First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 15, 2011

It is a great principle in psychiatry that “all-symptoms are overdetermined. This means that they have more than one cause. I want to scream this from the rooftops: “All symptoms are overdetermined.” Except that I want to expand it way beyond psychiatry. I want to expand it to almost everything. I want to translate it, [.].

Slywotzky 100

Slywotzky Blog 100

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 28, 2011

Here is an enlightening, simple look at the fall of the Soviet Union by Leslie Geib: The Forgotten Cold War: 20 Years Later, Myths About U.S. Victory Persist. The primary argument in the article is that the United States came out ahead in the contest due to the economic strength of the United States, and [.].

Innovation 97

Innovation Article Blog 97

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 7, 2011

The Enemy of Engagement: Put an End to Workplace Frustration – and Get the Most from Your Employees Mark Royal and Tom Agnew AMACOM (2012) How to “take effective action to promote high levels of employee enablement and unleash the full potential of your people” Extensive research in recent years by highly reputable firms such [.].

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Review Reputation Books How To 93

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 9, 2011

Find Your Next: Using the Business Genome Approach to Find Your Company’s Next Competituve Edge Andrea Kates McGraw-Hill (2012) How and why “six key elements are essential to every vision’s success” Andrea Kates and I am among those who agree with Thomas Edison that “vision without execution is hallucination.” In this book, she provides a [.].

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First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 18, 2011

“We are a citizen-centered organization.” Lynda Humble — City Manager, Rowlett, Texas ————— Focus… What are you “centered on?” This may be the first lesson in business success. You have a better chance of accomplishing what you focus on, and little chance of accomplishing what you don’t focus on. Lynda Humble of Rowlett is clear [.].

Organization 89

Organization Succession Management Blog 89

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 31, 2011

Here is a recent post featured online by the Drucker Exchange (Dx), a platform for bettering society through effective management and responsible leadership. It is produced by the Drucker Institute, a think tank and action tank based at Claremont Graduate University that was established to advance the ideas and ideals of Peter F. Drucker, the [.].

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Drucker Management Leadership Survey 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 29, 2011

The Power of Presence: Unlock Your Potential to Influence and Engage Others Kristi Hedges AMACOM (2012) How and why powerful intentional presence can be a “personal game changer” As I began to read this book, I was reminded of one of my favorite songs in the musical and film, Chicago, sung by Amos Hart (played [.].

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First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 23, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article about Meryl Streep and her latest film, The Iron Lady, prepared by the NPR staff and featured online. Streep stars as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in director Phyllida Lloyd’s latest film. To read the complete interview, listen to the story, and/or watch a clip from The [.].

Film 85

Film Article Blog 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 22, 2011

These are not head-snapping revelations. Everything that follows is simply common sense. The suggestions are provided in the spirit of Benjamin Franklin whom Walter Isaacson characterizes as “America’s first Yuppie.” Here are ten (10) attitudes, strategies, and initiatives to consider: 1. Make sure everyone knows what the core business is.

Franchising 85

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First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 22, 2011

The Perfectionist’s Handbook: Take Risks, Invite Criticism, and Make the Most of Your Mistakes Jeff Szymanski John Wiley & Sons (2011) A brilliant analysis of the differences between healthy and unhealthy perfectionism I agree with Jeff Szymanski that perfection is best viewed as an on-going process rather than as an ultimate destination. As he observes, [.].

Handbook 85

Handbook Review Analysis Books 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 21, 2011

Tony Mayo is the Thomas S. Murphy Senior Lecturer of Business Administration in the Organizational Behavior Unit of Harvard Business School (HBS). He currently teaches FIELD, Field Immersion and Experiential Leadership Development, a new required experiential, field-based course in the first year of the MBA Program. Previously, he co-created and taught the course, “Great Business [.].

Mayo 85

Mayo Organizational Behavior Leadership Development Course 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 20, 2011

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here. To procrastinate may be human but it’s not very rewarding. If putting off tasks is hindering your performance or making you unhappy, try these three things: 1. Identify [.].

Newsletter 85

Newsletter How To Tips Review 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 14, 2011

Getting the steps right is proving brutally hard, even if you know them. Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto —————- This week, I am presenting synopses of Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath and Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization, both to law enforcement professionals. (And, my colleague Karl Krayer, is [.].

Team Building 85

Team Building Team Organization Leadership 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 7, 2011

Harvard Business Review on Rebuilding Your Business Model Various Authors Harvard Business Review Press (2011) How to use innovative thinking to create or revise a business model that drives growth and profits This is one of the volumes in a series of anthologies of articles that first appeared in Harvard Business Review. Having read all [.].

Business Model 85

Business Model Review Books Innovation 85

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 31, 2011

(Personal note – call this a bit of a rambling reflection on the close of 2011. This is just me, kind of thinking out loud). I went to a couple of movies this week. That should not be a big deal to note – but, you see, I haven’t been to many movies for quite [.].

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Hotels Blog 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 30, 2011

The Perfectionist’s Handbook: Take Risks, Invite Criticism, and Make the Most of Your Mistakes Jeff Szymanski John Wiley & Sons (2011) A brilliant analysis of the differences between healthy and unhealthy perfectionism I agree with Jeff Szymanski that perfection is best viewed as an on-going process rather than as an ultimate destination. As he observes, [.].

Handbook 80

Handbook Review Analysis Books 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 29, 2011

Harvard Business Review on Increasing Customer Loyalty Various Contributors Harvard Business Review Press (2011) How to create customers who are profitable This is one of the volumes in a series of anthologies of articles that first appeared in Harvard Business Review. Having read all of them when they were published individually, I can personally attest [.].

