Average customer rating:
- team of rivals
- Firsst Rate
- When Minor Characters Get Leading Roles
- For the love of history
- Doesn't live up to its title
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Team of Rivals
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0684824906
Release Date: 2005-10-25 |
Amazon.com
The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Team of Rivals, esteemed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin proves that we do. Though she can't help but cover some familiar territory, her perspective is focused enough to offer fresh insights into Lincoln's leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation. Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. These men, all accomplished, nationally known, and presidential, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience, and were shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer. Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration--Seward as secretary of state, Chase as secretary of the treasury, and Bates as attorney general--he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well. How he soothed egos, turned rivals into allies, and dealt with many challenges to his leadership, all for the sake of the greater good, is largely what Goodwin's fine book is about. Had he not possessed the wisdom and confidence to select and work with the best people, she argues, he could not have led the nation through one of its darkest periods.
Ten years in the making, this engaging work reveals why "Lincoln's road to success was longer, more tortuous, and far less likely" than the other men, and why, when opportunity beckoned, Lincoln was "the best prepared to answer the call." This multiple biography further provides valuable background and insights into the contributions and talents of Seward, Chase, and Bates. Lincoln may have been "the indispensable ingredient of the Civil War," but these three men were invaluable to Lincoln and they played key roles in keeping the nation intact. --Shawn Carkonen
The Team of Rivals
| Team of Rivals doesn't just tell the story of Abraham Lincoln. It is a multiple biography of the entire team of personal and political competitors that he put together to lead the country through its greatest crisis. Here, Doris Kearns Goodwin profiles five of the key players in her book, four of whom contended for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination and all of whom later worked together in Lincoln's cabinet. |
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1. Edwin M. Stanton
Stanton treated Lincoln with utter contempt at their initial acquaintance when the two men were involved in a celebrated law case in the summer of 1855. Unimaginable as it might seem after Stanton's demeaning behavior, Lincoln offered him "the most powerful civilian post within his gift"--the post of secretary of war--at their next encounter six years later. On his first day in office as Simon Cameron's replacement, the energetic, hardworking Stanton instituted "an entirely new regime" in the War Department. After nearly a year of disappointment with Cameron, Lincoln had found in Stanton the leader the War Department desperately needed. Lincoln's choice of Stanton revealed his singular ability to transcend personal vendetta, humiliation, or bitterness. As for Stanton, despite his initial contempt for the man he once described as a "long armed Ape," he not only accepted the offer but came to respect and love Lincoln more than any person outside of his immediate family. He was beside himself with grief for weeks after the president's death.
2. Salmon P. Chase
Chase, an Ohioan, had been both senator and governor, had played a central role in the formation of the national Republican Party, and had shown an unflagging commitment to the cause of the black man. No individual felt he deserved the presidency as a natural result of his past contributions more than Chase himself, but he refused to engage in the practical methods by which nominations are won. He had virtually no campaign and he failed to conciliate his many enemies in Ohio itself. As a result, he alone among the candidates came to the convention without the united support of his own state. Chase never ceased to underestimate Lincoln, nor to resent the fact that he had lost the presidency to a man he considered his inferior. His frustration with his position as secretary of the treasury was alleviated only by his his dogged hope that he, rather than Lincoln, would be the Republican nominee in 1864, and he steadfastly worked to that end. The president put up with Chase's machinations and haughty yet fundamentally insecure nature because he recognized his superlative accomplishments at treasury. Eventually, however, Chase threatened to split the Republican Party by continuing to fill key positions with partisans who supported his presidential hopes. When Lincoln stepped in, Chase tendered his resignation as he had three times before, but this time Lincoln stunned Chase by calling his bluff and accepting the offer.
3. Abraham Lincoln
When Lincoln won the Republican presidential nomination in 1860 he seemed to have come from nowhere--a backwoods lawyer who had served one undistinguished term in the House of Representatives and lost two consecutive contests for the U.S. Senate. Contemporaries attributed his surprising nomination to chance, to his moderate position on slavery, and to the fact that he hailed from the battleground state of Illinois. But Lincoln's triumph, particularly when viewed against the efforts of his rivals, owed much to a remarkable, unsuspected political acuity and an emotional strength forged in the crucible of hardship and defeat. That Lincoln, after winning the presidency, made the unprecedented decision to incorporate his eminent rivals into his political family, the cabinet, was evidence of an uncanny self-confidence and an indication of what would prove to others a most unexpected greatness.
4. William H. Seward
A celebrated senator from New York for more than a decade and governor of his state for two terms before going to Washington, Seward was certain he was going to receive his party's nomination for president in 1860. The weekend before the convention in Chicago opened he had already composed a first draft of the valedictory speech he expected to make to the Senate, assuming that he would resign his position as soon as the decision in Chicago was made. His mortification at not having received the nomination never fully abated, and when he was offered his cabinet post as secretary of state he intended to have a major role in choosing the remaining cabinet members, conferring upon himself a position in the new government more commanding than that of Lincoln himself. He quickly realized the futility of his plan to relegate the president to a figurehead role. Though the feisty New Yorker would continue to debate numerous issues with Lincoln in the years ahead, exactly as Lincoln had hoped and needed him to do, Seward would become his closest friend, advisor, and ally in the administration. More than any other cabinet member Seward appreciated Lincoln's peerless skill in balancing factions both within his administration and in the country at large.
