Business At The Speed Of Now by John M. Bernard - Book review

Business at the Speed of Now

Fire Up Your People, Thrill Your Customers, and Crush Your Competitors

By: John M. Bernard

Published: December 6, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1118054016
ISBN-13: 978-1118054017
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.











"Customers increasingly demand a yes answer to each and every question they ask. They want what they want, and they want it now", writes founder and chairman of Mass Ingenuity, John M. Bernard in his insightful and practical book Business at the Speed of Now: Fire Up Your People, Thrill Your Customers, and Crush Your Competitors. The author describes how in an age of mass customization, it's essential for organizations to empower all of their employees to act quickly and decisively to take full advantage of opportunities as they arise in real time.

John Bernard recognizes that standard management practices are unsuited to cope with the marketplace sea change from the age of mass production to the age of mass individualization. Managers in many companies fail to understand that the demands on employees, by their more empowered customers, are stifled by outdated management practices. Because of this enormous shift in customer expectations, employees are being asked to deliver more than than they have the authority or tools to provide, causing a rift with customers. John Bernard offers an innovative and transformational alternative approach that empowers and engages employees at all levels, provides managers with better data for decision making, and removes obstacles for leadership and innovation.



John M. Bernard (photo left) understands that the marketplace has changed in radical ways, and that the management tools and techniques of even a few years ago, are insufficient for today's reality. The author proposes an end to micro-managing, which is not even possible in contemporary organizations. Instead, John Bernard proposes that managers engage employees to propose and develop fresh ideas for meeting the challenge of today's more demanding customers. The author emphasizes that managers must leverage the power of social media, cloud computing, and the millennial mindset, to achieve success.

Instead of counterproductive policies, including the banning of on the job social media usage and fears of cloud information storage, the author proposes the removal of fear in the workplace. John Bernard recommends that business leaders think in terms of NOW management and its revolutionary goals:

* Removing fear in the workplace
* Reducing variation in all areas of the business
* Overcoming the barriers that prevent change toward empowerment

For me, the power of the book is how John M. Bernard combines the theory of transforming a company to NOW Management, with the tools and strategies for achieving the NOW goals. The author understands completely that traditional management practices are standing in the way of employee engagement. The desire for control is also an outmoded concept that no longer works in a social media, cloud computing, and empowered employee organization. Control is simply no longer possible as today's customer will simply turn to another company for their products and services. To bolster his case, John Bernard shares data, case studies, and anecdotes of companies succeeding through the NOW formula, and their engaged employees becoming more productive, providing more value and profit for the company.

I highly recommend the inspirational and empowering book Business at the Speed of Now: Fire Up Your People, Thrill Your Customers, and Crush Your Competitors by John M. Bernard, to any business leaders and managers who are seeking a fresh and effective strategy to compete effectively in today's highly competitive marketplace. The transformation from an organization of fear to one of engagement will improve employee performance, boost the bottom line, and distance your company from the lagging competition.

Tags: Business at the Speed of Now: Fire Up Your People, Thrill Your Customers, and Crush Your Competitors, John M. Bernard, business development strategies, business book reviews

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Mary Davis Holt: Break Your Own Rules - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Keynote speaker, executive coach, managing partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, and co-author of straight talking and empowering book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Mary Davis Holt describes why there are so few women in C-level positions. Despite great strides made in diversity, women are underrepresented in the executive suite, Mary Davis Holt points out that women run companies are more profitable meaning that businesses are missing out on great leadership. Mary shares the six faulty assumptions, often mistakenly considered rules, followed by women that stand in their way. Mary provides advice and strategies for changing those assumptions to new ways of acting that will help more women achieve C-level positions. Mary Davis Holt is firm in her conviction that by changing the old rules to new ones will place women in 30 percent of leadership roles within a decade.

Mary Davis Holt is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, December 15, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Keynote speaker, executive coach, managing partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, and co-author of straight talking and empowering book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Mary Davis Holt describes why there are so few women in C-level positions. You will learn:

* Why there are so few women in top leadership positions in the corporate world

* The myths and behaviors that hold women back from achieving career success

* How women can change their behavior to reach the top in any company

* What are the new rules of business and behavior for women



Mary Davis Holt (photo left) s a partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership (FHHL) whose goal is to move women and organizations forward, faster. She is an executive coach and keynote speaker on business, women, and leadership. As an in-demand voice, Mary shares her hard-won insights and promotes FHHL's new rules for success to a wide range of audiences.

Prior to joining FHH, Mary held executive positions at Time Warner with oversight that ranged from finance to information technology, marketing, human resources, manufacturing, and distribution. She held a number of leadership roles in the publishing group including Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Time Life, Inc. Among her many career highlights, Mary led the management of worldwide manufacturing distribution for all of Time Inc.'s magazines (e.g., Time, Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated). She also served as president of Time Life Books and Time Life Kids.

