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Linda Edgecombe: Shift...Or Get Off The Pot - Blog Business Success Radio

2012-02-09T05:32:12.293-06:00

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk RadioInternationally renowned award-winning humorous speaker, trainer, consultant, and author of the straight talking and engaging book Shift or Get off the Pot: 26 Simple Truths About Getting a Life, Linda Edgecombe, shows people how to laugh at themselves and have some fun in their lives, while also encouraging individuals to take an honest look at themselves. Linda guides people to shift their perspective and examine themselves and their lives in entirely new and exciting ways. Linda helps people to answer the question are you doing the best you can, considering everything on your plate right now. She asks if you are on the deferred life plan, waiting for something better to come along. She also has you consider when was the last time you did something for the first time so your stories don't get old. Discover how to reflect on yourself and your life, with humor and a with an eye toward a more spontaneous and exciting life starting now.Linda Edgecombe is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.The show airs live on Thursday, February 9, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.Internationally renowned award-winning humorous speaker, trainer, consultant, and author of the straight talking and engaging book Shift or Get off the Pot: 26 Simple Truths About Getting a Life, Linda Edgecombe, shows people how to laugh at themselves and have some fun in their lives, while also encouraging individuals to take an honest look at themselves. You will learn:* How to examine your life to find your real purpose* How to decide if you are doing the best that you can* If you are on the deferred life plan* When was the last time you did something for the first timeLinda Edgecombe, CSP, (photo left) is an internationally renowned, award-winning humorous speaker, trainer, and consultant. As a professional with a degree in physical education, Linda brings 20 years of recreation, employee wellness, lifestyle, and corporate consulting experience to her programs and her clients.Linda was a consultant for PARTICIPACTION, promoting healthy living to Canadians, and is known for being one of the country's most popular speakers. She was most recently featured in the Wall Street Journal as an expert in "Shifting Perspectives."She lives in Kelowna, B.C.My book review of Shift or Get off the Pot: 26 Simple Truths About Getting a Life by Linda Edgecombe.Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832Let's talk with internationally renowned award-winning humorous speaker, trainer, consultant, and author of the straight talking and engaging book Shift or Get off the Pot: 26 Simple Truths About Getting a Life, Linda Edgecombe, as she shows people how to laugh at themselves and have some fun in their lives, while also encouraging individuals to take an honest look at themselves. Linda guides people to shift their perspective and examine themselves and their lives in entirely new and exciting ways. Linda helps people to answer the question are you doing the best you can, considering everything on your plate right now. She asks if you are on the deferred life plan, waiting for something better to come along. She also has you consider when was the last time you did something for the first time so your stories don't get old. Discover how to reflect on yourself and your life, with humor and a with an eye toward a more spontaneous and exciting life starting now on Blog Business Success Radio.Tags: Shift or Get off the Pot: 26 Si[...]

Shift...Or Get Off the Pot by Linda Edgecombe - Book review

2012-02-09T05:32:15.595-06:00

Shift or Get off the Pot26 Simple Truths About Getting a LifeBy: Linda EdgecombePublished: June 1, 2009Format: Paperback, 256 pagesISBN-10: 1897178654ISBN-13: 978-1897178652Publisher: Insomniac Press"It's about remembering what you already know; it's about finding the simple truths about what it takes to get a life and be happy", writes internationally renowned award-winning humorous speaker, trainer, and consultant. Linda Edgecombe, CSP, in her straight talking and engaging book Shift or Get off the Pot: 26 Simple Truths About Getting a Life. The author describes how a person can meet themselves, know themselves, love themselves, and how to rediscover what it means to have a fulfilling and and happy life.Linda Edgecombe understands that the pressures of people's lives cause them to lose focus and feel that their lives are beyond their own control. The author advising slowing life down to a more human and liveable speed, and shares the techniques for making that shift in speed. Linda Edgecombe demonstrates that everyone knows the answers to how they can fulfill their life's purpose. Those answers just get lost in all the noise and demands of everyday life. Linda Edgecombe offers a restful oasis to rest and refresh oneself, and to make the changes that will get an individual's life back into their own hands.Linda Edgecombe (photo left) recognizes that a person can only be successful if they know who they are and what they really want to do in their lives. To assist people on this voyage of self discovery, the author shares some intriguing tools and has the individual ask their inner selves some deep and probing questions. Instead of living a fantasy, the author shares ideas for making those dreams a reality.Linda Edgecombe presents three core questions, that everyone must ask and answer for themselves, as they keys to the shift. Those core questions are:* Are you doing the best you can?* Are you living on the deferred life plan?* When was the last time you did something for the first time?For me, the power of the book is how Linda Edgecombe combines the often difficult questions of one's life's direction with good humor and spontaneity. The author asks the reader to reflect on their own life, and on their future, and shares some engaging and fun practices for making what she calls a shift. Unlike many books on finding life's purpose, this book avoids the pain so often associated with and resulting from that introspection process. Through a healthy injection of humor and laughter, this book is a pleasure to read, and the practices a joy to consider for everyone.I highly recommend the joy filled and inspirational book Shift or Get off the Pot: 26 Simple Truths About Getting a Life by Linda Edgecombe, to anyone seeking to make changes in their lives, or is looking for their life purpose, but lacks the guidance on their inner voyage. This book sets the course for a fresh new approach to life, filled with spontaneous events, laughter, and an exciting new lease on life.Tags: Shift or Get off the Pot: 26 Simple Truths About Getting a Life, Linda Edgecombe, seeking life's purpose, business book reviews[...]

Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? by William Poundstone - Book review

2012-02-08T09:20:06.243-06:00

Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?Trick Questions, Zen-like Riddles, Insanely Difficult Puzzles, and Other Devious Interviewing Techniques You Need to Know to Get a Job Anywhere in the New EconomyBy: William PoundstonePublished: January 4, 2012Format: Hardcover, 304 pagesISBN-10: 031609997XISBN-13: 978-0316099974Publisher: Little, Brown and Company"Today's army of unemployed has made every company a Google. Unsexy firms now find themselves with multiple well-qualified applicants for each position. That is very good for the companies that are able to hire. Like Google, they get to cherry-pick the top talent in their fields. It's not so good for the applicants. They are confronting harder, ruder, more invasive vetting than ever before", writes respected author and journalist William Poundstone, in his strategy filled and must read book Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? Trick Questions, Zen-like Riddles, Insanely Difficult Puzzles, and Other Devious Interviewing Techniques You Need to Know to Get a Job Anywhere in the New Economy. William Poundstone describes how employers, inspired by the famous Google interviewing techniques, are utilizing those methods into their own search for employees. The author also provides real world examples, of the trickiest Google interview puzzles and riddles, to give employment seekers a head start on succeeding in the latest interviewing process.William Poundstone recognizes that the interviewing techniques pioneered by Google, designed to uncover job applicants with superior creative thinking skills, are becoming mainstream tools in the corporate interview process. Companies seek creative thinkers as employees, and are valuing the creative problem solver more highly than an applicant with high academic grades. The author shares many of the most frequently encountered puzzles, describes their reasoning, and offers various solutions. William Pounstone notes that there is no real correct answer to any of these puzzles and riddle; only possibly better or alternative solutions. The problems and brain teasers my seem like child's play, but rather they are deadly serious measuring tools for sorting and hiring today's job seekers.William Poundstone (photo left) guides the reader through a labyrinth of seemingly unsolvable and unusual problems, and offers insights into how and why they are so popular with Google; and now with other employers as well. The author points out that in the recession, there is an abundance of qualified applicants available for every job. That vast increase in potential employees accelerated the necessity of finding fresh techniques to screen out some of the many candidates. The interview tactic of choice was the mainstream acceptance of the Google creativity quiz based interview. Google utilized the puzzle method to find an average of one hire out of a typical pool of one hundred and thirty.For me, the power of the book is how William Poundstone combines the reasoning behind the Google creativity based interview, with the typical mind bending puzzles that make up that interview process. William Pounstone describes in detail how the questions are posed, how to recognize the key elements of the puzzle, and ways to formulate creative solutions. The book is more than a cataloging of Google's most famous puzzles, but is also a guide to how and why this revolutionary interviewing method gained popularity across the corporate world. At the same time, William Poundstone provides evidence that hiring managers utilize the Google method to mask various types of hidden agendas, and demonstrates how to decode those more subtle motives as well. Overall, the book is a well balanced discussion of a fascinating and controversial approach to applicant pre-screening, interviewing, and the final hiring of new employees. It remains to be seen if this interview approach will last; or if it's best suited to the hiring process at Google. I highly recommend the engaging and intriguing book Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? Tri[...]