5. Edward Bates
A widely respected elder statesman, a delegate to the convention that framed the Missouri Constitution, and a former Missouri congressman whose opinions on national matters were still widely sought, Bates's ambitions for political success were gradually displaced by love for his wife and large family, and he withdrew from public life in the late 1840s. For the next 20 years he was asked repeatedly to run or once again accept high government posts but he consistently declined. However in early 1860, with letters and newspaper editorials advocating his candidacy crowding in upon him, he decided to try for the highest office in the land. After losing to Lincoln he vowed, in his diary, to decline a cabinet position if one were to be offered, but with the country "in trouble and danger" he felt it was his duty to accept when Lincoln asked him to be attorney general. Though Bates initially viewed Lincoln as a well-meaning but incompetent administrator, he eventually concluded that the president was an unmatched leader, "very near being a 'perfect man.'" |
The Essential Doris Kearns Goodwin
Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir |
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II |
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream |
More New Reading on the Civil War
Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk |
Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War by Charles Bracelen Flood |
The March: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow |
Book Description
Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.
On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry.
Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war. That Lincoln succeeded, Goodwin demonstrates, was the result of a character that had been forged by experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He won because he possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires.
It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war.
We view the long, horrifying struggle from the vantage of the White House as Lincoln copes with incompetent generals, hostile congressmen, and his raucous cabinet. He overcomes these obstacles by winning the respect of his former competitors, and in the case of Seward, finds a loyal and crucial friend to see him through.
This brilliant multiple biography is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history.
Customer Reviews:
team of rivals.......2007-10-05
great look at the inner workings of the executive branch This cabinet was hardly a "team". In comparison to the way cabinets members are selelected in our era of political, Lincoln showed incredible political courage to select this group.
Firsst Rate.......2007-09-25
Well written, captivating. Brings to life Lincoln's great intellect and personality. Facinating detailed character development of Lincoln's rivals and his attempts to heal and unify.
When Minor Characters Get Leading Roles.......2007-09-18
The Civil War is America's great epic story and Abraham Lincoln is our great national hero. It is a beautiful story almost perfect in its every detail. Consequently, it has been told many times in the one hundred and forty two years since its conclusion. Doris Kearns Goodwin needed to find a new angle in order to write her Lincoln biography. Her take was to write a group of biography of Lincoln and the men who formed his War Cabinet.
For her approach to work, relatively minor characters must be elevated to leading roles. The Civil War is such a compelling story with so many memorable characters. While reading this book, I had to wonder why Kearns Goodwin devoted so many pages to Edward Bates' early legal career or Kate Chase's social life. The pages she devotes to them, takes away from more important characters and events.
This is a very long book and it takes some measure of fortitude to finish it. Although, I had to wonder about Kearns Goodwin's focus on these relatively minor characters, I stuck with the book because she is such a strong writer. You would have to be a very hard person not to tear up while reading her description of Lincoln's last day. In the final analysis, Doris Kearns Goodwin is up to the task of re-telling our great national story. Recommended.
For the love of history.......2007-08-29
I loved this book. Doris Kearns Goodwin is an excellent writer, she did 10 years of research before writing this book. She makes you feel as if you are there. You find out what a brilliant man Lincoln was and how he surrounded himself with men who were not always his strongest supporters. I did not want it to end.
Doesn't live up to its title.......2007-08-24
The book is very well written and the writer is--of course--extremely reliable. My only complaint is that it's not what it claims to be. I was expecting an in-depth report on how Lincoln molded this group of men into a real team--sort of a "Lincoln on Leadership," for the 21st century. I was hoping for all kinds of insights and practical, homespun wisdom. But instead it was simply a history of his administration. So in spite of how well written and thoroughly researched it was, I was disappointed.
Book Description
An essential guide for any small group that must deliver team performance.
With the demand for project-oriented work and faster, more nimble responses, successful small-group performance is more crucial than ever. Katzenbach and Smith, authors of the international bestseller The Wisdom of Teams, have again joined forces, revealing how to implement the disciplines, frameworks, tools, and techniques required for team- and small-group performance. Combining their insights and practical strategies, they offer concepts and pragmatic, doable exercises for team leaders and team members to deliver results. Hot topics covered include: why small-group performance demands expertise at two disciplines, team level and leader level, instead of one; virtual teams; and global teams. This book combines practical exercises with cutting-edge insights, and both authors are authorities on the subject.
Attend a featured author workshop at the 13th International Conference on Work Teams: Collaborating for Competitive Advantage, September 23-25, 2002, in Dallas, TX. For information, contact the Center for the Study of Work Teams at 940 565 3096 or visit them online at www.workteams.unt.edu.
Download Description
An essential guide for any small group that must deliver team performance
Customer Reviews:
Sparks great ideas!.......2007-03-08
This was a great read! 15 pages into the book I came up with a great idea for my restaurant. I continued to the read the book and within 2 days, I completed it and had written an Executive Summary for my business. Very motivational and provides tons of information. I'm glad I purchased the book.
A 'must have' for any consultant who works with teams........2006-08-27
I won't write a detailed review, here's what I found helpful:
- the distinction between performance and activity goals.
A re-cap of their original research into the five basic elements fo effective group work.
