Management Craft

How to Use Resistance to Change

I like this post from Jeffrey Ford called, Stop Blaming Resistance and Start Using It. Check it out. Here is a snippet:

Like most people, managers react to what they perceive as resistance (any failure to go along with what is wanted?) by fighting it.  They see resistance as dysfunctional, a threat to the viability of the change and their leadership, so they try to counter or overcome it. It rarely, if ever, occurs to them...

Your Sense of Urgency - Redux, And for Good Reason :-)

I thought it would be a good time to again share the podcast I did with legendary Dr. John Kotter last November about his book, A Sense of Urgency. I love a distinction he makes in the book that matches my experience as a management consultant very well - that we are not necessarily on the same page about what a sense of urgency IS and what it is NOT.

I see:

• People who think long hours in the office indicate sense of urgency.
• People who think a frenetic pace demonstrates a sense of urgency.
• People who think "putting it on my calendar for discussion next week," shows urgency.
• People who think putting items on an action plan somehow magically makes these items a priority.

Of course, none of these are good indicators of a focused sense of urgency.

I got thinking about this topic after a short car ride with another OD professional. As we discussed various work-related topics, I got the impression that he and I had vastly different notions about what it meant to make something a priority. Neither of us are right, by the way, we just have different perspectives. And because we don't work directly together, the differences are OK.

This is important to think about this because I bet that you could find a broad range of perspectives about what it means to demonstrate a sense of urgency and which tasks should be top priority inside your organization. These intra-organizational or intra-team variances make a HUGE difference that can wreck focus and results, especially if they come from team members who work closely together.

So what's the solution? You will be well served to take the time to talk about what a sense of urgency is and is not, and the projects and tasks that you feel deserve immediate, focused, and vigorous attention. Be specific, paint the picture, talk about time lines, and then demonstrate the level of urgency you seek.

And to get you in the mood and started, check out this conversation with Dr. John Kotter. I think you will enjoy this podcast and that it will give you a few great ideas for how to enliven a sense of urgency in your organization.

What is compelling enough for you and your team to do right now? And do well? And do with vigor? And what's important enough for you shove other things aside? And in what ways might you need to demonstrate courage to catalyze a renewed sense of urgency for an important project?

Podcast - Frances Hesselbein

My pal, the Cranky Middle Manager, scored a great podcast interview with living legend Frances Hesselbein. Peter Drucker was a huge fan and often called Ms. Hesselbein one of the greatest leaders of our time. Check it out - the topic is The Organization of the Future.

Fireside Chat With Todd Sattersten - The 100 Best Business Books of All Time

Which books can transform your life and help you solve tough problems? Check out this podcast!

Note: To my Seattle based readers. Todd will be speaking in Seattle this Friday, Feb 6th, at noon. Check it out and plan on attending here. It will be a great author chat and lunch is included!

 During this 26 minute podcast, I chat with Todd Sattersten, co-author of The 100 Best Business Books of All Time: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You. Todd is the President of 800CEOREAD.com - the authority on business books. He and Jack Covert, the founder of 800CEOREAD.com created a great book that can help us develop and better run our businesses. I love the way this book offers interesting information on 12 categories of business books - so you can hone in on the topic of greatest interest to you (like management, leadership, personal growth, sales and marketing, etc..). This is a fun and informational podcast for anyone interested in business.

You can get Todd and Jack's book from any major retailer, but if you get it directly from 800ceoread.com here, you will get an autographed copy and a bonus CD filled with podcast conversations between Jack and Todd. I listened to the CD in my car and loved it, so I recommend getting it from the source!

You can listen to my podcast with the Todd Sattersten by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat With Peter Cohan - You Can't Order Change

What should you do with talented professionals who are lousy managers? Check out this podcast!

 During this 23 minute podcast, I chat with Peter Cohan, author of You Can't Order Change: Lessons From Jim McNerney's Turnaround at Boeing. I must admit that I did not know much about McNerney before reading this book, and I like a lot about his approach and overall philosophy. If you like the kind of management advice I share on this blog, I think you will relate to McNerney's leadership - he's a talent builder. Peter Cohan did a great job of bringing the examples together for a good read and he is a management expert and educator himself (and has written 8 books). He blogs here.

You can listen to my podcast with the Peter Cohan by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat With Steve Kerr - Reward Systems

Do your employees know what success looks like in measurable and behavioral terms? Check out this podcast!

During this 34 minute podcast, I chat with Steve Kerr, author of Reward Systems: Does Yours Measure Up? I think all managers - and certainly all HR pros should check out this book. Steve was the CLO (Chief Learning Officer) for GE and co-authored the popular books The GE Work-Out and The Boundaryless Organization. During this chat, we talk about the important of operationally defining what we mean by excellence and how this conversion is at the core of management.

You can listen to my podcast with the Steve Kerr by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat with Dr. John Kotter - A Sense of Urgency

Do you act with a true sense of urgency or a false one? Check out this podcast!

During this 22 minute podcast, I chat with Dr. John Kotter, author of A Sense of Urgency. This is a wonderful book (Dr. Kotter has written 17!) about the key factor that often determines whether change efforts are successful or a failure (70% fail, only 10% exceed expectations). Dr. Kotter graduated from MIT and Harvard and is Professor Emeritus at Harvard Business School. I have been a fan of Dr. Kotter's work for a long time, so it was a real honor to chat with him on the podcast. Check it out! This is a podcast you will want to share with colleagues. I highly recommend the book for all managers and leaders.

You can listen to my podcast with the John Kotter by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat with Jeffrey Krames - Inside Drucker's Brain

Would you like to know what Peter Drucker considered to be one of the most important characteristics of a good leader? Check out this podcast!

During this 30 minute podcast, I chat with Jeffrey Krames, author of Inside Drucker's Brain. If you are a manager or leader or aspire to become one, this is a book you will want to have because Jeffrey Krames has taken the time and care to distill the very best of Peter Drucker's management wisdom into one book. Drucker wrote nearly 40 books about management, so there was a lot to distill! Jeffrey spent a full day with Drucker, at his home, just a few years before Drucker died - a special honor and accomplishment since Drucker was known for refusing requests for interviews.

My conversation with Jeffrey was fun and provocative and I think you will enjoy listening to Jeffrey's stories about Drucker and his theories about management and about how they are still so relevant today. Also check out Jeffrey's blog here where he posts about Drucker and the subject of business book publishing (Jeffrey has written several business books and is the Editorial Director of Portfolio, a Penguin imprint that specializes in business books).

You can listen to my podcast with the Jeffrey Krames by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat with Dave Crenshaw - The Myth of Multitasking

Are you a multitasker? Check out this podcast!

During this 24 minute podcast, I chat with Dave Crenshaw, author of The Myth of Multitasking: How Doing it All Gets Nothing Done. If you have been reading Management Craft for a while, you know that I agree whole heartedly that multitasking can rob even the most hard working professional of his or her ability to focus on what's most important. If you suffer from an addiction or habit of multitasking, or manage employees who do, check out this podcast and Dave's new book. Focus, grasshopper!

You can listen to my podcast with the Dave Crenshaw by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat with Russ Edelman - Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office

Are you an overly nice guy/gal?  How do you know? Check out this podcast!

During this 30 minute podcast, I chat with Russ Edelman, co-author of Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office. You can download an excerpt from their website, Nice Guy Strategies. We talk about the all too common issue of whiplash (hear why I think this is another  name for not being a straight shooter) and some of the special challenges overly nice professional face and how they can improve their results.

You can listen to my podcast with the Russ Edelman by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.