Yael Zofi: A Manager's Guide To Virtual Teams - Blog Business Success Radio

2012-02-07T00:22:05.278-06:00

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk RadioFounder and CEO of AIM Strategies®, Applied Innovative Management®, and author of the authoritative and practical advice filled book A Manager's Guide to Virtual Teams, Yael Zofi, describes how virtual teams are reshaping the way we do business. Combining technology and globalization, virtual teams are the new face of teamwork in business. Yael Zofi offers advice for managing teams of people who are not in the same building, the same city, or even in the same country.Yael Zofi shares real answers to the most frequently asked questions about virtual teams, and provides best practices to ensure peak performance from all team members. Discover how to set up a virtual team the right way from the very beginning of the project, and learn how to avoid the most frequent pitfalls and mistakes made in virtual team management. Yael Zofi demonstrates how to maximize the benefits of virtual teams, including how to manage trust, communication, defusing conflict, and managing the deliverables successfully.Yael Zofi is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.The show airs live on Tuesday, February 7, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.Founder and CEO of AIM Strategies®, Applied Innovative Management®, and author of the authoritative and practical advice filled book A Manager's Guide to Virtual Teams, Yael Zofi, describes how virtual teams are reshaping the way we do business. You will learn:* Why virtual teams are being ever more important for companies* How to set up and manage a virtual team the right way* How to ensure that teams produce results and deliver the goods on time* What is the future of virtual teams for business and for managementYael Zofi (photo left) s the Founder and CEO of AIM Strategies®, Applied Innovative Management®. For 20+ years she has applied behavioral science techniques to organizations and teams and has dedicated her efforts to improving productivity in the areas of global leadership development, virtual team effectiveness and cross cultural communications.Throughout her career, Ms. Zofi worked with clients in the high-tech, financial services, pharmaceutical, healthcare, electronics and media industries as well as non-profits and educational institutions. Her organizational development work focuses on helping leaders and teams become more successful through strategic alignment and guided change. She created assessment tools, facilitated global team strategy retreats, designed international talent management programs and lead merger integrations with three global organizations. Ms. Zofi also implemented process improvement, talent retention and performance management programs across three continents.Prior to forming AIM Strategies®, Applied Innovative Management®, Ms. Zofi was Senior Vice President of Performance Management, Leadership and Organizational Development with J.P. Morgan.While at Morgan, Ms. Zofi facilitated several global transformation initiatives, including working with senior management to implement performance, customer and organizational strategies aligned with new business directions, technologies and public policies. She worked in Asia (Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil and Mexico) and Europe (UK, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, as well as the Eastern Block). Prior to Morgan, she spent several years with Accenture (Change Management) and Price Waterhouse Coopers (Post-Merger Integration) working on business process re-engineering and leadership development assignments.My book review of A Manager's Guide to Virtual Teams by Yael Zofi.Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and clic[...]

Results Without Authority - Second Edition by Tom Kendrick - Book review

2012-02-06T07:44:47.927-06:00

Results Without Authority, Second EditionControlling a Project When the Team Doesn't Report to YouBy: Tom KendrickPublished: January 29, 2012Format: Paperback, 276 pagesISBN-10: 0814417817ISBN-13: 978-0814417812Publisher: AMACOM"Projects are everywhere. Some of these projects succeed; others do not. Many projects fail because the project leader lacks sufficient control to keep things moving toward a successful conclusion". writes respected consultant, program manager, educator, and speaker Tom Kendrick, in his very systematic and results oriented book Results Without Authority, Second Edition: Controlling a Project When the Team Doesn't Report to You. The author describes why projects can and do fail, why so many teams operate under managers to whom they don't report, and provides the tools and techniques to ensure that any manager can achieve superior results even when lacking direct authority.Tom Kendrick understands that managers who don't have direct authority over team members face difficult challenges in achieving the desired outcomes. For the author, this lack of control is a problem, but it's a problem with viable and practical solutions. Tom Kendrick guides the manager through the entire project management process spectrum, and shares his best practices and strategies for achieving successful results, regardless of the manager's authority level. The techniques offered by the author work for all types and sizes of projects, whether small and on site, or spread across several locations around the world. Tom Kendrick (photo left) recognizes that managers who lack formal authority require additional tools and techniques to achieve project success. At the same time, the author also offers strategies, for managers who do have the formal authority, to avoid resorting to the counter-productive tactic of pulling rank on team members in order to gain the illusion of control. Tom Kendrick takes the manager through the entire project management process, revealing that the manager has more techniques to leverage for control, than are often thought to exist. Tom Kendrick presents what he calls the three core elements of control. The core elements are as follows:* Project processes where the manager defines clearly the project objectives and the term of its duration* Influence where managers establish effective communication to build trust* Metrics for measuring the progress of the project toward its goalsThe author then takes those three core elements and applies them to improve processes, enhance influence, and creating metrics through the five universal phases of projects. The five phases are as follows"* Initiating the project* Planning the process and goals* Executing the plan* Monitoring the process and its outcomes* Closing down the processFor me, the power of the book is how Tom Kendrick combines a very effective project management framework, with the strategies needed, for any manager to succeed on any size or type of project. The author provides the best practices for managers to gain and maintain control over projects and project teams, regardless of their formal authority level. The tools offered work well for a manager who has no authority; or for a manager who has full authority, but seeks to avoid the problems arising from pulling rank. Tom Kendrick provides a useful and universal road map for navigating through entire projects from the very earliest planning stages to the final closing down of the project and the ending of the team. With this guide in hand, an experienced or first time manager will have the tactics needed to maintain control of the team, and achieve successful results every time.I highly recommend the very hands on and essential project team management guide book Results Without Authority, Second Edition: Controlling a Project When the Team Doesn't Report to You by Tom Kendrick, to managers of any experience level, on any size or type of project, who seek to gain and maintain control ov[...]

Punching Out: One Year In Closing An Auto Plant by Paul Clemens - Book review

2012-02-05T06:33:02.536-06:00

Punching OutOne Year in a Closing Auto PlantBy: Paul ClemensPublished: January 17, 2012Format: Paperback, 288 pagesISBN-10: 0767926935ISBN-13: 978-0767926935Publisher: Anchor Books"The trip to Mexico would cap a process that had begun two and a half years before, on May 15, 2006, when ThyssenKrupp Budd, citing the declining sales of the Ford SUVs for which it supplied components, announced that it would close its Detroit plant by year's end", writes award winning journalist Paul Clemens, in his thought provoking and often heart breaking book Punching Out: One Year in a Closing Auto Plant. The author describes the process of how the venerable and iconic Budd Company Detroit plant was dismantled and transported to Mexico, and shares stories of people's lives, the state of the auto industry, and of the future of work in America.Paul Clemens understands the historic significance of the dismantling of the Budd Detroit plant as part of a larger decline in America's once unchallenged supremacy in manufacturing. The Detroit based auto industry was the symbol of that manufacturing might. Paul Clemens points to the pride of Detroit, and its central position in American industry, and how that place and its proud moments are now a fading memory. The taking apart, piece by piece, of the Budd plant in Detroit represents a microcosm of the end of an era in America. The author presents the plant closing as the slow death of American industry, and the removal of heart and dignity of the American working class.Paul Clemens (photo © Elizabeth MacDonald left) presents an account that is both personal and a painful metaphor for the unsettling story of America's decline. Bit by bit, piece by piece, the entire Budd plant disappeared from Detroit, symbolizing the death of the American Dream. For working class Americans, the auto industry offered a middle class wage scale that was the key to the door of that Dream. With the piecemeal removal of the plant, the working class hopes vanished along with the factories. Along with the ongoing decline of the former industrial power centers of America, the author raises troubling questions about the future of the United States. With the ending of the Industrial Era, the replacements which include the service and retail economies don't provide the same level of income, benefits, or security found in the auto plants. The author talks to the displaced auto workers, who expressed pride in their jobs and their desire to work hard to build a nation. Those once proud employees are no longer on the assembly lines, but are often in unemployment lines. For Paul Clemens, the American Dream wasn't intended to end that way. As a result, the author asks some painful questions about where middle class income based jobs will come from in the future. For me, the power of the book is how Paul Clemens presents the story of one dismantled auto plant in Detroit, Michigan as a metaphor for the de-industrialization of America and the ending of the American Dream for the working class. The intense pride of the working people of Detroit, and of the United States as a whole, have taken a severe blow in the new harsh reality of globalization. Paul Clemens offers a human story, filled with real people, who felt that reality making an impact on their lives. In a series of pieces of a single plant, is encapsulated the piece by piece dismantling of Industrial America. The lost jobs on the auto assembly lines represent the loss of power of trade unions and working class in late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Industrialization moves across the globe, but the decay, unemployment, and shattered American Dream remain very much at home. This story continues today, as the book is also a prophetic vision of the future for other cities, towns, factories, and working people awaiting their turn for a piece by piece removal of their lives.I highly recommend the insightful and very frightening book [...]