1. Have or develop an understandable charter.
2. Communicate and co-ordinate effectively.
3. Establish clear roles and responsibilities.
4. Create time-efficient processes.
5. Develop a sense of accountability.
Clear distinction between when a single leader 'discipline' is warranted or when a real team discipline is warranted.
Great re-cap about establishing clear outcomes.
Once the background is set-up, it becomes an issue of delving deeper into the application of their recommendations. It is great stuff! But you'll have to buy the book to 'get it'!
They do a good job in dissecting how virtual teams are different and similar to teams with co-located members.
Finally, I really like their road to getting a team 'unstuck'. Their observation that teams that become stuck revert to single-leader leadership is absolutely true. They posit that it's necessary for a good team to become stuck. As pain as it might be, you have a great opportunity to:
- clarify goals
- identify missing skills
- address attitude issues
- grapple with changing members
- address time pressures
- work on lack of discipline
The chapter on change is pretty decent, the rest of the content is golden.
I've rated this five stars as it's a must for anyone who works with teams.
Damien Faughnan
Skip the text and go to the exercises.......2005-05-08
This so-called sequel to The Wisdom of Teams is a "workbook" with exercises. It offers no new insights/guidance for readers of the 2002 paperback update of The Wisdom of Teams.
I am a fan of Katzenbach and Smith. As a business consultant, I have introduced clients to their work and worked to adapt and apply their insights. Wisdom of Teams is a great foundation. Their other books--Peak Performance and Why Pride Matters More than Money--offer useful new insights even though they are better understood if readers are familiar with The Widdom of Teams.
Nice overview, but lacks concrete guidance.......2005-03-10
This book excels at drawing the line between leader-driven and team-driven groups of individuals. It also characterizes some of the failure cases very well -- teams that are too large, teams that don't have a clear vision and purpose, teams that are disconnected from the rest of the organization, etc.
However, I struggled to see how to clearly draw the line between which style to guide your team into. The rough guidance seemed a bit self-referential: "when the task can best be done with a single leader, do it with a single leader." What about if you're not sure? Try both and take it as a lesson learned? Maybe I just missed it, but the book lacked the critial information I needed to be able to fully apply it in my situation.
Discipline of Teams.......2001-06-29
As the sequel to The Wisdom of Teams, John Katzenbach and Douglas Smith return to uncover the tools, techniques, frameworks and disciplines required to unlock the performance potential that lie within today's teams and virtual teams.
Performance potential is not guaranteed, and you need to become an expert at the two disciplines - team and single leader and, you must be able to implement the right discipline to suit the performance need of your team.
Katzenbach & Smith identify and discuss the Six Basic Principles of Team Discipline: 1) keep team numbers to a minimum, 2) ensure that team members possess skills that compliment one another, 3) identify a clear performance purpose, 4) agree on outcome based goals, 5) provide clear roles and responsibilities and, 6) ensure mutual and individual accountability.
As a follow-up to their insights and strategies, Katzenbach and Smith provide practical exercises at the conclusion of each chapter for both team members and leaders to get them on the road to optimal performance.
The Discipline of Teams is easy to read and will provide the reader with tools, techniques and strategies to assist in becoming top performers within today's organizations. On a personal note, The Discipline of Teams provided me with some new techniques to help develop and maintain effective teams for today and in the future.
Book Description
Famous "Work-Out" change-management tool explained by the people who helped develop it.
GE's legendary Work-Out program played a key role in the company's phenomenal success over the past decade and has been implemented in many other organizations. Now three executives and consultants who developed the original Work-Out approach at GEoften working directly with CEO Jack Welchdiscuss the inner workings of Work-Out and their experiences at successfully implementing the program at GE.
Filled with effective assessment and decisionmaking tools, The GE Work-Out provides concrete and realistic guidance for anyone who wants to implement Work-Out and break down bureaucracy and hierarchy within an organization.
Download Description
GE's legendary Work-Out program played a key role in the company's phenomenal success over the past decade and has been implemented in many other organizations. Now three executives and consultants who developed the original Work-Out approach at GE often working directly with CEO Jack Welch discuss the inner workings of Work-Out and their experiences at successfully implementing the program at GE.
Customer Reviews:
Sound advice for delivering speed, simplicity, and solutions.......2005-01-07
'Work-Out' is the famous organizational process that General Electric, the greatest industrial firm in the world, used to bust bureaucracy - fast.
At its core, Work-Out is a simple, straightforward concept for cutting out bureaucracy and solving organizational problems - fast. Large groups of employees and managers - from different levels and functions of the organization - come together to address issues that they identify or that senior management has raised as concerns. In small teams, people challenge prevailing assumptions about "the way we've always done things" and come up with recommendations for dramatic improvements in organizational processes. The Work-Out teams present their recommendations to a senior manager in a "town meeting", where the manager engages the entire group in a dialogue about the recommendations and then makes yes-or-no decisions on the spot. Recommendations for changing the organization are assigned to "owners" who have volunteered to carry them out and follow through to get results. That's Work-Out in a nutshell.