My book review of Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power by Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with keynote speaker, executive coach, managing partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, and co-author of straight talking and empowering book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Mary Davis Holt, as she describes why there are so few women in C-level positions. Despite great strides made in diversity, women are underrepresented in the executive suite, Mary Davis Holt points out that women run companies are more profitable meaning that businesses are missing out on great leadership. Mary shares the six faulty assumptions, often mistakenly considered rules, followed by women that stand in their way. Mary provides advice and strategies for changing those assumptions to new ways of acting that will help more women achieve C-level positions. Mary Davis Holt is firm in her conviction that by changing the old rules to new ones will place women in 30 percent of leadership roles within a decade on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, Mary Davis Holt, career strategies for women, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

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Break Your Own Rules by Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath & Mary Davis Holt - Book review

Break Your Own Rules

How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power

By: Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, Mary Davis Holt

Published: September 13, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
ISBN-10: 111806254X
ISBN-13: 978-1118062548
Publisher: Jossey-Bass










"We have a dream. It is a big vision...it is a leap...and it is audacious: we want to see women make up at least 30 percent of the top leadership positions in corporate America within the next ten years", write managing partners at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership (FHHL), Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt, in their straight talking and revolutionary book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power. The authors describe the myths and misconceptions that hold women back from achieving their fullest potential as leaders in the corporate world, and share strategies for changing these false rules, and replacing them with fresh ideas for success.



Jill Flynn (photo left), Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt recognize that women have moved forward in business over the past few decades, but despite these advances, women are very underrepresented in corporate boardrooms. The authors point out that fewer than one in six top leadership positions in the Fortune 500 are held by women. At the same time, the authors demonstrate that companies with female leadership at the C-level are more profitable and have a better business model for the future. The authors identified six faulty rules that hold women back from achieving their full potential as corporate leaders. These behaviors are rooted in societal norms and cultural mores, and the authors provide alternative rules to replace these deadly misconceptions, that work for the advancement of women, and achieve greater performance for their companies.



Kathryn Heath (photo left), Mary Davis Holt, and Jill Flynn understand that women have faced and continue to encounter societal pressure to follow an archaic set of supposed rules of behavior. Instead of following society's programming of letting others move ahead, and accepting a lesser role, the authors recommend that women step forward and seize opportunities for moving their careers ever upward. The authors content correctly, that these alleged rules were not and are not carved in stone. Indeed, they are not carved in anything except some antiquated societal mores.

For the authors, it's time for women to break free of these unhealthy myths, and achieve their roles as effective corporate leaders. The authors present their new rules as follows:

* Take center stage
* Proceed until apprehended
* Project personal power
* Be politically savvy
* Play to win
* It's both and...
* Stand together and close ranks



Mary Davis Holt (photo left), Jill Flynn, and Kathryn Heath provide an empowering manifesto for women in the corporate world, that for me, represents the power of the book. The authors not only dispel the myths that have derailed women's careers, but they provide a positive set of new behaviors for women to achieve success in the corporate world. The authors bolster their call to action with real world success stories of women who made it to the top of Fortune 500 companies by doing things their way. The lessons provided by these top female executives add inspirational background to the practical advice shared by the authors.

I highly recommend the empowering and myth destroying book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power by
Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt, to any women seeking to advance their careers, and moving past the barriers presented by outdated behaviors and mores. This book will transform any woman's career path into one that leads to the very top leadership roles and to the C-level in any size or type of company.

Tags: Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, Mary Davis Holt, career strategies for women, business book reviews

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Jim Lehrer interviews Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

PBS NEWSHOUR Executive Editor Jim Lehrer will interview United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton live onstage Wednesday, December 14, at The Newseum in Washington D.C. for Innovation and the Global Marketplace: A Discussion on American Innovation, Trade, and the next 10 million jobs.

Jim Lehrer and Secretary Hillary Clinton will discuss how America will create jobs going forward, and the future of the global economy.



US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (photo left)

The event will also include three panel discussions between leaders in the private and public sectors on the subjects of innovation and economic growth, moderated by NEWSHOUR correspondents Jeffrey Brown, Hari Sreenivasan, and Paul Solman.

Created through a partnership between the NEWSHOUR, The Aspen Institute and Intel, Innovation and the Global Marketplace will be streamed live on the NEWSHOUR’s website starting at 8:45 a.m. ET on December 14.

Viewers can join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #IEglobalmkt and by following @InnovationEcon and @Newshour.

Tags: PBS NewsHour, The Aspen Institute, Intel, Jim Lehrer, Jeffrey Brown, Hari Sreenivasan, Paul Solman, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, innovation in the global economy.

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Sandy Carter: Get Bold! Use Social Media For Social Business - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



IBM Vice President, Social Business Evangelism, and author of Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, describes how to use social media tools and techniques to build a company that is more dynamic, collaborative, efficient, customer driven, and successful. Sandy Carter shares ideas for transforming any business into a top performing social business. Sandy Carter offers her six step AGENDA that covers all aspects of a business, inside and outside of the organization. Learn how to use social media to boost innovation, cost reduction, customer relationships, and talent management to create maximum business value through social media.

