Strategic Issues in Public-Private Partnerships, 2nd Edition by Geert Dewulf, Anneloes Blanken & Mirjam Bult-Spiering - Book review

Strategic Issues in Public-Private Partnerships, 2nd Edition

By: Geert Dewulf, Anneloes Blanken, Mirjam Bult-Spiering

Published: April 17, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 186 pages
ISBN-10: 0470656352
ISBN-13: 978-0470656358
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell












"Worldwide, governments are depending increasingly on private investment for the development of large infrastructure projects. Government budgets are limited and the involvement of the private sector enables governments to carry out ambitious projects", write Professor of Planning and Development, and Head of the Department of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Twente, The Netherlands; Policy Advisor to the Dutch Ministry of Finance, Annaloes Blanken; and Secretary of the 3TU Federation, The Netherlands, Mirjam Bult-Spiering, in the revised edition of their comprehensive and thought provoking book Strategic Issues in Public-Private Partnerships, 2nd Edition. The author describe how the public private partnership (PPP) is an increasingly important method for national governments to fund and develop infrastructure and urban development through private sector participation, and provide the tools and principles involved in these growing numbers of partnerships.



Geert Dewulf (photo left), Anneloes Blanken, and Mirjam Bult-Spiering provide an overview of issues surrounding concession PPPs, and how they are created around the world to generate Value for Money. The objective of the procurement processes is to optimize the cost benefit balance. Politically, Value for Money is easy to sell, and to utilize as a rationale for developing concession policies, but is difficult to quantify. As a result, public debate on concessions and their value are more theoretical and ideological, and less empirical and quantitative in nature.

The authors address the various issues, misconceptions, and general confusion that have grown up around concession PPPs. The authors enter into a discussion of improving the performance of concession PPPs, including a basis for creating and developing functional concessions.



Anneloes Blanken (photo left), Mirjam Bult-Spiering, and Geert Dewulf recognize the need for improved strategic decision making, through a deeper understanding of the developments within the PPP landscape, the various types and forms of concession PPPs, and the motives and rationales for entering into a concession PPP arrangement.

To provide a complete overview and analysis of the nature and types of concession PPPs, and their implications and rationales, the authors provide the following areas of study:

* The emergence of concessions
* Procurement of concessions
* Infrastructure concessions
* social infrastructure
* Concession PPPs and flexibility
* Economic context and concessions
* Concessions and public interest
* Value for Money revisited
* Conclusion: PPPs and future developments




For me, the power of the book is how Mirjam Bult-Spiering (photo left), Geert Dewulf, and Anneloes Blanken combine a strong theoretical foundation for understanding the nature and implications of concession PPPs with a practical analysis of the concepts at work in the real world. The book contains very informative chapters on the various types of concession PPPs, and including a wide range of applications where the process is in use.

The authors provide the lessons learned, from both success and failure of public private partnerships, with an eye to improved management in the future. The authors don't shy away from the controversies surrounding concession PPPs, and the various arguments used on the various sides of the issue.

At the core of the book is the concept of Value for Money, and the impact of concession contracts, including procurement and the various tools and approaches used in the procurement process. Tee authors emphasize that the book is not a simple manual, but instead is designed to stimulate strategic debate, and to develop an agenda for future research into the various aspects of public private partnerships.

I highly recommend the insightful and conceptual book Strategic Issues in Public-Private Partnerships, 2nd Edition by Geert Dewulf, Anneloes Blanken, and Mirjam Bult-Spiering, to anyone in public policy, elected office, industry leadership, engineering, finance, public watchdog organizations, non-profit organizations, academia, and graduate and undergraduate students in all disciplines who are seeking an approachable and well balanced guide to the ideas and principles involved in public private partnerships.

Tags: Strategic Issues in Public-Private Partnerships, 2nd Edition, Geert Dewulf, Anneloes Blanken, Mirjam Bult-Spiering, concession contracts, business book reviews

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Global Environmental Issues, 2nd Edition Edited by Frances Harris - Book review

Global Environmental Issues, 2nd Edition

Edited by: Frances Harris

Published: February 7, 2012
Format: Paperback, 358 pages
ISBN-10: 0470684690
ISBN-13: 978-0470684696
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell














"Environmental issues have been a concern for many years. Yet somehow they are problems that we have not been able to resolve, despite research, media attention, increased public awareness about environmental problems, campaigns by environmental pressure groups, and international agreements. Our environment is dynamic, constantly changing and evolving in response to stimuli", writes Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography, Geology and Environment at Kingston University, London, England, and editor of the revised and multidisciplinary book Global Environmental Issues, 2nd Edition. The editor provides a collection of articles, by internationally recognized experts, that approach global environmental challenges as complex issues, with many very different causes, and influenced by widely disparate actors with diverse agendas and goals.

France Harris presents the contributed articles in the context of environmental problems addressed on a global scale. The editor stresses the necessity to step back from one's own cultural viewpoint and recognize other points of view and priorities outside of our own. Considered from a basis in science as one of many underlying factors, the contributors bring forward the other complicating pressures and priorities including science, politics, social and economic considerations. The editor challenges the reader to consider the overarching aspect of how choices are made locally affect the environment on a global scale; and how ethics affect the way current environmental issues are managed at all societal scales.



Frances harris (photo left) Provides a interdisciplinary approach to the worldwide environmental challenges through a geographical perspective. Along with the scientific aspects of the problems, are found the interactions between environmental, technological, social, economic, and political components and factors. The chapters make clear the deep connections between humans and the environment on a global scale.

As editor, Frances Harris divides the book into sections that consider the various aspects of the global environmental problems. Those sections are as follows:

* Introduction to human-environmental interaction
* Negotiating environmental science
* The changing surface of the Earth
* meeting our needs
* Coping with our impact
* Conclusion: Sustainable development - Negotiating the future

For me, the power of the book is how Frances Harris combines the scientific and human elements through the selected chapter contributions. The multidisciplinary approach that considers scientific, social, economic, geographic, economic, and political factors in the cause and potential solutions to environmental issues is an effective one. This overall examination of the environmental challenges is a realistic one, and the case studies presented in the collection consider those critical elements in real world settings.

The editor includes chapters on the challenging topics of the politics of science, biodiversity, globalization, and sustainable development that consider the impact of these critical developments. The chapters also include examinations of multilateral agreements and their impact on finding solutions to environmental problems on a global level.

