Tag Archives: book review

What Is the Business Value of a Great Workplace?

Posted on February 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

In their new title, The Great Workplace: How to Build It, How to Keep It, and Why It Matters, authors Michael Burchell and Jennifer Robin ask us to consider why leaders, trainers, and human resources executives should put effort into making their workplace “great.”  You may ask yourself the same question.  After all, with all of the challenges that organizations have faced in recent years, many leaders may consider organizational culture secondary to basic financial and operational needs.

But, organizations that are considered “great” places to work by employees are also able to leverage the human capital that they have spent years finding, training, and paying, to accommodate those needs. This book takes readers on a tour of many companies that have been placed on Fortune Magazine’s “Top 100 Companies to Work For” list, including SAS, Microsoft, Scripps Health, General Mills, Google, and others. It explores what they all have in common, regardless of their unique culture, size, or industry.  The authors show the value of these real-world examples by highlighting their commitment to three critical ideals: trust, pride, and camaraderie.

Burchell and Robin draw on over 25 years of studying great workplaces.  Today, they conduct the largest annual study of workplace environments globally. In The Great Workplace, they have synthesized this wealth of information into a  concise account of best practices for organizational culture that lends a warm, readable tone to a subject that is often treated with formulas and sterile definitions.

The message is simple: The great workplace is one where employees trust the people they work for, take pride in what they do, and enjoy the people they work with.  But achieving “great workplace” status is definitely a challenge.  The Great Workplace will show you all you need to know in order to make your organization the best it can be.

Register now for HRDQ’s next Webinar, presented by Michael Burchell and Jennifer Robin, Wednesday, February 15, 2012 from 2pm-3pm EST

What You Will Learn:

  • Explore the essential ingredients of a great workplace
  • Understand the business case for developing a great workplace
  • Discover the best practices that separate great workplaces from the rest
  • Learn how the learning and development function is positioned at the best companies
  • Realize how learning and development leaders influence the creation of a great workplace

Who Should Attend:

  • Management team members
  • Trainers and organization development professionals
  • Human Resources managers
  • OD consultants

Space is limited. You will receive a confirmation email containing detailed instructions shortly after you complete the registration process. Special offer for attendees! Join us for this presentation and receive an exclusive offer from HRDQ.

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Posted in Teams and Leadership

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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, A Leadership Fable

Posted on January 21, 2012 by | 2 Comments

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni depicts a fictional, yet realistic, executive team in disarray.  Aptly subtitled “A Leadership Fable”, the tale follows a newly-appointed CEO in her quest to unify a broken group of managers into a cohesive team with functioning, professional relationships.

Far from a touchy-feely story of training exercises involving falling off a platform into their co-workers arms, the team learns why it is so important to trust one another.  Making the point that trust is the root from which every important action stems, Lencioni spells out a simple formula for success.  It is not easy, as he tells us, but it is simple.  Hard work and dedication are always necessary parts of any improvement or advancement, but never more so than when dealing with very different personalities.  We all know the Apprehensive Anthony, Negative Nelly, and Arrogant Amanda types, and Lencioni describes the firm, consistent manner in which they should be handled for the good of the team.

Written in an easy-to-follow story format, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team provides valuable insight into why it is difficult for individuals to accomplish results when not working as part of a cohesive team.  The Leadership Fable follows a progression that begins with a problem familiar to many:

  • Part One: Underachievement, depicts a team that is not working as such, and in turn, the company is faltering.
  • Part Two: Lighting the Fire, details the sometimes incendiary process of implementing a meaningful change.
  • Part Three: Heavy Lifting, narrates the sometimes arduous task of performing consistent actions to achieve lasting results.
  • Part Four: Traction, finally demonstrates measurable results.

The last several sections of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team specifically detail the five dysfunctions and their symptoms.  Finally, there is an assessment included to be used for diagnosing your team’s particular problem areas and suggestions for overcoming each dysfunction.  The lasting message of Lencioni’s tale is best articulated by the author himself:

Patrick Lencioni, Author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

“As much information is contained here, the reality remains that teamwork ultimately comes down to practicing a small set of principles over a long period of time.  Success is not a matter of mastering subtle, sophisticated theory, but rather of embracing common sense with uncommon levels of discipline and persistence.”

With this book, you’ll be able to develop a group training session to introduce every member of your team to the theories in this helpful tale, or use it in every day practice as a manual to reinforce the constructive work habits that breed success.  Read this best-selling book today and implement its  suggestions to get your team on the road to success!

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Posted in Teams and Leadership

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The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook & Companion: A Guide to Understanding Your Expertise

Posted on January 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

In his latest book, Peter Block gives consultants a map to navigate the often complex path of their work and its often complex roles. Whether you fell into consulting accidentally or have spent years methodically building up a business, this book will give you a wider view of the profession and how industry leaders have approached their own challenges to overcome them successfully. Block describes his group of 30 hand-picked consultants as “flawless,” and after reading his Fieldbook, it is easy to understand why. 

Peter Block, Author of The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook and Companion

The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook is broken down into chapters that address overarching issues in the practice of consulting, and then six consultants give their own insight on each topic. Some of those topics include: The Power of the Question, The Complexity of Advice, Valuing Capacities, and Integrating Strategy and Experience.

At almost 500 pages, readers will find that this exhaustive resource keeps giving, even after they have read through the whole book from beginning to end. For example, after a trying day with a client, you could come home, open up the pertinent section, and learn how to better handle the next morning or how to reframe an inflammatory topic in your next meeting.

Block also includes indices to concepts, stories, and practical tools. For example, if you are looking for insight on how the new economy changes clients’ approach to your services (Concepts & Theory Index), or if you seek stories and cases about the eternal family triangle of you, your client, and your boss (Cases & Stories Index), or even if you want to learn how to deal with resistance (Tools & Techniques Index), you have a shortcut to exactly the kind of advice you need, all in one sitting. 

If you’re a consultant, or considering consulting, this is a must-read. Order your copy today!

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Posted in Consulting

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