Filed under: Books in General, Human Resources, health care | Tags: Business, Leadership, books, business books, business book, health care, Human Resources
If you look closely at many of my posts, you’ll notice that I rarely give out any personal details. Truth be told, I’m quite a private person, despite the fact that I communicate with all of you a few times each week. I sometimes feel as though the continued dominance of social media in our lives has led people to willingly give up their privacy with nary a second thought.
Strangely, some of the same folks who don’t mind posting photos from a company happy hour on their Facebook pages are likely to bristle at corporate requests for info for a health and wellness survey. They may not have a choice in the near future. This article from CNNMoney.com discusses the increase in Human Resource departments asking employees to fill out a health and wellness questionnaire prior to enrolling in the company’s health insurance program.
I found this article to be loaded with the type of issues that define life in today’s corporate world. The survey can ask an employee about the number of alcoholic drinks he or she consumes each week. However, it can’t ask the same employee whether or not there is a history of cancer in his or her family. This is due to a fear of lawsuits due to genetic discrimination. To help ensure employee cooperation, some companies are offering incentives such as lower insurance premiums for workers willing to participate in smoking cessation programs. Yet, companies are at risk if they bar employees coverage for not agreeing to fill out the survey.
However, I think my favorite quote from the article is this one: “Maybe you think you’ll fudge the truth? Don’t. That’s fraud, and could be grounds for dismissal.” I can almost guarantee that some people reading that statement would reply, “How will they ever know?” I suspect that these are the same folks that would thrill us with a Twitter tweet about low cigarette prices at a local gas station.
Human Resource professionals are in a bind that I, for one, do not envy. As they continue to walk a tightrope between lowering their health care expenses and breaching privacy issues, one has to wonder whether it will be employee or employer who has to make the biggest changes.
For a great read on the difficulties facing HR departments (and how to solve them), check out our summary of The HR Scorecard by Brian Becker, Mark Huselid and Dave Ulrich.
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, Marketing, Uncategorized | Tags: Business, Marketing, books, business books, business book, Publishing
The skill and labor involved in creating a business book is something which not everyone is able to comprehend. Maybe it’s just my personal (and professional) pride, but as far back as my college years, I used to bristle at the suggestion that because people are able to type, they are able to write. The process of researching and writing about a particular topic requires dedication and a copious amount of patience to ensure that the message is clear and accurate.
Not taking the proper amount of care can sometimes result in swift and direct criticism. For an example, take a look at this article from Business Week magazine. The writer of this piece makes some strong allegations against Michael J. Silverstein and his co-author Kate Sayre. While Silverstein and Sayre’s book isn’t creating furor on-par with author James Frey and his much disputed memoir A Million Little Pieces, the veracity of Women Want More is being questioned.
In our ever-vigilant need for full disclosure, I can tell you that we previously summarized one of Silverstein’s books. We chose Treasure Hunt as a January 2007 summary because of its strong study of the changing consumer market. While we never found any of his arguments to be lacking in factual accuracy, the issues raised by Business Week are troubling.
I will be interested to see if this current controversy brings any additional attention to Silverstein and Sayre’s book. I will, of course, keep you posted should anything arise. In the meantime, check out Treasure Hunt. It’s a great read for marketers as they deal with the crunch of the fourth quarter.
Filed under: Books in General, Innovation, Internet, Leadership, Strategic Management, Technology | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Innovation, Leadership, Strategic Management, Technology
Receiving an inside look at one of the most powerful companies on the planet is something for which business book readers clamor. What if the deal were sweetened and the book were to be authored not by a third-party observer or a mid-level manager but instead by one of the top executives for the company?
In a matter of months, we’ll get the opportunity described above! This post from a blog on CNET confirms rumors that we’ve heard for some time. Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft’s Windows Division, is collaborating with the Harvard Business School to craft a book on creating and implementing innovative strategies. As the article indicates, Sinofsky has been contributing posts to Microsoft’s Engineering Windows 7 blog, many of which offer insights into the inner workings of the intensely private software giant.
I for one was intrigued by the suggestion that Sinofsky’s book will delve into the strategic changes made by Microsoft after its Windows Vista release. I’m curious to know the level of detail to which he will discuss this subject. As fascinating as the creation of a new product will be to readers, it may be more helpful to executives to gain insight on how to recover when a product that took millions of dollars and an equal amount of man hours to produce is underwhelming upon its release. It takes a certain amount of bravery on the part of any executive to publicly acknowledge and address a product that has received its fair share of criticism.
Part of what makes Microsoft an object of admiration to many observers is its ability to stay ahead of fluctuations in its industry. Innovation is at the heart of what has separated Microsoft from its competitors. Sinofsky’s revelations could prove to be quite useful, particularly when combined with co-author Marco Iansiti’s research at Harvard. A collaboration between Microsoft and Harvard sounds like a winner. I’ll keep you posted when we get a sneak peek at the book as it nears publication.
