Bookends Podcasts Meet the Authors!

True North Groups

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 09:06:33 -0500

Bill George is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, where he has taught leadership since 2004. He is the author of four best-selling books: Authentic Leadership (2003), True North (2007), Finding Your True North (2008), and 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis (2009). On January 5, Susan Stamm interviewed Dr. George for Bookends Bookclub. This interview lasts just under 30 minutes and contains personally enriching insight and suggestions for personal and professional authenticity.
Mr. George is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic. He joined Medtronic in 1989 as President and Chief Operating Officer, was Chief Executive Officer from 1991-2001, and Chairman of the Board from 1996 to 2002. Earlier in his career, he was an executive with Honeywell and Litton Industries and served in the U.S. Department of Defense.
Mr. George received his BSIE with high honors from Georgia Tech, his MBA with high distinction from Harvard University, where he was a Baker Scholar, and honorary PhDs from Georgia Tech and Bryant University. During 2002-03 he was professor at IMD International and Ecole Polytechnique in Lausanne, Switzerland, and executive-in-residence at Yale School of Management.
In True North Groups, we are reminded that all too often we find ourselves forced to confront life’s challenges on our own. What we need is an intimate group with whom we can examine our beliefs and share our lives. For the past thirty-five years, Bill George and Doug Baker have found the answer in True North Groups—small groups that gather regularly to explore members’ greatest challenges. These groups provide opportunities for the honest conversations essential to develop the self-awareness, compassion, emotional intelligence, and authenticity required to be inspired human beings and inspiring leaders.
“At various times,” George and Baker write, “a True North Group will function as a nurturer, a grounding rod, a truth teller, and a mirror. At other times the group functions as a challenger or an inspirer. When people are wracked with self-doubts, it helps build their courage and ability to cope.”
Drawing on recent research in psychology and sociology, George and Baker explain why these groups are so critical to our personal and professional success. They cover every detail from choosing members, establishing norms, and dealing with conflicts to evaluating progress and deciding when it’s time to restructure. True North Groups provides a wealth of practical resources, including suggested topics for the first twelve meetings advice on facilitating groups, techniques to evaluate group satisfaction, and much more.
For the millions of people who are searching for greater meaning and intimacy in their lives, this book will help them to grow as leaders and as people—and to stay on course to their True North.
Be sure to check out the Resources page (see the banner above) to locate resources related to this and other podcasts. These are free downloadable documents related to the book and the interview provided by the authors and Bookends Bookclub.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping people and organizations develop their personal and professional effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams of engaged people who work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Creating Personal Presence

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:28:52 -0500

Dianna Booher is CEO of Booher Consultants. Her clients include 9 of the 10 largest corporations in America and 140 of the Fortune 500 companies. She has won several awards including the Star Quality Award from IBM, the Lifetime Achievement Award from ASTD, and she was inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame. She was featured on Successful Meeting Magazine’s list of “21 Top Speakers for the 21st Century” and named one of the “Top 100 Thought Leaders in America” in 2007 and 2008 by Executive Excellence. Dianna is also the author of 44 books, which have collectively sold almost 4 million copies.
Susan Stamm, on behalf of Bookends Bookclub, interviewed Dianna on December 13, 2011 for this podcast. Although Dianna was using a cell phone, explaining some of the electronic noise, this Podcast is an excellent introduction to the helpful content of her book.
Creating Personal Presence gives scores of specific, practical tips from the bestselling author of Communicate with Confidence (over 165,000 copies sold).
• Shows how anyone can cultivate the kind of commanding presence essential to success in all walks of life
• Helps you communicate clearly and powerfully to engage others
It may be difficult to define, but we all know presence when we encounter it. Someone walks into the room and people step aside. Heads turn. When those with presence speak, people listen. When they ask, people answer. When they lead, people follow. People with presence look confident and comfortable, speak persuasively, think clearly even under pressure, and act with intention and integrity.
Presence is not something you have to be born with. It’s not about status symbols or position. It’s not about who you are but about how you are. And it’s something anyone can learn. Award-winning speaker and consultant Dianna Booher provides scores of practical tips on the physical qualities, communication techniques, thought processes, and attitudes that underlie powerful personal presence. This comprehensive guide will enable readers to become compelling leaders no matter what their current position.
Booher shows how to master the dozens of small and significant things that work together to convey personal presence. She details how dress, body language, manners, and even your surroundings enhance credibility and build rapport. You’ll learn to use voice and language to demonstrate competence and deliver clear and memorable messages, think strategically and organize ideas coherently, and relate to others in ways that convey genuine interest, respect, good humor, and reliability.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
Discover tools to help you close the engagement gap within your organization at our website. You will find information on the products and services provided by the sponsor of Bookends Bookclub: The TEAM Approach at http://www.teamapproach.com.

Learn your way to success

Mon, 5 Dec 2011 11:01:36 -0500

Dan Tobin is a consultant on corporate learning strategies and leadership development programs, and a coach to corporate training directors. Bookends host, Susan Stamm, interviewed Dan on December 5, 2011 as part of The TEAM Approach’s participation in ASTD’s Employee Learning Week.
With more than 30 years’ experience in the learning and development field, Dan Tobin has founded two corporate universities, served as vice president of design and development at the American Management Association, given keynotes and workshops on five continents, and written six books on corporate learning strategies. His latest book, Feeding Your Leadership Pipeline: How to Develop the Next Generation of Leaders in Small to Mid-Sized Companies, was co-published by ASTD and Berrett-Koehler several months ago.
Dan can be reached at danieltobin@att.net. Visit his website at www.tobincls.com
Supercharge your job performance and get where your want to be by becoming an ACTIVE LEARNER
In today’s highly competitive work environment, continuous learning is an absolute necessity—a requirement to keep up with the latest innovations in the field and increase productivity.
Be sure to check out the Resources page (see above) to locate Dan’s Knowledge-Awareness Matrix. It is a free downloadable document related to the book and the interview provided by the author and Bookends Bookclub.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams of engaged people who work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Leadership from the inside out

