August-September 2022
Geoffrey Roberts, Stalin's Library: A Dictator and His Books
Richard Bowes, Some Might Say: The Definitive Story of Oasis
Michel Houellebecq, The Map and the Territory
December 2021-July 2022
Laurie Woolever, Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography
Dan Pedersen, Top Gun: An American Story
Joel Block, Stop Hustling Gigs and Start Building a Business
Wayne Booth, The Craft of Research
Michael Port and Andrew Davis, The Referable Speaker: Your Guide to Building a Sustainable Speaking Career
Ryan Frederick, Right Place Right Time: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Home for the Second Half of Life
Kirsten Grind and Katherine Sayre, Happy at any Cost: The Revolutionary Vision and Fatal Quest of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh
Chip Heath and Karla Starr, Making Numbers Count: The Art and Science of Communicating Numbers
Aaron James, Assholes: A Theory
Suzannah Lipscomb and Helen Carr, What is History, Now?
John Walton, Storied Land: Community and Memory in Monterey
September-December 2021
Here's a list of history books I read during this period, as I returned enthusiastically to the subject I studied as an undergraduate and graduate student:
Konrad H. Jarausch, Broken Lives: How Ordinary Germans Experienced the 20th Century
Edward Hallett Carr, What is History?
Michael Howard, War in European History
Mary Beard, SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
July-August 2021
Here's what I read during this period.
Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do
Jeffrey Pfeffer, Power: Why Some People Have It-And Other Don't
Patrick Sweeney, Michael Matthews, and Paul Lester (editors). Leadership in Dangerous Situations
Finally, I've been thinking a lot about my processes for gathering, saving, and using information related to my different interests-as a follow up to my completion of Harold Jarche's Personal Knowledge Mastery (PKM) course earlier this year. The following book has come up a lot in my related research of late, and I recently completed a first read (with a second read to follow)
Sonke Ahrens, How to Take Smart Notes
March-June 2021
I'm using my time away from the "Communication for Leaders" course I teach at the Naval Postgraduate School to review resources other than those I have included in the class to date. These are as follows:
Brian Warner, HBR Guide to Better Business Writing. It's a quick read and offers a good overview of writing fundamentals.
March-October 2020
I've completed reading (and in the last instance, re-reading) these books:
November 2020-February 2019
I've read the following books during this period, and will work them into blog posts and other content I share here in the future.
February-May 2019
I read the following books.
October 2020-February 2021
I read four books about 20th century European history, as follows:
David Kertzer, The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe
Timothy Snyder, The Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning
Bernard Wasserstein, On the Eve: The Jews of Europe Before the Second World War
March-October 2020
I've completed reading (and in the last instance, re-reading) these books:
- J.M. Roberts, A History of Europe
- Brian Sharp, How Brands Grow
- Rory Sutherland, Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life
- Alter, C. H. (2012). The Credibility Code: How to Project Competence and Confidence When It Matters the Most.
- Tim Ferriss, Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers
November 2020-February 2019
I've read the following books during this period, and will work them into blog posts and other content I share here in the future.
- Anthony DeMello, Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality
- Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility
- Rich Karlgaard, Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement
- Jim Mattis and Bing West, Call Sign Chaos
- Admiral William H. McCraven, Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations
- Ryan Wadle, Selling Seapower
- Josh Waitzkin, The Art of Learning
- Scott Young, Ultralearning
February-May 2019
I read the following books.
The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569-1999 (Part 1 Only). I'm heading to Lithuania this weekend, and found this book invaluable for understanding the origins of the modern state, not to mention some of the longstanding geopolitical issues involved.
Think: Tools to Build Your Mind provides a relatively concise look at different ways to improve one's thinking and decision making processes. Perhaps more importantly, it's a great guide for me as I work to incorporate critical thinking strategies into my "Communication for Leaders" class at the Naval Postgraduate School.
If you want to understand contemporary advertising and marketing, read The Conquest of Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip Consumerism. I found it an engaging, fascinating look at the origins of evolution of advertising through the lens of broader developments in the U.S. during the period from 1950-1970.
Marie Kondo's much-celebrated The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up offers a perspective on how we deal with the material components of our life that I've yet to encounter in any of my other reading. She gave me the permission to think differently about "my stuff," and to consider whether or not specific items serve me in practical and even more substantive ways.