Sandy Carter is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, December 13, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

IBM Vice President, Social Business Evangelism, and author of Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, describes how to use social media tools and techniques to build a company that is more dynamic, collaborative, efficient, customer driven, and successful. You will learn:

* What it means to be a social business

* Why social businesses are more profitable than non-social companies

* How to implement the AGENDA strategy to transform your company

* How to measure success in a social business



Sandy Carter (photo left) is a recognized leader in Social business, a best selling author, and one of the most influential women in Web 2.0 technology. As IBM Vice President, Social Business Sales and Evangelism she is responsible for setting the direction for IBM’s Social Business initiative, a $200B market opportunity. Due to her extensive knowledge of social businesses, she is a sought after speaker.

She is an avid social business evangelist, blogger, and twitterer. She was recognized in 2009 as Brand Leader of the Year by World Brand Congress and as one of the top 10 women in social media by Altimeter Group. She is the author of two best-selling books: one of which won the Silver Marketing Sherpa award in 2009.

My book review of Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business by Sandy Carter.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with IBM Vice President, Social Business Evangelism, and author of Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, as she describes how to use social media tools and techniques to build a company that is more dynamic, collaborative, efficient, customer driven, and successful. Sandy Carter shares ideas for transforming any business into a top performing social business. Sandy Carter offers her six step AGENDA that covers all aspects of a business, inside and outside of the organization. Learn how to use social media to boost innovation, cost reduction, customer relationships, and talent management to create maximum business value through social media on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, social business development strategies, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

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Get Bold by Sandy Carter - Book review

Get Bold

Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business

By: Sandy Carter

Published: September 21, 2011
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0132618311
ISBN-13: 978-0132618311
Publisher: IBM Press












"It is imperative that you have a bold agenda to engage your clients, your partners, and your employees. The Social Business AGENDA is the connection to outperforming in the marketplace", writes IBM Vice President, Social Business Evangelism, Sandy Carter in her business results oriented and strategy based book Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business. The author describes the benefits of making the transition to a social business, and provides the blueprint for completing that transformation.

Sandy Carter presents a best practices adoption model for applying the principles and benefits of social media to any organization. The author recognizes the value of social media for creating and developing trust, authenticity, and transparency for the company's customers and for employees. For Sandy Carter, the social business integrates the concepts of social into every internal and external aspect of the organization. The benefits of the two way contact, enveloped in social media, achieve the company's goals more effectively for every department. The author points out that people have a deep desire to be social, and the concept of the social business leverages that very human trait for the benefit of the entire organization, including its more engaged employees, and its new form of social customers.



Sandy Carter (photo left) understands that social business has changed companies and their relationships with their employees and their customers in very fundamental ways. The role of the employee is altered in a social business and is more engaged with customers, and with each other, than ever before. The company's processes are more transparent and easily understood by all stakeholders, and the actions taken by social businesses regarding their customers are much faster and more responsive than in non-social businesses. At the same time, social businesses are more profitable as a result of their more fully engaged employees and relationship based customers.

To guide companies in the process of establishing an effective social business, Sandy Carter shares her AGENDA principle. The AGENDA concept is an acronym consisting of the following factors:

* Aligning organizational goals and culture
* Gaining loyal trust
* Engaging through experiences
* Networking the business processes
* Designing for reputation and risk management
* Analyzing the data

For me, the power of the book is how Sandy Carter combines the reasons for establishing a social business with the road map needed to achieve that goal. The author provides many real world examples of successful social businesses, and shares the techniques used to develop those effective social businesses. Filled with screen captures, helpful graphics, and well set apart case studies, the book offers practical detail that enriches the theoretical concepts, and further illustrates the overall AGENDA strategy. Overall, this book is an excellent guide book for companies seeking the business and cultural transformation opportunity presented by becoming a social business.

I highly recommend the very hands on and stakeholder engagement building book Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business by Sandy Carter, to any business leaders, executives, managers, or owners seeking to take the next step in their company's evolution and become a complete social business. This book provides the proven strategies that will turn any company from the ordinary to the extraordinary and very profitable realm of social business.

Tags: Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, social business development strategies, business book reviews

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Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies by Craig Shields - Book review

Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies

The Tough Realities as Revealed in Interviews with 25 Subject Matter Experts

By: Craig Shields

Published: July 30, 2010
Format: Paperback, 322 pages
ISBN-10: 0615388353
ISBN-13: 978-0615388359
Publisher: Clean Energy Press









"Don't expect a surprise ending; there is none. We actually do live in a world of tough realities. No one can snap his fingers and turn on a safe, readily available, and cost-effective stream of renewable energy", writes marketing consultant and editor of 2GreenEnergy,com, Craig Shields, in his realistic and thought provoking book Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies: The Tough Realities as Revealed in Interviews with 25 Subject Matter Experts. The author shares his twenty-five interviews with a very wide spectrum of experts and thought leaders on every aspect of the potential and challenges of sustainable energy sources.

Craig Shields recognizes that there are no quick fixes or easy answers to the very difficult realities and choices facing everyone regarding renewable energy. The author provides conversations with specialists, in an impressive variety of fields, who approach the concept of sustainable energy from very different directions and starting points. Craig Shields places the interviews within the context of the three most important, and often very contradictory areas of technology, economics, and politics. As a result, the experts don't always agree with one another, or even agree with the book's author. The result is a lively and often controversial book filled with often difficult ideas, challenges, and possibilities for the future.



