How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard

How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn HardHow to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard
by Robert Kriegel

Here’s an author who grabs you with his titles and holds you with his content. Remember his previous best sellers, Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers and If it Ain’t Broke … Break It!? Bob Kriegel has the uncanny ability of creating titles that attract readers to his content, provide them with useful tools and techniques to enhance their performance, while enticing them to return for more to his next best-seller. He’s a pioneer in the field of human performance and the psychology of change.

Kriegel has made his name crusading for more efficiency in the workplace. Kriegel looks at the long work week and so-called “digital helpers.” In an age where gadgets are designed to create more leisure time and promote convenience, we are working more than ever. Our average work week is climbing higher and higher and, since the proliferation of cell phones and the wireless Internet, it has become harder to escape the office. Kriegel provides us with an out. This book lays the groundwork for a new, more efficient working style with the classic tagline, “Work smarter, not harder.” These days, it seems people are working harder than ever before. But does putting in longer hours necessarily translate into greater productivity? Robert J. Kriegel thinks not. All too often, individuals respond to a chaotic work environment by racing to meet deadlines, spinning their wheels, and missing opportunities to create positive change.

He suggests that finding success in today’s business world means breaking old habits and adopting new ideas that can dramatically increase performance levels, like having younger employees tutor the more senior, technology-phobic. As conventional systems are challenged, dramatic new solutions are revealed, and everyone gets ahead without working so damn hard. This book is a well-written and helpful antidote to the rat race.

(This book review was originally published in 2002 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 10.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Whale Done!

Whale Done!Whale Done!: The Power of Positive Relationships
by Ken Blanchard

This talented author, speaker and business consultant possesses a very unique God-given gift, as a storyteller, for making the seemingly complex easy to understand. He has done exactly that in the millions of books he has sold worldwide in more than 25 languages. When Ken speaks, he does so from the heart with warmth and humor. His unique gift is to speak to an audience and communicate with each person as if they were alone together. He is often described by his many fans as being one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate men in business today.

His rapidly-growing library of work includes such best sellers as Raving Fans, High Five!, Gung Ho!, Mission Possible, Everyone’s a Coach, Management by Values, The Heart of a Leader, Leadership by the Book, Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute, and his renowned series of One Minute Manager titles. Whale Done! is destined to join this list of best sellers.

As usual, Dr. Blanchard weaves a moving and inspirational yarn that will impact readers in a very positive and productive way. He’ll relate the similarities between employees, family members, friends and five-ton killer whales through the eyes of a gruff business manager and family man visiting SeaWorld. He reveals the research that substantiates the fact that both people and whales perform better when you accentuate the positive, build trust, and redirect negative behavior. He demonstrates how using the techniques of animal trainers—specifically those responsible for the killer whales of SeaWorld—can supercharge your effectiveness at work and at home.

Fictional business manager Wes Kingsley examines his own often accusatory management style and recognizes how some of his shortcomings as a manager and family man actually diminish trust and damages relationships. Join Wes in mastering and applying the powerful techniques that will allow you to become a better parent, more committed spouse, and more effective and respected leader. This 123-page tale is certainly Whale Done!

(This book review was originally published in 2002 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 10.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

50 Companies That Changed The World

50 Companies That Changed the World50 Companies That Changed the World
by Howard Rothman

This book is an excellent companion piece for any number of today’s current business magazines or newspapers trying to make sense of our current business climate. Over the past 200 years, a number of companies, both large and small, have made a substantial impact on our world and on the way business is done today. Learn how some of the greatest companies of all time achieved their success—found untapped niches, stayed on top of trends, managed progressively and encouraged creativity. You’ll also learn how some, nonetheless, fell from their pinnacle when they failed to follow the path that made them successful. Much of the history you’ll learn from Rothman’s research will certainly help you understand many of today’s headlines.

For each of the 50 companies spotlighted in the book, the author presents a lively sketch that describes, in great detail, the company from its founding and initial development through its heyday to the present time. Strengths and weaknesses alike are described at length in the context of each company’s individual operation, historical context, and specific industry. Along the way, you will meet individuals with extraordinary vision, courage, and commitment who struggled to realize their ideas and drive these companies to success. Learn about the early development of such vital operational innovations as the assembly line, franchising agreement, brand extension, and temporary employee. If you’re a history buff or a student of business, a young uninitiated new employee or an older, more seasoned veteran, you’re going to want to add this book to your business and/or personal library.