The autobiography of Ofield Dukes, a leading African American public relations professional, highlights his personal achievements and participation in many of the leading developments in the U.S. civil rights movement. As such, it's a wonderful read and worthwhile to students of American history--and public relations practitioners as well.
December 27, 2018
Helio Fred Garcia's The Agony of Decision: Mental Readiness and Leadership in a Crisis provides an important perspective to leaders grappling with the complexities of responding to a crisis. Garcia explores the actual decision making process in such contexts, unpacking the concept of "mental readiness" to unveil a suite of skills and attributes the effective crisis leader need cultivate to manage even the most difficult situations. Drawing on his experience and a range of case studies, he melds theory and practice to deliver a valuable contribution to our understanding of crisis leadership.
November 21, 2018
Here are my thoughts on books I read during the last month.
The History Manifesto makes a compelling argument for the application of history to address ongoing challenges. In the process, the book describes trends in the study of and scholarship on history--a broad focus resulting in work looking at bigger issues considered over longer time frames, and a more narrow focus ("microhistory") with decidedly shorter time frames. The authors argue we need both, but it's really the former that offers perspective and insight that other practitioners (e.g., economists) cannot.
In Courageous Communication, Maryanne Dersch exhorts nonprofit organizations to "get off the attention treadmill" while jettisoning their preoccupation with trying to be all things to all people. Instead, their leaders should strive for authentic communication focused on connecting with true "advocates" and "allies" who support their organizations over the long term. I cannot find any fault with Dersch's argument, as it echoes my experience (less extensive than hers) in working with nonprofit organizations. I was confused by the mention of "codependence" in the title--particularly seeing how her subsequent use of the term throughout the book at best seemed incomplete based on what I've read about and experienced with codependency. That said, I imagine that nonprofit organizations seeking guidance in the marketing and communications arenas would benefit from reading this book.
October 15, 2018
I've finished reading Pogrom: Kishinev and the Tilt of History. I noted earlier this year (July 13, 2018) that very personal interests attracted me to this book. Yet it's an excellent case study of how individuals with noble and not-so-noble goals can create stories around events to suit their individual goals.
October 2, 2018
Motivated by a negative experience at a meeting of a group I frequently attend, I revisited the subject of parliamentary procedure. I had invested time in studying its inner works in the 1980s and 1990s, but very little since then.
I've decided to apply for membership in the National Association of Parliamentarians. To that end, I need to pass a qualifying exam based on material covered in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief. I've finished one pass through this work, and plan to review it again in preparation for the exam on October 29 (which I passed).
September 21, 2018
Nature follows its own rules and norms. Mankind’s activities shape them, for the worse. We experience the visible impacts of climate change every day. In the wake of such changes, more leaders recognize they can no longer fight nature if they hope to build healthy, vibrant organizations. Instead, they best mimic how it works if they are to succeed in the long term.
Leading from the Roots: Nature Inspired Leadership Lessons for Today’s World helps leaders tackle this challenge. If you're jettisoning outdated ways of doing and being in organizations, it's worthwhile. If you're looking for ways to use natural processes as models, it's also invaluable.
The author, Dr. Kathleen Allen, draws on extensive consulting experience. That track record does not merely add to the credibility of her recommendations. It also results in an engaging, practical, and readable work.
Allen inspires us with her picture of the new, generous organization. She elevates the discourse around transparency, interdependence, diversity, resiliency, and authenticity. She imbues them with the gravitas they merit as linchpins of truly forward thinking 21st century organizations.
Allen has divided the book into eleven chapters. The first nine outline specific characteristics of the natural world. These serve as starting points for key shifts in organization and leadership. I cannot imagine a clearer, more accessible way to present such material. Science written for non-scientists devolves into technical detail. Such minutiae often lay beyond the understanding of many readers. Allen deftly avoids this fate.
I also applaud Allen’s decision to conclude each chapter with questions. They're designed to help leaders and their teams to think about what they’ve just read. I assume she’s used these same questions in her work with clients. That said, I was unclear how a reader might move from the questions to actual implementation of ideas that come up during related discussions. Perhaps a companion workbook (or Allen’s next book) could establish a broader platform to help readers act on the fruits of their discussions.
Allen sprinkles references to relevant literature covering leadership, organizational behavior, and organizational design. She provides a comprehensive list of these references as a bibliography. This section is a boon to practitioners as well as academics, as the latter could assign the book to MBA or doctoral students with full confidence in its relevance to scholarly literature.