I highly recommend the thought provoking and solutions oriented book Global Environmental Issues, 2nd Edition edited by Frances Harris, to anyone involved in environmental science, geography, industry leaders, public policy makers, government officials, environmental NGOs, community groups, non-profit organizations, academics, and students at all levels who are seeking a clear and concise examination of the many faceted issues surrounding environmental problems. This book will guide decision makers and everyday people toward real solutions that consider all points of view in an inclusive and understanding manner.

Tags: Global Environmental Issues, 2nd Edition, Frances harris, environmental management development, science book reviews

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Gravel-Bed Rivers: Processes, Tools, Environments Edited by Michael Church, Pascale Biron & André Roy - Book review

Gravel Bed Rivers

Processes, Tools, Environments

Edited by: Michael Church, Pascale M. Biron, André Roy

Published: February 7, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 580 pages
ISBN-10: 0470688904
ISBN-13: 978-0470688908
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell












"The workshop was designed to present an authoritative review of recent progress in understanding the morphology and processes in gravel bed rivers, a review that you have in your hands",write editors Michael Church, of the Department of Geography a the University of British Columbia; Pascale M. Biron, of the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment at Concordia University; and André Roy, of the Département de géographie à l'Université de Montréal; in their comprehensive and definitive book Gravel Bed Rivers: Processes, Tools, Environments. The editors provide an anthology of articles, from world renowned experts, on the processes, tools, and environments related to the study and understanding of the nature and morphology of gravel bed rivers.



Michael Church (photo left), Pascale Biron, and André Roy provide the papers and presentations, on a very wide range of topics relating to gravel bed rivers, compiled from the 7th International Gravel Bed Rivers Workshop, held at Tadoussac, Quebec, Canada from September 6 - 10, 2010. The papers, written by international authorities on the topics, are collected as chapters in the book. The first of the three themes include processes, which include the understanding of the fundamentals of gravel bed rivers. The second theme is tools for observing and measuring, the various instrument, as well as advances in remote sensing technology. The third of the three themes is environment, focusing on the very diverse conditions that create rivers that flow over coarse grained materials.



Pascale Biron (photo left), André Roy, and Michael Church offer additional themes to the ones listed in the book title as well. The contributions include a study of river ice, dams for hydro-electric power generation, and the environment of the rivers for fish. The editors also include a report on tectonic basin of the St. Lawrence River opposite the host site of Tadoussac.

The editors divide the contributed papers into the following categories within the overall framework of the book:

* Secondary flows in rivers
* Sediment transport
* Modelling morphodynamics
* River restoration and regulation
* Ecological aspects of gravel-bed rivers
* Tools for study
* Steep channels
* Semi-alluvial channels
* River channel change
* Ice in gravel-river beds



For me, the power of the book is how editors André Roy (photo left), Michael Church, and Pascale Biron offer a wide range of well researched articles, that summarize the most recent research findings and state of knowledge, on the subject of gravel-bed rivers. The chapters were specially commissioned to share the advances in knowledge in the field.

The chapters are arranged logically to follow in sequence from hydraulics, sediment transport, river morphology, tools and methods, and applications of science. The various chapters are divided into overview sections for ease of study within a specialized area of interest. The topics covered are both fundamental and applied research into gravel-bed rivers.

I highly recommend the landmark and very accessible book Gravel Bed Rivers: Processes, Tools, Environments edited by Michael Church, Pascale Biron, and André Roy, to any river engineers, geomorphologists, environmental groups, policy makers, industry leaders, river managers, and advanced students who are seeking a complete overview of the latest knowledge in the processes, tools, and environments of gravel-bed rivers. This book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative collection of information and research available, and is definitely a landmark publication.

Tags: Gravel Bed Rivers: Processes, Tools, Environments, Michael Church, Pascale Biron, and André Roy, environmental management development, science book reviews

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Chade-Meng Tan: Search Inside Yourself - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



One of Google's earliest engineers, their Jolly Good fellow, and author of the inspirational and thought provoking book Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace), Chade-Meng Tan, describes how we all have the ability to change the world. Meng Tan provides the guidance for the journey to self discovery that will lead to an enriched understanding of yourself. When this discovery has been made, you are then on the road toward creating a better world for everyone. Meng Tan shares the techniques for enhancing your emotional intelligence to better connect with others, and for overcoming your most damaging emotional responses to events. Meng Tan offers the exercises for creating inner peace that translate to peace in your entire world, resulting in greater success, happiness, and even world peace.

Chade-Meng Tan is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, August 16, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

One of Google's earliest engineers, and author of the inspirational and thought provoking book Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace), Chade-Meng Tan, describes how we all have the ability to change the world. You will learn:

* Why the journey to search inside yourself is important

* How to achieve greater emotional intelligence levels

* How to live a more enriched, successful and happy life

* How you can apply the concepts to make real change in the world



Chade-Meng Tan (photo left) is Google's Jolly Good Fellow (which nobody can deny). Meng was one of Google's earliest engineers. Among many other things, he helped build Google's first mobile search service, and headed the team that kept a vigilant eye on Google's search quality. His current job description is, "Enlighten minds, open hearts, create world peace".

Outside of Google, Meng is the Founder and (Jolly Good) President of the Tan Teo Charitable Foundation, a small foundation dedicated to promoting Peace, Liberty and Enlightenment in the world. He is a Founding Patron of Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). He is also a Founding Patron of the World Peace Festival, and adviser to a number of technology start-ups.

Meng earned his MS in Computer Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He went to Santa Barbara mainly for the beach, but didn't mind the graduate degree either. He considers himself a Buddhist "on most weekdays, especially Mondays". He is an avid meditator, because meditation facilitates in him inner peace and happiness "without doing real work".

Meng occasionally finds himself featured on newspapers. He was featured on the front page of the New York Times and delivered a TED talk at the United Nations. He has met three United States Presidents, Obama, Clinton and Carter. The Dalai Lama gave him a hug for his 40th birthday. His personal motto is, "Life is too important to be taken seriously".

Meng hopes to see every workplace in the world become a drinking fountain for happiness and enlightenment. When Meng grows up, he wants to save the world, and have lots of fun and laughter doing it. He feels if something is no laughing matter, it is probably not worth doing.