Craig Shields (photo left) understands that the development of clean and renewable energy souls is a complex, and multi-layered issue. For the author, the best method of approaching the many sides and nuances of sustainable energy is to consider the realities of the controversial ideas and forces involved in the search. Understanding the technology alone is not sufficient to address the energy challenge. The societal challenges of politics and the often often harsh world of economics must also receive consideration. Without taking all three overarching areas into account, neither the obstacles or the benefits of renewable energy will achieve the best results for the planet. Craig Shields points out that when all three considerations are not in harmony, the result will be solutions that fail in both the near and longer terms.

For me, the power of the book is how Craig Shields addresses the reality of renewable energy with the goal of finding real solutions, through a multi-disciplinary approach. The author believes that hearing as many different voices as possible, including ideas that disagree with his own, will create a more open discussion. Craig Shields provides a collection of interviews that offer real world considerations of sustainable energy, and avoids the pitfall of suggesting a quick and easy solution.

For the author and his contributors, there are no quick fixes or magic bullets. Instead, they provide a realistic and thoughtful discussion of the most daunting challenges facing renewable energy, and how they affect and are affected by the the ever present and critical areas of technology, economics, and politics. The result of Craig Sheilds' wide ranging and very balanced interviews is a deeper and richer understanding of a complex but crucial subject.

I highly recommend the important and often unsettling book Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies: The Tough Realities as Revealed in Interviews with 25 Subject Matter Experts by Craig Shields, to anyone seeking a comprehensive and real world based anthology of discussions on sustainable energy sources, and their technological, economic, and political ramifications. This book will introduce the reader to new ideas, including concepts that may disconcert some readers. The book's open and honest expert interviews make this book a must read for anyone in business, politics, technology, or the general public with an interest in the critical issues surrounding renewable energy.

Tags: Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies: The Tough Realities as Revealed in Interviews with 25 Subject Matter Experts, Craig Shields, sustainable energy sources, science book reviews.

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Effective Learning In The Life Sciences Edited by David J. Adams - Book review

Effective Learning in the Life Sciences

How Students Can Achieve Their Full Potential

Edited by: David J. Adams, Ph.D.

Published: December 6, 2011
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0470661577
ISBN-13: 978-0470661574
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell














"There has never been a more exciting time to study biology", writes Director of the national Centre for Bioscience based at the University of Leeds, David J. Adams, Ph.D., in his leading edge thinking and learning desire building book
Effective Learning in the Life Sciences: How Students Can Achieve Their Full Potential. The author shares essays by leading educating thinkers, in the field of biology, that encourage teaching and learning skills in the life sciences.

David J. Adams recognizes the revolution that is taking place in the biological and life sciences and provides an important guide for students and educators to advance learning opportunities in this growing field. For students committed to an educational experience in the life sciences, the contributors to this book offer a wide perspective on the critical areas of the educational and learning experience. The comprehensive nature of the essays provides students with understanding of the traditional learning process in biology, as well as considering the crucial areas of creativity, e-learning, bioethics, and bioenterprise. The contributors also consider the less obvious, but important and often problematic areas, of mathematics, statistical analysis, problem solving, and feedback processes.



David J. Adams (photo left) provides an outline, along with the appropriate cutting edge thinking contributors, to ensure that students realize their fullest potential in their study of the biosciences. At the same time, each of the contributed articles emphasizes the importance of the scientific method, along with advancing the concepts of biology and the many issues that surround learning and practice within the life sciences. The wide ranging approach taken by the editor and writers ensures a complete set of skills for laboratory and field research, and for working within an employment setting.

The editor provides essays within the following subject areas:

* Creativity
* Problem solving
* In the laboratory
* Fieldwork
* In vivo work
* Research projects
* Mathematics and statistics for biologists
* E-learning for biologists
* Bioethics
* Assessment, feedback, and review
* Communication in the biosciences
* Bioenterprise

For me, the power of the book is how David J. Adams created an all encompassing textbook for students within the biological sciences. The essays cover the standard biology curriculum, with the added study of the more challenging societal issues that surround the biosciences. For a student today, these often controversial topics are essential for study and understanding, due to their impact and influence on scientific study and research. The editor provides for a hands on and interactive approach to learning, backed by examples and case studies of the principles in action in real world settings. Overall, the book is an engaging and comprehensive, must have guide for students within the life sciences.

I highly recommend the essential and student potential developing book Effective Learning in the Life Sciences: How Students Can Achieve Their Full Potential, edited by David J. Adams, Ph.D., to any students, educators, bioscience practitioners, business leaders, or policy makers seeking a useful and accessible guide to learning, instructing, and understanding the wide array of concepts and issues within the fields of biology, bioscience, and the life sciences. This boos is a must read for anyone involved with the biosciences in education, policy making, or a business environment.

Tags: Effective Learning in the Life Sciences: How Students Can Achieve Their Full Potential, David J. Adams, Ph.D., bioscience and biology learning, science book reviews.