Work-Out can be applied to almost any type of problem. It was first used at GE to harvest the low-hanging fruit of OVERGROWN BUREAUCRACY by getting unnecessary and unproductive work out of the organizational system - e.g. reduce meetings, reports, and approval levels. They asked what procedures didn't make sense? Where were they wasting time? What activities seemed to add little value? Some of the bureaucratic procedures were expense reimbursements, making travel arrangements, obtaining office supplies, updating personnel data, taking education courses, upgrading software, and more. But also in the core functions, bureaucracy was found: filling out forms for deals, preparing presentations for approval meetings, keeping track of customer data, obtaining approval for materials purchasing, overwhelming amounts of extra analysis to justify various investments or initiatives. Some of the results were e.g. that expense accounts did not need multiple approvals, people could purchase approved software without going through the IT department, and a pre-deal process was established to see if deals were worth pursuing before going through all the analytics.
Work-Out has been successfully adapted to any type of organization - public or private, commercial or non-profit, large or small. In all of these organizations, no matter what the issue, the process remains much the same.
1. Bring together the people from the organization who know the issues best
2. Challenge them to develop creative solutions
3. Decide on the solutions immediately in a public forum
4. Empower people to carry them out
Despite its massive impact on GE and other firms, Work-Out is not a snake oil or magic elixir. It is a simple set of concepts, tools, and experiences. When stripped to its essence, Work-Out allows people to get some obstacles out of the way so they can do their work better. In many firms, that alone would be a significant gain.
The real merit of this book is the practical approach. If you are - as I am - struggling with the challenges of continually keeping our organizations lean, then this book can help you. It contains many inspiring worksheets, action plans, tools, and hands-on case studies.
The authors of this book helped GE create Work-Out. So don't expect theoretical contributions. Only sound advice.
Co-author Dave Ulrich is one of my favourite HR experts. I can recommend many of his books, e.g. `Results-Based Leadership' and `Delivering Results'. To him, HR is about delivering business performance and organizational capabilities. Cause if you don't, you'll soon be out of business. The tricky part is balancing the soft and hard part of HR. Dave Ulrich has many good concepts to make that happen. This book is not a bad place to start, if you'd like to pick his brains...
Peter Leerskov,
M.Sc. in International Business (Marketing & Management) and Graduate Diploma in E-business
Packed Wiyh Knowledge!.......2004-05-02
There's no denying the effectiveness of the Work-Out system at General Electric (GE). This book is a straightforward and comprehensive introduction to what Work-Oout means and how it helped GE achieve such astonishing results under Jack Welch, who introduced it. This clear, well-organized book makes it possible for any executive or manager to apply at least some elements of the work-out program in any organizational context. We do caution you, however, that the Work-Out program as portrayed here demands a great deal of commitment and moral fortitude from leaders. Empowerment may be effective, but it is rarely comfortable for the powers that be. Just ask "Neutron Jack."
Good Idea - Bad Book.......2003-12-19
I completely agree with the reader who said that this book could have been written much more effectively. It is nearly 400 pages and should have been no more than 25 to 50. Most issues or thoughts in this book while being solid are explained in far far too painful of detail with a great deal of redundancy. This made reading the book extremely wasteful of my time.
Perhaps the authors should have a "Work Out" on improvement of their materials.
Great. Lots of first-hand tips to turnaround a large company.......2003-03-28
Unlike other books on Six Sigma that focus on variation reduction, statistics and other tools, this book is full of practical examples of techniques and implementation tips. The focal point of the book is on the process of generating the turnaround in a large conglomerate such as GE. In this case the aspects of organizational behavior constitute THE critical success factor (rather than statistical/other tools). Workout has undoubtedly been fundamental for generating the cultural transformation in GE. This book is addressing these organizational behavior aspects in a pragmatic manner presenting a detailed road-map from planning all the way through implementation.
Most examples deal with administration/bureaucracy and I would have expected to read more on operational aspects such as value chain improvement in a Production/Logistics environment.
This book is a must for top managers that search for a generic methodology to translate their vision into reality.
Very Bad Buy.......2002-12-05
This is one of the worst books I've ever purchased. The ideas in this book could be fully explained in no more than two or three pages. I bought it relying on the CV's of the authors but it turned out to be a true dud. It rehashes the same ideas over and over and over and over. It's for the braindead.
Book Description
The Hudson Highland Center for High Performance recently completed the largest and most in-depth global study ever done of the factors that accelerate or stifle high performance. The alarming conclusion: only 10 percent of knowledge workers are part of a high-performing workgroup, one that makes money for the company and is creating a new product or service.
Contagious Success reveals Susan Lucia Annunzio's proven strategies for identifying, nurturing, and replicating business units that are already high performing. These workgroups tend to be ignored while senior management focuses on fixing its lowest performing units. But Annunzio argues for the opposite strategy: Focus on the groups that are doing the best work in the organization, learn their secrets, and help spread their expertise to the average groups.
Annunzio focuses on groups, not individuals, because even a great individual can't succeed in a weak environment. By using the high-performing groups to improve just the top 20 percent of the average performers—what Annunzio calls “moving the middle”—a company can achieve dramatic, sustainable growth in revenue and profits.
This is a book for leaders who want to unleash the hidden potential in their organizations.
Customer Reviews:
More "what" than "how".......2007-02-09
Susan Annunzio and her research associates studied about 3,000 people who belonged to high performance work groups in dozens of different companies. What they learned is shared in this book. The core concept of this book is to spread high performance through an organization by identifying its high-performing workgroups - examine their environment -- and then share their "secrets." The book's premise is that success will then be contagious and "spread" throughout the entire organization.