(This book review was originally published in 2002 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 10.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The Rule of Three

The Rule of ThreeThe Rule of Three: Surviving and Thriving in Competitive Markets
by Jagdish Sheth and Rajendra Sisodia

After reading this book, I realized that we are surrounded by so many things we take for granted. I discovered several deceptively simple but powerful principles and existing conditions that have been a part of my culture and environment for decades. What was both extremely interesting and, at the same time, unsettling was the fact that while these things were all around me, I had never noticed them. It makes me wonder how many other obvious principles, conditions, lessons, etc. are right under my nose and I have yet to discover them. It certainly makes tomorrow both exciting and challenging.

Let me share one of the obvious facts I learned from Sheth and Sisodia in The Rule of Three. Name any industry and more likely than not you will find that the three strongest, most efficient companies control 70% to 90% of the market. Consider these few examples:

  • McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s (Burger Chains)
  • General Mills, Kellogg, and Post (Cereal Companies)
  • Nike, Adidas, and Reebok (Athletic Shoe Companies)
  • Fortune, Forbes, and Business Week (Business Magazines)
  • American, United, and Delta (Airlines)
  • Hershey, Mars, and Nestle (Candy Makers)
  • Visa, Mastercard, and American Express (Credit Card Networks)
  • Duracell, Energizer, and Rayovac (Battery Makers)
  • Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target (Discount Merchandisers)
  • AT&T, MCI/Worldcom, and Sprint (Long Distance Carriers)
  • Allstate, State Farm, and Farmers’ Group (Insurance Companies)
  • Levi Strauss, Lee, and Wrangler (Jeans Makers)
  • Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Princess (Cruise Lines)
  • Marriott, Hilton, and Sheraton (Hotel Chains)

The list goes on for pages. This book reveals why every market will be dominated by three major players, with small specialty players filling niche markets, and any company caught in the middle swallowed up and destroyed. True, there are a few examples where there are only two major competitors such as the soft drink market (Coke and Pepsi). However, efficiency’s favorite number is three: two companies would lead to monopoly pricing or mutual destruction, while four guarantees consistent price wars.

Markets tend to fall into two complementary sectors—”generalists” which cater to a large, mainstream group of customers; and “specialists” that successfully concentrate on niche products (such as high-end audio gear) or niche markets (like fashions for professional women) at both the high and low ends of the market. Any company caught in the middle (“the ditch”) is likely to be swallowed up or destroyed. The authors point out that most markets resemble a shopping mall with specialty shops anchored by large stores.

The authors examine this pattern of market evolution and the “radical disruption” that can occur when technology or regulation changes or a new entry “succeeds in altering the rules” (as Starbucks did by sneaking up on coffee’s Big Three). Of particular value is the detailed descriptions of the strategies that are most likely to succeed and fail, and the most frequent causes of those outcomes.

Make certain you have an ample supply of highlighters before turning your first page because regardless of your industry, the size of your business, or your ambitions, you will be well rewarded by the time you spend with this book.

(This book review was originally published in 2002 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 10.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Practice What You Preach

Practice What You PreachPractice What You Preach: What Managers Must Do to Create a High Achievement Culture
by David H. Maister

I can’t believe this book title hasn’t surfaced until now. It’s a phrase that most of us have known since childhood. It’s great advice and something you might assume to be an obvious game plan for anyone striving for success. I wonder if it’s been avoided for so long because so few people and organizations actually do it?

In this book, the author asked and answers a very simple question: “Are employee attitudes correlated with financial success?” The answer he found, was “an unequivocal ‘Yes!’” This highly respected consultant bases his findings on a worldwide survey of 139 offices in 29 professional service firms in 15 countries in 15 different lines of business. He proves that if your firm doesn’t promote enthusiasm and high morale in your employees, your firm will make less money. Maister wrote the text in plain language and deferred all statistical language and presentation to the appendices. You’ll learn, in no uncertain terms, how you can create a culture in your organization that promotes growth and superior financial returns.