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:49:41 -0400

Kevin Cashman is Founder and President of LeaderSource, an international leadership development, executive coaching, and team effectiveness consultancy. In 2006, LeaderSource merged with Korn/Ferry International in order to provide its offerings in 80 offices spanning 40 countries.
In his revision of Leadership from the inside out, Kevin Cashman demonstrates that his trademark "whole-person" approach--we lead by virtue of who we are--is essential to sustained success in today's talent-starved marketplace and provides a measurable return on investment. For everyone from CEOs to emerging leaders, this long-awaited second edition advances the art and science of leadership and is even more relevant today than when it was first published.
Listen as Susan Stamm interviews Kevin and draws out a captivating outline of the key ideas of the book. Susan serve as host of Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach.
For more than 25 years, Kevin and his team have coached thousands of senior executives and senior teams to enhance performance. He is the founder of the Executive to Leader Institute® recognized by Fast Company as the “Mayo Clinic” of leadership development for its interdisciplinary approach to executive coaching. Clients include General Mills, Novartis, 3M, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, United Way of America, Zurich Financial, Carlson Companies, and Thrivent Financial.
Kevin is the author of four books on leadership and career development. His bookLeadership from the Inside Out was named the number 1 best-selling business book of 2000 by CEO-READ and was also named one of the top 20 best-selling business books of the decade. Kevin has been featured as a contributing author along with Warren Bennis, Stephen Covey, and Marshall Goldsmith in the books A New Paradigm of Leadership (1997) and Partnering: The New Face of Leadership (2002). He has been a contributing editor to Executive Excellence magazine along with Peter Senge, Charles Garfield, and Ken Blanchard. He has also written numerous articles on leadership and career management and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Chief Executive, Human Resource Executive, San Francisco Examiner, Fast Company, Strategy & Leadership, Oprah, CNN, and other national media. Kevin is currently the leadership columnist for Forbes.com, and was recently recognized as one of the Top 15 Thought Leaders in the world by Executive Excellence magazine.
His other best-selling book, Awakening the Leader Within, is an interactive coaching experience which chronicles the transformational journey of a leader to a new way of leading and a new way of life.
A frequent keynote speaker at conferences and corporate events, Kevin was formerly the co-host of the CareerTalk radio program. He has been chapter president, board member, and fellow of the International Association of Career Management Professionals. Kevin is a Senior Fellow of the Caux Roundtable, a global consortium of CEOs dedicated to enhancing principle-based leadership internationally. He is also a Board Member for the Center for Ethical Business Cultures, fostering ethical leadership in corporations, and is a former Board Member of Youth Frontiers, bringing character and leadership development to tens of thousands of school-age children each year.
Prior to founding LeaderSource, Kevin was Regional Director of an international human development organization and Vice President of a major vocational services organization.
Kevin’s educational background includes a psychology degree from St. John’s University. A believer in dynamic life balance, he has participated in more than 50 triathlons and has practiced and taught meditation for over three decades.
After hearing this podcast, you may learn even more about the dynamic uses of 360 feedback tools or the DiSC family of profiles at The TEAM Approach. And be sure to check out the Resource and Application pages by clicking on the at the top of this podcast page. There, you will find several related tools.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping individuals and organizations improve their effectiveness. Working with leaders as well as developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Leadership Wisdom of Jesus

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:29:13 -0400

Charles Manz, Ph.D., is the Charles and Janet Nirenberg Professor of Business Leadership in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts. Manz has served as a consultant for 3M, Ford, Motorola, Xerox, the Mayo Clinic, Procter & Gamble, General Motors, American Express, and many other organizations. He is the author of several books, including the bestselling The New SuperLeadership and Leadership Wisdom of Jesus. On August 11, 2011, Susan Stamm engaged Charles Manz in a discussion of the key concepts emerging from Leadership Wisdom of Jesus.
» New edition of the bestselling classic (over 75,000 copies sold and translated into eight languages)
» Offers profound lessons in leadership for readers of any religious background
» Updated throughout, with a new self-assessment chapter
The Leadership Wisdom of Jesus is for anyone who wants to become a wise and highly effective leader. It outlines a uniquely constructive and compassionate approach to leadership based on positive spiritual principles contained in the teachings of Jesus. Manz doesn’t look to these teachings to support preconceived theories of how to lead but explores the New Testament with an open mind to see what insights it reveals for today’s work world. What he finds are powerful lessons that will inspire you to maintain integrity, live on a higher plane, and ultimately achieve your personal and professional goals, no matter what your religious background.
This new edition is updated throughout and includes several new examples and a self- assessment chapter designed to encourage self-examination and personal reflection. Remarkably contemporary and welcoming to all readers, this book will challenge you to evaluate your own leadership style and to consider time-tested spiritual wisdom that can make you more enlightened and more effective.
You may read a sample chapter of Dr. Manz’s book if you go to our Resource Blog. By checking the “resource” link at the top of this page you can access materials related to this and many other books. Then visit Charles’ website which features this book.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams of engaged people who work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Silent Language of Leaders

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:04:36 -0400

Carol Kinsey Goman’s book The Silent Language of Leaders, is a guide for using body language to lead more effectively. In this podcast, Susan Stamm interviews Carol Kinsey Goman for The TEAM Approach. They discuss several ideas found in the book as dwell as implications for application in business, personal lives and politics. Aspiring and seasoned leaders have been trained to manage their leadership communication in many important ways. And yet, all their efforts to communicate effectively can be derailed by even the smallest nonverbal gestures such as the way they sit in a business meeting, or stand at the podium at a speaking engagement. In The Silent Language of Leaders, Goman explains that personal space, physical gestures, posture, facial expressions, and eye contact communicate louder than words and, thus, can be used strategically to help leaders manage, motivate, lead global teams, and communicate clearly in the digital age.
☞ Draws on compelling psychological and neuroscience research to show leaders how to adjust their body language for maximum effect.
☞ Stands out as the only book to address specifically how leaders can use body language to increase their effectiveness
☞ Goman, a respected management coach, is widely considered as the expert in body language issues in the workplace
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., is an executive coach, management consultant and keynote speaker for corporations, associations and government agencies, and her clients include over 100 organizations in 24 countries. Through her firm Kinsey Consulting Services, she works with executives and senior managers, coaching them on leadership communication and the hidden impact of body language.
Carol is a faculty member for the Institute of Management Studies and has served as adjunct faculty at John F. Kennedy University in the International MBA program, at the University of California in the Executive Education Department, and for the Chamber of Commerce of the United States at their Institutes for Organization Management. The Silent Language of Leaders is Carol’s eleventh book, and she is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and the “On Leadership” column for The Washington Post. When she is not traveling the world as a speaker and consultant, Carol lives in Berkeley, California.
Be sure to check out our Resource Blog, see the link above, for access to materials related to Carol’s book. Then visit her website which features this book.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