What is required? First, "value people." I agree. However, in any organization, some people are more valuable than are others. The challenge is to get each person's strengths in proper alignment with the results that person is expected to produce. Next, "optimize critical thinking" and again I agree. However, some people's critical thinking skills (e.g. problem solving) are stronger than others'. The challenge is to identify those with the strongest skills and then locate them where those skills are most needed. Finally, "seize opportunities" and once again I agree. However, some positions offer greater opportunities to improve performance than do others. The challenge is to select those areas in which improvement will be of greatest value to the organization and then assign to those areas the people who are best qualified (in terms of knowledge, skills, temperament, etc.) to achieve the desired improvement. Measure what matters to improve what matters.
There are no head-snapping revelations in this book, nor does Annunzio claim to offer any. Several of the book's assertions are problematic. For example, on page 190, the reader is provided with a chart displaying two columns: On the left, "Conventional Wisdom" (e.g. "Hiring and nurturing high potential individuals will drive high performance.") and "Reality" (e.g. "It's the workgroup, not the individual."). In fact, both statements are true rather than mutually exclusive. I also challenge most of the other juxtapositions of "Conventional Wisdom" and "Reality" which incorrectly suggest either/or rather than sometimes yes/sometimes no.
Many readers will find the results of the research interesting and few will disagree with the importance of creating a workplace environment within which collaborative high performance is achieved and sustained. I would have added a fifth star to my rating had Annunzio devoted less attention to "what" and more attention to "how." For those in need of such guidance, I highly recommend The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization co-authored by Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith, Patrick M. Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, and Organizing Genius: The Secrets of Creative Collaboration co-authored by Warren G. Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman.
Not worth it, common sense information; not for MBA students.......2006-04-04
This book was a dissapointment for my whole MBA class. Definitely, if you have the slightest idea about how management works, this book will not bring you any new information. It is all based on a 3,000 people study.
The author repeats the same ideas 2-5 times, so it becomes pretty boring. The examples are not something you can relate to.
This book does not have any longevity, it is not something that you can go back and refer to, in a few months/years.
Real Life Experiences?.......2005-10-25
The first couple chapters were full of information that did not make sense. After Chapter Two the author does a great job showing the big picture. I couldn't help but chuckle during company meetings after reading this book. The real life experiences described in the book are exactly what my workforce reactions are to everyday situations. This book has been key to crossing the divide between upper management and the shop floor worker.
contagious success- - - - .......2005-09-16
I purchased this book for my husband who liked it enough to buy more copies to use at his workplace.
An excellent resource for business and task managers looking to create the optimum work environment and flow.......2005-09-11
Contagious Success: Spreading High Performance Throughout Your Organization by Susan Lucia Annunzio (Chairman and CEO of the Hudson Highland Center for High Performance) is based upon the first global study conducted on the factors that accelerate high performance in a work environment. The lessons and invaluable insights learned from this research, some of which defy conventional wisdom, spell out not only how to create high performance but how to effectively destroy it. A straightforward do's and don'ts recommendation list, with key tips enumerated in bullet points, covering everything from the effects of workgroup size to the extent to which secrets should be shared to the nuts and bolts of the study itself and how it was conducted. An excellent resource for business and task managers looking to create the optimum work environment and flow.
Book Description
University
Drawing upon research from leading scholars in the fields of social psychology, organization behavior, sociology, and cognitive psychology, this invaluable resource for both young managers and seasoned executives alike covers both basic and cutting-edge team building and management principles as it outlines in a clear, step-by-step fashion how to improve the functioning of teams within an organization. Introduces the basic building blocks for analyzing and perfecting teamwork; addresses the assessment of a team's performance and productivity; and discusses when and how to reward teamwork in organizations. Focuses on internal dynamics, i.e, structuring tasks, selecting people, and fostering team relationships; how teams communicate, process information, and create a collective team intelligence; and ways to bring out a team's maximum creativity. Covers external dynamics, i.e, team boundaries, inter-team relations, networking, and boundary-spanning; dual-tasks of effective leadership; issues of conflict and competition between teams in the organization; and the impact of information technology on both global and local teamwork. Begins each chapter with a case study of a real team and company, and includes practical appendices that include tips on how to run a meeting; discussions on how to build and maintain an effective study group; and examples of 360-degree evaluations. For organizational managers and team leaders.
Customer Reviews:
Not up to standard.......2007-04-17
This book was a required text, otherwise I never would have read it. The book is full of inconstancies, bad literary technique, and it takes to many pages to cover not enough material. The authors personal prejudices are obvious. There are better books on teamwork available.
Excellent textbook........2006-03-09
I was required to purchase this book for a project management course and it's one of the better texts I've read on the topic. Well organized and easily referenced, one of the main strengths of the book is it's analysis of real world examples. Very good text overall.
Worth the Price for "External Evironments".......2001-04-19
Leigh Thompson has done it again. Like few others this Northwestern University scholar takes current research and puts it on the page like few other experts. I particularly found the sections on dealing with conflict within teams, creativity, and social capital (in the External Evironment section) worth reading. I keep this book with me when I am meeting with a team. I use the individual chapters as a guide for activities there. If you have an interest in teams, Leigh Thompson is the one expert you should include in your library.