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 one of Google's earliest engineers, their Jolly Good fellow, and author of the inspirational and thought provoking book Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace), Chade-Meng Tan, as he describes how we all have the ability to change the world. Meng Tan provides the guidance for the journey to self discovery that will lead to an enriched understanding of yourself. When this discovery has been made, you are then on the road toward creating a better world for everyone. Meng Tan shares the techniques for enhancing your emotional intelligence to better connect with others, and for overcoming your most damaging emotional responses to events. Meng Tan offers the exercises for creating inner peace that translate to peace in your entire world, resulting in greater success, happiness, and even world peace on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace, Chade-Meng Tan, ethics and values in leadership, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

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Structured Decision Making by Robin Gregory, Lee Failing, Michael Harstone, Graham Long, Tim McDaniels & Dan Ohlson - Book review

Structured Decision Making

A Practical Guide to Environmental Management Choices

By: Robin Gregory, Lee Failing, Michael Harstone, Graham Long, Tim McDaniels, Dan Ohlson

Published: March 27, 2012
Format: Paperback, 312 pages
ISBN-10: 1444333429
ISBN-13: 978-1444333428
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell










"This book is about decisions. More specifically, it is about making decisions concerning the management of environmental resources", write Senior Researcher, Decision Research, Robin Gregory; Principals at Compass Resource Management, Lee Failing, Michael Harstone, Graham Long, Dan Ohlson; and Professor in the School of Community and Regional Planning and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, Ti McDaniels, in their multidisciplinary and very practical book Structured Decision Making: A Practical Guide to Environmental Management Choices. The authors describe a framework for making good decisions regarding activities that may influence use or protection of natural resources, in the form of an approach called Structured Decision Making or SDM.

Robin Gregory, Lee Failing, Michael Harstone, Graham Long, Tim McDaniels, and Dan Ohlson recognize that while the context in which decisions are made may vary, there are a set of best practices for effective environmental decision making. The authors point out that there is a growing consensus as to the basic outline of what constitutes a responsible decision making process. The authors introduce a framework for thinking about and addressing challenging environmental choices through Structured Decision Making (SDM). The SDM concept is a multidisciplinary approach that utilizes the analytical methods of decision sciences and applied ecology, with ideas from cognitive psychology and experience of practitioners.

Robin Gregory, Lee Failing, Michael Harstone, Graham Long, Tim McDaniels, Dan Ohlson understand the necessity of a repeatable process for guiding decision makers in resolving difficult environmental problems. The best practices outlined in the SDM approach provide a theoretical and practical method for gathering information and developing innovative solutions to problems in environmental management. The approach is valuable for groups of people working together to achieve workable solutions through a framing methodology that is rigorous, inclusive, defensible, and transparent.

The authors divide their book into a series of chapters that address the following aspects of SDM:

* Structuring environmental management choices
* Foundations of structured decision making
* Decision sketching
* Understanding objectives
* Identifying performance measures
* Incorporating uncertainty
* Creating alternatives
* Characterizing consequences
* Making trade-offs
* Learning
* Reality check: Implementation

For me, the power of the book is how Robin Gregory, Lee Failing, Michael Harstone, Graham Long, Tim McDaniels, Dan Ohlson combine both the theoretical framework of SDM, with the practical steps to utilizing it effectively in any environmental management situation. The authors go beyond simply offering a how to manual, and include the important background to why the decision making process works in both theory and practice. The author take a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to SMD to ensure that the problem is addressed from the many different perspectives of the stakeholders.

The author dispense with the need for understanding advanced mathematics or complicated technical tools or skills. Instead, they provide an approach that can be understood and applied readily by any groups, organizations, governments, or businesses facing any environmental management problems. The book also contains a group of informative case studies, including ones where the result was failure, to illustrate the use of the SMD process at work in the real world.

I highly recommend the groundbreaking and very accessible book Structured Decision Making: A Practical Guide to Environmental Management Choices by Robin Gregory, Lee Failing, Michael Harstone, Graham Long, Tim McDaniels, Dan Ohlson, to anyone in resource management, risk analysis, land use planning, industry leadership, environmental NGOs, facilitation and negotiation, government, policy making, academia, and undergraduate or graduate studies who is seeking a clear and concise approach to developing workable solutions to even the most challenging environmental problems.

This book is a must for anyone who is serious about resolving environmental problems in an inclusive, rigorous, defensible, and transparent manner.

Tags: Structured Decision Making: A Practical Guide to Environmental Management Choices, Robin Gregory, Lee Failing, Michael Harstone, Graham Long, Tim McDaniels, Dan Ohlson, environmental management development, science book reviews

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Team Turnarounds by Joe Frontiera & Daniel Leidl - Book review

Team Turnarounds

A Playbook for Transforming Underperforming Teams

By: Joe Frontiera, Daniel Leidl

Published: July 24, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
ISBN-10: 1118144783
ISBN-13: 978-1118144787
Publisher: Jossey-Bass











"is it possible to transform a losing climate into one that fosters collaboration , innovation, and productivity, especially when leaders in all sectors are forced to do more with less?", write managing partner at Meno Consulting, Joe Frontoera; and co-founder and managing partner of Meno Consulting, Daniel Leidl, in their thought provoking and action oriented book Team Turnarounds: A Playbook for Transforming Underperforming Teams. The authors describe how teams of different types, in radically different industries utilized the same six basic stages of development to implement a successful turnaround in their fortunes.



Joe Frontiera (photo left) and Daniel Leidl a[plied the results of their five year research project into what factors result in successful transformation from a failed team to one that became competitive leader. The same stages of the turnaround development took place in all successful changes, regardless of the previous level of failure. Not only did the authors discover that the circumstances of the turnarounds often varied widely, there was a uniformity in the steps to renewed success. At the same time, leaders not only emerged at the top of organizations, to facilitate these six crucial steps, but leaders appeared at all levels to guide the teams forward.



Daniel Leidl (photo left) and Joe Frontiera understand that executing a successful turnaround requires a strategy and implementation process. The authors discovered that the same elements existed in all successful transformations, and that those principles were repeatable as a turnaround procedure. Each of the steps must be followed and mastered before advancing to the next level forward in the overall process.