8 Dimensions of Leadership

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:34:17 -0400

Nobody is really prepared to be a leader, In fact, many leaders never even planned on becoming one--it was just the next logical step in their careers. That's why there are so many books on leadership. So why one more? Because too many books take too narrow a view. They tell you to focus on your particular strength, which is only a part of the story. What you really need is a broad perspective on all behaviors needed to be an effective leader.
The 8 Dimensions of Leadership offers both. Listen to their insights. On April 29, 2011, Susan Stamm interviewed the authors: Jeffrey Sugerman, Mark Scullard and Emma Wiilhelm.
Based on the recently developed third generation of the DiSC personality assessment--one of the oldest, most widely used, and most scientifically validated tools available-- The 8 Dimensions of Leadership identifies eight individual leadership styles. By taking a basic version of this assessment online, you can find out if you are a Pioneering, Energizing, Affirming, Inclusive, Humble, Deliberate, Resolute, or Commanding leader. The authors help you understand the psychological drivers, motivations, and "blind spot" characteristic of each style.
But no one style will take you all the way. A Humble leader may have a hard time making tough decisions. A Commanding leader may run roughshod over people who could be allies. After another assessment to point out the specific areas you need to work on, the authors detail the lessons all leaders can learn from each style. You may always be essentially a Deliberate leader, but to succeed you need to know when you should be a little more Pioneering. This book shows you how to develop a truly multidimensional leadership approach.
After reading The 8 Dimensions of Leadership, you will be able to craft your own approach to leadership--exploring the strengths and challenges of all eight leadership styles--to become the leader you aspire to be.
After hearing this podcast, you may learn even more about the dynamic uses of the DiSC family of profiles at The TEAM Approach. And be sure to check out the Resource Blog page by clicking on the at the top of this podcast page. There, you will find several related tools.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping individuals and organizations improve their effectiveness. Working with leaders as well as developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Bootstrap Leadership

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 17:00:34 -0400

Steve Arneson founded Arneson Leadership Consulting in 2007 to provide executive talent management, coaching, and leadership development solutions to corporations and non-profit organizations. Susan Stamm interviewed Steve for Bookend Bookclub on April 7, 2011 as a service of The TEAM Approach. Be sure to check out our Resource Blog, see the link above, for access to materials related to Ed’s book. Then visit Ed’s website which features this book.
Steve has a passion for helping leaders reach their full potential. He was named one of America’s Top 100 thought leaders on leadership for 2008, 2009 and 2010 and one of the country’s Top 25 leadership coaches for 2008, 2009 and 2010 by Leadership Excellence magazine.
Steve has been a leadership coach for 17 years, and is a graduate of the Georgetown Leadership Coaching Program. Steve received his Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Montana State University and his M.A. in organizational psychology from the University of Kansas, before completing his Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Tulsa.
Cover In Bootstrap Leadership, one of America’s top leadership coaches, offers a complete blueprint for designing your own personal leadership development program. In fifty brief, to-the-point chapters he provides practical ideas and techniques that have been proven successful in his work with executives at Fortune 500 companies like AOL, PepsiCo and Capital One. Surprisingly, most of these ideas cost nothing to implement, nor do they require any elaborate equipment or infrastructure—they’re open to anyone with sufficient initiative, drive and ambition.
The chapters are entirely self-contained and can be read in any order and at any pace. You can read one a week and you’ll have a comprehensive year-long self-improvement program (with two weeks off for vacation). Or you can choose a chapter that speaks to a particular challenge you’re facing at work or one that just seems intriguing. There’s a self-assessment at the beginning of the book to suggest specific chapters that fit your developmental needs.
No one is going to just hand that next promotion. You have to earn it by developing and demonstrating your leadership skills. And ultimately it’s not just about you—true leaders make everyone around them better. Bootstrap Leadership shows you how.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. Working with leaders as well as developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Feeding Your Leadership Potential

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:08:30 -0500

Dan Tobin is a consultant on corporate learning strategies and leadership development programs, and a coach to corporate training directors. Susan Stamm interviewed Dan on February 24, 2010 for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach.
With more than 30 years’ experience in the learning and development field, he has founded two corporate universities, served as vice president of design and development at the American Management Association, given keynotes and workshops on five continents, and written six books on corporate learning strategies. His latest book, Feeding Your Leadership Pipeline: How to Develop the Next Generation of Leaders in Small to Mid-Sized Companies, was co-published by ASTD and Berrett-Koehler several months ago.
Dan can be reached at danieltobin@att.net. Visit his website at www.tobincls.com or the website for his newest book at http://nextgenerationofleaders.com.
With baby boomers hitting retirement age, every company faces an urgent need to develop the next generation of leaders. Many large companies already have leadership development programs in place, but what about small to mid-sized companies facing the same talent crisis but without comparable resources?
Now these companies have a guide. Feeding Your Leadership Pipeline provides a comprehensive blueprint for leadership development tailored to the needs and challenges of companies with fewer than five thousand employees. Leadership development veteran Daniel Tobin takes you through the entire process of developing a cost-effective, accountable leadership development program. You will discover how to:
* Identify high-potential talent
* Define key leadership competencies in your company
* Establish the four basic components of an effective leadership development program
* Harness the power of mentoring and coaching
* Evaluate program effectiveness
* Calculate what it will cost in budgetary and staff resources.
Every chapter includes checklists, forms, tables, and other tools that can be used by any company to put Tobin’s seasoned advice into practice.
At out our Resource Blog, see the link above, you may access materials related to Dan’s book. Then visit Dan’s website which features this book.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams that feed their leadership pipeline. At our website, you will find more information about an excellent tool for 360 self-assessment as discussed in this podcast. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Leaders as Teachers

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:54:57 -0500

On January 20, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Edward Betof for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach. In this interview, the participants explored the implications of leaders teaching through words and modeling to enhance the organization’s effectiveness (profitability) and leadership development.
In addition to its compelling story of change, Leaders as Teachers offers a roadmap for other organization wishing to implement and benefit from Becton, Dickinson and Company's (BD) experience. This complete roadmap includes detailed advice on how to introduce the leaders as teachers program and advice on how to overcome resistance to change; how to select, recruit, and train new leaders for the program; and how to evaluate the effectiveness of a fully functioning program. The book provides all the necessary tools, including detailed plans, worksheets, exercises, complete sample training outlines, and extra materials that speed the transition to leaders as teachers and take full advantage of BD’s extensive experience. Dozens of sidebars throughout the book present the participation experiences of BD’s leaders at all levels, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and personal testimonials of those who have benefited from participation in the leaders as teacher program.
• Offers a compelling implementation roadmap and includes detailed plans, worksheets, exercises, complete sample training outlines, and other useful tools that speed the transition to leaders as teachers
• Dozens of sidebars throughout the book present the participation experiences of leaders at all levels, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and personal testimonials of those who have benefited from participation in the leaders as teacher program.
Most business professionals understand the value of connecting their top leaders to other established and high potential leaders in the organization. Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), a $6.5 billion medical technology company with 28,000 employees, believes its leaders should make this vital connection in a unique and highly effective way – through teaching. Leaders as Teachers chronicles BD’s 8-year journey to create and deploy a leadership development program that relies on all top leaders (even its CEO) to train other leaders. The initiative, led by author Edward Betof , BD’s vice president and chief learning officer, has produced dramatic results, including measurable business results, a stronger and more supportive learning environment, improved communications and strengthened organizational culture, a more adaptive and change-receptive leadership team, and direct cost savings for the organization.
Be sure to check out our Resource Blog, see the link above, for access to materials related to Ed’s book. Then visit Ed’s website which features this book.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Terms of Engagement