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First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 29, 2011

Here’s an excerpt from a recent article from the Drucker Exchange (the Dx), an online resource that hosts an ongoing conversation about bettering society through effective management and responsible leadership. It is produced by the Drucker Institute, a think tank and action tank based at Claremont Graduate University that was established to advance and build [.].

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First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 28, 2011

The McKinsey Quarterly: Top Ten Articles (2011) Here is the “Top Ten Newsletter: Fourth Quarter 2011″ that enables you to read all of the most popular articles featured in The McKinsey Quarterly in 2011. I am deeply grateful to its publisher, McKinsey & Company, for its exceptional generosity year after year as it continues to [.].

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McKinsey Article Newsletter Company 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 28, 2011

The CEO’s Strategy Handbook: How to create, sustain and accelerate profitable growth Stuart Cross Global Professional Publishing (2011) How to manage strategy effectively and on a continuous basis In fact, everyone in a given enterprise (including but not limited to C-level executives) should be actively engaged in effective management of strategy. Only then can profitable [.].

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Handbook Strategy Review Books 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Dorie Clark for the Harvard Business Review blog. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, and sign up for a subscription to HBR email alerts, please click here. * * * I recently got back from a month’s vacation — the [.].

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Review Blog Article Resources 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 26, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article written by John Boudreau for Talent Management magazine. To check out all the resources and sign up for a free subscription to the TM and/or Chief Learning Officer magazines published by MedfiaTec, please click here. * * * How can companies balance cost pressures with the need to [.].

Leadership Development 80

Leadership Development Magazine Development Talent Management 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 22, 2011

The Medici Effect: Breakthrough Insights at the Intersection of Ideas, Concepts, and Cultures Frans Johannson Harvard Business Review Press (2006) Note: I recently re-read this book to assist with the preparations for an interview and even more impressed by the book now than I was when it was first published fuve years ago. A Special [.].

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Review Books Project Blog 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 20, 2011

Here is an article written by Tom Searcy for CBS MoneyWatch, the CBS Interactive Business Network. To check out an abundance of valuable resources and obtain a free subscription to one or more of the website’s newsletters, please click here. Photo Credit: Image courtesy of Flickr user MyTudut * * * Here’s a secret: I [.].

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Newsletter Resources Article Blog 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 19, 2011

Steve Jobs Walter Isaacson Simon & Schuster (2011) Think differently about Think Different In my opinion, this is among the most important business biographies ever written. Given the number of other reviews that have already appeared, there really isn’t much left for me to say that has not already been said. However, I thought it [.].

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Review Simon Books Porter 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 18, 2011

Adam Bryant conducts interviews of senior-level executives that appear in his “Corner Office” column each week in the SundayBusiness section of The New York Times. Here are a few insights provided during an interview of Geoffrey Canada, president and C.E.O. of the nonprofit Harlem Children’s Zone, says that while many people in an organization want [.].

Execution 80

Execution Organization How To Commitment 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 17, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an outstanding article written by Rhonda Abrams and featured by Inc. magazine online. I urge you to read the complete article by clicking here. * * * If I asked you who your competition is, you’re likely to mention the company down the street or across town that sells the [.].

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Magazine Article Company Media 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 15, 2011

Here is an article written by Deb Busser for Talent Management magazine. To check out all the resources and sign up for a free subscription to the TM and/or Chief Learning Officer magazines published by MedfiaTec, please click here. * * * As the year winds down, talent managers need to address and capitalize on [.].

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First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 15, 2011

The Secret of Teams: What Great Teams Know and Do Mark Miller Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2011) High-impact leadership + high-impact teams = high-impact community Mark Miller is the co-author with Ken Blanchard of a previous book, The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do, now in a second edition. The “secret” to which the title of [.].

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Blanchard Team Books Review 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 15, 2011

Robert H. Frank is Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management and Professor of Economics in the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Frank is a monthly contributor to the ”Economic View” column in The New York Times and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos. He has also served as a Peace Corps volunteer [.].

Management 80

Management Price Morale Technology 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 13, 2011

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here. Having an unruly to-do list can be overwhelming. If you find yourself rushing around, but not actually getting anything done, try the following process: 1. Write it all [.].

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Newsletter How To Tips Review 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 9, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article for Bloomberg Businessweek online in which Liz Ryan explains how and why bad managers reveal their thoughtlessness and insensitivity by what they say and how they say it as well as by their behavior. To read the complete article, please click here. * * * We know the [.].

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First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here. Launching a project before you have a good sense of all its components will likely slow down your operation. Make sure you get your priorities right before [.].

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First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Last Saturday, I had the privilege of attending TEDxSMU (thanks to a generous, unexpected gift from a First Friday Book Synopsis regular. Thanks, Dan). It was our “local” version of the TED conference, held each spring, and now viewed by millions (literally! millions!) of people online. Click here – (a good place to start – [.].

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Conference Books Blog 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 5, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Joan Magretta for the Harvard Business Review blog. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, and sign up for a subscription to HBR email alerts, please click here. * * * With Cyber Monday, the tablet wars kicked into full swing. Which [.].

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Review Blog Article Resources 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 1, 2011

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Tom Friedman and featured in the November 20, 2011, issue of The New York Times. To read the complete article, please click here. * * * In recent years, we’ve been treated to reams of op-ed articles about how we need better teachers in our public [.].

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Article Cooper Organization Books 80

First Friday Book Synopsis

DECEMBER 28, 2011

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here. From the moment you send a meeting invite, as the meeting organizer you are responsible for setting the right tone and making the meeting a success. Here are [.].

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Newsletter How To Tips Review 75