The Cranky Middle Manager Show #312 The Future of the MBA Ken Starkey
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #125 Best Biz Books of 2007 Jack Covert
Posted on 25. Dec, 2007 by Wayne in Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #125
Today we’ll look at the short list of books nominated for “Best Business Books of 2007 by 800 CEO Read” with it’s founder, Jack Covert. Several of these authors have been on our show, and I’m excited about that. Feel free to post to the site and let us know what YOUR choices are.
Additionally we have an exciting announcement to make: Starting January 1, I will be the head of a new company called GreatWebMeetings.com. The goal is to help companies and individuals use web tools to do more than just present, but to communicate and connect. Let’s face it, web meetings don’t have to suck- they just usually do. The goal is to help. You’re welcome.
Don’t forget our webinar: “Managing Remote Employees- Using Webmeetings To Keep Them Engaged” on Jan 3rd, 2008 at 9 am Central time (US) 3 PM (UK). We have about 4 seats left so drop me a line and enroll.
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the year-end edition of The Cranky Middle Manager. We’re talking the Best Business Books of 2007. First, let me thank nominees Matthew Kelly, Judith (Dame Judy) Bardwick,Chip Conley and Erika Andersen for being with us this year. Click the links to go to conversations with them if you haven’t already heard the shows. Also check out the announcement above about my new company, Greatwebmeetings.com.
4:10 The show isn’t about me, though. It’s about sharing resources that we all can use to do our jobs better, or at least with less drama. A great source is Jack Covert, who was with us last year and is kind of becoming a tradition. The first category we drill down to is Globalization.
Some from last year include
The Box- who knew a book about shipping containers would be so fascinating?
The Sushi Economy- How did tuna go from trash fish to a big chunk of the Japanese Economy? It starts with empty airplanes….
10:18 Jack loves getting into behind the scenes stuff. The most fascinating books include
Typo- the story of one man’s business disaster. Probably don’t need to hear about this as I launch my own company but what the heck?
The Last Tycoons okay, maybe some of those conspiracy theories are true….
17:00 Books specifically about managing and developing people include Erika Andersen and Judy Bardwick’s books. They even hired Erika themselves, which is proof if you needed it. Other books he liked…
Know How by Ram Charan
Not from this year but even better- Execution by Ram Charan and Larry Bossidy
Fables are big. Starting with The Dream Manager, but including
Don’t Gobble the Marshmallow- Ever
22:02 The Shortlist for Best Business Book of the Year:
Dream Manager- Matthew Kelly
The Last Tycoons- William D Cohan
Made To Stick- Dan and Chip Heath
Strengths Finder 2.0- Tom Rath
Books Jack found that no one ever heard of:
Chasing Daylight- Gene O’Kelly……..a CEO discovers he’s dying… no Mitch Albom tears here
A Business and its Beliefs (1962) Thomas J Watson Jr.…ever wonder how IBM got to be IBM???
That’s it for this year….. thanks to Jack, thanks to you. Don’t let the weasels get you down.
800 CEO Read Shortlist of Best Books 2007
Posted on 20. Dec, 2007 by Wayne in General
The good folks over at 800 CEO Read have put out their annual list of the Best Business Books of 2007. You can see the whole list here….
I tell you this, not only because the list is fascinating but:
1) 4 of the authors have been on this show. If you’ve missed their conversations, you can make up for it now
- Erika Andersen discussing “Growing Great Employees”
- Chip Conley on “Peak- How Great Companies Get Their Mojo From Maslow”
- Judith Bardwick with “One Foot Out the Door- How to Combat The Pscyhological Recession That’s Alienating Employees and Hurting American Business”
- Matthew Kelly-”Dream Manager”
Congratulations to all of you and thanks for including the CMM audience in your lives.
2) Jack Covert will be the guest on Episode 125 to finish out the year for his annual visit discussing the best books (you can hear last year’s discussion here)… lots of fun. Look for the show about Christmas day.
