Book Reviews
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What Got You Here Won't Get You There
by Marshall Goldsmith
Reviewed by Judy Denny, August 2007
Goldsmith is an executive coach who coaches successful people to become even more successful. In this book, he goes over 20 bad habits, of which he sees one or two in each of the executives that he coaches. He also discusses three basic steps in the process for changing behavior; first apologize, then advertise efforts to get better, then follow-up every month or two to see how things are going. Read Review (14kb) 
Kiss Theory Good Bye: Five Proven Ways to Get Extraordinary Results in Any Company
by Bob Prosen
Reviewed by Judy Denny, March 2007
From his 25 years of experience as a consultant, Bob Prosen has distilled his ideas for getting results in an easy to read book that is written for all leaders. He covers the five crippling habits that affect most companies, and follows with a discussion on ways to fix these problem areas. Read Review (19kb)
Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future
by Peter Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers
Reviewed by Judy Denny, March 2007
The four authors bring interesting perspectives to the subject of transformation and learning. The authors shared a common desire to understand the deeper dimensions of transformational changes. They have a series of meetings between November 2000 and April 2002 with wide ranging discussions on their various experiences. They also analyze the results of 150 interviews by Otto and Joseph of scientists and entrepreneurs to explore how new ideas are brought into reality. What they find in common among these very successful people is the capacity for a deeper level of learning. Read Review (10kb)
Managing the Unexpected: Assuring High Performance in an Age of Complexity
by Karl E.Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe.
Reviewed by Michael Novak, IRS, June 2007
In today’s fast-paced, highly complex transformational environment, it could be argued that planning is obsolete. Does this mean that we should give up on planning and just “wing it?” Absolutely not. What Weick and Sutcliffe say is that planning is necessary, but not sufficient, for success in today’s chaotic environment. In addition to planning – or, perhaps, as a part of planning – organizations need to engage in five processes in order to avert the effects of unpredictable events. Read Review (23kb)
Get It, Set It, Move It, Prove It: 60 Ways to Get Real Results in Your Organization by Mark Graham Brown
Reviewed by Michael Novak, IRS, Nov. 2006
If you are concerned about performance management, this book is for you. It provides practical and useful methods that you can use immediately, and it points out common habits that you should avoid. There are summaries of things "to do" and "not to do." Also, if you are using or contemplating using the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence as a basis for assessing and improving your organization's performance, Mr. Brown's four-phase model helps make sense of the Baldrige approach. Read Review (15kb)
Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, by Marilee Adams
Reviewed by Lee Salmon, July 2006
This book is a fable through which we learn in an accessible way about the framing and programming power of questions. While the story occurs in a business setting, its lessons are also directed to our ability to think and relate effectively everywhere in our lives, including our personal relationships. This review is copyrighted by Reflections, The Sol Journal, Vol. 7, No. 2 .Permission to post granted Aug. 22, 2006.
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Flight of the Buffalo: Soaring to Excellence, Learning to Let Employees Lead, by James A. Belasco and Ralph C. Stayer
Reviewed by Judy Denny, Oct. 2005
Written in 1993, this book is a classic. The authors use examples of herds of buffalo and flocks of geese to explain old and new leadership paradigms. When a head buffalo is killed, the herd just stands around, not knowing what to do. However, when the lead goose is killed, other geese are able to take over and the flock can keep on flying.
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Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, by William Bridges
Reviewed by Judy Denny, Aug. 2005
This is the second edition of Bridges’ popular 1991 book that has sold 400,000 copies. He says that people do not have a problem with change itself, but rather with transitions.
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The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell
Reviewed by Judy Denny, Mar. 2005
Gladwell compares characteristics of a flu epidemic with some powerful transformations. In each case, (1) the changing behavior was highly contagious, (2) it was little causes that had big effects, and (3) the change was not gradual, but happened at one dramatic moment. He believes the third characteristic is the most important because it “makes sense of the first two.” He calls this dramatic moment the Tipping Point.
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How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work, by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
Reviewed by Judy Denny, Feb. 2005
Kegan and Lahey begin with premise that we all have powerful inclinations not to change. They describe our immunity to change as a force of nature that they call dynamic equilibrium, a motion which takes us back to the place we were before a change.
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Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, by Neil Howe and William Strauss
Reviewed by Judy Denny, Oct. 2004
Neil Howe and William Strauss have been interested in generational histories since the early 80’s. They published Generations in 1990, publicly naming and describing Millennials before the generation that preceded the Millennials—Generation X—was even named.
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Be Your Own Brand: A Breakthrough Formula for Standing Out from the Crowd, by David McNally and Karl D. Speak
Reviewed by Judy Denny, Aug. 2004
The authors take business principles of brand management and translate them into simple guidelines for creating your own personal brand--the perception that others have of their relationship with you.
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The Right Questions, by Debbie Ford
Reviewed by Judy Denny, July 2004
Ford's books have been translated into 22 languages. She writes that our choices dictate the quality of our life. With new choices and new actions, we can create the life we desire.
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