Loaded with case studies, comparisons, strategies, questionnaires, and characteristics of successful organizations, this insightful work will facilitate your growth as a business leader and manager. Upon completion of this book and adoption of its principles, you’ll be well on your way to joining a very exclusive group of leaders … those who practice what they preach!

(This book review was originally published in 2002 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 10.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Please Don’t Just Do What I Tell You, Do What Needs to Be Done

Please Don’t Just Do What I Tell You, Do What Needs to Be DonePlease Don’t Just Do What I Tell You, Do What Needs to Be Done: Every Employee’s Guide to Making Work More Rewarding
by Bob Nelson

Here’s another mini-book, 105 pages, that packs a real wallop in a simple, smart and savvy way. Bob Nelson is the million-copy best-selling author of the 1001 Ways series (1001 Ways to Reward Employees, 1001 Ways to Energize Employees, and 1001 Ways to Take Initiative at Work) and Managing for Dummies.

In what is certain to be Bob’s next best seller, he spells out the message that should be shared with every new employee and seasoned staff member alike: “You never need permission to do great work. Wherever you work, whomever you work for, management expects that you will always use your own best judgment and effort to figure out what needs to be done and then do it without having to be told.” The author calls this The Ultimate Experience.

Wouldn’t you agree that this is a message that every employee needs to hear, but few employers explicitly state? Nelson illustrates his theory with examples and anecdotes from real life situations. He maps out a specific and easy-to-follow strategy that is brief, to the point, and inspiring.

Here’s another winner destined for your mini-book shelf!

(This book review was originally published in 2002 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 10.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The Future of Leadership

The Future of LeadershipThe Future of Leadership: Today’s Top Leadership Thinkers Speak to Tomorrow’s Leaders
by Warren Bennis, Gretchen Spreitzer, and Thomas Cummins

From time to time we’re offered an accumulation of great thoughts by great minds. The Future of Leadership would certainly fall into that category. Here is a collection of provocative insights on leadership from a “who’s who” of leadership thought including: Tom Peters, Charles Handy, and Jim Kouzes. A stellar cast of the world’s foremost leadership gurus comes together in one place to offer their thoughts on leadership in the new economy. Edited by renowned leadership expert Warren Bennis, the book addresses issues that Bennis identifies as the ones that “keep CEOs up at night,” including why we tolerate bad leaders, why leadership is everyone’s business, and how ethics will play into new leadership.

With contributions from Charles Handy, Tom Peters, Barry Posner, Jim Kouzes, and Warren Bennis, no other book includes the caliber of authors and the range of thinking found in The Future of Leadership.

Essays such as “The Future Has No Shelf Life,” written by Bennis, addresses some interesting questions. For example: What will the “world of organizations” look like in 2010? What will the New Leaders look like and where will they come from? What will (by then) have happened to so-called “high involvement” organizations? How will disparities in talent be resolved? Indeed, will they be? What will prove to be the impact of important demographic changes (e.g. ageism) now underway? What about the social contract between employers and employees, “that hollow implicit contract,” that usually offered some form of loyalty and responsibility to both parties? How do we keep our eyes and ears open to potentially disruptive inflection points? Finally, what is the proper role of business education for the next generation?

A total of 21 people (including Bennis himself) address several of these and related questions. Their primary audience consists of tomorrow’s leaders: in 2001, some are infants; others are completing college or have recently embarked on careers; and still others now occupy middle management levels. Think of the book as a “literary time capsule.” Those of us who examine the contents now can re-examine them in 2010. It will be interesting to learn which observations prove important and which do not.

The material is carefully organized within six parts: Setting the Stage for the Future, The Organization of the Future, The Leader of the Future, How Leaders Stay on Top of their Game, Insights from Young Leaders, and Some Closing Thoughts. It remains for each reader, of course, to determine which essays have the greatest value. All are so well-written that, I suspect, each will have special relevance at some point between now and 2010. And perhaps beyond. Essays include Handy’s “A World of Fleas and Elephants,” Kouzes and Posner’s “Bringing Leadership Lessons from the Past to the Future,” Lipman-Blumen’s “Why Do We Tolerate Bad Leaders?” O’Toole’s “When Leadership Is an Organizational Trait,” and Spreitzer and Cummings’ “the Leadership Challenges of the Next Generation.” All of the essays are outstanding. Whatever the “future of leadership” proves to be, it will have been guided and enriched by Warren Bennis as well as by those who honor him with the essays assembled in this book.