Making the Team Makes the Grade!.......2000-01-16
Whether you work in teams, design them, or study them, you will find much of value in this book. Drawing on a wealth of social and behavioral science findings, Leigh Thompson shows the advantages, and the pitfalls, of getting things done through teamwork. Clearly written, with many case examples, Thompson builds on her research and consulting experiences to create a complex picture of what makes groups tick. I particularly liked her explanation of how to foster creativity in teams, as well as how to deal with the inevitable conflicts that arise. She notes that teams are not a panacea. However, under the right conditions, properly organized teams contribute substantially to their organizations. If you're dissatisfied with the way things are going in your organization, this book would make a great (anonymous?) gift for your boss!
Book Description
In this thoroughly updated edition of his classic book, Hargrove introduces you to Masterful Coaching, the method, Hargrove draws on his in-depth experience of coaching leaders at all levels gained since writing the first edition. The book provides guiding ideas, tools, and methods that will empower you on your own journey to Masterful Coaching. You will learn to empower people to transform who they are as leaders and at the same time their ability to produce results that were previously considered impossible by applying triple loop learning. This is about ripping the blinders off so that people see that who they are, the goals they set, and the plans they make, and actions they take are often part of historical winning strategies that are the source of their past success but that limit them from achieving what's possible or playing a much bigger game.
Customer Reviews:
Essential For Your Library!.......2007-01-10
For anyone who is a coach, considering becoming a coach, or curious about coaching, this book is a MUST read! Hargroove clearly distinguishes between a coach and a "Masterful Coach" - one that gets results. It's a different paradigm and different way of being with coaching clients that gets results. He shows that coaching is about serving others from the perspective that they are whole and complete; it's not about fixing or helping them.
Coaching + Systems Thinking = Transformation!.......2005-12-15
The author integrates coaching with systems thinking and the learning organization popularized by Peter Senge's book "The Fifth Discipline". This revised edition shows the Hargrove's approach is still fresh and surprisingly unique, given all the recent books published on coaching.
One unique contribution is Hargrove's model of triple-loop learning. It is a model of reflection. The first loop is reflecting on the outcome of actions for incremental improvement. The second loop is reflecting on assumptions that led to the decisions about those actions. The third loop is self-reflection on the core identity of the decision maker. This acknowledges that who we are influences our assumptions about the world and thus our actions. This type of reflection has become the core of quality coaching.
Other particularly helpful sections are the chapters on stretch goals and breakthrough thinking. Pushing for breakthroughs, rather than incremental change, requires the use of stretch goals. Hargrove tells us how to coach through the process of setting stretch goals. He says you first must decide what would be a breakthrough, then dig inside for motivation by examining why it is important to achieve and what's in it for me? Finally, learning and acting differently is essential to reaching stretch goals.
Hargrove's combination of systems thinking and learning organization principles with coaching is a real winner. Other books might be more thorough on the "how to" of coaching but his theory and tools for transformational change are excellent and unique.
Every coach should read this book!.......2003-05-03
In the last ten years since I started coaching managers and leaders, I have read almost everything out there on the subject. This book stands out! The distinctions Hargrove makes about coaching provide clarity, while being very useable and transferable to others. He also writes in a very readable style, and balances profundity and humor to get his points across. Some points that I found especially useful were:
How to generate a powerful coaching relationship by clarifying what each person needs to bring to the party. I found this extremely helpful in re-igniting an ebbing coaching relationship.
Hargrove writes that a leader needs to "be the source" of their impossible future or what it is that they want to create. He shows how to coach someone to do this.
Thinking drives behavior. Hargrove provides clarity and examples on how to coach people in a more profound and deeper way than the usual tips and techniques that novice coaches give.
Hargrove also writes about getting feedback for the coaching client by doing interviews rather than using the typical 360 degree feedback forms. He says, "If more than one person calls you a horse, saddle up!"
I recommend this book to coaches, managers and leaders who want to up the level of their game.
Fantastic revision of an already great book!.......2003-05-03
I found Hargrove's book inspiring, insightful, and useful. I had read his first book - which was pivotal for me in creating my own coaching business-- and have found that he has taken this work to another level-a very compelling, as well as easy read. The two parts that I found most applicable to my own coaching clients were his step-by-step approach to coaching executives and the part on creating a "laboratory" that fosters collaboration within a group. I was able to bring these principles to a client who was wowed by what we were able to generate for her business. I would recommend this book to any coach, internal and external to a company, as well as to any leader who wants to create an "impossible future."
New Paradigm For Werner Erhard's Est?.......2003-04-23
Are people still being fooled by this same hash and rehash of Werner Erhard's "est," which is going by a new name "The Landmark Forum?" Hargrove's work looks to have been lifted wholesale from the Landmark Education so-called "Curiculum For Living." One wonders if he pays royalties for the use of Werner's, what he himself liked to refer to as, technology. Of course, no one told Werner there were lots of people around who would recognize his use of the word "technology" in this context as having come from one of his inspirations, L. Ron Hubbard and his "Philosophy for Living." And that is what characterizes this book, made all the more obvious by the long list of glowing testimonials, all using thoses tried-and-true estie buzz-words and phrases, the copy-cat, unimaginative litany: transformation, paradigm, empowerment, mastery, extraordinary results, tools for living, taking a stand, blah, blah, and blah. So here is my question. Is Mr. Hargrove shilling for Landmark Education or has he struck out on his own as so many of L. Ron's and now Werner's followers using the same formula and the same ideas? Rick Ross and Steven Hassan's websites have anough background on the "coaching" phenomenon to get you started, if you are curious about the dubious roots of this practice.