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Wendy Axelrod & Jeannie Coyle: Make Talent Your Business - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio




Managing Partners of Talent Savvy Manager, and co-authors of the very practical and results oriented book Make Talent Your Business: How Exceptional Managers Develop People While Getting Results, Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle describe that while mangers understand that highly talented employees are critical to an organization's success, growing talent remains a difficult challenge for many managers. Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle provide evidence that things don't have to be that way, and that the goal of developing engaged and top performing employees can become a reality. For managers who feel they lack the time or resources to develop talent, Wendy and Jeannie share the ideas and techniques used by successful talent building managers. The authors provide the five common traits and practices that guide managers toward fulfilling that dream of bringing out the best in their people while boosting company performance and results.

Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, December 8, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Managing Partners of Talent Savvy Manager, and co-authors of the very practical and results oriented book Make Talent Your Business: How Exceptional Managers Develop People While Getting Results, Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle describe that while mangers understand that highly talented employees are critical to an organization's success, growing talent remains a difficult challenge for many managers. You will learn:

* Why highly talented employees are critical to an organization's success

* Why managers are frustrated with staff development efforts

* How to implement the five steps to staff development used by successful managers

* How leading companies are gaining competitive advantage from staff development



Wendy Axelrod, Ph.D., (photo left) is Managing Partner of Talent Savvy Manager. Her work with Line and HR Executives heightens the impact of their Talent Development, Leadership Development and Executive Coaching efforts. Previously, as a Fortune 100 Executive she led Talent Management and Leadership Development functions. A former President of Philadelphia Human Resource Planning Society, she created and now leads their Professionals Mentoring Program. Her professional passion is helping managers crack the code for significantly developing their people which is often career changing for their staff members and completely gratifying for the managers themselves.



Jeannie Coyle (photo left) Managing Partner of Talent Savvy Manager, has been an innovator in the field of talent management throughout her career. As Senior Vice President of Human Resources at American Express, in the early 1980's, she designed and implemented the system for developing leaders over time through experience. It endures today as a most successful talent management system that continues to be driven by top management and produce measureable results. As an executive coach and strategic HR solutions provider she has displayed a knack for understanding the true drivers of talent development and helping leaders and organizations make practical breakthoughs that truly deliver new capabilities to achieve business priorities. A former board member of the Human Resource Planning Society, she is currently on the board of the Pacific North West Strategic HR Forum.

My book review of Make Talent Your Business: How Exceptional Managers Develop People While Getting Results by Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Managing Partners of Talent Savvy Manager, and co-authors of the very practical and results oriented book Make Talent Your Business: How Exceptional Managers Develop People While Getting Results, Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle, as they describe that while mangers understand that highly talented employees are critical to an organization's success, growing talent remains a difficult challenge for many managers. Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle provide evidence that things don't have to be that way, and that the goal of developing engaged and top performing employees can become a reality. For managers who feel they lack the time or resources to develop talent, Wendy and Jeannie share the ideas and techniques used by successful talent building managers. The authors provide the five common traits and practices that guide managers toward fulfilling that dream of bringing out the best in their people while boosting company performance and results on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Make Talent Your Business: How Exceptional Managers Develop People While Getting Results, Wendy Axelrod, Jeannie Coyle, employee development strategies, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

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Make Talent Your Business by Wendy Axelrod & Jeannie Coyle - Book review

Make Talent Your Business

How Exceptional Managers Develop People While Getting Results

By: Wendy Axelrod, Jeannie Coyle

Published: June 6, 2011
Format: Paperback, 210 pages
ISBN-10: 1605099317
ISBN-13: 978-1605099316
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers









"Wouldn't it be heavenly if the people you manage were developing new skills while they delivered results every day? They would be more productive, happier, and less likely to leave", write Managing Partners of Talent Savvy Manager, Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle, in their very practical and results oriented book Make Talent Your Business: How Exceptional Managers Develop People While Getting Results. The authors describe why it's important to develop staff and help them learn new skills, and provide the hands on tools for improving employee performance and transforming a company culture to one of ongoing employee development.



Wendy Axelrod (photo left) and Jeannie Coyle understand the value of employees to the overall growth and productivity of a company. While most executives and managers will say that their employees are the key to their organizational success, those same managers will point out that they lack the time, skills, or resources to ensure continual staff development.

The authors point out that while many managers are unable to provide their desired level of employee development, other managers are succeeding in that personal building and learning area very well. Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle highlight the common traits and techniques, these successful development managers have in common, and demonstrate how these same practices can be utilized in any organization to enhance peak performance.



Jeannie Coyle (photo left) and Wendy Axelrod recognize that managers want to develop their employee skill levels, and that staff people want to learn new skills to better perform their jobs as well. The authors emphasize that huge amounts of time and money are spent in development programs that are ineffective and fail to achieve the desired results. For the authors, those programs fail because they are treated as separate, compartmentalized events from the daily work assignments.

Instead of isolating development from actual tasks and assignments, the authors propose an integrated approach to staff development that combines work duties with additional training and coaching that stretches the employee's abilities and adds fresh skills to their knowledge base.