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Organizational change pioneer Richard Axelrod explains why the old mechanistic approaches to change no longer work and offers four essential new principles that lead to an engaged organization: I. Widen the circle of involvement, II. Connect people to each other and ideas, III. Create communities for action, and IV. Practice democratic principles.
On November 23, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Richard for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach. In this interview, the participants explore the implications of engaging employees and other stake holders to enhance the organization’s effectiveness (profitability).
Drawing on numerous examples from such companies as Hewlett-Packard, Mercy Healthcare, First Union Bank, and others, Axelrod explains in his book how the four principles of the Engagement Paradigm enable leaders to create energy and commitment instead of apathy and resistance. He then reveals how this system-wide commitment in turn fosters the energetic, flexible, responsive organizations necessary to thrive in the 21st century. Recognizing the potential for misapplication, he also shows how engagement can disengage, and identifies potential pitfalls to avoid.
Terms of Engagement shows leaders and change management consultants that, when they successfully employ the principles of the Engagement Paradigm, they can produce organizations in which
• People grasp the big picture, become aligned around a common purpose, and create new directions
• Accountability is fully distributed across the organization as people come to understand the whole system
• Broad participation quickly identifies performance gaps and their solutions, improving productivity, and customer satisfaction
• Creativity is sparked when people from all levels and functions-along with customers, suppliers, and other important stakeholders-contribute their best ideas
• Capacity for future changes increases as people develop the skills and processes to meet current and future challenges
Successful strategy implementation requires people at all levels of the organization who care about the outcomes and have the necessary ownership, commitment, and will to implement the plan. This practical guide offers innovative, practical guidance for bringing the entire organization to the level of engagement vital to successful change outcomes.
Be sure to check out our Resource Blog, see the link above, for access to video illustrations related to Richard’s book. Then visit Richard’s website which features this book.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Change Your Questions - Change Your Life

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:13:46 -0400

On September 24, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Marilee for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach. In this interview, the participants explore the implications of how the questions we ask ourselves shape the nature of our experience of life, work and relationships.
The first edition of Marilee Adams’s book introduced a surprising, life-altering truth: any of us can literally change our lives simply by changing the questions we ask, especially those we ask ourselves. We can ask questions that open us to learning, connection, satisfaction, and success. Or we can ask questions that impede progress and keep us from getting results we want. Asking “What great things could happen today?” creates very different expectations, moods, and energy than asking “What could go wrong today?”
Many readers reported that they found themselves asking better questions before they even finished reading the book! This is the key insight that the book’s hero, Ben Knight, learns from his executive coach as the story of his transformative journey unfolds, eventually leading to breakthroughs that save his career as well as his marriage. His success rests on having become a “question man” and an inquiring leader rather than a judgmental, know-it-all answer man. In this extensively revised second edition, Adams has made the story even more illuminating and helpful, adding three new chapters as well as three powerful new tools. Change Your Questions, Change Your Life is practical yet simple, giving readers an entertaining, step-by-step guide to a technique that will transform their personal and professional lives. Great results really do begin with great questions – Marilee Adams shows you how to ask them!
Be sure to check out our Resource Blog, see the link above, for access to a chapter from John’s book. Then visit Marilee’s website which features this book.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Effective Apology

Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:45:15 -0400

Effective Apology challenges you to think about the fundamental value and importance of apology as it delivers detailed advice for making an apology that truly heals and renews. John Kador explores the Five Rs of apology: Recognize the wrong and the person harmed; accept moral Responsibility for your actions; express Remorse; provide meaningful Restitution; and offer assurance that the offense will not be Repeated. Making apology work in the real world—when and how to apologize, in what medium, and how to make it stick—is made clear through over seventy examples of good and bad apologies drawn from the news, popular culture, and the experiences of Kador, his clients, and his friends.
On September 1, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed John for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach. In this interview, the participants explore the implications of making apologies in our world of business pressures.
The willingness to apologize signals strength, character, and integrity. Effective leadership is impossible without effective apology. John Kador shows how to craft and deliver a confident apology that will defuse resentment, reduce litigation, create goodwill, and transform a relationship ruptured by mistrust and disappointment into something stronger and more durable than it ever was before.
There’s nothing easy about apology. The news is filled with examples of leaders apologizing, needing to apologize, or failing miserably at the attempt. And certainly we all have occasion to apologize ourselves—maybe more often than we realize. "But we don’t need more apologies," says John Kador, "we need better ones." Too many people just go through the motions, missing out on the power of apology to restore strained relationships, create possibilities for growth, and generate better outcomes for all.
Be sure to check out our Resource Blog, see the link above, for access to a chapter from John’s book. Then visit John’s website which features this book.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Breakdown, Breakthrough

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:00:33 -0400

Breakdown, Breakthrough: The Professional Woman’s Guide to Claiming a Life of Passion, Power, and Purpose, which reveals the key findings from her yearlong national research study – identifying the 12 ‘hidden’ crises of professional women, including chronic health problems, failure to find work-life balance, and painful losses of the ‘real me.’ It also shares 14 deeply personal stories – her own included – and shows how women are overcoming crises of personal and professional identity.
The author, Kathy Caprino, M.A., is a nationally-recognized women’s work-life expert, executive and career coach, author, and speaker specializing in helping women gain empowerment and self-mastery to navigate successfully through major challenges. On Tuesday, July 27, Susan Stamm interviewed Kathy Caprino for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach.
Founder/President of Ellia Communications, Inc. and former partner and co-founder of Living in Harmony – The Center for Emotional Health in Connecticut, Ms. Caprino is a sought-after writer and speaker on professional women’s issues. She draws on her training in coaching and psychotherapy with families and systems, original research, high-level business experience, and work with hundreds of professionals each year to provide effective, targeted programs that help individuals and groups achieve growth in key areas of life and work.
Be sure to check out our Resource Blog, see the link above, for access to a chapter from Kathy’s book as well as a downloadable PowerPoint of her “Empowerment Guide.” Then visit Kathy’s web site which features this book.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:00:38 -0400

Reading this book, you will discover that it:
* Presents often contrarian insights into how to design meetings that actually accomplish something
* Filled with case examples and exercises
* Draws on the authors' decades of experience working with businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies worldwide
This practical guide details ten key principles that will profoundly change the way you think about, organize, and lead the meetings that matter most. Rather than trying to change anyone's behavior, Weisbord and Janoff show you how to change the conditions under which people interact. By doing less, you help others do more. With examples from around the world, and practical tips and exercises in every chapter, Don't Just Do Something, Stand There! gives you many new techniques for helping people discover common ground, make productive use of dissension, and take responsibility for action.
On June 21, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach. In this interview, the three provide a helpful overview of the book and the issues it addresses.
Sandra Janoff, consultant and psychologist, works with Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, communities and non-profits on whole systems transformation. She is co-director, along with Marvin Weisbord, of Future Search Network (formerly SearchNet) an international non-profit dedicated to community service, colleagueship and learning. For more information, please visit www.futuresearch.net.
Marvin Weisbord is a fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Science and is the author of Organizational Diagnosis, Productive Workplaces, and Discovering Common Ground.
The TEAM Approach, sponsors of Bookends Bookclub, is committed to helping organizations improve their effectiveness. It is a vital part of developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