Book Description
Here are the practical, proactive tools managers need to get a handle on today's best change management strategies and ensure the success of their business improvement and turnaround efforts. Each of the change management strategies spelled out in this guide is firmly grounded in the extensive experience of Coopers & Lybrand, a Big 6 consulting firm with a dedicated change mangement practice. Each one has been company-tested in such organizations as Agway, New York Life, Prudential Direct, and the Office of Naval Intelligence. The result? Comprehensive analysis of the global changes confronting today's business leaders. Plus proven strategies for managing major change, creating an organizational culture conductive to change, and leading change effectively.
Customer Reviews:
A Bit Dated, but Still Useful.......2007-09-19
I wouldn't really call this a "field book," but it is certainly a good account of organization change management. It comes out of the mid-90s, so its orientation is toward the learning organization (Senge) and business process reengineering (Hammer and Champy). An update would doubtless align itself behind Balanced Scorecard (Kaplan and Norton). If you have any background at all in strategic planning or workflow analysis, you will find the basic concepts familiar and usefully applied.
The core observations make sense:
* Change is an ongoing reality of the modern enterprise, and so is change management.
* Change management must involve both the technical and the people sides of the organization.
* Managing change starts with planning, but planning isn't sufficient, so don't get bogged down.
* The leaders of change are the leaders of the organization: top management. Of course, they must commit to the change, but, more importantly, they must show that commitment in behavior: being the managers that the change requires to be successful, and actively involving themselves in selling the change to the troops.
* Change management must incorporate metrics, especially on the people side, so you can know if you're making progress.
Etc. There are lots of lists that can usefully be turned into checklists, and there is an appendix of excerpts from interviews with change leaders.
The negatives aren't really serious. The C&L methodology is so general as to be either obvious or useless, depending on your point of view. C&L doesn't share its tools, but it does name them, so you should be able to find some that are functionally comparable.
In sum, this is a good starting point for building a change management function and/or understanding your role in the process.
A useful, handy & concise reference book........2000-12-19
A very useful book especially if you are a change agent within your corporation. In relatively short and sharp chapters, the three authors address key issues in managing change. The underlying theme that change is all about people comes out relatively clearly. Though the book is based on much of Coopers & Lybrand's approach to change management, the first six chapters are fairly generic. By learning from the Coopers & Lybrand's experiences , you can craft your appropriate change strategy for your particular situation and circumstances. Recommended reading for all those involved in managing change and transition at the workplace.
An important contribution.......2000-04-04
An important contribution to a critical subject. Change management consulting often suffers from "hack" approaches. Whether change can in fact be managed is another issue.
Book Description
Everyone gets stuck sooner or later. The big question is how do you get unstuck?
People and organizations get stuck because the most ambitious and rewarding work brings with it the most challenges.
Unstuck is a smart, fearless, totally practical guide to turn to for inspiration and immediate solutions. It's meant to be acted on, not just read. And it's based on the proven practices the authors have discovered while working with IBM, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, Nike, Gap Inc., and many other major companies.
Whether you need to step back to move forward, motivate a struggling team, change your goals, or create a clearer vision, Unstuck helps you diagnose your situation, identify the most important challenges, and implement the right tools and techniques to get things moving again. Now with updated case studies, this is the perfect book to get you and your team unstuck.
Customer Reviews:
I'm not stuck but..........2007-02-13
I passed on the hard copy of Unstuck more than once. When I saw the updated and revised paperback edition, I thought I should grab it. Having recently spent quality time with Ideaspotting, Zag and re-rereading The Brand Gap, it seemed to fit well with them both in spirit and purpose. Also, since Keith Yamashita's firm is mentioned in both The Brand Gap and Zag, I figured there must be something to it.
The idea for the book apparently came out of an MBA course at Yale which in turn led the authors to the realization that very few books "function as in-the-moment tools that let you take instant action." They point out that they ended up creating a set of flash cards which were a hit. Oddly, the book does not come with the flash cards.
Pity.
On the plus side:
* Unstuck tells us that there are seven primary causes, the "serious seven" for getting stuck. One of them probably corresponds to what you and your team are going through.
* Unstuck makes it easy to navigate to the specific type of "stuck" you have. No need to search the book for where you want to go. Just go to page 47 and it will direct you from there.
* There is a very helpful page on the things you need to unify in order to be a successful leader (or individual).
* Unstuck is small, nice to look at and will look good on your shelf.
On the minus side:
* Unstuck seems to be style over substance. It follows the highly visual/minimal text style of The Brand Gap but seems to lack the meat that made The Brand Gap so good.
* Some of the solutions seem to be based too much in common sense while others seem to be too contrived.
* Although one of the main tenants of the book is "systems thinking," you never get the feeling that Unstuck looks at the entire system.
Since I'm not currently stuck, I will read this again and post a review if/when I am. Until then...let's hope those flash cards hit the market.
Have a Moonshot..........2006-07-24
An interesting book, authors used a unique way to write this book. Don't bother reading the entire book; choose a path or paths and off you go to those pages like an encyclopedia. Don't get stuck while trying to connect the dots. I must say a tricky book for average readers. However, on a positive note `The Serious Seven' aspires towards identifying the causes. This book uses case studies to toss some practical ideas and solutions. Vivek Dixit, Houston
Okay, not great.......2006-06-19
The book covers three principles: Admitting you're stuck, Diagnosing why you're stuck, Getting unstuck.