In effect, the authors outline a proven turnaround playbook that is based on those six common steps forward in the turnaround process. Those six steps are as follows:

* Leading past losing
* Committing to growth
* Changing behaviors
* Embracing adversity
* Achieving success
* Nurturing a culture of success

For me, the power of the book is how Joe Frontiera and Daniel Leidl combine a strong, research based theoretical outline for successful turnarounds, with a ready to apply game plan to execute that process effectively. The authors researched and studied in depth organizations ranging from corporations to sports teams to governments over their five year project. The key components that emerged were the common elements that formed the turnaround development stages. The authors provide case studies of how the six elements emerged, in their correct order, in the real world.

With these common themes understood and established, the authors deconstructed them into a turnaround playbook, that is repeatable and effective in any type of organization. The authors stressed that while there may be factors and events that occur outside of the turnaround leaders' control, these six factors can all be implemented effectively, through planning and execution.

I highly recommend the empowering and practical book Team Turnarounds: A Playbook for Transforming Underperforming Teams by Joe Frontiera and Daniel Leidl, to any business, political, public sector, non-profit, educational, healthcare, sports team, or other organizational leaders who are seeking a proven and effective game plan for facilitating a successful and lasting team turnaround. This book is the playbook a leader needs to affect real change in their teams, and in their entire organization, regardless of its current achievement level.

Tags: Team Turnarounds: A Playbook for Transforming Underperforming Teams, Joe Frontiera, Daniel Leidl, organizational turnarounds, business book reviews

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Speak Business Spanish Like An Executive by Louis E. V. Nevaer - Book review

Speak Business Spanish Like an Executive

Avoiding the Common Mistakes that Hold Latinos Back

By: Louis E. V. Nevaer

Published: March 31, 2012
Format: Paperback, 222 pages
ISBN-10: 0979117666
ISBN-13: 978-0979117664
Publisher: Hispanic Economics








"I have often seen how many bright and earnest U.S. Latinos fail. And they fail to succeed not because they are incompetent or ill-prepared. They fail because they cannot speak proper business Spanish", writes Hispanic consumer and employment analyst, and director of Hispanic Economics, Louis E. V. Nevaer, in his empowering and engaging book Speak Business Spanish Like an Executive: Avoiding the Common Mistakes that Hold Latinos Back. The author describes how not being fluent in business Spanish holds back the career success of many talented Hispanic and Latino employees, and provides the proper Spanish words and phrases that are essential for achieving full fluency.

Louis E.V. Nevaer understands that Hispanic and Latino employees, who use incorrect Spanish in business settings, will be thought of as lacking knowledge in other areas as well. The author also points out that an individual who lacks the necessary Spanish business vocabulary will appear less confident and will be less likely to achieve their business goals. To remedy this vocabulary problem, Louis Nevaer provides a comprehensive program of what he calls empowerment through language. The author presents the words and phrases for proper business Spanish, to empower the employee. The result is increased self confidence and enhanced career success.



Louis E.V. Nevaer (photo left) recognizes that the correct business words and phrases, used throughout the Spanish speaking world, are empowering within the United States as well. The author refers to these words and phrases as the vocabulary of success in business. Even for non-Hispanic business people, the correct Spanish words and phrases are essential as well. As diversity reaches a linguistic tipping point, the reality for success in business will require a command of proper business Spanish.

The benefits of using and understanding correct business Spanish include the following:

* A job candidate fluent in business Spanish has a competitive hiring advantage
* In a diverse workplace, fluency will result in more and quicker promotions
* Bilingual employees earn more money than others in their industries
* Bilingual employees have a wider range of career choices in a diverse economy

For me, the power of the book is how Louis E.V. Nevaer presents a complete and accessible course in the usage of proper business Spanish. The author provides a unique and approachable technique for teaching the appropriate words and phrases. Instead of the usual lists of words, Louis Nevaer offers a series of paragraphs that not only demonstrate the correct word usage, but also why the phrase is preferable to the inappropriate alternatives.

The author utilizes wit and story telling methods to share the phrases that form the foundation to becoming fluent in business Spanish. The author also blends in important aspects of Hispanic history and culture to provide additional background to the words and phrases taught in the book.

I highly recommend the valuable and very practical book Speak Business Spanish Like an Executive: Avoiding the Common Mistakes that Hold Latinos Back by Louis E.V. Nevaer, to any Hispanic or Latino executives, managers, employees, and students; as well as to any non-Hispanic people, who are seeking to improve their command and fluency in proper business Spanish. In an increasingly diverse work environment, this book and its empowering message and lessons will be a permanent reference book for anyone in advancing their career.

Tags: Speak Business Spanish Like an Executive: Avoiding the Common Mistakes that Hold Latinos Back, Louis E.v. Nevaer, business Spanish language skills, business book reviews

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Revenue Disruption by Phil Fernandez - Book review

Revenue Disruption

Game-Changing Sales and Marketing Strategies to Accelerate Growth

By: Phil Fernandez

Published: May 1, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
ISBN-10: 1118299299
ISBN-13: 978-1118299296
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.












"The core processes that many global companies use to generate revenue - finding prospective buyers and selling to them - have changed little, if at all, over our lifetimes",writes cofounder, President, and CEO of Marketo, Phil Fernandez, in his comprehensive and revolutionary book Revenue Disruption: Game-Changing Sales and Marketing Strategies to Accelerate Growth. The author describes how companies must completely overhaul how they create, generate, and manage revenue; and shares a fresh approach to addressing revenue that transforms the organization completely.

Phil Fernandez recognizes that spend between twenty and thirty percent of their overall revenue, on sales and marketing, to further increase total revenue. With this much expenditure earmarked to boost revenues, any amount of improved results in terms of productivity and efficiency would have a positive impact on the company's growth and profit levels. The author recommends getting rid of existing sales and marketing processes, and implementing a new approach. Phil Fernandez calls this improved process Revenue Performance Management or RPM. The fundamental insight into the power of RPM is the realization that the power has shifted from the seller to the buyer.



Phil Fernandez (photo left) understands that with the transfer of marketplace power from the seller to the customer, that previous sales and marketing processes are rendered obsolete. Through game changing technologies, including the internet and social media, prospective customers have an unprecedented access to information.

The previous model of marketing and sales is no longer effective or even welcome in this new marketplace. Marketing and sales must be readily and easily accessible, at the time of the buyer's choosing. At the same time, the sellers must align with the interests and goals of the purchaser; and on the terms desired by that potential customer.