Conversations for Creating Star Performers by Shawn Kent Hayashi - Book review

2012-02-04T08:28:55.806-06:00

Conversations for Creating Star PerformersGo Beyond the Performance Review to Inspire Excellence Every DayBy: Shawn Kent HayashiDecember 12, 2011Format: Paperback, 256 pagesISBN-10: 0071779949ISBN-13: 978-0071779944Publisher: McGraw-Hill"Imagine yourself having fun - what comes to mind? Now consider what causes you to perform well at work. Does work trigger the same emotions that playing does for you", writes executive coach and founder of The Professional Development Group, Shawn Kent Hayashi, in her engaging and very practical book Conversations for Creating Star Performers: Go Beyond the Performance Review to Inspire Excellence Every Day. The author describes managers want to develop star performers, and provides the skills and strategies for sharing the most insightful conversations to enhance job performance.Shawn Kent Hayashi recognizes that many otherwise top performing employees are not producing results at their peak potential. For many employees, motivation and engagement on the job are lacking, and the author provides the reasons why those excellent employees are not inspired on a daily basis. At the same time, Shawn Kent Hayashi presents the managerial skills necessary to really connect, in a meaningful way, with employees that goes far beyond the employee review level. The author points out that performance appraisals are only one of many aspects of being a successful manager or coach, and how engagement starts with having meaningful conversations with employees. Shawn Kent Hayashi (photo left) demonstrates how to transform the workplace into one where employees are engaged, motivated, and performing at the very highest levels, as well as receiving high grades on their performance reviews. The author offers the alternative approach of coaching, in place of that of helper, to initiate and sustain real change in employee behavior. Shawn Kent Hayashi shares strategies for coaching employees to not only achieve a higher skill level, but also how to coach team members to grow and expand their abilities into other high value areas.Shawn Kent Hayashi shares strategies for developing new and enriching conversations with every employee to enhance engagement and release the latent star within them. By asking the right questions, and teaching the right skills, the coaching manager will:* Build effective teams* Engage team members to initiate their own growth and learning* Build new and rewarding skills& Develop high producing performers* Help those new star performers achieve even greater success levelsFor me, the power of the book is how Shawn Kent Hayashi provides a strong and viable framework for developing star employees. The author combines that theoretical base with the hands on strategies and daily practices for engaging and motivating team members. The author's coaching model for employee skill development transforms the team culture into one that creates and rewards winners. The author also goes beyond the traditional employee review process and replaces it with meaningful conversations that engage and inspire employees to achieve success.I highly recommend the essential and game changing book Conversations for Creating Star Performers: Go Beyond the Performance Review to Inspire Excellence Every Day by Shawn Kent Hayashi, to any managers seeking a road map toward engaging employees and transforming them into the star performers needed in today's highly competitive marketplace. This book will change the way you view employee engagement, and turn the often feared employee review process into productive and inspirational conversations with your new superstar performers.Tags: Conversations for Creating Star Performers: Go Beyond the Performance Review to Inspire Excellence Every Day, Shawn Kent Hayashi, employee engagement strategies, business book reviews[...]

Donna Hicks: Dignity The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict - Blog Business Success Radio

2012-02-09T05:32:17.941-06:00

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk RadioInternationally acclaimed conflict resolution facilitator, Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard Univeristy, and author of the life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., Ph.D., describes how dignity is the motivating force behind all human interaction. Whether it's in families, communities, the business world, or at the international level, people have the desire to be treated well and with dignity. Donna Hicks points out that if dignity is violated, then the result is aggression, violence, and hatred. Without dignity, the human connection disappears. Donna Hicks offers people an understanding of dignity, which is little understood, despite its universal desire. Donna Hicks examines the gap in the understanding and honoring of dignity. She shares a fresh set of strategies for becoming aware of the role of dignity, and for putting dignity into practice in all of our interactions with other people.Donna Hicks, Ph.D. is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.The show airs live on Thursday, February 2, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.Internationally acclaimed conflict resolution facilitator, Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard Univeristy, and author of the life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., Ph.D., describes how dignity is the motivating force behind all human interaction. You will learn:* Why dignity is the fundamental value in human interaction* What are the ten essential elements of dignity* How to avoid the ten temptations to violate dignity* How to heal relationships with dignityDonna Hicks, Ph.D. (photo left) is an Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.In addition to teaching conflict resolution at Harvard, Clark and Columbia Universities, Dr. Hicks has spent nearly two decades in the field of international conflict resolution facilitating dialogue between communities in conflict in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Cuba, and Northern Ireland. She was a consultant to the BBC where she co-facilitated a television series, Facing the Truth, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which aired in the United Kingdom and on BBC World in 2006.Dr. Hicks also works as a consultant to corporations and organizations, applying her dignity model to everyday business and relational situations.She lives in Boston, MA.My book review of Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks, Ph.D.Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832Let's talk with internationally acclaimed conflict resolution facilitator, Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard Univeristy, and author of the life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., Ph.D., as she describes how dignity is the motivating force behind all human interaction. Whether it's in families, communities, the business world, or at the international level, people have the desire to be treated well and with dignity. Donna Hicks points out that if d[...]

Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks - Book review

2012-02-02T04:46:10.935-06:00

DignityThe Essential Role It Plays in Resolving ConflictBy: Donna Hicks, Ph.D.Published: September 6, 2011Format:Hardcover, 240 pagesISBN-10: 0300163924ISBN-13: 978-0300163926Publisher: Yale University Press"We share a longing for dignity - the feeling of inherent value and worth. When we feel worthy, when our value is recognized, and honored in our relationships, we are connected", writes acclaimed international conflict resolution facilitator and Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., in her life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict. The author describes the important role that dignity plays in all human interaction, its universal desire in all people, and how to practice dignity in all personal, business, community, and international interactions.Donna Hicks recognizes the importance of respect, but considers dignity to be a human desire of a different form. While respect implies an earned value, dignity should be accorded to everyone regardless of circumstance, based on their humanity alone. The author shares how vital a sense of dignity is to a sense of self worth, and how all conflict resolution must place a priority on the dignity of everyone involved in the process and outcome. Donna Hicks provides what she calls her Dignity Model, for understanding the role of dignity, whether in daily interactions or in international relations. The author places the desire for dignity at the heart of all human relationships.Donna Hicks, Ph.D. (photo left) demonstrates that people become vulnerable if they are treated as if they have no value. At the same time, if others are treated with dignity, we enhance and reaffirm our own sense of dignity. The empowering aspect of this concept is that by maintaining the dignity of others, increases our own level of dignity. In other words, it is self defeating to attempt to undermine the dignity of others during all personal interactions. When we diminish the dignity or others, we lower our own dignity and self worth as well. The very positive approach to conflict resolution of all types, where dignity is upheld and enriched, promotes reconciliation and a renewal of relationships.The Dignity model, as offered by Donna Hicks includes three essential parts. The three parts are as follows:* Ten essential elements of dignity and how to honor dignity in everyone* Ten temptations to violate dignity and how to avoid these traps* Healing relationships with dignity through rebuilding and reconciliationFor me, the power of the book is how Donna Hicks combines a powerful theoretical framework of the importance of dignity to all people, with a practical guide to honoring dignity in every form of personal interaction. Donna Hicks shares her Dignity Model which transforms conflict resolution from one of confrontation and the diminishing of others, to one where dignity becomes a prime guiding force in the reconciliation process. Through acceptance of identity, inclusion, fairness, and other positive values, Donna Hicks offers an often overlooked connection for understanding the real underlying causes of conflict. Donna Hicks understands that temptation to diminish the dignity of others has often caused many resolution efforts to break down without success. The author addresses each of these problematic temptations head on, with the warning signs that they are appearing, and the steps necessary to remove them. Donna Hicks also provides a process for utilizing the power of dignity to rebuild relationships, that goes beyond forgiveness, and renews relationships through a shared honoring of dignity.I highly recommend the landmark and definitive book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks, Ph.D., to anyone seeking an alternative[...]