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, General Business | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Collection
Say what you’d like about the continuing decline of the printed word, but The New York Times, particularly its Sunday magazine, is still delivering the goods. I have to offer full congratulations to Sara Corbett for writing one of the most captivating articles I’ve read in months. She tells the story of the upcoming publication of a long-hidden manuscript from psychology pioneer Carl Jung. As Corbett notes in her opening paragraphs, the story behind Jung’s long-sought book reads like the script for an adventure film. The fact that Jung’s work is in the process of being published is a delight to the scores of devotees who practice Jungian psychology, or at the very least, are interested in the depths of human consciousness.
This led me to speculate about the possibility of unpublished books in general and business books in particular. Suppose Dale Carnegie (who is profiled in this summary) wrote a sequel to How to Win Friends and Influence People? What if in some crate in a government warehouse, tucked comfortably next to the Ark of the Covenant, there were manuscripts for additional titles by Peter Drucker or Warren Buffett?
It seems odd to consider such a prospect, but there is no limit to what scholars are able to mine from the legacy of the greats in each industry. In many cases, as in the case of Jung, the decision to make available previously unreleased material falls to the estate. Corbett’s story profiles the difficulty researchers have had in attempting to persuade Jung’s descendants to allow his secret “Red Book” to see the light of day. We’re fortunate that in the world of business books, authors generally do everything possible to allow their message to reach eager eyes and ears.
However, I can’t prevent myself from wondering … what if? In the meantime, do yourself a favor a check out Corbett’s piece. It makes for a great read while we’re waiting for the hidden tomes from business greats to be unearthed.
Filed under: Books in General, Brands, Marketing | Tags: books, Brands, Marketing
Sometimes the best way to truly evaluate the way a business looks is to take a gander from the outside. The United States gets tagged with many labels, some of which are not too kind. Accusations arise constantly about everything from the country’s carbon footprint to its often reluctant role as global police officer. Still, after reading an article from the folks at Bloomberg.com, one finds it a little harder to shrug off a famous allegation: American brands dominate the globe.
Click the link above and check it out for yourself. According to the Interbrand study cited by Bloomberg, the U.S. can lay claim to eight of the top 10 brands in the world, as well as 13 of the top 20. Findings like the ones in this list create some interesting debates, both domestically and internationally. Much to my chagrin, I’m old enough to recall a time when foreign brands were unacceptable when it came to certain major purchases (cars, televisions, etc). While there are still those whose purchasing decisions are rooted in patriotism, the decision to drive a car produced by Japan or Germany is no longer looked at with a raised eyebrow. In fact, the opposite is more likely to cause curiosity.
Other areas of the world continue to lament the decline of their own local culture, or so it would appear. You’d probably anticipate the French being among the stalwarts who refuse to let the fast-food of the Stars and Stripes steamroll their cafes and bistros. Take a look at the photo that accompanies this articleand you’ll see that the Arc de Triomphe has competition from another set of arches, ones that are a little more familiar Stateside. Even the most particular of cuisine-lovers has to admit, someone must be buying all those burgers.
While America continues to debate the pros and cons of offshoring and trade deregulation, one export has never failed us: our brands. The value of our most famous companies may trouble some authors, like John Gerzema and Edward Lebar, but others don’t seem to share their concern. Coca-Cola once advertised it’s desire to achieve world harmony through song. We might not be there yet, but they’ve certainly followed through on the other end of their promise. Everyone, practically, has the chance to buy a Coke.
Filed under: Books in General, Collection, Small Business | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Collection, Small Business
Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh by describing the subject of this post as a drill sergeant. Drill sergeants get a bit of a bad rap. They’re men and women with an extremely difficult task. They have to mold and shape a rag-tag band of recruits into a disciplined unit that perfectly executes every maneuver. This requires intensity, tenacity and a devotion to perfection.
When it comes to boosting the current state of small businesses in the U.S., George Cloutier may be the right man to wear the stripes. As you’ll see in this press release from Reuters, Cloutier’s new book is drawing a critical eye from some reviewers. Many of the suggestions he makes will seem a bit harsh to some readers. However, small businesses rely on the dedication and labor of their owners to ensure their success. A small business run with an average amount of effort will remain small. It takes a special amount of drive to create real growth and survive the treacherous competitive waters.
I’m curious to see how the majority of the business book reading public will receive Cloutier’s Profits Aren’t Everything, They’re the Only Thing. Cloutier himself refers to many of his theories as “tough love,” a term that, while receding from society at large, is still quite prevalent in business. Every so often, a book comes along that provides the necessary swing of the boot to the backside of business. I can’t say for certain if Cloutier’s new release is that title, but in light of the U.S. recently marking one calendar year of recession, the timing is certainly right for such a book.
If you’d like to read some additional titles specifically designed to boost small business success, we’re featuring Soundview’s Small Business Collection right now on Summary.com.
Filed under: Books in General, Collection, Environment, From the Editor, Green, Sustainability, The Business of Green | Tags: Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Alguita, business books, Collection, Environment, Green, Saving the World at Work, Sustainability, The Business of Green, The Necessary Revolution
On Monday (Sept. 7) the oceanographic research vessel Alguita embarked on a 10th anniversary voyage to retrace its first trip to study plastic pollution in the Pacific Ocean. Specifically the course heads for “the great Pacific garbage patch” described in my Ocean Conservancy calendar as “A giant floating ‘continent’ of garbage, twice the size of Texas.”