Companies who fail to embrace the RPM concept, writes Phil Fernandez, are doomed to irrelevancy. The author describes the current outdated sales and marketing process, and its replacement with RPM, in the following book sections:

* The problem: Causes and consequences of revenue dysfunction
* The road to revolution: Transforming the revenue model
* The levers of revenue transformation
* Putting the pieces together: Inciting your revenue revolution

For me, the power of he book is how Phil Fernandez systematically describes why the existing sales and marketing process is not working, how the concept of Revenue Performance Management is a more effective concept, and how to implement RPM in any company effectively. The author makes a compelling case for RPM as a completely revolutionary change, not only in marketing and selling, but in the organizational outlook and culture as well. The principle of RPM is a complete reversal of the dynamic between seller and buyer; with the latter now in complete control of the buying process.

Phil Fernandez presents his concepts in a logical order from the devising of the overarching strategy to the effective implementation and execution of the principles. With the extreme pressure within organizations to increase revenue, the author provides an effective and cost effective alternative to the usual methods. |For ease of reference, and for chapter review, Phil Fernandez offers a series of key points that summarize the essential elements of each principle.

I highly recommend the groundbreaking and transformational book Revenue Disruption: Game-Changing Sales and Marketing Strategies to Accelerate Growth by Phil Fernandez, to any business leaders, executives, marketers, sales managers, and entrepreneurs who are seeking a fresh approach to marketing and sales that is both effective and repeatable throughout every step of the revenue process. This book will change the way your company approaches the perennial revenue producing problem, and turn your company into a more profitable and competitive business overall.

Tags: Revenue Disruption: Game-Changing Sales and Marketing Strategies to Accelerate Growth, Phil Fernandez, revenue development, business book reviews

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Smart Grid Applications, Communications, and Security Edited by Lars T. Berger & Krzysztof Iniewski - Book review

Smart Grid Applications, Communications, and Security

Edited by: Lars T. Berger, Ph.D., Krzysztof Iniewski, Ph.D.

Published: April 10, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 488 pages
ISBN-10: 1118004396
ISBN-13: 978-1118004395
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.













"Fostered by growing governmental support, it is expected that the world's energy infrastructure will undergo a major transformation in the coming decade. This transformation is commonly referred to as Smart Grid", write founder of BreezeSolve, Lars T. Berger, Ph.D., and manager of R&D at Redlen Technologies Inc., Krzysztof (Kris) Iniewski, Ph.D., in their comprehensive book Smart Grid Applications, Communications, and Security. The editors provide a wide ranging group of contributors, who cover the entire range of topics involved in the diverse and interrelated technology that goes into the building and maintenance of smart grids around the world.

Lars T. Berger, Ph.D., and Krzysztof Iniewski, Ph.D. draw upon the expertise of leading industry stakeholders that provide a complete introduction into the nature of the smart grid. The included essays offer insights into the depth of the ever increasing importance of the smart grid into people's lives. Power grids become smart when advanced communications technologies collect and exchange data and information, transforming the network into one where electrical power is provided when and as needed by end users. Wired, wireless, and optical technologies are discussed, as is the crucial importance of demand response for energy requirements.

Lars T. Berger, Ph.D., and Krzysztof Iniewski, Ph.D. provide a structure where the contributed articles guide the engineer and student through the areas of smart grid applications, communications, and security in a logical and cross-referenced format. The editors group the contributed articles into four overall categories, combining technical and more accessible articles on the same topics. The chapters guide the reader through the entire process from introduction to applications, communications, and grid security.

The four overall sections of the book are as follows:

* Smart grid applications including transmission, distribution, and the customer
* Communications solutions from the physical to sensing, automation, and control
* Cyber security ,threats, standardization, authentication and encryption
* Self contained case studies and field trials involving smart grids

For me, the power of the book is how Lars T. Berger, Ph.D., and Krzysztof Iniewski, Ph.D. provide a complete overview of the salient issues surrounding the smart grid, through the contributions of leading industry experts. The essays range from the accessible to any audience, to those of a more technical nature. This blend of article styles adds depth to the book, and enables the reader to utilize them in any order.

Since the book is fully cross-referenced, the reader can follow any course of inquiry into the various aspects of the smart grid as needed. The case studies and field tests are completely self contained, as stand alone articles, and can be read and studied in any order, or as background information for any of the chapters. The case studies reflect the growing importance and impact of the smart grid, both now and in the future.

I highly recommend the very complete reference book Smart Grid Applications, Communications, and Security, edited by Lars T. Berger, Ph.D., and Krzysztof Iniewski, Ph.D., to any engineers, power utility executives, business leaders, policy makers, government officials, and engineering students who are seeking a useful overview of the various aspects of the smart grid and its impact. This book will provide the essential foundation to understanding the smart grid, and will lead to further more specialized research and study as well.

Tags: Smart Grid Applications, Communications, and Security, Lars T. Berger, Ph.D., and Krzysztof Iniewski, Ph.D., smart grid development, engineering book reviews

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Mary Gentile: Giving Voice To Values - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Director of Giving Voice To Values, Senior Research Scholar at Babson College, and author of the practical and wisdom packed book Giving Voice To Values: How To Speak Your Mind When You Know What's Right, Mary C. Gentile, Ph.D., describes the renewed interest in values and ethics in business schools and major corporations. Mary Gentile provides ideas about how instead of teaching ethics, business students must be taught ethical behavior. Mary Gentile shares ideas for acting with values in a business setting, including how to to act when someone else in the organization is acting unethically, or when you are pressed to act against your values yourself. Mary Gentile offers a process that can be applied to ensure that your ethical voice is heard, and that ethics and values have an impact on leaders and the actions of the entire organization.

Mary C. Gentile, Ph.D. is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, August 9, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Director of Giving Voice To Values, Senior Research Scholar at Babson College, and author of the practical and wisdom packed book Giving Voice To Values: How To Speak Your Mind When You Know What's Right, Mary C. Gentile, Ph.D., describes the renewed interest in values and ethics in business schools and major corporations. You will learn:

* Why ethics and values are about more than knowing right from wrong

* Why acting on your values and ethics is so critical

* Why there is a renewed interest in ethics for business

* How to stand up to others on behalf of ethics and make a difference



Mary C. Gentile, Ph.D. (photo left) is Director of Giving Voice To Values, an innovative global curriculum for values-driven leadership development.
She is also Senior Research Scholar at Babson College; Senior Advisor, The Aspen Institute Business & Society Program; and an independent consultant based in Arlington, MA. Previously Gentile was a faculty member and manager of case research at the Harvard Business School.