To create this unified approach to staff development, Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle share the five practices shared by managers who excel at staff development. The five practices are:

* Make every day a development day
* Tap the psychological side of development
* Connect people with development partners
* Teach skills to navigate organizational politics
* Shape your environment to drive development

For me, the power of the book is how Jeannie Coyle and Wendy Axelrod combine the importance of staff development with a holistic and effective process fro enhancing the skill levels of employees. The authors describe how the recommended practices have worked effectively for managers in a wide range of companies and industries. With the positive, real world data and experiences of effective development managers as support, the authors provide those proven practices for other managers. Not only do managers find their own jobs more effective, but the employees discover and learn new skills while working on their own assignments. The company benefits as well, through better performance, a more engaged workforce, and higher productivity.

I highly recommend the research based and pragmatic idea filled book Make Talent Your Business: How Exceptional Managers Develop People While Getting Results by Wendy Axelrod and Jeannie Coyle, to any business leaders, executives, managers, and business owners who seek a useful and hands on guide to developing their employees, and increasing their overall skill levels. This book will help companies engage both managers and employees as they develop their skill levels and boost the overall productivity of the company.

Tags: Make Talent Your Business: How Exceptional Managers Develop People While Getting Results, Wendy Axelrod, Jeannie Coyle, employee development strategies, business book reviews

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Danny Kofke: A Simple Book Of Financial Wisdom - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Educator and author of the very practical and straight talking book A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money, Danny Kofke, describes how people can teach themselves to live a fulfilling lifestyle with very little money. Danny Kofke shares proven and painless techniques for not being broke, and for avoiding the vicious cycle of living pay day to pay day, Danny offers ideas for changing how you think about money, and as to what money really means. Danny Kofke provides advice for getting out of debt and staying out, and how money can be saved without sacrificing everything for that money. Learn how to live a comfortable, and even a wealthy lifestyle, on a low or moderate income.

Danny Kofke is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, December 6, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Educator and author of the very practical and straight talking book A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money, Danny Kofke, describes how people can teach themselves to live a fulfilling lifestyle with very little money. You will learn:

* Why so many people, regardless of income level, find themselves broke

* How to get your financial house in order and plan for now and the future

* How to get the entire family involved and save money for children's education

* How to get out of debt, pay off the mortgage, and live a wealthy lifestyle



Danny Kofke (photo left) is currently a special education teacher in Georgia. He has also taught pre-k, kndergarten, first grade and second grade. Danny's love of teaching and helping others led him to write two books - How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary (Tate Publishing Co. OCT 2007) and A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money (Wyatt-MacKenzie SEP 2011).

Danny has appeared on various media outlets including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, AOL.com, Yahoo Finance and The Wall Street Journal.

Many people feel that financial matters is difficult to figure out and hard to understand. Danny wants to show others if this school teacher can do it they can too.

My book review of A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money by Danny Kofke.

My book review of How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary by Danny Kofke.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with educator and author of the very practical and straight talking book A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money, Danny Kofke, as he describes how people can teach themselves to live a fulfilling lifestyle with very little money. Danny Kofke shares proven and painless techniques for not being broke, and for avoiding the vicious cycle of living pay day to pay day, Danny offers ideas for changing how you think about money, and as to what money really means. Danny Kofke provides advice for getting out of debt and staying out, and how money can be saved without sacrificing everything for that money. Learn how to live a comfortable, and even a wealthy lifestyle, on a low or moderate income on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money, Danny Kofke, personal finance strategies, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

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A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom by Danny Kofke - Book review

A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom

Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money

By: Danny Kofke

Published: September 1, 2011
Format: Paperback, 164 pages
ISBN-10: 1936214458
ISBN-13: 978-1936214457
Publisher: Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing









"We need to think about money more. We need to educate ourselves about finances, our own situation, and how to plan for our future and for our families", writes speaker, special education teacher in Georgia, Danny Kofke, in his very practical and straight talking book A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money. The author describes how to live a life of comparable wealth on a modest income, without sacrificing everything you enjoy in the process.

Danny Kofke recognizes that many people have very little knowledge or information about managing their money. As a result, people very often live from pay day to pay day, and are flat broke most of the time. Danny Kofke points out that even very high earning people, including well known celebrities, find themselves broke. For Danny Kofke, income level has very little, if anything, to do with having money and living well. What matters, is how that money is managed, and how the person thinks about money, and the spending habits that very often lead to empty pockets. Danny Kofke provides advice for painless and even enjoyable ways to save money, while living well, and enjoying life without constant financial worry.



Danny Kofke (photo left) tackles some of the most daunting questions about money head on with easy to understand and readily applicable advice. The author offers the insight that most people who are in financial difficulty either never had the opportunity or the incentive to learn how to handle and manage money. Very often, writes Danny Kofke, that people have some misguided ideas about what money really is, and what money is not in their lives. The author provides an alternative to the mistaken idea that money, or what money can buy, constitutes happiness.

With the misconceptions about the nature of money cleared up, Danny Kofke offers sound advice on the following topics:

* Financial planning and the future
* Educating yourself about money
* Helping your children understand finances
* Financing your children's education
* Getting out of debt and paying off a mortgage
* Saving and investing money
* Living well with little money

For me, the power of the book is how Danny Kofke offers sound, common sense financial advice that doesn't equate to real pain or living like a pauper. Instead, the author shares proven and pragmatic solutions to living the good life without sacrificing the joy of life to money. Indeed, Danny Kofke advises against becoming a dependent of money, and gaining control over the cash and its real function in life. The author covers the most important financial questions that arise within families, and answers them with useful alternatives that save money, time, and remove worry from a person's life.