The World Café

Tue, 25 May 2010 13:12:56 -0400

THE WORLD CAFE: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter. On May 25, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed David Isaacs for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach.
David Isaacs is President of Clearing Communications and designs strategic dialogue forums with senior leaders in the U.S. and abroad. David is also a co-originator of the World Cafe and serves as adjunct faculty with the University of Texas Business School's Executive MBA Program.
Filled with stories of actual Cafe dialogues in business, education, government, and community organizations across the globe, this uniquely crafted book demonstrates how the World Cafe can be adapted to any setting or culture. Examples from such varied organizations as Hewlett-Packard, American Society for Quality, the nation of Singapore, the University of Texas, and many others, demonstrate the process in action.
* Introduces readers to a simple, yet powerful conversational process for thinking together and creating actionable knowledge that has been used successfully with organizations and communities on six continents
* Clearly articulates seven key World Café design principles that create the conditions for accessing collective intelligence and breakthrough thinking
* Includes actual stories from widely varied settings-such as Hewlett-Packard, American Society for Quality, the nation of Singapore, the University of Texas, and many, many others-to show the World Café process and results
Along with its seven core design principles, The World Cafe offers practical tips for hosting "conversations that matter" in groups of any size- strengthening both personal relationships and people's capacity to shape the future together. For more information, visit www.TheWorldCafe.com.
Helping organizations improve their internal communication is something to which The TEAM Approach is committed. It is a vital part of developing teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Living in more than one world

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

• Based on Bruce Rosenstein’s 20 years-plus study of Drucker’s life and thought
• Helps you construct a complete life plan through exercises, questions, and illustrative anecdotes and quotes
On April 27, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Bruce Rosenstein for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach.
How can we have a rich and fulfilling life? For Peter Drucker, one of the most influential thinkers of modern times, the secret was “living in more than one world”—enjoying a diverse set of interests, activities, acquaintances, and pursuits. Drucker was able to do this despite extraordinary demands on his time, and now Bruce Rosenstein shows how the man who transformed organizational management can transform the way you manage your personal and professional life.
Rosenstein shares Drucker’s advice for, first, honing in on your core competencies—developing your main talents, clarifying your values, and managing your time. With this firm foundation established he uses Drucker as both source and example to show how to enrich your life by developing parallel and second careers, making a difference in the lives of others through voluntarism and service, and using teaching and lifelong learning as complimentary ways of staying engaged and up to date.
By living in more than one world you gain new insights, see your world from fresh perspectives, access ever-changing sources of inspiration and stimulation. Peter Drucker managed a varied professional life as a writer, educator, and consultant, and was deeply immersed in literature, music, and art. But he wasn’t superhuman. This is a life that can be lived by anybody who has the tools and Bruce Rosenstein provides them in this thoughtful and inspiring book.

Be The Hero

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:54:49 -0400

Noah’s most recent book, Be The Hero, became an instant success. In the first week of its release it climbed into the top 20 in all books on Amazon and #1 in numerous categories, including Business, Self-help, Careers, and Success. Be the Hero has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal’s list of business bestsellers. Noah has been featured in various media outlets including The New York Times, CBS News, MSNBC News, The Chicago Sun-Times, Investors Business Daily, and Newsday.
On April 20, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Noah Blumenthal for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach.
Noah was a founding member of an internal consulting group at UBS Financial Services where he helped create and lead the effort for team development and coaching in the organization. He trained and consulted to over 1000 line, management and executive teams and coached hundreds of team leaders on how to change their businesses and their behaviors. You can learn more about his recent work at his website Leading Principles.
At times we all feel frustrated, stressed, or out of control. What if you could be at your best when your challenges are on the rise? Well, you can. Be the Hero introduces us to the way of the “Everyday Hero” and shows how to turn self-defeating thoughts and behavior into heroic actions. The trick is in the stories we tell ourselves. All day long, without even realizing it, we tell ourselves dozens of stories—about other people, our situations, and ourselves—stories that shape our emotions and behavior. These stories are so powerful, they make us think and act like either a hero or a victim. Be the Hero shows you how to choose the stories that lead to personal and professional success. In the tradition of the best storytellers, Noah Blumenthal weaves a tale that is both captivating and profound. Be the Hero is destined to become a classic.
The TEAM Approach is committed to helping organizations develop teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

The Compromise Trap

Wed, 7 Apr 2010 15:35:40 -0400

Elizabeth Doty offers a new approach: redefining the game. When you feel pressured to play by rules that undermine your integrity, Doty shows how you can tap into six personal foundations that will allow you to stay true to your deepest values and aspirations. Through more than fifty vivid firsthand accounts of compromise and courage in business, she provides guidance for anyone at any organizational level who wants to act with greater clarity, strength, and purpose, as well as for senior leaders striving to lead organizations that allow people to remain true to themselves.The Compromise Trap details a strategy that enables you to act as a positive force—for yourself and whatever you define as the greater good—no matter how difficult the circumstances.
On April 7, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Elizabeth Doty for Bookends, a service of The TEAM Approach.
Elizabeth Doty is a consultant, coach, and facilitator specializing in how people participate in large organizations while staying true to themselves and being a positive force – however they define those.
Since earning her MBA from Harvard and joining a reengineering firm in 1991, Ms. Doty has both subscribed to the "official story" of business and lived through the contradictions and absurdities of everyday organizational life. Prior to business school, she worked in the hospitality industry, where she served as a manager for more than eleven years, mostly in four-star hotels.
In late 1993, Ms. Doty founded WorkLore, a consulting firm that partners with leaders and teams to help make their missions real -- using story, systems thinking, and constructive conflict to untangle complex problems that hide goldmines of opportunity. Current and past clients include Intuit, Camp, Dresser, McKee, Stanford University, Skillsoft, Hewlett Packard, Archstone-Smith, and CTB/McGraw-Hill.
The TEAM Approach is committed to helping organizations develop teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Getting To Resolution

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:01:38 -0500

There is personal, corporate and global power which emerges when we turn conflict into collaboration. In his revised and expanded book, Getting to Resolution, Stewart Levine show how this can happen.
On February 25, 2010 Susan Stamm interviewed Stewart Levine about the issues found in his book for Bookends, a service of The TEAM Approach.
In this second edition of his classic book, Stewart Levine offers a revolutionary alternative that goes beyond compromise or giving in and provides real resolution for everyone involved. Marriages run amuck, neighbors at odds with one another, business deals gone sour, and the pain and anger caused by corporate structural changes are just a few of the conflicts he addresses. The new edition has been thoroughly revised with new examples: new tools; new material about communication, building trust, and virtual collaboration; and a more global outlook.
Stewart Levine is the founder of Resolution Works. His clients have included American Express, Chevron, General Motors, NASA, Oracle, and many others. He is also the author of The Book of Agreement.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
The TEAM Approach is committed to helping organizations develop teams that work collaboratively. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach by visiting our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com. Contact us for more details on how we can help your organization.