Michael Michalko: Creative Thinkering - Blog Business Success Radio

2012-02-07T00:33:19.166-06:00

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk RadioInternationally acclaimed creativity consultant and author of the brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work, Michael Michalko, describes how to resurrect your natural creative thinking abilities. Michael explains that creativity requires making connections between two or more dissimilar subjects, resulting in new ideas and concepts. Michael shares his proven techniques to put this connection skill to practical use to discover exciting new solutions to problems. Michael points out that everyone has the ability for creativity, and provides the techniques used by geniuses to develop your own genius capabilities. The methods offered by the author combine fun with real world results to boost your creativity and problem solving skills. Learn how to change your outlook and way of thinking to one where you act and behave like a creative thinker.Michael Michalko is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.The show airs live on Tuesday, January 31, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.Internationally acclaimed creativity consultant and author of the brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work, Michael Michalko, describes how to resurrect your natural creative thinking abilities. You will learn:* Why everyone has the capability for genius level creativity* Why people aren't as creative as they can and should be in iife* How to learn and practice creative thinking skills* How to change how you see the world and become a creative thinkerMichael Michalko (photo left)is one of the most highly acclaimed creativity experts in the world and author of the best sellers Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity), ThinkPak (A Brainstorming Card Deck), and Cracking Creativity (The Secrets Of Creative Genius).As an officer in the United States Army, Michael organized a team of NATO intelligence specialists and international academics in Frankfurt, Germany, to research, collect, and categorize all known inventive-thinking methods. His international team applied those methods to various NATO military, political, and social problems and in doing so it produced a variety of breakthrough ideas and creative solutions to new and old problems. After leaving the military, Michael facilitated CIA think tanks using his creative thinking techniques.Michael later applied these creative-thinking techniques to problems in the corporate world with outstanding successes. Michael has provided keynote speeches, workshops, and seminars on fostering creative thinking for clients who range from Fortune 500 corporations, such as DuPont, Kellogg's, General Electric, Kodak, Microsoft, Exxon, General Motors, Ford, USA, AT&T, Wal-Mart, Gillette, and Hallmark, to associations and governmental agencies. In addition to his work in the United States, Michael has worked with clients in countries around the world.Some of Michael’s creative-thinking techniques that were refined by his government and corporate practice were published in his best-seller Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity), which the Wall Street Journal reported "will change the way you think." Women In Business lauded it as "one of the most important business titles of the decade." USA said "believe it or not, this wonderful book will have you challenging the seemingly impossible every day." Executive Book Summaries praised it by saying, "What we need is a compendium of ways to solve problems. And that’s exactly what you get in Thinkertoys." and Entrepreneur acclaimed it as "required reading for anyone in business." Success magazine awarded Thinkertoys with a Gold Medal for being "one of the best of the best business books." The medal is awarded to books tha[...]

Creative Thinkering by Michael Michalko - Book review

2012-01-31T06:26:59.923-06:00

Creative ThinkeringPutting Your Imagination to WorkBy: Michael MichalkoPublished: September 6, 2011Format: Paperback, 256 pagesISBN-10: 160868024XISBN-13: 978-1608680245Publisher: New World Library"Creative thinking requires the ability to generate a host of associations and connections between two or more dissimilar subjects, creating new categories and concepts. We have not been taught to process information this way", writes internationally acclaimed creativity expert Michael Michalko, in his brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work. The author describes why people always seem to arrive at the same old answers to problems, and shares fun and mind opening practices and techniques to transform anyone into a genius level creative thinker.Michael Michalko recognizes that people are educated to think logically and in conventional ways. For the author, that educational and societal approach works against the creative thinking process completely. The result is the same ideas are brought forward over and over again. Michael Michalko offers an alternative way of thinking, approaching problems, and looking at the world. The author points out that everyone was creative at a young age, but that innate creativity was removed through the application of firm logic and the standard structure of concepts. To restore that childhood creativity, Michael Michalko provides easy to understand and apply techniques that changes the way people see the world. Michael Michalko (photo left) understands that conceptual blending of blending two very dissimilar subjects or ideas is one of the secrets employed by creative geniuses throughout history. The author cites the example of Leonardo Da Vinci, whose combining of seemingly random items and concepts, resulted in extraordinary new ideas and ways of thinking. Michael Michalko demonstrates that the principles of creativity, employed by Da Vinci, can be utilized by anyone to create fresh ideas and solutions to problems. Through combining opposites, adding what were previously considered crazy or absurd ideas, changing your perspective on the world, and then letting the idea incubate, breakthroughs will be the result.Michael Michalko shares his three characteristics shared by geniuses, and offers them as principles for all would be creative thinkers to embrace. The three notable genius traits are:* Importance of intention and how to use it to develop a creative mind-set* Changing your thinking patterns by changing the way you speak* How to become what you pretend to beFor me, the power of the book is how Michael Michalko demonstrates that anyone can become a creative genius and developer of new ideas. The author not only provides evidence that creativity is found in everyone, but also shares proven practices and techniques for drawing out that latent creative thinking ability. For people who mistakenly believe that they lack any sort of creativity, this book is a real eye opening experience. Not only can anyone develop the skills and habits of thought to become a genius level creator, hut the path toward that blissful state is both fun and exciting along the way.The author brings his own proven experience and real world examples to the book, providing illustrative case studies of the principles in action. A tremendous addition to the book are the many graphics and thought experiments included in every chapter. These enhancements offer fun and challenging techniques to guide the reader toward embracing a creative world view and outlook on life. Michael Michalko also provides very extensive footnotes for each chapter to help readers further their own investigation and study of creative thinking and the creative process.I highly recommend the creativity inspiring, treasure of a book Creati[...]

Through The Language Glass by Guy Deutscher - Book review

2012-01-30T03:30:17.491-06:00

Through the Language GlassWhy the World Looks Different in Other LanguagesBy: Guy Deutscher Published: August 30, 2011Format: Trade Paperback, 320 pagesISBN-10: 0312610491ISBN-13: 978-0312610494Publisher: Picador"I will argue that cultural differences are reflected in language in profound ways, and that a growing body of reliable scientific research provides solid evidence that our mother tongue can affect how we think and how we perceive the world", writes former Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge and of the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Languages in the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, and honorary Research Fellow at the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures in the University of Manchester, Guy Deutscher in his fascinating and thought provoking book Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages. The author describes how the very words and grammar of a language frames the way its native speakers think and view the world, and that languages are all fundamentally different in very crucial ways.Guy Deutscher moves linguistics out of the field of genetics and places languages firmly in the camp of culture. In the eternal argument of nature and nurture, the author lands solidly on the side of nurture and cultural influences on language. He goes one step farther, and demonstrates that the very words and structure of a language nurture different ways of thinking and looking at the world from those of other language speakers. Instead of accepting the widely held opinion that languages are subsets, and even dialects of one another, Guy Deutscher considers the different languages to be discrete and the creators of a multitude of varying worldviews. Guy Deutscher (photo left) recognizes that there are enormous differences in culture around the world, but these are usually thought to be superficial. The author presents the alternative concept that these cultural variations are the result of the structure of the language, its choices and variations of words, and its grammar. Guy Deutscher points out that different languages have decidedly contrasting structures and views of both time and space. For the author, these and other differences in perception carry with them radically different worldviews that are embedded at a very young age. The author utilizes the latest scientific research in neurology, and the ideas of the great philosophers, to frame his case. For the author, even how various language speakers consider colors, is a reflection of both the mirror of a language, and the lens of the language.For me, the power of the book is how Guy Deutscher presents a compelling argument that language shapes cultures and the worldviews of its speakers. The author acknowledges that his case must overcome some serious historical baggage relating to cultures and the people of the world. At the same time, he presents language as a cultural phenomenon, and not one of genetics. The author also employs leading edge scientific studies to support his position. Guy Deutscher writes in a very accessible and lively style that draws the reader along through a historical and global tour spanning continents and thousands of years. The author also presents his ideas in a logical format and includes illustrative and supporting examples from history, science, and philosophy. This book will challenge the reader's own perceptions of the world, and lead to further discussion and investigation of this endlessly intriguing topic.I highly recommend the groundbreaking and landmark book Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher, to anyone seeking a serious and fresh approach to the study of linguistics, language, and cultural perception. Whether a person agree[...]