Allen might have mentioned The Biomimicry Institute in her bibliography. It’s an excellent source of information on principles she addresses. I also would have found an index helpful. At times I wanted to refer back to concepts when they were first introduced, rather than when I encountered them later in the work.
These are minor quibbles, however. In short, I wholeheartedly recommend Leading from the Roots: Nature Inspired Leadership Lessons for Today’s World. It’s valuable to leaders recognizing that the “same old, same old” no longer works. It's valuable to leaders attempting to rethink why and how they operate. Finally, it's indispensable to leaders inspired by the norms of nature to do something different and better for themselves, their people, and their organizations.
September 4, 2018
I recently finished reading three books.
First, I reread Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life. I couldn't help but feel inspired and moved as I soaked in its plea to teachers to connect with themselves so that can, in turn, serve students better in the classroom. I consider the book a must for any teacher, regardless of whether they work in K-12 or higher education.
Second, I completed The New Retirementality by Mitch Anthony. It's a plea to rethink how we think about retirement, in advance of actually launching into that phase of our lives. While Anthony's a financial planner, the book ranges far beyond that area to consider the myriad issues and opportunities each of us will face in due time.
Finally, I perused Aruna Apte's Humanitarian Logistics. This work, undertaken by my colleague at the Naval Postgraduate School, initiated scholarly exploration of the subject that first emerged in conjunction with responses to natural disasters in the first decade of the 21st century. Defined as "the special branch of logistics which manages response supply chain of critical supplies and services" (p. ix), it maps out research opportunities that in turn can help practitioners to improve their efforts in the field.
August 5, 2018
I recently read French Lessons: A Memoir, by Alice Kaplan. She discusses her embrace of the French language and culture, which provided a new identity to fill a void in the culture in which she was raised. The descriptions of intersections between her Jewish upbringing, family life, and academic career particularly resonated with me.
I also read "Pedagogy of the Distressed," an often-cited article that outlines one college instructor's personal evolution as a teacher. She began by focusing on "showing students how smart, knowledgeable, and prepared she was (p. 654)" In time, she focused more narrowly on the needs students, as she came to see each one "as a live volcano. . .a walking field of energy teeming with agendas (p. 659)" It's an instructional and inspirational read for anyone who teaches at the university level.
July 25, 2018
I recently finished reading Meet and Grow Rich, which aims to be a primer on how to establish a successful MasterMind group. There's good material in the first part of the book, especially how it differentiates between different kinds of groups. Attracting members committed to your specific purpose is vital for success, the authors argue. I'm hopeful that the upcoming new edition of the work delves more into how technological developments since the first edition (published in 2006) have helped to strengthen MasterMind groups.
July 13, 2018
I recently finished reading Amanda Palmer's The Art of Asking. It's a wonderful, inspiring read about an artist (primarily a musician) who's unapologetically living a public, authentic life and using social media in support of that. She truly wants to connect with fans and others in meaningful, substantive ways. Her experiences in doing so haven't always been positive, as she's dealt with her fair share of abuse online. Nonetheless, she models how to meld the personal and professional in ways that can't fail to inspire people like me who I continue to grapple with such challenges.
I've started to read Pogrom: Kishinev and the Tilt of History. It's a deep dive into a single event in the early 20th century that has had a significant impact to this day on Jewish history. My interest in the book was piqued for two reasons. First, my master's thesis explored French Catholic antisemitism in the late 19th century in response to the outbreak of pogroms in Russia in the 1880s. Second, I've been delving into my family's roots in Russia. I'll share more when I complete the book.
June 18, 2018
I've finished reading Doug Levy's new book for public information officers (PIOs), The Communications Golden Hour. Check out my review here.
Check out my notes on Time for Success: A Goal-Getters Strategy.
June 6, 2018
Check out my notes on The Power of Intention.
May 20, 2018
I finished Irving Yalom's Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death. It's a deceptively easy read but communicates powerful points about dealing with our mortality from a secular perspective. It helped me enormously to make further sense of my father's death in 2015 (and the loss of my job that followed shortly after it).
May 15, 2018
See my notes on Alex Osborn's Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem Solving.
May 11, 2018
See my notes on George Leonard's classic work, Mastery.
May 10, 2018
See my notes on The Power of Focus.
May 9, 2018
See my notes on Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, which I first read many years ago and recently revisited.