Appreciative Inquiry

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:28:59 -0500

In this book, the authors, Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom use examples from many different types of organizations to illustrate Appreciative Inquiry (AI) in action, drawing in particular on a five-year project with Hunter-Douglas Window Fashions, a company which achieved a 15 to 20% improvement in their bottom line and created a new strategic direction and culture using.
On February 24, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Diana Whitney for Bookends, a service of The TEAM Approach.
The Power of Appreciative Inquiry describes a wildly popular new approach to organizational change that dramatically improves performance by encouraging people to study, discuss, learn from, and build on what's working, rather than simply trying to fix what's not.
The authors illustrate each step in the AI process using actual events at Hunter-Douglas, emphasizing the customized, flexible, almost artistic nature of the process. A how-to book but not a manual, The Power of Appreciative Inquiry describes the newest ideas and practices in the field of Appreciative Inquiry since its inception in 1985.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
In addition to the resources mentioned in the Podcast, you may want to investigate the use of some resources at the Team Approach. You may investigate the information, products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

The Courageous Follower

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:48:47 -0400

Courageous followership recognizes that to be effective at almost every level of an organization, individuals need to play both the leader and follower role adeptly. The notion of courageous followership was developed by Ira Chaleff.
Susan Stamm interviewed author, Ira Chaleff, on October 29, 2009 for The TEAM Approach. They discussed his book The Courageous Follower. Book-Ends is a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach.
The updated third edition of The Courageous Follower includes a new chapter, “The Courage to Speak to the Hierarchy.” Much of Chaleff’s model is based on followers having access to the leader. But today, followers can be handed questionable policies and orders that come from many levels above them—even from the other side of the world. Chaleff explores how they can respond effectively, particularly using the power now available through advances in communications technology.
Everyone is a follower at least some of the time. Chaleff strips away the passive connotations of that role and provides tools to help followers effectively partner with leaders. He provides rich guidance to leaders and boards on fostering a climate that encourages courageous followership. The results include increased support for leaders, reduced cynicism and organizations saved from serious missteps.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
In addition to the resources mentioned in the Podcast, you may want to investigate the use of some resources at the Team Approach. One such resources helps team members learn how to understand and improve their contribution to the creative process. Learn more about using the C.A.R.E. profile at our website. And, for more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

Authentic Conversations

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:58:53 -0400

A critically acclaimed business book, Authentic Conversations challenges conventional wisdom on key business and workplace practices and presents concrete ways to consciously make ordinary conversations the primary driver of workplace change.
Susan Stamm interviewed the authors, Jamie and Maren Showkeir on September 23, 2009 for The TEAM Approach. Book-Ends is a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience as organizational consultants, their book offers examples of parent-child and adult-adult workplace conversations in a variety of settings, circumstances and industries. They also provide a hands-on guide, including sample scripts, for dealing with a host of potentially difficult conversations.
Authentic Conversations goes to the heart of why so many people today are disengaged, uninspired, and uncommitted to their organization’s success. It challenges the conventional wisdom about managing people and sets out specific, concrete ways to consciously make conversations the primary driver for change.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
You can learn more about the DiSC profile discussed in this Podcast at our website; on our home page, click on products. And, for more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

Real Time Strategic Change

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:44:51 -0400

The most successful organizations of the future will be those that are capable of rapidly and effectively bringing about fundamental, lasting, system-wide changes.
Book-Ends is a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach. On 21 August 2009, Susan interviewed Robert Jacobs to discuss the evolution of Real Time Strategic Change.
Real time strategic change is a way of redesigning how organizations change-a mindset and accompanying methodology-that ensures that:
• Change occurs at a fast pace and in real time throughout an organization.
• Change occurs simultaneously within the whole organization.
• Buy-in, commitment to, and ownership of a change effort is a natural by-product of involving people in the process of change.
• People feel responsible for the ultimate success of the organization's change effort.
• Broad, whole-picture views of the organization's reality form the basis of information used to support people in making changes.
• Change is viewed as an integral component of people's "real business."
• Substantial changes are made across an entire organization.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
Discover tools to help you create strategic change within your organization at our website. You will find information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach at http://www.teamapproach.com

Fired Up or Burned Out

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:31:54 -0400

In his work, Michael Lee Stallard described how to create an environment that helps people and organizations thrive, even during the challenging seasons. He tells inspiring stories about leaders of business, government, the social sector and the world of sports. In addition, Michael draws on research from psychology, neuroscience, mental and physical health research, political sociology and organizational behavior.
Book-Ends is a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach. Susan interviewed Michael on 29 July 2009 for The TEAM Approach. In this podcast, you not only hears several highlights from the book but some supplementary material and personal insights as well.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
You can find several instruments that can help you discover ways to keep your employees fired up at our website. For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

Engaging Hearts and Minds

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:19:46 -0400

Employee engagement is the cornerstone of achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. In Engaging the Hearts and Minds of All Your Employees, leadership expert Lee J. Colan delivers the “how to” for inspiring your team so they deliver unparalleled value to your customers.
Book-Ends is a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach. Susan interviewed author Lee Colan on 17 June 2009 to discuss Engaging the Hearts and Minds of all your Employees.
Proven at Fortune 500 companies across the globe, Colan’s simple but powerful formula is this: if you meet your employees’ basic intellectual and emotional needs, they will perform at peak ability. They will be energetic and innovative—and they will keep your customers satisfied and loyal. To do this, he equips you with the practical tools to engage employees at all levels, and ignite the fire of “Passionate Performance.”
Colan reveals how to meet employees most basic intellectual and emotional needs while assessing your own engagement style. By fully engaging your employees, you’ll nurture a team that gives their all to deliver stellar service.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
Discover ways to engage the hearts and minds of the employees within your own organization using our Team Checkup process, and our Work Expectations profile. At our website, click on “check- ups.”
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