As Director of Giving Voice to Values (GVV), a business curriculum launched by Aspen Institute and Yale SOM now based and funded at Babson College. Gentile is leading a pioneering approach to values-driven leadership development that has been featured in Financial Times, Harvard Business Review (twice), strategy+business, Stanford Social Innovation Review, McKinsey Quarterly, BizEd, among many others, and is being piloted in over 125 business schools and organizations globally. The book Giving Voice To Values: How To Speak Your Mind When You Know What's Right is out from Yale University Press (2010).

As an independent consultant (1995-present), Gentile works with corporate, non-profit and academic institutions on leadership development, social impact management, ethics, business education and diversity. Clients include: Columbia University Business School, INSEAD, Harvard Business School, Pfizer Corporation, The United Nations Global Compact Learning Forum, University of Texas-Austin Business School, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, UCLA Anderson School of Business Executive Education, Duke University Fuqua School of Management, Notre Dame Business School, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Harvard Divinity School, among others.

With The Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program (Aspen BSP), Gentile has been a key consultant from the organization’s inception, focusing on strategy and mission definition; research and networking; curriculum development; program design; writing of position papers and articles; and general executive coaching.

While at Harvard Business School (1985-95), Gentile was one of the principal architects of the innovative educational program, Leadership, Ethics and Corporate Responsibility, which served to integrate Business Ethics into the Harvard graduate management curriculum. Gentile co-authored a book detailing the history, philosophy and implementation of this ethics initiative, Can Ethics Be Taught? Perspectives, Challenges, and Approaches at Harvard Business School (co-authored with Thomas R. Piper and Sharon Parks, Harvard Business School Press, 1993, translated into Japanese and Hungarian).

Her other publications include Differences That Work: Organizational Excellence through Diversity, Managing Diversity: Making Differences Work, Managerial Excellence Through Diversity: Text and Cases, as well as numerous articles, cases, and book reviews in publications such as Academy of Management Learning and Education, Harvard Business Review, Risk Management, CFO, The Journal of Human Values, New Academy Review, BizEd, strategy+business, etc. Gentile also served as the Content Expert for the award-winning multi-media interactive CD-ROM, Managing Across Differences (Harvard Business School Publishing New Media Group, 1996).

Gentile holds a bachelor’s degree from The College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, VA) and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

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 Director of Giving Voice To Values, Senior Research Scholar at Babson College, and author of the practical and wisdom packed book Giving Voice To Values: How To Speak Your Mind When You Know What's Right, Mary C. Gentile, Ph.D., as she describes the renewed interest in values and ethics in business schools and major corporations. Mary Gentile provides ideas about how instead of teaching ethics, business students must be taught ethical behavior. Mary Gentile shares ideas for acting with values in a business setting, including how to to act when someone else in the organization is acting unethically, or when you are pressed to act against your values yourself. Mary Gentile offers a process that can be applied to ensure that your ethical voice is heard, and that ethics and values have an impact on leaders and the actions of the entire organization on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Giving Voice To Values: How To Speak Your Mind When You Know What's Right, Mary C. Gentile, Ph.D., ethics and values in leadership, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

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Seeing The Big Picture by Kevin Cope - Book review

Seeing the Big Picture

Business Acumen to Build Your Credibility, Career, and Company

By: Kevin Cope

Published: March 6, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 176 pages
ISBN-10: 1608322467
ISBN-13: 978-1608322466
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press












"Business acumen is keen, fundamental, street-smart insight into how your business operates and how it makes money and sustains profitable growth, now and in the future", writes successful executive, speaker, and founder of Acumen Learning, Kevin Cope, in his business building and very hands on book Seeing the Big Picture: Business Acumen to Build Your Credibility, Career, and Company. The author describes how to understand and apply the same five drivers - cash, profit, assets, growth, and people - that create the success or failure of any business.

Kevin Cope understands how recognizing these key factors, in the daily operations and decisions of the company, have an impact on the big picture for the organization. The author points out that regardless of industry or size of the business, the five key drivers remain the same. Kevin Cope describes how understanding this interrelationship between the drivers, the day to day operations, and the overall big picture, as having acumen. To delve more deeply into the five key drivers, the author provides the tools for understanding the numbers that underline the success or failure of the company. With the development of acumen, a business person at any point in their career, can influence the direction and strength of the entire organization.



Kevin Cope (photo left) provides evidence that business people want to be more effective and valuable to their companies. They want to make decisions, be consulted on ideas and direction, and to contribute to the organizational success. Kevin Cope shares the insights that business people want work that is both engaging and worthwhile. At the same time, they understand that to enhance both their own career and the success of the company, they must have a complete grasp of the five drivers of business success and failure.

To make a real difference, Kevin Cope offers the following competencies that business people must achieve, in order to have business acumen:

* Seeing the big picture of the organization
* Understanding company communications, data, and financial statements
* Using knowledge to make and influence good decisions
* Understanding how your decisions relate to the company's objectives
* Effectively communicate your ideas to employees, managers, and executives

For me, the power of the book is how Kevin Cope provides the insight of identifying the five key drivers of a company is critical to successful management, both on a daily basis and to the overall big picture. The relationship between individual decision making and big picture objectives of the organizations is often a challenge for many managers. Kevin Cope describes the ability to make the overall connection as having acumen. Being in possession of acumen creates a vast improvement in the ability to communicate ideas, influence organizational direction, and the development of strategy at all levels.

To ensure that the business person has the tools to achieve acumen, Kevin Cope provides very accessible and readily understood concepts of business finance. With the complete grasp of the numbers, and what they really mean, a manager or executive can see readily whether the company is on the road to success or to failure. A business person with acumen takes these numbers seriously, as they understand their crucial importance as the illustration of the five main drivers of success.

I highly recommend the very practical and personal outlook changing book Seeing the Big Picture: Business Acumen to Build Your Credibility, Career, and Company by Kevin Cope to any business people, at any level of the organization, or at any point in their career, who are seeking a concise course on the importance of the drivers of business success, and how to master them. This book will demonstrate the relationship between everyday decision making and its impact on the overall big picture goals of the organization.