April 6, 2018
I've reviewed possible core texts for a course I'm teaching on communications campaigns this summer at University of San Francisco, where I am a faculty member. To learn more about the course, go here.
The first, Strategic Public Relations Management, offers a comprehensive look at what's involved in creating an effective campaign with an emphasis on research options and methodologies. Anyone without a grounding in that area (or who simply wants to brush up on skills) would find it invaluable for that reason alone.
Developing the Public Relations Campaign offers a different approach to the same topic. What it sacrifices in depth of treatment of any one aspect of a campaign it more than makes up for in terms of the breadth of its coverage. I'm confident that my students would be able to develop a campaign after reading this book. That's why it will be required reading in my course.
March 16, 2018
Trying to figure out what's happening politically, culturally, and socially in Europe--and how to use that insight to better understand U.S. developments? Then you'll want to read Rethinking the Twentieth Century, a work by the late Tony Judt (in partnership with Timothy Snyder). As a dialogue between two eminent historians, it's an engaging and thought-provoking look at some of the broader issues at play today. For an even deeper dive, I'm now looking at another one of Judt's highly regarding works, Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945. More will follow once I complete the book.
February 5, 2018
Last updated September 30, 2022
Think: Tools to Build Your Mind provides a relatively concise look at different ways to improve one's thinking and decision making processes. Perhaps more importantly, it's a great guide for me as I work to incorporate critical thinking strategies into my "Communication for Leaders" class at the Naval Postgraduate School.
If you want to understand contemporary advertising and marketing, read The Conquest of Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip Consumerism. I found it an engaging, fascinating look at the origins of evolution of advertising through the lens of broader developments in the U.S. during the period from 1950-1970.
Marie Kondo's much-celebrated The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up offers a perspective on how we deal with the material components of our life that I've yet to encounter in any of my other reading. She gave me the permission to think differently about "my stuff," and to consider whether or not specific items serve me in practical and even more substantive ways.
The autobiography of Ofield Dukes, a leading African American public relations professional, highlights his personal achievements and participation in many of the leading developments in the U.S. civil rights movement. As such, it's a wonderful read and worthwhile to students of American history--and public relations practitioners as well.
December 27, 2018
Helio Fred Garcia's The Agony of Decision: Mental Readiness and Leadership in a Crisis provides an important perspective to leaders grappling with the complexities of responding to a crisis. Garcia explores the actual decision making process in such contexts, unpacking the concept of "mental readiness" to unveil a suite of skills and attributes the effective crisis leader need cultivate to manage even the most difficult situations. Drawing on his experience and a range of case studies, he melds theory and practice to deliver a valuable contribution to our understanding of crisis leadership.
November 21, 2018
Here are my thoughts on books I read during the last month.
The History Manifesto makes a compelling argument for the application of history to address ongoing challenges. In the process, the book describes trends in the study of and scholarship on history--a broad focus resulting in work looking at bigger issues considered over longer time frames, and a more narrow focus ("microhistory") with decidedly shorter time frames. The authors argue we need both, but it's really the former that offers perspective and insight that other practitioners (e.g., economists) cannot.
In Courageous Communication, Maryanne Dersch exhorts nonprofit organizations to "get off the attention treadmill" while jettisoning their preoccupation with trying to be all things to all people. Instead, their leaders should strive for authentic communication focused on connecting with true "advocates" and "allies" who support their organizations over the long term. I cannot find any fault with Dersch's argument, as it echoes my experience (less extensive than hers) in working with nonprofit organizations. I was confused by the mention of "codependence" in the title--particularly seeing how her subsequent use of the term throughout the book at best seemed incomplete based on what I've read about and experienced with codependency. That said, I imagine that nonprofit organizations seeking guidance in the marketing and communications arenas would benefit from reading this book.
October 15, 2018
I've finished reading Pogrom: Kishinev and the Tilt of History. I noted earlier this year (July 13, 2018) that very personal interests attracted me to this book. Yet it's an excellent case study of how individuals with noble and not-so-noble goals can create stories around events to suit their individual goals.
October 2, 2018
Motivated by a negative experience at a meeting of a group I frequently attend, I revisited the subject of parliamentary procedure. I had invested time in studying its inner works in the 1980s and 1990s, but very little since then.
