketplace realities, migrating economics, and the lightning speed of globalization. The organizations that can deal with these changing realities have the best prospect for survival... Those organizations that cannot `handle the truth' will be left in the dust."
Of special interest to me is what Bodaken and Fritz provide in Chapter 7, "The Art of the Question: Exploring Reality." They correctly insist that to obtain the most important answers, it is necessary to ask the right questions. They identify four types of questions that can help to penetrate and reveal reality: information ("to expand the picture when we conduct a MMOT"), clarification ("to help define imprecise or unknown terms"), implication ("to recognize what is implied, and ask the person if it is true") and discrepancy ("to sort out contradictions"). There are two separate but related challenges: to ask the right type of question, and, to persist until a truthful and sufficient answer to it has been obtained. "Questions are a powerful tool for true dialogue and exploration. They enable us to see far beyond our usual vantage point. They guide us through new territories. They open new worlds of possibilities. They are the keys to the MMOT."
In the Foreword, Peter Senge describes the MMOT as "an elegant method that could have a significant impact in terms of "acknowledging present reality, examining people's thinking about hot it got that way, creating a plan for what needs to change, [and] establishing a feedback system to track improvement against that plan." Bodaken and Fritz suggest that those who are convinced of the value of the MMOT try it in small and simple situations first and dedicate themselves to the follow-through. Sense's advice also makes sense. "Do not expect others to implement what you yourself do not. Do not become an advocate for others to change their behavior. Become a practitioner of the managerial moment of truth yourself and ask others around you to help you be a good one." Senge then suggests that those unwilling and/or unable to do so, who "are not ready for this," set this book aside.
In all human communities, trust is the "glue" which holds them together and is almost entirely based on truth in the relationships between and among those involved. Bodaken and Fritz explain in this volume how the MMOT can improve on-the-job performance, of course, but in process will help to strengthen the aforementioned "glue" in ways and to an extent that otherwise would not be possible.
Good, straight-forward approach.......2007-02-07
The approach outlined and exampled many times throughout the book is a must for any manager or management team member. The approach can be used in just about any situation where changes must be made to behavior or decision-making to drive toward meeting expectations. It really drives toward asking many questions to gain better understanding. After seeing the talk by Bodaken on UCTV, I was curious enough to buy the book. I surely have gained some insight to better handle many situations in the workplace and outside the workplace.
Simplistic praticality. .......2006-10-05
The focus here is on increased performance, follows a clearly defined objective with an equally clear road map on how to accomplish that objective. THE MANAGERIAL MOMENT OF TRUTH begins by explaining just what a managerial moment of truth is, and then introduces the acronym MMOT that is used throughout. MMOT is a process that includes identification that what was asked for of a workforce is not what was delivered and the resulting decision of what to do about it.
Author's Bodaken and Fritz introduce, and give working examples of a four-step method that is highly usable in the workforce due to its' simplicity and the ease of seeing what works and what doesn't. Throughout, the book stresses the importance of truth in the work place. Overall, well written with practical advice.
A Book Which Resonates.......2006-08-26
Managerial Moment of Truth has made a great contribution to the literature and practice of performance management. I have worked in this field for 20 years and the process suggested by the authors is brilliant in it's simplicity and focus.
I have already bought dozens of copies for my clients and in evey instance my clients have loved it! It resonates with them as it deals with the "real" world, the everyday world faced by all managers. It also offers managers clear guidelines for having the conversations that are necessary to achieve what's most important for the organization and for the people within it.
The competitive advantage of truth telling.......2006-05-09
This is an excellent book that would benefit any manager or leader to read. It tackles the current hot topic of integrity and honesty in corporate life in a very practical and user-friendly way. The simple 'form' provided by Bodaken and Fritz not only provides a very accessible way for managers and leaders to dramatically improve the performance of their people, but also illustrates how to create a high performance organizational culture and leverage competitive advantage through people. The success of the Managerial Moment of Truth in the Blue Shield organization adds credibility and weight to the approach. I recommend this book to all leaders, managers and coaches.
Book Description
Teams -- the key to top performance
Motorola relied heavily on teams to surpass its competition in building the lightest, smallest, and highest-quality cell phones. At 3M, teams are critical to meeting the company's goal of producing half of each year's revenues from the previous five years' innovations. Kodak's Zebra Team proved the worth of black-and-white film manufacturing in a world where color is king.
But many companies overtook the potential of teams in turning around tagging profits, entering new markets, and making exciting innovations happen -- because they don't know how to utilize teams successfully. Authors Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith talked with hundreds of people in more than thirty companies to find out where and how teams work best and how to enhance their effectiveness. They reveal:
- The most important element in team success
- Who excels at team leadership ... and why they are rarely the most senior people
- Why companywide change depends on teams ... and more
Comprehensive and proven effective, The Wisdom of Teams is the classic primer on making teams a powerful tool for success in today's global marketplace.
Customer Reviews:
Good overview on the what and why of teams.......2007-09-09
Jon Katzenbach and Dough Smith is probably the most classical work on teams at the moment. It's a pretty good description on what teams are and what you can do to create working teams. It also covers quite well the why of teams: why would you want to have teams in your organization.