Tags: Seeing the Big Picture: Business Acumen to Build Your Credibility, Career, and Company, J. Keith Murnighan, leadership development, business book reviews

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Margie Analise: Women Entrepreneurs: Live Your Biggest Dream - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Speaker, author, and business coach Margie Analise describes how women entrepreneurs can break free of obstacles and live their biggest dream. Margie Analise offers advice for overcoming self worth, confidence, and mistaken attitudes about money to kickstart your entrepreneurial success. Margie shares ideas for discovering enhanced clarity of vision for the business, and how to zero in on that target.



Margie guides women who feel they are not qualified to own and operate a business toward their goals, while also building their management skills. Margie Analise also discusses the all too frequent challenge of not receiving support from family and friends who may not understand the entrepreneurial vision. Learn how women can overcome barriers and achieve success as entrepreneurs and business leaders in any economy.

Margie Analise is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, August 7, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Speaker, author, and business coach Margie Analise describes how women entrepreneurs can break free of obstacles and live their biggest dream. You will learn:

* Why women don't go for their biggest dream

* Obstacles to women's entrepreneurial success

* How to find clarity of vision for business and life

* How to gain the support of friends and family for your business start-up



Margie Analise (photo ledt) is an effervescent spirit, and a passionate warrior of happiness and fulfillment. Her mission in life is empowering women entrepreneurs to their create sexy outrageous success, and live the business and life they really want!

As an author, speaker, coach, and hostess of the lively twitter chat AWEtalk, Margie is a busy woman, but her greatest joy is found in getting to know you.

Margie Analise has a great sense of fun and adventure – she even learned to play the drums just a couple of years ago! (Talk about a workout!) She's a lifelong fashionista at heart! She has a weakness for bling, sea salt dark chocolate, and almond milk lattes. And Margie is fired up about music, healthy eating and fitness. It’s all jam-packed into her DNA! Whew!

Margie was once 80 lbs overweight, hating her life and completely directionless. Margie learned and earned her way down the path to actually living the life that once she only lived in her dreams.

Margie now weaves her extensive business experience, entrepreneurial acumen, and powerful life lessons into helping you.

Margie pays it forward by guiding and mentoring women down the paths to the life written on their heart. She draws upon their innate creative energy to help them find and lay each stone that paves the way to their greatest success.

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 Speaker, author, and business coach Margie Analise describes how women entrepreneurs can break free of obstacles and live their biggest dream. Margie Analise offers advice for overcoming self worth, confidence, and mistaken attitudes about money to kickstart your entrepreneurial success. Margie shares ideas for discovering enhanced clarity of vision for the business, and how to zero in on that target. Margie guides women who feel they are not qualified to own and operate a business toward their goals, while also building their management skills. Margie Analise also discusses the all too frequent challenge of not receiving support from family and friends who may not understand the entrepreneurial vision. Learn how women can overcome barriers and achieve success as entrepreneurs and business leaders in any economy on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Women Entrepreneurs: Live Your Biggest Dream, Margie Analise, personal development, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

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Critical Risk Research - Editors: Matthew Kearnes, Francisco Klauser & Stuart Lane - Book review

Critical Risk Research

Practices, Politics and Ethics

Edited by: Matthew B. Kearnes, Francisco R. Klauser, Stuart N. Lane

Published: May 1, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 0470974877
ISBN-13: 978-0470974872
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell













"Our presumption is not that risk research is inherently uncritical. Rather, we argue that the intellectual foundations of contemporary risk research need more critical attention", write international researchers in risk research, Matthew B. Kearnes, Francisco R. Klauser, and Stuart N. Lane, editors of the comprehensive and interdisciplinary book Critical Risk Research: Practices, Politics and Ethics. The authors present a series of essays, written by distinguished international experts, that address the fundamental questions of what is risk and how do people relate to it; how are those risks framed, approached, and studied; and what do people know and do about and in the name of risk.

Matthew B. Kearnes, Francisco R. Klauser, and Stuart N. Lane provide essays that takes as its basic premise that to approach and address risk, people must look beyond the usual practices and assumptions. Through the lenses of scientific, economic, and social studies, the essays challenge the current practices, the usual framing, and standard approaches to risk and risk management. The editors offer essays that demonstrate the importance of risks and risk research to the contemporary political process and public awareness. With the focus on risk, risk research, and research analysis in light of current events, risk research is now a critical component of modern policy making efforts.

Matthew B. Kearnes, Francisco R. Klauser, and Stuart N. Lane recognize risk management as an subject for critical study and for renewed debate in the face of constant challenges. Not only does risk research concern itself and its practitioners with natural disasters, but also with urgent new challenges from human created sources. The response to risk and real disaster has ranged from effective to other additional failures in practice.

To address these growing and ever increasing risk research factors, the editors group the contributions into three overall sections. Those three sections ars:

* Practices in risk research
* Politics in risk research
* Ethics in risk research

For me, the power of the book is how Matthew B. Kearnes, Francisco R. Klauser, and Stuart N. Lane provide a collection of academic essays that provide an overview of the practices, politics, and ethics of risk, risk research, and risk management. The editors go beyond the usual studies that focus on the process of managing risk, after the fact, and include the crucial human elements of politics and ethics. With a renewed societal interest in ethics, this book is especially timely, with the inclusion of an important section on ethics.

The contributed essays are well researched, accessible, and completely annotated for additional research and study. The editors succeed in presenting alternative viewpoints that openly challenge the usual procedures and processes of risk, and open up discussion to fresh debate, policy, and actions.

I highly recommend the essential reference book Critical Risk Research: Practices, Politics and Ethics edited by Matthew B. Kearnes, Francisco R. Klauser, and Stuart N. Lane, to any academic researchers, students, business leaders, non-profit organizations, policy makers and analysts, and elected officials at all levels of government, who are seeking a useful overview of the crucial elements of contemporary risk research. This book is an excellent reference for any discussion and debate for finding a new direction for meeting the challenges facing modern risk research.