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #124 Gorillas in the Corporate Culture Linda Ford
Posted on 20. Dec, 2007 by Wayne in Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #124
Welcome to the Cranky Middle Manager Show. Today we’re talking Corporate Culture and how it’s the 800 pound gorilla inside your company. The book in question is The Fourth Factor, Managing Corporate Culture and the author is Linda Ford.
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show. Today we’re talking about corporate culture- what it is, who cares and what does it have to do with big hairy apes? We dedicate this show to Paul du Chaillu, the first white man to see…. and kill and stuff cause that’s what we do….. but he was also an experienced- if not terribly accurate- anthropologist. You identify culture by the stories you tell…..
2:00 One way to form a corporate culture is by keeping all your employees- even remote ones- engaged and involved. Join us for our webinar on January 3rd. Get The Details Here
2:32 The quote of the week is from Rensis Likert, a smart guy and if you’ve ever fudged a course evaluation after training you know his work. Anyway……. corporate culture is a kind of peer pressure, but it’s a way to get things done.
3:13 Welcome Dr. Linda Ford, author of The Fourth Factor, Managing Corporate Culture. What is corporate culture, and what does it have to do with gorillas????? Well, like the 800 pound gorilla in the room, it’s inescapable and does what it’s going to do with or without you.. ignore it at your peril.
8:35 How do you see and measure corporate culture? You’ve got about 90 days to define it or you become it. You see it every time you work with a company. Southwest Airlines is a great example. For those who’ve never traveled it, it’s a fun place to work and it shows. You don’t need to quantify it so much as see how people behave and then notice whether it’s useful or not. My biggest clue that it’s a culture issue is when you realize “that ain’t gonna fly here” and you can define why.
13:45 Linda tells us about a scientific experiment that demonstrates how strong culture is.
16:00 I can’t think of too much that’s more difficult than changing culture. Linda runs down how you do that. It starts by making sure the culture you want aligns with your strategy. You have to
- State the directive
- Be the message
- Second-nature the behaviors
Of course, the behaviors are a little trickier. There are 6 behaviors to achieve these directives.
- question rigorously
- include respectfully
- commit responsibly
- experiment relentlessly
- integrate radically
- connect- really
21:50 For instance: why don’t we question why we do things at work? That’s culture at work.
Resources
Check out her website for some cool “gorilla” stuff Fourth Factor On-line.
In the first year of the show, we interviewed Richard Conniff about his book Ape in the Corner Office. If the conversation intrigues you, check it out.
She recommends Mad Dogs, Dreamers and Sages
order tramadolcheap tramadolcheap carisoprodolpurchase carisoprodolorder femaraorder femaracheap detoxorder detoxpurchase feldenefeldene onlinepurchase famvircheap famvirherbal xanaxbuy xanaxpurchase prozacorder prozacpurchase lamisilbuy lamisilpurchase indocinorder indocinelavil discountelavil 25 mgcheap effexorbuy effexor celexa 10 mg cheap phentermine
Free CMM Webinar- “Managing Remote Employees- Using Webmeetings To Keep Them Engaged”
Posted on 16. Dec, 2007 by Wayne in General
Late last year, you took a survey on what you liked/didn’t like/would like to see from The Cranky Middle Manager Show besides, the podcast. One of those was CMM-branded learning opportunities so………..
Announcing Our First Ever “CMM Webinar”.
We can have 20 participants, and half the seats are already gone, so let me know if you’re interested!
When: January 3, 2008 9 AM Central time (US), 3 PM (London) 8:30 PM (Mumbai)
Topic: “Managing Remote Employees- Using Webmeetings to Keep Them Engaged”. This 45 minute interactive presentation will give you information you need and tips to help you keep your remote teams engaged, informed and motivated.
How Do You Connect: There’s no telephone dial-in. We’re using DimDim, which is completely web-based. Just click on the link in your invitation email.
- If you just want to listen or ask questions on line- you’ll need speakers or headphones.
- If you want to participate (and we hope you do) any microphone that plugs into your computer will work
Join CMM Listeners from all over the world. We already have participants from Israel, Russia and the US…… seats are limited so move now. We’re planning more for the future, but don’t you want to say you were there for the first one????