I highly recommend the handy and very useful book A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money by Danny Kofke, to anyone seeking a hands on and realistic book on managing their personal and family finances. With this book in hand, you can live a very happy and successful lifestyle, while spending far less money than you think.

Tags: A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money, Danny Kofke, personal finance strategies, business book reviews

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Corporate Entrepreneurship by Robert D. Hisrich & Claudine Kearney - Book review

Corporate Entrepreneurship

How to Create a Thriving Entrepreneurial Spirit Throughout Your Company

By: Robert D. Hisrich, Claudine Kearney

Published: August 17, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0071763163
ISBN-13: 978-0071763165
Publisher: McGraw-Hill










"As organizations, industries, and consumers become more dynamic, corporate entrepreneurship becomes more important. While entrepreneurship has traditionally been defined as a private sector phenomenon, corporate and social entrepreneurship have developed in a number of different domains such as not-for-profits, for-profits, and public sector organizations", write Garvin Professor of Global Entrepreneurship and director of the Walker Center for Global Entrepreneurship at Thunderbird School of Global Management,Robert D.Hisrich; and visiting researcher in entrepreneurship at Thunderbird School of Global Management, Claudine Kearney, in their organizational changing and opportunity building book Corporate Entrepreneurship: How to Create a Thriving Entrepreneurial Spirit Throughout Your Company. The authors describe why corporate entrepreneurship is essential to developing an organization that is competitive in the ever evolving global marketplace, and provide strategies for creating an entrepreneurial culture in any organization, and how to identify and capitalize on market opportunities.

Robert Hisrich and Claudine Kearney recognize that when organizations and their employees fail to innovate, the company's competitive level declines very quickly. In today's hyper-competitive global economy, innovation is critical for company success. Failure to innovate will result in a business and its brands becoming irrelevant almost overnight. The authors offer the solution to the challenge of global competitiveness through their vision of corporate entrepreneurship. The authors point out that within every company, there are mavericks and creative individuals who thrive on innovation and finding creative solutions. Instead of isolating these innovative people, they should be encouraged to seek out fresh ideas and new markets for the resulting products and services.



Robert Hisrich (photo left) and Claudine Kearney understand that not every organization is prepared for corporate entrepreneurship so they provide a complete background to the concept and why it's so important. The authors demonstrate how to identify innovators within the organization, and share the techniques to develop a company culture of entrepreneurship. With the appropriate culture in place, the authors provide the strategies for uncovering and organizing the entrepreneurial venture. With the planning and organization developed, the authors offer the techniques for funding and implementing the venture successfully, along with ideas for compensating and rewarding the entrepreneurs and innovators within the company. The authors also share ideas for managing the internal politics of ventures and for building corporate venturing into the organizational DNA.

For me, the power of the book is how Robert D. Hisrich and Claudine Kearney combine the theory and reasons for establishing a culture of corporate entrepreneurship with the strategies and tools for implementing the resulting innovation effectively. The authors provide valuable insights into the importance of corporate entrepreneurship, and share the techniques for ensuring a successful transition to a venture oriented company. The authors offer a step by step plan for planning, executing, and evaluating an internal entrepreneurship initiative. The concepts are bolstered by real world examples of companies applying the corporate entrepreneurship successfully, and transforming their organizations into leaders in innovation.

I highly recommend the organizational culture building and idea filled book Corporate Entrepreneurship: How to Create a Thriving Entrepreneurial Spirit Throughout Your Company by Robert D. Hisrich and Claudine Kearney, to any business leaders who are seeking a revolutionary concept that will turn any organization into an innovative powerhouse. This book will help your organization thrive and prosper in the rapidly changing global marketplace.

Tags: Corporate Entrepreneurship: How to Create a Thriving Entrepreneurial Spirit Throughout Your Company, Robert D. Hisrich, Claudine Kearney, corporate development strategies, business book reviews

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Go For It! A Practical Guide to Success for Everyone by John J. Tassone - Book review

Go For It!

A Practical Guide to Success for Everyone

By: John J. Tassone

Published: June 15, 2011
Format: Paperback, 176 pages
ISBN-10: 1879384817
ISBN-13: 978-1879384811
Publisher: Cypress House









"Successful people are people who form habits of doing things that failures don't like to do. You, and only you, control your own destiny", writes successful entrepreneur and acclaimed speaker John J. Tassone, in his inspirational and success building book Go For It! A Practical Guide to Success for Everyone. The author describes his real world tested and proven ideas for building a successful career in sales, entrepreneurship, as a public speaker, for overcoming the barriers to achieving success in business and in life.

John Tassone recognizes that maintaining a positive attitude about business and life are critical to achieving success in any endeavor. While the author writes with sales professionals and entrepreneurs in mind, the same techniques that work in those careers will benefit people in every walk of life. John Tassone reminds his readers that becoming a success is not something that arrives automatically, but requires hard work and remaining positive that great things will happen. The author points out that success is difficult to attain, unless there is a clear goal as to what that success will look like to the person. When an individual has those goals clearly in mind, the author then guides the reader toward developing a plan to reach those personal targets.