Closing the Engagement Gap

Tue, 19 May 2009 11:55:08 -0400

Using real world examples, the authors of Closing The Engagement Gap show that consistently better engagement really is possible and can deliver a huge impact to the bottom line.
Book-Ends is a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach. On 19 May 2009, Susan Stamm interview Julie Gebauer to discuss Closing the Engagement Gap; Julie was co-author.
When people are truly engaged in their work they give more "discretionary effort" and make a huge difference to their company. They ask, "What's in it for us?" instead of "What's in it for me?" Yet an engaged workforce is as rare as it is valuable.
Here is a groundbreaking global study, led by Julie Gebauer and Don Lowman of Towers Perrin showing that most people are not engaged and don't contribute as much value as they could. Not because they're inherently lazy or apathetic, but because their companies and managers don't know how to draw out the best from them. For instance, while pay and benefits are critical in attracting talent to a company, they have little effect on engagement. Instead, there are five proven ways to engage employees, including:
• Grow them by helping them develop skills and Knowledge
• Involve them by asking for input and delegating Authority
• Reward them with recognition and advancement Opportunities
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
Discover tools to help you close the engagement gap within your organization at our website. You will find information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach at http://www.teamapproach.com

Engagement is not Enough

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:38:24 -0400

Keith Ayers' expertise is in working with CEO’s and senior executive teams to help them create a high performance culture… one that is based on a high level of trust and personal responsibility.
Book-Ends is a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach. On 27 April 2009, Susan interviewed Keith Ayers to discuss his book, Engagement is Not Enough.
Keith Ayers suggests leaders must bring their workforce to an even higher level than "engagement." Business leaders around the world have tried to demand, request, and even buy engagement—through bonuses, benefits, and share options. Ayers presents a compelling argument that not only will these methods fail, but the goal itself is misguided.
Ayers points to the first place for leaders to look when seeking a solution—the mirror. Business leaders need to ask themselves: How can I change my behavior to get the most from my employees? Ayers lays down this challenge to you and argues that by adjusting your own behavior, and tuning in to the core needs and values of your employees, you can empower each individual in your organization, and unleash their unique skills and talents.
Engagement is Not Enough provides business leaders with the tools they need to light a fire within the hearts and minds of their workforce and create a culture of continual improvement. Keith Ayers places passion above profit on the Passion Pyramid—his step-by-step outline of the five basic needs every employee has:
✦ The need for respect. Everyone needs respect but they want it in different ways.
✦ The need to learn and grow. When people feel respected, they want to increase their contribution to the organization's success.
✦ The need to be an "insider". Beyond being respected is the knowledge that you are truly valued.
✦ The need to do meaningful work. People need to know that what they do matters to someone else—it is important.
✦ The need to be on a winning team. Nothing ignites passion in employees like the team spirit generated by the success of a high performance team.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
You can learn more abut the DiSC profile mentioned in this discussion at our website. Discover tools to help you improve engagement within your organization along with other products and services provided by The TEAM Approach at http://www.teamapproach.com

Two Engagement Tools

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:57:36 -0400

Two powerful tools for strengthening employee engagement become the focus of this edition of Book-ends. Sponsored by The TEAM Approach, on March 24, 2009, Susan interviewed the authors of these workbooks: Dick Axelrod and Peter Garber . Both products stress high impact low cost techniques designed to enhance the workplace.
Dick Axelrod's How to Engage People When You Don't Have Time is an integrated double CD and workbook program which teaches the secrets of instant employee engagement and how to engage others even when there are many demands on you. Using this Program Will Teach You:  • Three rules of thumb that help you engage individuals and groups.  • How to create interest in your ideas even when people are busy.  • Identifying when disengagement occurs and how to turn it around.  • How to transform long-winded presentations into conversations.  • How to create meetings where no one looks at their Blackberry.
Peter Garber's 50 Activities for Employee Engagement is a three ring notebook containing six categories of activities from clarifying elements of engagement to exercising specific exercises which can be selected to address specific needs in an organization. The exercises contained in this toolbox were created with the visual and kinetic thinker in mind.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Select groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
If you are interested in measuring your organizations employee engagement, contact us; and for more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit our web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

Positive Leadership

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:00:24 -0500

Kim Cameron shows how to reach beyond ordinary success to achieve extraordinary effectiveness. Susan Stamm talked with him about his book "Positive Leadership" on February 24, 2009. In order to achieve spectacular results, Kim Cameron calls for "positively deviant performance"--performance far above the norm.

Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Select groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
Citing a wide range of research in organizational development and psychology as well as real-world examples, Cameron shows that to go from successful to exceptional, leaders must learn how to create a profoundly positive environment in the workplace. They must build on strengths rather than simply focus on weaknesses; foster positive emotions like compassion, optimism, gratitude, and forgiveness; encourage mutually supportive relationships at all levels; and provide employees with a deep sense of meaning and purpose. In this concise, inspiring, and practical guide, Cameron describes four specific positive leadership strategies, lays out a proven process for implementing them, and includes a self-assessment instrument and a guide to assist leaders in the implementation process.

You can learn more about our 360 feedback process similar to the one discussed in this podcast at our website: http://www.teamapproach.com/leadprocess.asp. For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com.

Community: The Structure of Belonging

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:24:36 -0500

The power of an organization’s sense of community has a direct impact upon its success emerges in this interview with Peter Block who discusses his book, Community: The Structure of Belonging. Peter Block is a partner in Designed Learning, a training company that offers workshops designed by Block to build the skills outlined in his books. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used; Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest, The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work; and The Answer to How is Yes.
Recorded on Thursday, January 15, 2009 for Bookends, a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
Discover ways to create community within your own organization’s various teams using our Team Checkup. At our website, click on “check- ups.”
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

Why Employees Fail to Meet Performance Expectations & How to Fix the Problem

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0500

Vernon Williams brought to his book his work experience including two decades as a manager and over 10 years as a consultant to frontline managers. In Performance Expectations, readers will discover the 20 most common causes of performance failures along with results-producing tips that are guaranteed to help readers eliminate them.

Susan's interview with Vernon Williams took place on December 11, 2008 for The TEAM Approach.

In this interview, Susan and Vernon discuss issues of accountability, SMARTER goals, job-fit issues, guidelines for giving effective feedback, workplace barriers, tapping into employee commitment, worker expectations, and understanding the subtleties of duty performance.

Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Select groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.

The industry is increasingly becoming aware of the importance of work expectations in the employment relationship. Learn more about the “psychological contract” between employer and employee and how to capitalize on its power through the use of the Work Expectations Profile available from The TEAM Approach
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com.

Love 'em or Lose 'em

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:56:04 -0500

How to retain and engage talent to gain and maintain that competitive advantage and maintain profits in the face of a struggling economy is the theme of the latest edition of the bestselling classic, LOVE ‘EM OR LOSE ‘EM: GETTING GOOD PEOPLE TO STAY (Berrett-Koehler, 2008) by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans. This practical guide was written to and for managers who want to do more with diminishing resources.
Susan interviewed Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans on November 19, 2008 for The TEAM Approach.
In the podcast, Susan engaged the authors around several key issues that relate to most organizations’ most critical resource--their employees. At stake is the retention of strong workers through easy-to-implement inexpensive strategies.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Select groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
The industry is increasingly becoming aware of the importance of work expectations in the employment relationship. Learn more about the “psychological contract” between employer and employee and how to capitalize on its power through the use of the Work Expectations Profile available from The TEAM Approach
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com.

