What We're Reading

Great Goal Setting Books:

• Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide by Caroline Adams Miller

• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

Recommended Readings:

Summary: If you are struggling with all of the different generations in the workplace today, you are not alone! I picked this particular book up because one of the authors - Ron Zemke - is a proven training guru. First, you will find sections on each generation that include: timelines to help understand major events, heros, cultural aspects, core values, on the job, messages that motivate & key principles at the end of each section that are quite helpful. The middle section of the book is filled with case studies that help the reader see generational collisions in action. Part 3 is called "Advice-O-Plenty" which has great FAQs, future predictions, and an 'inventory' section you can use to asses your company on diversity.

Who Should Read this Book: Leaders that are finding it hard to lead a workforce that consists of multiple generations.

What We Like & DON'T Like About it: I have yet to find an entire book I love that deals with this topic, but this one does give quite a bit of backgroud to help you understand each generation. They also have some interesting case studies that are typical of many workplaces today.

Key Points: There are four distinct generations in our workplace. We need to become more versed in their forming, their languages, motivations, ethics, ways of thinking if we are going to be successful. We CAN be successful if we understand each generation.

Favorite Websites:

Business Weekhttp://www.businessweek.com/

Entrepreneurhttp://www.entrepreneur.com/

HR.comhttp://www.hr.com/

Fast Companyhttp://www.fastcompany.com/homepage

Great Articles:

Performance Management Gives a Shakey Performance (T&D September 2007)

Take it Outside - Outsourcing (Entrepreneur Magazine July 2007)

Dispatches from the War on Stress (BusinessWeek August 6, 2007)

The End of Work as We Know It (BusinessWeek August 20 2007)

Books:

Summary: Author Christine Comaford-Lynch brings us a wildly frank look at 10 life lessons she recommends for personal/business success. If you are looking for a personal cevelopment book with how-to's that are low risk, this is not the book for you! With personal life stories that include: dating Bill Gates and getting dumped, posing as a man "Chris" on a resume to get a job, starting a company with absolutely no plan, etc., Comaford-Lynch is the epitome of a renegade. She has experiences to draw from that most of us could not ever imagine: being in a cult and getting out, "breaking free" from former President Bill Clinton's famous long-lasting hand shake and going through the training to be a Geisha - until she found out that being a geisha is quite what she thought it was.

Who Should Read this Book: People that need an adrenaline rush that are not afraid of risk.

What We Like & DON'T Like About it:

• The personal stories do not really support the rules. I'm not sure what dating Bill Gates has to do with - anything.
• The author does not clearly spell out how to incorporate the rule into one's life. You are left feeling inadequate if you cannot figure out how to BE the rule.
• LOVE the Summary and Cool Free Resources sections.
• Most of the Rules are solid. Rules we buy into: #2 An MBA is Optional, a GSD (Get Stuff Done) is Essential, #3 Problem + Pain = Profit and #6 Learn to Love Networking.
• I love her candor. She admits getting dumped by Bill Gates, failing at a lot of things and not always being the expert. Very refreshing.

Key Points:

• Success is all about taking risks.
• It is not just who you know, it is who knows YOU.
• You better look at the upside of a situation or someone else will.
• Change the present or the future will look a whole lot like the past.
• Know yourself, trust yourself, be yourself.

Archive:

First Break all the Rules

Contented Cows

Good to Great