It does provide an excellent insight into systemic repair using aspects of a system: Purpose (central), Strategy, Structure + Process, Metrics + Rewards, People + Interaction, Culture
There are many organizations that don't get this, and center their efforts on only one aspect. The book, I found, more applicable to senior or departmental management rather than individuals.
The conscious employee that reads this would become more knowledgeable (actually more valuable) than their supervisor. Using the knowledge in this book, they would then become threatening to insecure management (of which I would say most management is - merely because most people go into management not because they wish to help others succeed, but rather because they are simply tired of working themselves).
If you are going to purchase the book, purchase it for your department supervisor, CIO, CFO, COO, CEO as well. Otherwise you're going be seen as a problem raising such enlightened ideas in an unenlightened environment.
This, is not the fault of the book, but rather the structures of organizations.
The book advocates identifying informal leaders, making use of silent influentials. However, it also advocates cultural change activities that require the kind of power that only formal leaders have in an organization. The problem is that most dysfunctional managers will not be interested in change, they will not seek out this kind of awareness and if you (as a less powerful employer) try to bring things like progressive awareness into the arena you will be punished.
The problem I found with the book is that it is attempting to tell how you (a regular person) can institute change, but requires that you (as a change agent) have formal power within the organization - a very unlikely scenario, unless you are a progressive maverick type CEO.
An Unusual Tool to Get Unstuck.......2006-01-18
If you've ever been stuck and weren't sure what to do next, or had a team or project that was stuck, unclear on how to move forward, then you want this book.
This is actually less book and more of a tool.
Take the two opening pages of the book which tell you how to use it. And then, depending what part of "stuck" you are in (needing to admit you are stuck, diagnosing why you are stuck or getting unstuck), it sends you to a different page in the book.
That in itself may not be that unusual, but once you land on any given page you will get ideas and connections to other sections or pages in the book.
Can you read this book straight through? Yes, but you might get dizzy from all the connections to various sections. Instead, buy this book and use it. Allow yourself to become engaged in the ideas, drawings, pictures and approaches. But don't just put it on your shelf - at least not at first. Find a situation to try it soon and you'll find you want it close to your fingertips for awhile.
It is fun, different and has some very effective ideas and approaches in it. If you are stuck, the first step might be to buy a copy of Unstuck!
Highly Recommended!.......2005-10-03
The wide world of self-help books has become smaller. In just a few pages, authors Keith Yamashita and Sandra Spataro deliver a large dose of wisdom for individuals, teams, departments and corporations. Motivation jumps off the pages of this short, stocky book in the form of practical exercises and brainstorming sessions. The text, offered in multifont chunks with ample graphics, operates like a workbook or a workshop. It's easy to read - though the structure outlines seven key problems and then scatters their solutions. However, the book provides many real-life examples of corporate success stories and uses a minimum of New Age mumbo jumbo. What's more, it also provides a soulful look at human relations. On the downside, some of the exercises are repetitive and provoke an annoying feeling of been-there-done-that. But those instances are few and the book provides unique opportunities for personal, team and corporate development. For that reason, we recommend it to executives, fundraisers, team leaders and rank-and-file employees.
Book Description
An elegant, attractively priced box set of the bestselling leadership fables
This set brings together all three of Patrick Lencioni's successful leadership fables: The Five Temptations of a CEO, The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Each book combines an engaging fictional story with insightful analysis to address some of the major obstacles facing leaders today. All three of the stories are aimed at helping readers build healthy organizations, focusing on results, not politics. While these tales are set in the business world, Lencioni's wisdom and practical advice will appeal to general readers and benefit leaders in any field. The classic and consistent design of the trilogy make this a perfect gift set.
Patrick M. Lencioni (Emeryville, CA) is President of The Table Group, a management consulting firm specializing in executive team development and organizational effectiveness. As a consultant and executive coach, he has worked with hundreds of senior executives in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies and high tech start-ups to universities and nonprofits. Some of his clients include Novell, AT&T, Visa, and The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. He has worked internationally in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Canada, and Mexico.
Book Description
Inside the Minds: The Sports Business is an authoritative, insider's perspective on the ins and outs of this dynamic industry and the strategic thinking behind leading an elite athletic workforce. Featuring senior management from the nation's premier teams and leagues, this book provides a broad, yet comprehensive overview of the current shape and future state of professional sports. As they raise critical points around running a business under intense public scrutiny, these authorities offer practical and adaptable strategies for building a strong fan-base and profiting year after year. From revenue and salary management, to player acquisitions and negotiations, these leaders articulate the finer points of an industry driven by talent and fueled by the desire for success. The different niches represented and the breadth of perspectives presented enable readers to get inside some of the great strategic minds of today, as experts explore in detail, what it takes to build and sustain the organizations that win championships.
Customer Reviews:
Very Good Shape.......2006-03-15
The book was brand new and came in earlier than expected couldn't have asked for anything better!!!
Books:
- Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
- The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm
- The Bastard of Istanbul
- The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger
- The Carbon Buster's Home Energy Handbook: Slowing Climate Change And Saving Money
- The Economy of the Earth: Philosophy, Law, and the Environment (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Public Policy)
- The Foods of the Greek Islands: Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean
- The GOLD OF EXODUS
- The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (BK Currents)
Books Index
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