I've decided to apply for membership in the National Association of Parliamentarians. To that end, I need to pass a qualifying exam based on material covered in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief. I've finished one pass through this work, and plan to review it again in preparation for the exam on October 29 (which I passed).
September 21, 2018
Nature follows its own rules and norms. Mankind’s activities shape them, for the worse. We experience the visible impacts of climate change every day. In the wake of such changes, more leaders recognize they can no longer fight nature if they hope to build healthy, vibrant organizations. Instead, they best mimic how it works if they are to succeed in the long term.
Leading from the Roots: Nature Inspired Leadership Lessons for Today’s World helps leaders tackle this challenge. If you're jettisoning outdated ways of doing and being in organizations, it's worthwhile. If you're looking for ways to use natural processes as models, it's also invaluable.
The author, Dr. Kathleen Allen, draws on extensive consulting experience. That track record does not merely add to the credibility of her recommendations. It also results in an engaging, practical, and readable work.
Allen inspires us with her picture of the new, generous organization. She elevates the discourse around transparency, interdependence, diversity, resiliency, and authenticity. She imbues them with the gravitas they merit as linchpins of truly forward thinking 21st century organizations.
Allen has divided the book into eleven chapters. The first nine outline specific characteristics of the natural world. These serve as starting points for key shifts in organization and leadership. I cannot imagine a clearer, more accessible way to present such material. Science written for non-scientists devolves into technical detail. Such minutiae often lay beyond the understanding of many readers. Allen deftly avoids this fate.
I also applaud Allen’s decision to conclude each chapter with questions. They're designed to help leaders and their teams to think about what they’ve just read. I assume she’s used these same questions in her work with clients. That said, I was unclear how a reader might move from the questions to actual implementation of ideas that come up during related discussions. Perhaps a companion workbook (or Allen’s next book) could establish a broader platform to help readers act on the fruits of their discussions.
Allen sprinkles references to relevant literature covering leadership, organizational behavior, and organizational design. She provides a comprehensive list of these references as a bibliography. This section is a boon to practitioners as well as academics, as the latter could assign the book to MBA or doctoral students with full confidence in its relevance to scholarly literature.
Allen might have mentioned The Biomimicry Institute in her bibliography. It’s an excellent source of information on principles she addresses. I also would have found an index helpful. At times I wanted to refer back to concepts when they were first introduced, rather than when I encountered them later in the work.
These are minor quibbles, however. In short, I wholeheartedly recommend Leading from the Roots: Nature Inspired Leadership Lessons for Today’s World. It’s valuable to leaders recognizing that the “same old, same old” no longer works. It's valuable to leaders attempting to rethink why and how they operate. Finally, it's indispensable to leaders inspired by the norms of nature to do something different and better for themselves, their people, and their organizations.
September 4, 2018
I recently finished reading three books.
First, I reread Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life. I couldn't help but feel inspired and moved as I soaked in its plea to teachers to connect with themselves so that can, in turn, serve students better in the classroom. I consider the book a must for any teacher, regardless of whether they work in K-12 or higher education.
Second, I completed The New Retirementality by Mitch Anthony. It's a plea to rethink how we think about retirement, in advance of actually launching into that phase of our lives. While Anthony's a financial planner, the book ranges far beyond that area to consider the myriad issues and opportunities each of us will face in due time.
Finally, I perused Aruna Apte's Humanitarian Logistics. This work, undertaken by my colleague at the Naval Postgraduate School, initiated scholarly exploration of the subject that first emerged in conjunction with responses to natural disasters in the first decade of the 21st century. Defined as "the special branch of logistics which manages response supply chain of critical supplies and services" (p. ix), it maps out research opportunities that in turn can help practitioners to improve their efforts in the field.
August 5, 2018
I recently read French Lessons: A Memoir, by Alice Kaplan. She discusses her embrace of the French language and culture, which provided a new identity to fill a void in the culture in which she was raised. The descriptions of intersections between her Jewish upbringing, family life, and academic career particularly resonated with me.
I also read "Pedagogy of the Distressed," an often-cited article that outlines one college instructor's personal evolution as a teacher. She began by focusing on "showing students how smart, knowledgeable, and prepared she was (p. 654)" In time, she focused more narrowly on the needs students, as she came to see each one "as a live volcano. . .a walking field of energy teeming with agendas (p. 659)" It's an instructional and inspirational read for anyone who teaches at the university level.