(This book review was originally published in 2001 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 9.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Drive Your People Wild Without Driving Them Crazy

Drive Your People Wild Without Driving Them CrazyDrive Your People Wild Without Driving Them Crazy: Leadership Lessons for a Chaotic World
by Jennifer White

I’m beginning to see more and more authors focus on the importance of “balance.” It obviously affects the peace of mind, progress and productivity of their employees. However, more and more leaders are recognizing the impact of employee balance on the bottom line as well.

Under pressure, some leaders become dictators believing that they have to drive performance from their people. What do they get? Long hours, more stress, more chaos, and mediocre performance. Jennifer White has created a unique seven-part process that will help business leaders produce the right results when it matters the most, show them how to inspire their employees to be high performers even if the economy is slowing, and convince them that it is possible for everyone to make it home in time for dinner without sacrificing company results.

In this revolutionary book, Jennifer White helps leaders marry two apparently conflicting ideas, success at work and success at home, with the aim of creating profitable companies that retain top-producing employees. Chapter titles alone set the tone for this comprehensive, realistic, and user-friendly manual for entrepreneurs, managers, and CEOs alike!

  • Chapter #1: Transform Chaos into Sanity (timely, practical advice on walking the fine line between chaos, creativity and sanity by creating some elements of consistency)
  • Chapter #2: Honor Your People (harnessing the collaborative power of your people to get results)
  • Chapter #3: Maximizing Productivity (doing less to achieve more)
  • Chapter #4: Use Speed to Your Advantage (the importance of speed—but not for speed’s sake)
  • Chapter #5: Leverage Their Strength (stop focusing on skills your people don’t have and leverage those they do have)
  • Chapter #6: Communicate with Power (develop a compelling message your people want to hear, never straying from the absolute truth)
  • Chapter #7: Get a Life (the importance of getting your people home for dinner. How many books have you read with a chapter devoted to this goal?)

If you are interested in your growth as a leader and are up to the challenge presented by Jennifer and her team of coaches, this book should be on your shelf. You’ll be challenged by the exercises and educated by the case studies, quizzes and common-sense approaches to a long-time challenge for anyone trying to lead people. Yes, you will be asked to be honest with yourself and, if you are, you’ll benefit greatly.

(This book review was originally published in 2001 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 9.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The Myth of Excellence

The Myth of ExcellenceThe Myth of Excellence: Why Great Companies Never Try to Be the Best at Everything
by Fred Crawford and Ryan Mathews

“Tired of business drivel? If you are ready to step beyond platitudinous mission statements and strategies cooked up in distant boardrooms that have no connection to the trenches where business battles are actually being fought, this is the book for you. It is grounded, readable, and honest.

Fred Crawford is the managing director of a consumer products, retail, and distribution practice, and Ryan Mathews is a futurist specializing in demographics and lifestyle analysis. To research purchasing behavior, they surveyed 5,000 consumers, but the responses they got surprised them. The authors “discovered” that:

  1. It is better to be the best at something and pretty good at most other things that customers like than to be pretty good at most things customers like and the best at what they don’t care about;
  2. Some customers operate with a product quality model that says, if you’re not at least this good, you don’t count, but if you ARE at least this good, you are good enough;
  3. Price isn’t always everything; and
  4. Neither is any other single thing.

Crawford and Mathews’ initial inquiries eventually grew into a major research study involving more than 10,000 consumers, interviews with executives from scores of leading companies around the world, and dozens of international client engagements. Their conclusion: Most companies priding themselves on how well they “know” their customers aren’t really listening to them at all. Consumers are fed up with all the fuss about “world-class performance” and “excellence.” They found that values (respect, honesty, trust, dignity) were more important to consumers than value. This discovery led the pair to develop a new model of “consumer relevancy.” They explain in detail the importance of price, service, quality, access, and experience for the consumer. They then suggest that for companies to be successful they need to dominate on only one of these five factors. On a second of the five they should stand out or differentiate themselves from their competitors; and on the remaining three they need only to be at par with others in their industry.