The book is divided into three parts:
- Understanding teams
- Becoming a team
- Exploiting the potential
The first part is the most important part of the book. In the first chapter the authors describe why you would want to have teams in your organization. The second chapter goes on to describe one team in action. The authors use lots of stories of teams throughout the book to make their points clear. The third chapter describes six points which they call the basics of teams:
1) Small
2) Complementary skills
3) Shared purpose
4) Clear specific goals
5) Clear working approach
6) Sense of mutual accountability
In the fourth chapter, the authors give more examples.
The second part of the book introduces the team performance curve. The authors make the distinction between working groups and real teams. They consider that real teams perform higher, but its more difficult to achieve that. Between real teams and working groups they identifies the pseudo-teams, which have a performance below average, and the potential teams, which have a performance about equal to the working groups. Next to these, the author still recognize the high-performance teams, which are exceptional, but have a level of performance above all the others. Part two mainly continues explaining and clarifying this model.
The third part is called "exploiting the potential" and talks about higher management teams and about how to build your organization to support teams.
The book is easy readable and well structured. Some of the examples and stories are nice, though some of them do not go in too much detail. In general, I felt that the book could be thinner and some of the stories could be skipped. The authors used a little too much words, hence I'll rate the book 4 stars and not 5.
Still, when interested in teams, this book is certainly recommended.
The Wisdom of Teams Displays Much Wisdom.......2007-06-08
This book is an excellent read for anyone with responsibilities for leading groups of people to attain desired and sometimes even extraordinary outcomes within their organization. The insights revealed here are a critically important option for organizations that wish or need to attain productivity beyond what can be realized from the sum of individual contributions. Understanding the discipline of real teams can turn someone with average leadership abilities and potential into an extraordinary leader.
How to form high-performance teams.......2007-01-24
What's nice about Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith's book is their willingness to name the truth. They know that everyone pays lip service to teams, but few people act like they truly value teams - and fewer still actually know how teams really work. The authors point out where the hype lies and what it is hiding. Then they go a step farther. They provide a manual for creating what executives say they want: high-performance teams. They illustrate their suggestions, insights and guidelines with a lot of stories of real-world teams, focusing on what makes them work. Their rules are so clear that they leave little room for protecting any cherished illusions. As a result, we find that those readers who are willing to act upon the book's counsel will get the most from it. If you're seriously interested in diagnosing nonperforming teams and creating ones that perform, you'll enjoy this book. And, if you think you're already doing everything right, but your team mysteriously just isn't working...this may solve the puzzle.
Powerful!.......2006-03-01
Katzenbach has created a very powerful, easy to follow methodology. A great read even if you're not trying to grow a team. Helps you set specific priorities and directions for a team, and to analyze your place in the team's process and development.
Wisdom of Corruption.......2006-01-25
While this book presents clear theories and structural understanding of teams, the case studies are not the greatest testament to their validity. It makes one wonder how much fluff is behind the principles. This "older" book uses case studies from organizations heralded in years past, but which have now proven to be the world's most corrupt organizations. My personal favorite: "Deal-to-Steel" (appropriately named) a case study of teams at Enron, which authors state is "an organization built on individual accountability." These case studies of high performing organizations make one question the credibility of the research. Furthermore, the authors' record of consulting to some of the most infamous companies known makes me wonder if you'd rather pick up a book about securing your future by Ken Lay, or sound accounting practices by Andy Fastow.
Now, the rest of the story... I did contact the publisher about the poor case studies when a group of students used the book for late night amusement and then heard presenters quote the pitiful examples before seas of laughing professionals. I thought the authors might wish to revamp case studies in future editions. The publisher agreed to contact the authors' representative. Months later, I received a complimentary copy of a new edition--same bad case studies, new cover and a higher price. Our company's bulk orders of the text immediately ceased. Good riddens-- it was dry reading anyway.
Book Description
A streamlined version of Cummings and Worley's market-leading Organization Development and Change, this book applies behavioral science knowledge to the development of organization strategies, structures, and processes.
Customer Reviews:
Use It With Beitler's or Kotter's Book.......2003-08-28
This book is OK as a textbook in a classroom, if it is used along with a practice book, such as Beitler's or Kotter's.
An OD Practitioner & College Instructor
Book Description
Never HIGHLIGHT a Book Again! Virtually all testable terms, concepts, persons, places, and events are included.look no further for study resources or reference material. Cram101 Textbook Outlines gives all of the outlines, highlights, notes, and practice-tests for your textbook. Only Cram101 is Textbook Specific. Cram101 is NOT the Textbook.
Book Description
Organizational Behavior [essentials] offers the same quality of contemporary knowledge, excellent readability, and classroom support that has made the hardback book by the same author team one of the best-selling OB books around the world - but in a smaller package. It applies four fundamental principles: linking theory with reality, organizational behavior for everyone, contemporary theory foundation, and active learning support. McShane and Von Glinow have sliced out the extended or secondary topics so students can drill down to what is really essential. Although this book is less than two-thirds the length of their comprehensive hardback textbook, it doesn’t skimp on classroom support. In this era of active learning, critical thinking, and outcomes-based teaching, these supplements are becoming more "essential" than ever.
Customer Reviews:
OB is very very boring.......2007-01-21
If you can avoid taking an OB course please do so. The book much like my class is all about memorizatoin. The book has nice pictures but for close to $100 why not get a book that is actually interesting to read.
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Organizational Behavior Reader, The (8th Edition)
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