Field Tested by Emily King - Book review

2012-01-29T08:42:54.708-06:00

Field TestedRecruiting, Managing, and Retaining VeteransBy: Emily KingPublished; November 10, 2011Format: Hardcover, 187 pagesISBN-10: 0814417795ISBN-13: 978-0814417799Publisher: AMACOM"Let's start with a very basic question: Why hire a veteran? Because it's good business", writes nationally recognized expert on the transition from military service to civilian employment, and founder of Military Transitions™, Emily King in her groundbreaking and very practical book Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Veterans. The author describes hiring former military personnel as going far beyond altruism or patriotism, as veterans are tremendous employees who bring valuable characteristics and experience to the workplace. The author shares insights to recruiting, hiring, and retaining veterans in organizations, and for optimizing their value to the company.Emily King recognizes the important attributes that veterans bring to the workplace. Their notable traits include talent, a focus on achieving goals and results, dedication, and loyalty. The author points out that these characteristics are those sought in all employees, and that former service personnel bring them in abundance. Despite the obvious benefits of recruiting and hiring veterans, many companies lack the understanding of ex-service men and woman, and fail to add their talents and skills to the organization. At the same time, the former service men and women are not always aware of the real value and unique skill sets that they bring to the organization. Emily King provides a guide to bridging this gap, benefiting both the veterans and the companies who hire them.Emily King (photo left) understands the unique strengths that former service personnel bring to the workplace. The author also understands that there are crucial cultural differences between the military and civilian workplaces. Veterans need assistance in making a successful transition to civilian employment, and employers must realize that hiring ex-service men and woman also adds diversity and a sense of inclusion to the organization. To aid in the successful transition, Emily King shares her Military Transitions Framework™ as a guide and practical tool for facilitating a smooth transfer of skills from the service to civilian employment. The author also shares the Veteran Retention Lifecycle™ as a structure retaining veterans within an organization and assisting in their successful career development. The author also provides a self assessment kit for employers to ensure that their company and its culture are ready to add veterans to their workforce.For me, the power of the book is how Emily King combines a strong case for hiring former service men and women, with a practical framework and strategy for the successful transition of veterans into the organization. The author asks and answers two important questions in the book. The first question is what traits, skills and knowledge that veterans must bring to the workplace to achieve success in a civilian career. The second question is how can employers better recruit, hire, and retain former service people in their organization, while developing the individual's career path. Both of these questions are answered very well and in depth in the book. Emily King underlines the tremendous value that veterans bring to the workplace and that hiring former military men and women are a valuable and profitable addition to the company. This book provides a powerful and results oriented base, for both job seeking veterans and employers, to ease and enhance the transition for individuals from military life to civilian careers. Emily King also points out the additional diversity of ideas, background, and experience that veterans bring[...]

Hot Leaders Cool Facilitators by Bart R. Wendell - Book review

2012-01-29T08:38:06.856-06:00

Hot Leaders Cool FacilitatorsLearning to Lead One Meeting at a TimeBy: Bart R. Wendell, Ph.D.Published: September 22, 2010Format: Paperback, 164 pagesISBN-10: 0984194894ISBN-13: 978-0984194896Publisher: Networlding Publishing"You are a leader...and you don't like meetings. You want to like them, but you don't, and your don't know why. This book will fix that", writes master facilitator, business consultant and psychologist Bart R. Wendell, in his very hands on and engaging book Hot Leaders Cool Facilitators: Learning to Lead One Meeting at a Time. The author describes in no uncertain terms why meetings fail to achieve their desired goals, and provides practical advice to guide leaders toward facilitating successful meeting outcomes.Bart Wendell recognizes that meetings provide a public display of leadership abilities, both good and bad, that can make or destroy a leader's career. The author considers the meeting to be a true test of a leader's skills. As a result, Bart Wendell offers the insightful advice that conducting a successful meeting goes far toward the development of an outstanding leader. Because of the nature of meetings, and why they so often fail to produce positive results, alert leadership is a necessity. People drawn into meetings bring their silos, and not solutions, along with them. Meetings include diverse participants with a wide variety of abilities and agendas.Bart R. Wendell (photo left) understands that leaders must be able to gauge how a meeting is progressing, and time when to look for a needed breakthrough, in order too achieve a positive outcome that benefits the organization. This skill requires practice and is as much an art as a science. The author points out that leaders very often demonstrate their lack of skills when they want and need to perform their best. What Bart Wendell calls Hot leaders overheat the meeting and cause impulsive and rash responses and decisions. The author describes Cool leaders as too calming resulting in a lack of action or decision making. To counter these three observations, Bart Wendell proposes a framework built of five leadership principles. Those five principles are as follows:* Meetings reflect leadership ability. Great leaders run great meetings* A leader changes through the act of running a meeting, both good and bad* Good leaders use Hot and Cold effectively to guide the meeting* Great leaders understand themselves; their own strengths and weaknesses* A great leader is not afraid of uncomfortable but right decisionsFor me, the power of the book is how Bart Wendell combines a deep understanding of the subtle human characteristics of meetings, with a practical guide for developing leadership skills, through running effective meetings. The author considers meetings to be the crucible in which skilled leaders forge their best qualities. For the author, this testing of leadership is both an internal struggle with oneself and one's fears, as it is an external discovery of effective leadership techniques. Bart Wendell devotes an entire chapter to each of the critical aspects of leadership in meetings, underlining both the inner journey to self realization, as well as the skills visible to those attending the meeting. The idea that meetings, with the need to lead and guide others to a worthwhile result, forms the basis of great leadership is a good one. Understanding the many implications of this important leadership concept alone makes this book a very worthwhile read. The author's experience as a business consultant, meeting leader and facilitator, as well as a psychologist bring a unique and valuable perspective to this book that is rarely found in leadership books.I highly recommend the insightful and leadersh[...]

Ray Schwemmer & Rick Havrilla: Dynamic Collaboration - Blog Business Success Radio

2012-01-26T05:19:13.987-06:00

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk RadioSoftware solutions consultants, co-founders of CollabraSpace, and co-authors of the insightful and groundbreaking book Dynamic Collaboration: How to Share Information, Solve Problems, and Increase Productivity without Compromising Security, Ray Schwemmer and Rick Havrilla describe how to tap into the power of social networking to better facilitate communication in the workplace. They provide ideas for implementing collaboration tools to create your own social network. Ray and Rick demonstrate how to use these enhanced communications systems to boost creativity, problem solving and greater transparency within organizations. The authors also share ideas for maintaining security while maximizing information sharing, communication, and idea creation. The authors show how integrating communication tools, with already existing systems increases internal communication, idea sharing, and improves productivity. Learn how to increase your bottom line profits through collaboration of ideas.Ray Schwemmer and Rick Havrilla are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.The show airs live on Thursday, January 26, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.Software solutions consultants, co-founders of CollabraSpace, and co-authors of the insightful and groundbreaking book Dynamic Collaboration: How to Share Information, Solve Problems, and Increase Productivity without Compromising Security, Ray Schwemmer and Rick Havrilla describe how to tap into the power of social networking to better facilitate communication in the workplace. You will learn:* What collaboration means in a communications system* Why collaboration is so crucial to organizational success* How to create an effective collaborative communication network* How to implement a collaborative system that breaks down barriersRay Schwemmer (photo left) has over 20 years of Internet technology experience in large system design and development, project management, sales, and marketing.As President/CEO, Ray uses his extensive Internet technology and management experience to lead CollabraSpace through the rapid corporate growth of a leading software and services provider. He also assists in building the company’s distribution channels, strategic alliances, partnerships, and corporate development activities.Prior to starting CollabraSpace, Ray spent ten years working for various IT companies designing and building large-scale distributed systems for both commercial and government clients. Ray holds both a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.B.A. from Drexel University.Ray is the co-author of Dynamic Collaboration: How to Share Information, Solve Problems, and Increase Productivity without Compromising Security with Rick Havrilla, CTO and co-founder of CollabraSpace. Dynamic Collaboration shows how leaders can harness the power of Web 2.0 and use it to tap into the collective intelligence of their organization. The book will be available in October 2011. Visit http://dynamic-collaboration-book/ to learn more.Ray and his wife reside in Maryland with their two children. He enjoys golfing and sailing in his free time.Rick Havrilla (photo left) brings over 20 years of experience designing and implementing enterprise software solutions with over ten years of experience working with collaboration technologies to CollabraSpace. He has worked with numerous organizations on their system architectures to integrate collaborative solutions that fit seamlessly into their architectures and products.As Chief Technology Officer at CollabraSpace, Rick integrates new technologies and determines the viability and potential of new collaborat[...]