Take Back Your Time

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:47:03 -0400

In Take Back Your Time, well-known experts in the fields of health, family therapy and policy, community and civic involvement, the environment, and other fields examine the problems of overwork, over-scheduling, time pressure and stress and propose personal, corporate and legislative solutions. This book shows how wide-ranging the impacts of time famine in our society are, and what ordinary citizens can do to turn things around and win a more balanced life for themselves and their children.
Susan interviewed John de Graaf, editor of the book, on October 15, 2008 for the TEAM Approach.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

The Nonverbal Advantage

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:52:20 -0400

The workplace is a “blink” world: studies show that we form opinions of one another within seven seconds of meeting and that 93 percent of the message people receive from us has nothing to do with what we actually say. Good nonverbal communication skills are a huge professional advantage, but until now very little has been available to help people hone their ability to use and interpret body language on the job
In The Nonverbal Advantage, Carol Kinsey Goman combines the latest research and her twenty-five years of practical experience as a consultant, coach, and therapist to offer a fun and practical guide to understanding what we and the people we work with are saying without speaking. While firmly grounded in recent discoveries in evolutionary psychology, neurobiology, sociology, criminology, anthropology, and communication studies, Goman writes in an informal, conversational tone and illustrates her points with cartoons, photos, and entertaining anecdotes. She includes dozens of simple and enlightening exercises readers can practice on and off the job to gain control over the message their body is sending.
Susan interviewed Carol Kinsey Goman on August 22, 2008 for The TEAM Approach.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

Taking Charge of Your Positive Direction

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:08:11 -0400

How we speak is as critical as what we say. In this interview Bert explains how your choice of words can move you in a direction that takes you closer to or farther away from effective relationships. He shares a number of examples from his book to illustrate how your tongue is the steering mechanism that moves you in one direction or the other. His key point - you are in charge of that direction.
Susan interviewed J. Bert Freeman on July 17, 2008 for The TEAM Approach. Our phone connection was not the best on this one, but the content is surely worth the listen.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

Collaboration 2.0

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:06:37 -0400

Have you taken the plunge into the world of Web 2.0? If you have even put your toe into the water you will want to read Collaboration 2.0. David and Stewart help us make sense of the new world of collaboration technology from IM/Chat to a virtual team space. The book is most beneficial for teams, groups, departments, cross-organizational teams and distributed organizations that are looking at some of the Web 2.0 technologies focused on communication, collaboration and interaction.
Susan Stamm interviewed David Coleman and Stewart Levine, authors of Collaboration 2.0, on June 27, 2008.
In this interview, Susan leads the authors into discussing both the technology and human sides of this new, and still emerging, form of collaboration.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager

Fri, 30 May 2008 11:29:31 -0400

His new book, Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager, is a straightforward guide for managers at all levels. “I wrote the book somewhat out of frustration,” says McCormick, who has many years’ experience as a manager in the IT industry. “I’ve witnessed incredibly poor management throughout my career, and I’ve seen the negative impact this can have on people and companies. I wanted to help those who recognize the need to improve.”
Organized in an easy-to-follow format, this compact guide sticks to the often-forgotten basics—such as provide honest and timely feedback, treat people like human beings, and do what you say you’ll do. Each chapter begins with a humorous but unfortunately all-too-true scenario— complete with a cast of characters and illustrations—demonstrating the common mistakes managers make. Then recommended tips are included to help overcome the problem. A list of dos and don’ts—which cut right to the chase—follows. Actions that can be taken immediately to implement the strategy are listed at the end of each section. Appendices list the dos and don’ts in one place for easy reference, and include a quiz that determines a manager’s effectiveness. There is also a recommended reading list.
Susan Stamm interviewed Nick McCormick on May 30, 2008 for Bookends, a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

The 4-Dimensional Manager

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:36:51 -0400

Successful managers work like coaches, assessing each person's strengths and weaknesses and developing the best strategy to get the job done. The 4-Dimensional Manager shows how managers can become more effective by using the DiSC system.
Susan Stamm interviewed Julie Straw on April 23, 2008 for Bookends, a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach.
"DiSC" stands for four communication styles:
✴ Dominance (direct and decisive);
✴ Influence (optimistic and outgoing);
✴ Supportive (sympathetic and cooperative); and
✴ Conscientious (concerned and correct).

In the book's first part, readers assess their own style, the style of the people they manage, and the style of their organization. The second part shows how to choose the most effective style (or combination of styles) for any situation, focusing on seven key areas: delegating, decision making, problem solving, motivating, complimenting, giving constructive feedback, and developing skills.
Susan's interview with Julie takes the listener through the key points in the book providing great background on the DiSC Model of Behavior and how to apply it in management relationships.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn.
Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

The Great Connection

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:05:38 -0400

The Great Connection is the story of a man on a journey to learn to connect with himself and who, in the process, learns how to connect with others. Written by Arnie Warren, published by Pallium books, 1997.
Susan Stamm interviewed Arnie for The TEAM Approach on March 7, 2008 just one month prior to Arnie's untimely death on April 19, 2008.
Listeners can join in a discussion of this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
The Great Connection has been used by practitioners of the DISC model of behavior as a way to help audiences develop a deeper appreciation of behavioral styles. Arnie's skill as a professional interviewer, and his practical approach to DISC, has created a story that leaves a lasting impression on readers.
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com

S.C.O.R.E.!

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:21:48 -0500

S.C.O.R.E. - Super - Closers - Openers – Reviews – Energizers for Enhanced Training Results
Susan Stamm interviewed Rich Meiss on February 22, 2008.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com
Rich Meiss has been a friend of The TEAM Approach for over twenty years and is a respected expert in the training and development industry. SCORE! is a fine example of his expertise.
This book is a compilation of some of the best exercises that Rich and his colleague Doug McCallum have come across in the past 30 years of training. Categorized into four sections , the book gives you 12 closers, 15 openers, 12 review techniques, and 29 energizers – both mental stimulators and physical activators.

Enhance the Transfer of Training

Fri, 7 Dec 2007 16:59:02 -0500

An interview with Denny Coates to discuss his ASTD InfoLine publication: Enhance the Transfer of Training.
Recorded on December 7, 2007, this interview was the first in a series of "Meet the Author" events which eventually became Bookends, a monthly, virtual, book club hosted by Susan Stamm and sponsored by The TEAM Approach.
Listeners can join in a discussion on this book at LinkedIn. Search groups and join Bookends: The Discussion.
For more information on the products and services provided by The TEAM Approach, visit the web site at http://www.teamapproach.com