Tags: Critical Risk Research: Practices, Politics and Ethics, Matthew B. Kearnes, Francisco R. Klauser, Stuart N. Lane, risk research studies, public policy book reviews

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Rapid Realignment by George Labovitz & Victor Rosansky - Book review

Rapid Realignment

How to Quickly Integrate People, Processes, and Strategy for Unbeatable Performance

By: George Labovitz, Victor Rosansky

Published: June 5, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 0071791132
ISBN-13: 978-0071791137
Publisher: McGraw-Hill










"Alignment is a condition in which the key elements of an organization - its people, strategy, customers, and processes - work in concert to serve the primary purpose of the enterprise: increasing value for stakeholders", write founder and CEO of ODI, George Labovitz; and cofounder and president of LHR International, Inc., Victor Rosansky, in their transformational and comprehensive book Rapid Realignment: How to Quickly Integrate People, Processes, and Strategy for Unbeatable Performance. The authors describe how the principles of alignment and realignment are the most powerful tools in organizational improvements, and share the strategies and processes to achieve rapid and lasting cultural change within for profit and non-profit organizations.

George Labivitz and Victor Rosansky recognize that that both for profit and non-profit organizations face the serious challenges of change and complexity. Change is taking place at lightning speed, and arriving from several directions at once, including globalization, technological change, demographics and skills of the workforce, and in customer expectations. Complexity increases with the sizes of business units, product lines, and customer demographics. The authors point out that organizations must sense and respond rapidly to these and other challenges. To counter the tide of seemingly overwhelming challenges, the authors recommend the alignment and rapid realignment of strategy, customers, processes, and people.



George Labovitz (left in photo left) and Victor Rosansky (right in photo left) understand the critical importance of cultural change within an organization. For the authors, the change is in the form of cultural realignment, to better align that culture with the overall organizational goals. The authors provide real world evidence of how moving slowly at first, to collect data through listening to employees, customers, and all other stakeholders, builds the foundation for a very fast realignment.

The authors present a complete process for achieving rapid realignment in any type or size of organization.

* An overview of alignment in the big picture
* Aligning people with strategy; and with one another
* Achieving strategy buy in with a passion for its implementation
* Connecting the value creation of the organization with the customers
* Moving people to think outside their silos
* Put the tools of the realignment process into action

For me, the power of the book is how George Labovitz and Victor Rosansky combine the theory of realignment with real world proven processes for its successful implementation. The authors present a holistic approach to integrating the people, processes, customers, and strategy into a unified system. The authors provide the strategy and the reasons why that realignment strategy is important. At the same time, the need to listen to all stakeholders is emphasized as a key to achieving quick realignment.

The authors also understand the importance of culture change, and how to achieve that change effectively, as essential to any realignment goal. The authors share several case studies that demonstrate the principles in action in the real world. The book also contains key chapter self assessments, applicable takeaways and action items that move the leader along in the process.

I highly recommend the very practical and results oriented book Rapid Realignment: How to Quickly Integrate People, Processes, and Strategy for Unbeatable Performance by George Labovitz and Victor Rosansky, to any business leaders seeking a powerful strategy and process for meeting and overcoming the many challenges facing their organizations. This book will change the company culture, both more quickly than ever thought possible, and create the necessary alignment to achieve the overall organizational goals effectively.

Tags: Rapid Realignment: How to Quickly Integrate People, Processes, and Strategy for Unbeatable Performance, George Labovitz, Victor Rosansky, organizational strategy development, business book reviews

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Do Nothing! by J. Keith Murnighan - Book review

Do Nothing!

How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader

By: J. Keith Murnighan

Published: June 14, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1591845300
ISBN-13: 978-1591845300
Publisher: Portfolio/Penguin












"Most leaders clearly try to do way too much at work; not only that, because they try to do too much, they perform worse than they otherwise could - and their teams don't perform as well as they could either", writes award-winning Professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, J. Keith Murnighan, in his insightful and very practical book Do Nothing! mHow to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader. The author describes how managers attempt to do too much, causing them to fail to perform their real role as leaders, while stifling the efforts of their teams at the same time; and instead offers the counter-intuitive but highly effective advice of doing nothing.

J. Keith Murnighan understands that the first impulse of most managers is to do something in what they perceive to be a crisis; whether one exists of not. Instead of trusting their team members to do their jobs, the tendency of the over managing leader is to try to do too much. The author points out that this urge to action is precisely the wrong approach to management. It results in two problems that harm the organization. Instead of performing the role of leader, and devising strategy, developing plans, and making important decisions, the micro-manager under-utilizes team members and reduces their level of trust. Instead, J. Keith Murnighan recommends focusing on the job as leader, trusting the staff to do their job, and building team morale and productivity.



J. Keith Murnighan (photo left) recognizes that simply working is not synonymous with leadership. Indeed, the author makes clear that doing the wrong things, or the jobs of team members, actually makes things worse. When tempted to micro-manage or over-manage, the author recommends doing nothing at all. While doing nothing may seem anathema to many driven managers, J. Keith Murnighan provides evidence that instead of the anticipated disaster, good things follow the inaction. Team members feel more trusted to do their jobs and to make decisions, they exceed all expectations including their own, and productivity and morale increase.

J. Keith Murnighan recommends the following strategies for leaders to strengthen their teams, remove their own fear, and build trust:

* Do nothing
* Focus on them
* Start at the end
* trust more
* Release control, deviously
* Bear down warmly
* ignore performance goals
* De-emphasize profits

For me, the power of the book is how J. Keith Murnighan addresses head on the ubiquitous managerial problem of over-managing, and provides practical and actionable solutions to achieve superior results. The author diagnoses the problem the challenges facing leaders who feel the urge, through fear, to do something or anything, when the optimum solution is to do nothing. Instead of micro-managing, the author presents a powerful process for trusting team members, so they can display their true abilities.

The author bolsters his thesis with case studies of the concept of doing nothing in the real world. The results of changing the managerial focus, from the manager to the team, changes the overall dynamic improving both trust levels and net results. Instead of doing more, the concept of doing less is paradoxically more effective in achieving goals.

I highly recommend the transformational and idea filled book Do Nothing! How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader by J. Keith Mornighan, to any leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs seeking an alternative approach to the failed techniques of over-managing and micro-managing. This book will change the way you manage your team, build their trust, and achieve superior results.

Tags: Do Nothing! How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader, J. Keith Murnighan, leadership development, business book reviews

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