Dynamic Collaboration by Ray Schwemmer & Rick Havrilla - Book review

2012-01-26T05:19:16.879-06:00

Dynamic CollaborationHow to Share Information, Solve Problems, and Increase Productivity without Compromising SecurityBy: Ray Schwemmer, Rick HavrillaPublished: October 15, 2011Format: Hardcover, 160 pagesISBN-10: 0982056931ISBN-13: 978-0982056936Publisher: Third Bridge Press"Forward-thinking leaders understand that collaboration is crucial for any organization that wants to be productive, adaptable, and creative", write co-founders of CollabraSpace, Ray Schwemmer and Rick Havrilla, in their insightful and groundbreaking book Dynamic Collaboration: How to Share Information, Solve Problems, and Increase Productivity without Compromising Security. The authors describe how collaboration is essential in the modern organization but is often very difficult to implement. The authors provide a guide to successful deployment of collaboration tools and a change in the culture that encourages and supports open communication and collaboration.Ray Schwemmer (photo left) and Rick Havrilla understand the vital importance of collaboration as a strategic enhancement to any organization. The power of social networks to transform communications in today's world is a strength that can be leveraged to achieve competitive advantage. The ability to design and put into action new tools that support open communication, similar to the familiar mainstream social media tools, creates a system of horizontal and vertical communication and idea sharing. The authors demonstrate that collaboration integrates an organization, breaks down barriers, and leads to vastly improved problem solving; as well as savings in both time and money. Strategic collaboration results in more engaged and energized employees, who are more productive and more in balance with their lives, leading to improved company profitability.Rick Havrilla (photo left) and Ray Schwemmer recognize that collaboration technologies have moved beyond the product stage, and are now an integral part of the social media landscape.An internal communications system, that works in the manner of Twitter or Facebook, facilitates efficient and effective idea and data transfer and exchange throughout the organization. The authors point out that this enhanced data and information sharing goes far toward removing barriers and silos within organizations. With these walls broken down, more effective problem solving and solution implementation are the result. At the same time, the removal of obstacles improves the culture, increases morale, and creates a more engaged workforce. For Ray Schwemmer and Rick Havrilla, organizations that fail to collaborate are described as being stovepiped. Within each pipe, departments maintained their own databases, and information was rarely shared between the pipes. The authors demonstrate that stovepipes worked against collaboration and are a failed organizational model. A lack of collaboration results in failure to share solutions, recognize problem areas, and a reduction in profits. Collaboration removes the pipe effect, enhancing the communication and sharing within the organization. Collaboration creates a united company with a shared sense of purpose that translates into higher performance levels, increased efficiency, and higher profit levels.For me, the power of the book is how Ray Schwemmer and Rick Havrilla combine their framework for improved collaboration and communication with the practical strategies for implementing a collaborative system. The authors describe the problems that arise from a lack of collaboration, and contrast that scenario with the vastly improved system that results from widespread collaboration. The authors take a holistic approach to coll[...]

Nancy Oakley: The Road To Success - Blog Business Success Radio

2012-01-31T06:27:03.036-06:00

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk RadioEntrepreneur and author of motivational and deeply personal book The Road To Success: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Life, Financial Freedom, and Achieving Your Dreams and The Quest For Serendipity, Nancy Oakley (Neuensie Suku) shares her heroic life story of overcoming a life of poverty in Thailand and her successful career in business in the United States. Nancy Oakley describes how to achieve success in business and in life, and presents her philosophy of life. Nancy offers her business secrets that worked for her, and is certain they will work for other entrepreneurs. Nancy points out that dreams, once reached, contain other challenges. She shares how she passed those obstacles to achieve her life of success, financial freedom, and personal happiness. Nancy's amazing life story will inspire you to achieve greatness in your own life.Nancy Oakley is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.The show airs live on Tuesday, January 24, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.Entrepreneur and author of motivational and deeply personal book The Road To Success: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Life, Financial Freedom, and Achieving Your Dreams and The Quest For Serendipity, Nancy Oakley (Neuensie Suku) shares her heroic life story of overcoming a life of poverty in Thailand and her successful career in business in the United States. You will learn:* How to set goals and plan a course of action to achieve them* How to succeed as an entrepreneur regardless of initial capital resources* How to live a balanced business and personal life* How to create a life plan that includes all aspects on your lifeNancy Oakley (photo left) is a native of Thailand, who moved to the United States during the Vietnam War. After working in civil service for over twenty years, she embarked on her dream of entrepreneurship.Nancy initially delved into the world of real estate and at one point held over one mullion dollars in assets. In 2008, she began her career as a retail business owner along the famous San Antonio River Walk.Nancy currently owns and operates a prestigious jewellery and gift shop, a bookstore, and is a successful author. She lives with her family in Spring Branch, Texas.My book review of The Road To Success: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Life, Financial Freedom, and Achieving Your Dreams by Nancy Oakley (Neuensie Suku).Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832Let's talk with entrepreneur and author of motivational and deeply personal book The Road To Success: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Life, Financial Freedom, and Achieving Your Dreams and The Quest For Serendipity, Nancy Oakley (Neuensie Suku), as she shares her heroic life story of overcoming a life of poverty in Thailand and her successful career in business in the United States. Nancy Oakley describes how to achieve success in business and in life, and presents her philosophy of life. Nancy offers her business secrets that worked for her, and is certain they will work for other entrepreneurs. N[...]

The Road To Success by Nuensie Suku (Nancy Oakley) - Book review

2012-01-24T04:19:38.207-06:00

The Road To SuccessA Small Business Owner's Guide to Life, Financial Freedom, and Achieving Your DreamsBy: Nuensie Suku (Nancy Oakley)Published: October 7, 2011Format: Paperback, 236 pagesISBN-10: 0983767610ISBN-13: 978-0983767619Publisher: Motivational Press, Inc." Many people associate having one's own business with undertaking a large amount of risk; the fear that if the business goes under, the business owner will lose everything", writes successful entrepreneur Nuensie Suku (Nancy Oakley) in her motivational and deeply personal book The Road To Success: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Life, Financial Freedom, and Achieving Your Dreams. The author describes her personal entrepreneurial journey and shares the practical and timeless advice that guided her business decisions and her life.Nancy Oakley is no ordinary business owner. Beginning her life in her native Thailand, amidst extreme poverty, the author began her heroic quest to find a better life that led her to the United States during the tumultuous Vietnam War. In America, the author faced new challenges and began her entrepreneurial career. Nuensie Suku overcame adversity through a combination of hard work, sound decision making based on common sense, her strong sense of purpose, and a determination to make her dreams a reality. Along with her business advice and ideas, the author offers her philosophy of life, and her vision for creating a future of success and happiness. With her straight forward thinking and personal commitment to her goals, Nuensie Suku (photo left) became a prominent and highly respected business owner on the famous San Antonio River Walk. The author outlines her ideas on real estate investment, including some of the pitfalls that await the unwary investor. The author also describes her ideas on entering and succeeding in the highly competitive retail sector. All through the book, the author shares her philosophy of life, health, and happiness that inspired her way in life. Partly business manual, partly guide to living a successful and balanced life, the book is packed with wisdom that can be learned and practiced by anyone. The author teaches empowerment and how to live a fulfilling life. That sense of awareness of life and balance sustained the author, and it will sustain and refresh other people as well.For me, the power of the book is how Nuensie Suku (Nancy Oakley) combines her life story, her philosophy of life and living, and her secrets of business success into a seamless whole. The holistic approach taken to business and life by the author reminds the reader that life and business are intertwined and a balance between the two must be sought and found. For the author, business advice and wisdom of living are one and the same. For the author, a person cannot create and maintain a successful business without living the values that create serenity and personal fulfillment. The author teaches that operating a business is simply another aspect of living a good and complete life as a person.I highly recommend the wisdom filled and inspirational book The Road To Success: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Life, Financial Freedom, and Achieving Your Dreams by Nuensie Suku (Nancy Oakley), to anyone seeking a refreshing and personal account of how a life of purpose leads to a successful business and personal satisfaction. This little gem of a book will provide the reader with a positive outlook on life, and the means to achieve personal and business success, without compromising values, principles, or life balance.Tags: The Road To Success: A Small Business Owner's Guide to Life, Fin[...]