John J. Tassone (photo left) understands that each person's life is an epic journey, and carries within it an important story. As a result, the individual must recognize and believe in that personal story, and build upon it with vigor and not wishing that it was a different story. With that story and a positive outlook in hand, then goals can be set to achieve greatness. While those goals are important, and the path to reach them must be planned, John Tassone reminds his readers that while on that personal voyage, additional opportunities and fresh goals may arise as well.

The author recommends that the reader seize those moments and opportunities for growth as well. In the end, however, John Tassone shares the philosophy that whatever goals are decided upon, it's critical for the person to take action. There are many problems faced by individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. What John Tassone recommends is that these challenges be recognized, solutions devised, and actions taken to resolve them. As the title of the book says, it's crucial to go for it.

For me, the power of the book is how John Tassone combines his personal philosophy for achieving success with his real world proven techniques for achieving even the loftiest goals. Along with the reaching of goals, the author also shares ideas for overcoming even the most difficult obstacles at any level and in any area of a person's life. John Tassone believes and demonstrates that any problem, regardless of size or complexity, has solutions.

What is required, writes the author, is the attitude that these challenges can be met, and the problem solved. To discover and implement effective solutions to these problems, John Tassone provides his methods that worked for him, and for countless other people as well. When goals are set, a plan put into place, and direct action taken, great results and achievements will happen for anyone.

I highly recommend the real world wisdom and practical idea filled book Go For It! A Practical Guide to Success for Everyone by John J. Tassone, to anyone seeking a hands on and proven guide to overcoming personal obstacles, achieving success in sales or entrepreneurship, or in their personal lives. Fr anyone facing life or business challenges, this book can help guide you back onto the path to success.

Tags: Go For It! A Practical Guide to Success for Everyone, John J. Tassone, personal development strategies, business book reviews

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Wharton Executive Education Essentials: Finance & Accounting by Richard A. Lambert - Book review

Wharton Executive Education Finance and Accounting Essentials

By: Richard A. Lambert

Published: October 11, 2011
Format: Paperback, 172 pages
ISBN-10: 1613630093
ISBN-13: 978-1613630099
Publisher: Wharton Digital Press














"Finances affect every aspect of business. Once executives and managers understand the rudiments of financial statements and the tools of financial analysis, managers can understand what is driving revenue, pinpoint where the organization is doing well, and analyze why performance isn't living up to expectations", writes Miller-Sherrerd Professor of Accounting at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Richard A. Lambert, in his clear and concise book Wharton Executive Education Finance and Accounting Essentials. The author describes the critical importance of understanding accounting and financial statements as they are the guide to where the business has been, is now, and where it's headed in the future.

Richard Lambert understands that to make effective and informed decisions for their companies, business leaders require fundamental knowledge of financial information. The author points out that many decision makers are not fully fluent in the language of financial statements, and are unable to interpret the the crucial information depicted in the numbers. The ability to effectively interpret financial statements creates the opportunity to uncover potential profit points for the organization, as well as revealing the problem areas that must be addressed to avoid losses. To make informed decisions, the author provides clear evidence that business leaders must understand the language of numbers in their organization's accounting and financial data.



Richard A. Lambert (photo left) emphasizes the importance of financial literacy for business decision makers as the key to making informed choices for the company. The author provides the background to what the numbers mean, and how looking more deeply into the data offers different knowledge than seen at a single glance. Richard Lambert breaks down the basics of accounting and financial reporting, as well as providing an overview of the differences between internal and external reports. For the development of corporate strategy, it's imperative that leaders understand completely the implications of all company financial statements.

Richard Lambert offers an overview of the following areas of finance and accounting for company leaders and executives:

* What financial statements say about the health of the company
* How and when actions and events affect the numbers
* Using the Income Statement to analyze revenue, expenses, and profits
* Utilizing and financing assets effectively
* Using cost information for better decision making
* Evaluation of investment opportunities with discounted cash flow analysis
* Using the numbers to develop a complete business strategy
* A deeper study into cash flow statements

For me, the power of the book is how Richard A. Lambert not only explains, in easily understood terms and language, how financial statements work, but also how and why they are essential to decision making. The author goes beyond teaching the fundamentals of finance and accounting, and places them in the context of sound business practices, decision making, and overall company strategy. At the same time, Richard Lambert demonstrates what the numbers reveal when examined more deeply, as well as pointing out the limitations and subjectivity of the numbers for executives. With a better grasp of the financial statements and their meaning, business leaders are able to make more informed decisions. Executives can develop a much more sound strategy, than choices made without an understanding of the numbers.

I highly recommend the business building and very hands on book Wharton Executive Education Finance and Accounting Essentials by Richard A. Lambert, to any business leaders seeking an understandable guide to utilizing accounting and financial statements more effectively. This book will certainly improve an executive's strategy and decision making ability, and improve the company's bottom line as well.

Tags: Wharton Executive Education Finance and Accounting Essentials, Richard A. Lambert, company financial strategies, business book reviews

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