Apparently it was during Captain Charles Moore’s Pacific Ocean crossing after the Transpacific Yacht Race in 1997 when he was heading back to California from Hawaii that he had the disturbing intersection with what ABC News subsequently described as 3.5 million tons of trash that is 80 percent plastic.
Captain Moore founded the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, which owns the ORV Alguita, and has ever since surrendered his time and resources to examining the impact of this massive floating swill, increasing awareness about it, and figuring out how to get rid of it. A July 2008 Discover magazine article described how in this particular area of the Pacific there is a series of currents several thousand miles wide that swirl together ensnaring trash and debris from North America, Asia and the Hawaiian Islands. The tricky part, as far as funding research and assigning cleanup dollars, is that the open ocean waters of the world are a difficult place to justify government spending.
I confess I had never heard about this huge floating garbage patch before. It makes me realize that we should be continuously promoting and adding to our Soundview Business of Green collection to give people access to information about sustainability and responsible business practices. Two other important books that we have summarized, Saving the World at Work and The Necessary Revolution shout out the importance of being environmentally responsible at work and home.
With fresh summer memories typically embracing a waterview that we choose to savor until next year, this topic captures another picture we shouldn’t quickly forget.
Filed under: Books in General, Conference/Event, From the Editor, Leadership | Tags: Business, Leadership, business books, business book, Soundview Live, Steve Forbes
We at Soundview have covered a lot of business books featuring metaphors about elephants and penguins and zebras – but none about chickens. I suppose the reason there aren’t many leadership books built around a chicken metaphor is because a) chickens don’t exude a lot of brute strength or courage and b) we (many of us) eat them. However, I was thinking about leadership and contemplating “pecking order” and that led me to research the elementary form of top down leadership evident in chicken yards.
Pecking order is, in the poultry world, a well-defined hierarchical pattern of behavior, according to an article about “Dealing With Aggressive Poultry” that I found on the Broad Leys Publishing site.
There’s a “top bird” typically a male, but sometimes an “old hen,” whom the others generally stay clear of especially making way for him or her to get to the feed. None of the other birds like to challenge this top bird. The pecking order continues down to the weakest, which has to dodge the attacks of the more powerful birds. And if a bird is wounded – well, according to the article, this excites the other birds into a pecking frenzy and it can lead to cannibalism.
Environment plays a role in chicken behavior, the article states. Flock density is an issue – you have to have room for the chickens to move around – you have to give them some space to get away from other birds that are bothering them. The more birds there are in a given area, the more likely they are to peck each other.
And when new birds are put into an existing flock, that can create problems because it disrupts the pecking order, so there are ways to get them familiar with each other before dropping a stranger into a herd of wary birds.
We can find leadership templates in the most unusual places if we look hard enough. Fortunately, there are some great business book authors who do the searching for us and bring the lessons and strategies of demonstrated leaders to our attention. We’ve recently completed a featured review of Power, Ambition, Glory by Steve Forbes and John Prevas. They have drawn some unique parallels between Ancient World leaders and some of today’s leaders.
Steve Forbes will discuss this comparison of leaders in the upcoming SOUNDVIEW LIVE 3:00 p.m. EST, September 22nd. The event is a 60-minute interactive conversation during which attendees are encouraged to submit questions. Note: Attendance is limited to the first 1000 registrants.
Filed under: Books in General, Marketing, Politics | Tags: Business, Marketing, books, business books, business book
This story caught my eye the other day, and I thought it opened up an interesting debate. Here’s the original article from The Business Journal’s affiliate in Greensboro, North Carolina. It’s tough to think of an industry that is more maligned than the tobacco business, although right now health insurance companies are likely to run a close second. Over the past 20 years, legislation and strong public pressure has squeezed tobacco companies to drastically reduce the ways in which they advertise their products, as well as restrict the locations where tobacco can be used.
The new federal law that gives the Food and Drug Administration regulatory oversight of tobacco products is leading tobacco companies to challenge the law’s validity on free speech grounds. While there are other products that could be sighted as a factor in causing health issues (alcohol and fast food, for starters), tobacco is the only one that has been universally condemned as a health risk. It’s still too early to tell the extent to which government will use this law, but it opens the door for dialogue about the restrictions applied to products that, if misused, are believed to cause harm.
Should it be the government’s job to handle the communication of tobacco’s effects, if it feels the industry itself is failing in this job? The public may prefer it if the companies themselves stepped up and saved the Feds the trouble (and the money) of doing so.
The moral obligations of a business are more prevalent now than ever before in the public consciousness. We covered this idea ourselves when we summarized Lynn Sharp Pain’s Value Shift in a previous edition of Soundview Executive Book Summaries. Pain’s argument that customers expect a higher standard of corporate behavior creates an especially vexing problem when one considers the tobacco companies. As of now, tobacco is still a legal product and the ability to smoke is a choice. It’s the public’s problem to conclude whether the companies or the government is the entity to trust when it comes to providing information about the product and its effects.