Employment Rage: What You've Lost and How To Get It Back by Howard Adamsky - Book review

2012-01-23T06:08:58.225-06:00

Employment RageWhat You've Lost and How to Get it BackBy: Howard AdamskyPublished: January 18,2011Paperback: 204 pagesISBN-10: 1935254464ISBN-13: 978-1935254461Publisher: Norlights Press"For a person who's unemployed, a typical day can be dismal. You awaken to a stark and jarring reality. You are unemployed and you must find a job. Soon. Money is tight, and hope is in short supply as well", writes recruiter, speaker, and employment consultant Howard Adamsky, in his no nonsense and results oriented book Employment Rage: What You've Lost and How to Get it Back. The author describes what is really happening in the real world of employment and provides proven strategies for employment seekers to land a job in today's difficult labor market.Howard Adamsky understands what it's like to be unemployed. He has been there, and shares his personal journey through the anger, frustration, and disappointment of losing a job. The author offers advice to job seekers that worked for him, and for other job hunters as well. Not only has Howard Adamsky experienced the pain, guilt, and shame of being without a job, but he has been on the hiring side of the desk as well. The author's keen insights, into the needs and requirements of both the job seeker and the hiring manager, offer guidance to anyone seeking a job in any industry. Howard Adamsky knows very well that the well known employment tactics of the past no longer work. In their place, he offers job seeking strategies that work in the new reality.Howard Adamsky (photo left) recognizes that people who have lost their jobs in the current dysfunctional economy are feeling stress and personal anguish. The author empathizes with those who are unemployed, and seeks to share his inside knowledge of how employers view candidates, to help applicants land jobs. Howard Adamsky covers all areas of the employment seeking journey to ensure that job seekers have the latest and most critical techniques at their fingertips.Because Howard Adamsky considers both the individual and the job search, the book is divided into four sections. Those four parts are as follows:* Exploring the pain of job loss in a recessionary economy* Advice and counsel for job seekers of all types* The author's own personal story* Road map to the future of a fresh start and new jobFor me, the power of the book is how Howard Adamsky goes beyond the standard advice manuals of job finding strategies and provides down in the trenches advice that works in a tough hiring environment. The author offers the actual facts of what hiring managers want in candidates, how their resumes should appear, and how to succeed in a job interview. The book is more than simply a job hunting guide. It's also a personal development book, where the author combines his own personal experiences, with reflection on the job seeker's own life. The author pulls no punches, and spares no feelings, when it comes to describing the state of the economy and its current dysfunction. For Howard Adamsky, it's the economy that failed the individual, and not the other way around. This fresh approach to the human side of the employment equation helps people to overcome their personal feelings of guilt and shame, to become active in discovering a new job. The author also gives some very hands on advice as to how the employment market and hiring practices have changed over time. He doesn't hesitate to point out that what worked in the past is not only no longer effective, but is likely to result in even more frustration and anger during the job search.I highly recommend the very hands on an[...]

Software Change Management by Donald J. Reifer - Book review

2012-01-22T01:43:43.222-06:00

Software Change ManagementCase Studies and Practical AdviceBy: Donald J. ReiferPublished: December 29, 2011Format: Paperback, 192 pagesISBN-10: 0735664757ISBN-13: 978-0735664753Publisher: Microsoft Press"This book was written to equip those making and managing changes in software organizations with the processes, techniques, and tools that they need to be successful", writes successful entrepreneur, software consultant, thought leader, and teacher Donald J. Reifer, in his very hands on and pragmatic advice filled book Software Change Management: Case Studies and Practical Advice. The author describes how to integrate effective and lasting software change within both private and public sector organizations through insightful case study examples of software change.Donald J. Reider recognizes that problems do arise when planning and implementing software change. The author understands that the challenges facing change agents are not only ones involving technology. Change affects people both individually, and as part of the entire organization. Donald Reider provides strategies for creating sustainable change through a deeper understanding of the people, change process, and software products involved in the transformation. Through his own experience, and through a series of ten case studies involving different change scenarios, the author offers ideas and lessons for organizational change, that avoid the many mistakes and obstacles that can work to block or derail a change initiative.Donald J. Reifer (photo left) presents an overview of the software change management process, from the planning process to the final implementation by the organization. The author describes many different situations, where problems ranging from inefficiency, to waste, to outright incompetence, stand as roadblocks to the needed change. Donald Reifer presents a series of case studies that show what works, and what doesn't get positive results, when facilitating software change.Donald J. Reifer offers a systematic approach to software change management. His framework includes the following considerations:* Organization, its infrastructure and portfolio* Project infrastructure* Process including developmental models and activities* Product in the form of the deliverables* People in the workforce ,teams, characteristics, and skills* Change agents and their role at all phases of changeFor me, the power of the book is how Donald J. Reifer provides a workable framework for facilitating software change management that includes all aspects of the organization. The book is written for the decision makers and change agents, to equip them with the tools for successful change initiatives. The strategies shared in the book are applicable to a wide cross section of organizations from entrepreneur based companies, to large companies, to non-profit organizations, and for government agencies. The author assumes a basic knowledge of software engineering and fundamentals of management. To reinforce and illustrate his concepts, the author provides ten real world case studies that illustrate the challenges and solutions to software management issues.I highly recommend the very engaging and real world based book Software Change Management: Case Studies and Practical Advice by Donald J. Reifer, to any decision makers and change agents seeking a practical and real world based guide to holistic change management. This book will ease the transition from existing and legacy software systems to a complete change in the systems and processes across the entire organiz[...]

Culture Connection by Marty Parker - Book review

2012-01-23T16:34:03.513-06:00

Culture ConnectionHow Developing a Winning Culture Will Give Your Organization a Competitive AdvantageBy: Marty ParkerPublished: October 11, 2011Format: Hardcover: 224 pagesISBN-10: 007178876XISBN-13: 978-0071788762Publisher: McGraw-Hill"Corporate culture is defined by behaviour. It's how people - meaning the collective of people - in an organization do things. Ideology, vision, mission, and values - these things set the tone. But culture is really about how people behave day-in and day-out. And leadership drives that behaviour", writes Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Waterstone Human Capital, Marty Parker, in his insightful and passionate book Culture Connection: How Developing a Winning Culture Will Give Your Organization a Competitive Advantage. The author describes the critical importance of organizational culture to a company's success, and provides the strategies and tactics that create an effective and performance boosting culture.Marty Parker understands the impact that a company culture exerts on the entire organization, its leadership, its employees, and its customers. The author provides compelling evidence that a strong culture is a strategic competitive advantage that creates a noticeable gap ahead of the competition. Marty Parker demonstrates how an effective organizational culture, with its engaged and motivated workforce, develops a strong connection with overall company performance at all levels. The author points out that culture is system of behaviours, within the organization, that are practiced on a daily basis. Companies that align their culture and behaviour, with all of its internal and external systems, demonstrate a clear edge over their competition.Marty Parker (photo left) recognizes that everything that an organization does on a daily basis, both internally and externally, is a reflection of its company culture. These organizational behaviours matter, whether they are practiced consciously or unconsciously by company leaders, managers, and employees in performing their daily tasks. Marty Parkers offers the strategies that will transform a culture that changes how systems, habits, and people behave on the job. The author demonstrates how to identify problem areas within the culture, and how to make the positive changes that enhance overall company performance. Marty Parker also provides techniques for aligning the company's culture with its brands and their brand promise. The author also provides strategies for leaders within the organization to lead and support the overall process of cultural change.For me, the power of the book is how Marty Parker combines the theoretical framework outlining the importance of organizational culture, with the strategies and tactics to develop a winning culture. The author offers a systematic approach to analyzing an existing culture, identifying its problem areas, getting leadership on board, introducing and developing cultural change effectively, and aligning the new culture with the company brands. Marty Parker utilizes a holistic methodology for facilitating change within the entire organization to ensure that the new behaviour becomes the daily standard of action. The author adds to his concepts with examples and case studies of successful organizational culture transformation in the real world.I highly recommend the visionary and transformational book Culture Connection: How Developing a Winning Culture Will Give Your Organization a Competitive Advantage by Marty Parker, to any organizational leaders who are seeking a u[...]

Philippa Gamse: 42 Rules For A Web Presence That Wins - Blog Business Success Radio

2012-02-02T04:46:13.443-06:00

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk RadioWeb strategy expert and author of the very practical and idea filled book 42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins: Essential Business Strategy for Website and Social Media Success, Philippa Gamse, CMC, describes how to improve your overall internet presence to add value and revenue to your company. Philippa shares ideas to prevent the all too frequent problem of leaving money on the table through we strategies and tactics that drive traffic to the site and convert those visitors into paying customers. Philippa offers valuable insights into better communicating with customers and for building powerful connections that last and result in returning clientele. Learn how to build and maintain a website that really works for you and your business through enhanced strategies and a more visible web presence.Philippa Gamse is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.The show airs live on Thursday, January 19, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.Web strategy expert and author of the very practical and idea filled book 42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins: Essential Business Strategy for Website and Social Media Success, Philippa Gamse, CMC, describes how to improve your overall internet presence to add value and revenue to your company. You will learn:* The importance of an effective web presence for your company* How to prepare a strategy and choose the right tactics to achieve your goals* How to create effective content that speaks to the target audience* How to measure the results and effectiveness of your company web presencePhilippa Gamse (photo left) is a web strategy pioneer. Philippa Gamse has been working with Internet applications since 1991. Originally from the UK, she formed her US-based consulting and speaking practice in 1995. Philippa drills deep into the visitor experience, and creates actionable and specific recommendations for your Web presence. Clients report significant improvement in quality Web traffic, visitor engagement, customer loyalty and qualified sales leads within 30 days of implementing her recommendations.Philippa was the sole featured expert for the cover story on effective Web strategies for UPS Compass Magazine Fall 2009, distributed to more than one million businesses. She is a Certified Management Consultant – an ISO-accredited designation recognized in over 60 countries.My book review of 42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins: Essential Business Strategy for Website and Social Media Success by Philippa Gamse, CMC.Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832Let's talk with web strategy expert and author of the very practical and idea filled book 42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins: Essential Business Strategy for Website and Social Media Success, Philippa Gamse, CMC, as she describes how to improve your overall internet presence to add value and revenue to your company. Philippa shares [...]