With dozens of examples, Crawford and Mathews demonstrate the validity of their premise. They argue that successful businesses are those that excel in one of these areas, are good in another, and are at least average in the rest. Wal-Mart, they say, is dominant on price and maintains a good selection of products, while Target excels at product selection and makes price its secondary attribute. The authors conclude that it is both uneconomical and probably impossible to be excellent in all areas. Instead, Crawford and Mathews suggest that companies engage in Consumer Relevancy, a strategy of dominating in one element of a transaction, differentiating on a second, and being at industry par (i.e., average) on the remaining three. It’s not necessary for businesses to equally invest time and money on all five attributes, and their customers don’t want them to. Imagine the confusion if Tiffany & Co. started offering deep discounts on diamonds and McDonald’s began selling free-range chicken and tofu.

Today’s customers are leading a revolution against business as usual: They are demanding that companies recognize them as individuals and conduct business on their terms. In The Myth of Excellence, Crawford and Mathews provide proven strategies for meeting the demands of today’s empowered customers, who are crying out to be treated with respect, dignity, and courtesy.

After describing the importance of the five key attributes, the authors explain how a company might evaluate itself to see how well it is doing. The authors’ clear writing style and copious use of examples and case studies make their ideas understandable to a wide readership.

(This book review was originally published in 2001 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 9.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

The Leadership Pipeline

The Leadership PipelineThe Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership Powered Company
by Ram Charan, Steve Drotter, and Jim Noel

As a consultant, I have the opportunity to work closely with a wide variety of organizations across a great number of industries. I’m constantly amazed at the lack of focus, time and energy dedicated to developing tomorrow’s leaders from today’s current staff. Every time a leadership slot avails itself, it seems as though there is no one “ready” or qualified to fill it. I hear a variety of excuses such as current workload, unexpected chaos, and simply “no time.” When I hear excuses like these, I have to wonder if this particular organization will ever reach the level of developing their own internal pipeline of leadership talent.

One of management’s biggest challenges today is finding new leaders, and one of the questions that arises in this quest is whether to bring in “new blood” and fresh ideas or take advantage of “home-grown” experts already acclimated to an organization’s corporate culture. At a time when more and more companies are relying on headhunters to bring in leaders and management turnover is soaring among young talent, “growing your own” leaders is about to become a necessary core competence for the future. The current labor shortage and a greater willingness by younger workers to change jobs have only added to this challenge.

Written by three genuine experts in management development (one of them helped design GE’s deservedly famous succession-development process), this book finally shows organizations how to undo the knots and clogs in their in-house “leadership pipeline” so they can constantly groom the best people at every level to move up to the next rung of leadership.

Not only do the authors identify the six transition phases, or “turns,” of the pipeline—they describe each with remarkable insight; these six levels of leadership growth, for example, exist at the base of every mid-size or large organization regardless of how each structures its individual hierarchy.

The six key transitions that help a leader develop are:

  • from managing yourself to managing others;
  • from managing others to managing managers;
  • from managing managers to functional managing;
  • from functional managing to business managing;
  • from business managing to group managing;
  • from group managing to enterprise managing.

The author then shows you how to diagnose how individual leaders are doing, and how to help them make better progress.

At each transition, what the individual values and focuses on has to change dramatically. In organizations where this transition is not made explicit, you get almost all of the managers in the organization “stuck” doing things the wrong way, still looking from the perspective of their last job. That’s the stuff that Dilbert and the Peter Principle are made of. Although the book takes a large organization’s point of view, in various places the points are translated into a small organizational context.

With each, they take care to point out both the new skills and values (there is a difference) one must acquire before making a turn, as well as how to measure whether someone has them before moving them along. They also show how to determine whether candidates are embodying those skills and values once they’ve made the transition, and how to groom them for the next level right from day one. The result? Not just one potentially qualified in-house candidate for a top leadership position but a whole generation of them, not to mention younger generations to succeed them. The book includes sample scenarios (from both fictional and real-life organizations), definitions, checklists and charts that break down and illustrate its main points in every chapter.

(This book review was originally published in 2001 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 9.)

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.