42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins by Philippa Gamse - Book review

2012-01-19T02:05:20.997-06:00

42 Rules for a Web Presence That WinsEssential Business Strategy for Website and Social Media SuccessBy: Philippa Gamse, CMCPublished: September 7, 2011Format: Paperback, 136 pagesISBN-10: 1607730669ISBN-13: 978-1607730668Publisher: Super Star Press"Like it or not, your web presence plays an increasingly key role in your organization", writes long time web strategist Philippa Gamse, CMC, in her very practical and idea filled book 42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins: Essential Business Strategy for Website and Social Media Success. The author describes the strategies and techniques to transform a company internet presence into a powerful tool for engaging all of the stakeholders and customers; and creating a website and social media plan that boost revenue.Philippa Gamse recognizes that there is no single set of rules, benchmarks, and best practices that work for every business website. The author provides the strategies and tactics for creating a web presence that works for the individual company, its employees, and its audience. Philippa Gamse guides the business person through the process of deciding on the technology, establishing an internet presence in all areas, creating a site that works for the entire organization, and that speaks to the intended audience and customers. The author presents concepts, for both the company website and its social media activity, that are proven to work and to get results.Philippa Gamse (photo left) understands the critical importance of having a web presence that works for all stakeholders of the company. The author also points out the value of having a company website that gets results. Philippa Gamse recommends an individual approach to building or recreating a website. For some companies, the only changes needed to optimize a website may be touch ups. On the other hand, some websites may require a drastic rebuild toward something entirely new. As a result, the author steers business people away from gurus and standardized approaches to design and function. To guide the business in creating an effective web presence, Philippa Gamse provides forty-two rules, broken into five overall sections. Those five sections are as follows:* Management-level issues* Setting strategy and tactics* Creating content that makes connections* Measuring results* Afterword and further thoughtsFor me, the power of the book is how Philippa Gamse presents her forty-two rules for creating a powerful web presence in a clear and concise format. The author provides the framework for companies to be successful on the internet, while avoiding the most common mistakes and pitfalls that derail many businesses online. Philippa Gamse recognizes that there are individual needs and requirements for every company, but shares the concepts that are common to all businesses on the web. The author goes beyond the usual standards and best practices recommended by many internet thinkers, and suggests an individualized approach for each company, with an emphasis on a holistic framework that covers all aspects of the business and its stakeholders.I highly recommend the very hands on and useful book 42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins: Essential Business Strategy for Website and Social Media Success by Philippa Gamse, CMC,to any business people seeking advice for creating an effective web presence that works for all of its stakeholders and customers. The author even acknowledges that rules are made to be broken if that route helps achi[...]

Screw Business As Usual By Richard Branson - Book review

2012-01-17T21:58:00.744-06:00

Screw Business As UsualBy: Richard BransonPublished: December 8, 2011Format: Hardcover, 384 pagesISBN-10: 1591844347ISBN-13: 978-1591844341Publisher: Portfolio/Penguin"This is exactly what I am hoping to promote with this book: to find out why we need to change the way we do business, and how that might best be done", writes successful international entrepreneur, adventurer, and founder of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson, in his visionary and thought provoking book Screw Business As Usual. The author describes how it is time to transform capitalism from a purely money making concept to one where business leaders play an ever increasing role in improving the world and the lives of people across the globe.Richard Branson understands deeply that despite his successes, and those of his many well known companies, their employees, and their customers, so much more good can be done in the world beyond the current levels. Richard Branson points out readily that while business has provided an outstanding engine of growth in the world, his own companies and others have not stopped the global downward spiral into economic decay. Indeed, the author recognizes that traditional and narrowly focused business practices have accelerated that economic downward spiral. For Richard Branson, the exclusive concentration on profit has caused serious and damaging unintended consequences for people, countries as a whole, economies on all scales, and for the environment. Richard Branson (photo left) advocates a fresh business approach of behaving differently, changing the focus, solving real problems, and turning work and business into a mission for good. While capitalism has brought many benefits to society, Richard Branson states that there have been many costs that haven't appeared on balance sheets as well. The damage to the environment and to lives were considered irrelevant when compared to the balance sheet only focus of the past. Richard Branson offers evidence that narrow viewpoint is changing into a new form of capitalism that works toward to good of everyone in the world. The author suggests fresh thinking on how all aspects of business are conducted in all countries, how to solve major challenge sin new and creative ways, and how to create work that is part of a larger positive mission beyond only profit. For Richard Branson, the evidence that a new form of capitalism will supplant the previous form is that simply doing good is also good business. Benefiting others works for the company as well.For me, the power of the book is how Richard Branson combines his vision for a new and positive form of capitalism with a blueprint for making that transformation a reality. Through examples from his own business experience and travels, and from the examples of others, Richard Branson provides examples of the success of his fresh new approach to a more humane and sustainable capitalism. The author demonstrates clearly that caring about employees, customers, the environment, and the entire planet is not only the right thing to do,but that it's also good business. Richard Branson proves that ethical and sustainable business, are not only about doing good, but that they are even more profitable than the older, and now failing business paradigm.I highly recommend the brilliant and landmark book Screw Business As Usual by Richard Branson, to any leaders and decision makers who are seeking an alternative to the failed model capita[...]

Techno-Fix: Why Technology Won't Save Us or the Environment by Michael Huesemann & Joyce Huesemann - Book review

2012-01-15T15:27:40.088-06:00

Techno-FixWhy Technology Won't Save Us Or the EnvironmentBy: Michael Huesemann, Ph.D., Joyce Huesemann, Ph.D.Published: October 4, 2011Format: Paperback, 464 pagesISBN-10: 0865717044ISBN-13: 978-0865717046Publisher: New Society Publishers"Despite the serious shortcomings and consequences of past technologies, the public often uncritically accepts new technology, believing that additional and more advanced technology will eventually provide satisfactory solutions", write research scientist Michael Huesemann, Ph.D., and activist and academic Joyce Huesemann, Ph.D., in their deeply profound and thought provoking book Techno-Fix: Why Technology Won't Save Us Or the Environment. The authors present a compelling rebuttal to the widely held belief that technology will solve the challenges facing the environment, energy, social needs, and the economy, but instead may even make the existing problems worse.Michael Huesemann, Ph.D. and Joyce Huesemann, Ph.D. recognize that while technology has solved many problems in the past, that same technological imperative has created new and even more dangerous and unpredictable unintended consequences. The authors consider those unintended consequences to be both unpredictable and unavoidable, and that continued faith in technology is based on a lack of knowledge and understanding of both the nature of the problem, and of the technology employed to address and resolve that same challenge.The authors point out that both public and private sector analyses are biased in support of untested and potentially dangerous new technology. For the authors, the unquestioning faith in technology has not only failed to resolve the salient issues or provide real happiness, but instead leads away from sustainability and toward collapse.Michael Huesemann, Ph.D. and Joyce Huesemann, Ph.D. challenge directly what they consider the myth of technological inevitability. The authors demonstrate that technology is not value neutral and that the ethics of the technological imperative are deeply flawed in both conception and application. For the authors, the profit motive is the driving force behind the technological imperative and that science and technology as currently practiced are unable to meet the challenges facing the environment, society, and the economy. The authors propose a complete paradigm shift toward reorienting science and technology in a different direction that is more socially responsible and environmentally sustainable. The authors address the following challenges and realities facing society and its worldview regarding science and technology that demand a new paradigm:* Technology and its limitations* The uncritical acceptance of technology* The next scientific and technological revolutionFor me, the power of the book is how Michael Huesemann, Ph.D. and Joyce Huesemann, Ph.D. apply their scientific and engineering credentials and expertise the critical challenge posed by the uncritical acceptance of the technological imperative. The authors address the myths of technological advancement and progress, as not only unable to solve the problems facing the modern world, but instead are hastening collapse. The authors take a holistic approach to the issues of technology, science, the environment, society, and the economy. Through this big picture analysis, the authors point out how technology has impact, as well as unpredictable unintended consequences elsewh[...]

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