July 25, 2018
I recently finished reading Meet and Grow Rich, which aims to be a primer on how to establish a successful MasterMind group. There's good material in the first part of the book, especially how it differentiates between different kinds of groups. Attracting members committed to your specific purpose is vital for success, the authors argue. I'm hopeful that the upcoming new edition of the work delves more into how technological developments since the first edition (published in 2006) have helped to strengthen MasterMind groups.
July 13, 2018
I recently finished reading Amanda Palmer's The Art of Asking. It's a wonderful, inspiring read about an artist (primarily a musician) who's unapologetically living a public, authentic life and using social media in support of that. She truly wants to connect with fans and others in meaningful, substantive ways. Her experiences in doing so haven't always been positive, as she's dealt with her fair share of abuse online. Nonetheless, she models how to meld the personal and professional in ways that can't fail to inspire people like me who I continue to grapple with such challenges.
I've started to read Pogrom: Kishinev and the Tilt of History. It's a deep dive into a single event in the early 20th century that has had a significant impact to this day on Jewish history. My interest in the book was piqued for two reasons. First, my master's thesis explored French Catholic antisemitism in the late 19th century in response to the outbreak of pogroms in Russia in the 1880s. Second, I've been delving into my family's roots in Russia. I'll share more when I complete the book.
June 18, 2018
I've finished reading Doug Levy's new book for public information officers (PIOs), The Communications Golden Hour. Check out my review here.
Check out my notes on Time for Success: A Goal-Getters Strategy.
June 6, 2018
Check out my notes on The Power of Intention.
May 20, 2018
I finished Irving Yalom's Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death. It's a deceptively easy read but communicates powerful points about dealing with our mortality from a secular perspective. It helped me enormously to make further sense of my father's death in 2015 (and the loss of my job that followed shortly after it).
May 15, 2018
See my notes on Alex Osborn's Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem Solving.
May 11, 2018
See my notes on George Leonard's classic work, Mastery.
May 10, 2018
See my notes on The Power of Focus.
May 9, 2018
See my notes on Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, which I first read many years ago and recently revisited.
April 6, 2018
I've reviewed possible core texts for a course I'm teaching on communications campaigns this summer at University of San Francisco, where I am a faculty member. To learn more about the course, go here.
The first, Strategic Public Relations Management, offers a comprehensive look at what's involved in creating an effective campaign with an emphasis on research options and methodologies. Anyone without a grounding in that area (or who simply wants to brush up on skills) would find it invaluable for that reason alone.
Developing the Public Relations Campaign offers a different approach to the same topic. What it sacrifices in depth of treatment of any one aspect of a campaign it more than makes up for in terms of the breadth of its coverage. I'm confident that my students would be able to develop a campaign after reading this book. That's why it will be required reading in my course.
March 16, 2018
Trying to figure out what's happening politically, culturally, and socially in Europe--and how to use that insight to better understand U.S. developments? Then you'll want to read Rethinking the Twentieth Century, a work by the late Tony Judt (in partnership with Timothy Snyder). As a dialogue between two eminent historians, it's an engaging and thought-provoking look at some of the broader issues at play today. For an even deeper dive, I'm now looking at another one of Judt's highly regarding works, Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945. More will follow once I complete the book.
February 5, 2018
Charging
an hourly fee for professional services limits income. You only have so much
available time. Instead, sell the value you deliver or impact you have to reap
greater profits.
That’s the premise of Breaking the
Time Barrier. This
short ebook outlines the main tenets of this value-based sales approach. This story
of two fictional graphic designers explores fundamental marketing challenges.
These zero in on difficulties posed by selling one’s services based on price
alone. One graphic designer offers an alternative. She highlights benefits to
vendors and clients alike that a focus on value provides. That is, exploring
value
1. Creates trust. You show interest in
understanding a client’s problems. You craft a solution tailored to meet their
specific needs.
2. Fosters alignment. You probe for major
client problems and goals. This clarity fuels mutual understanding of desired outcomes.
3. Helps your client to better evaluate
vendors. When service providers focus on value they deliver, they showcase
their abilities. In turn, they differentiate themselves from vendors who
compete based on price alone.
4. Frames your solution as an investment, not
an expense. When
you highlight the value or impact of your service, the client sees it as an investment.
In contrast, a price-based
focus becomes an expense in the client’s eyes.
5. Inspires action. A focus on results
generates energy and enthusiasm. In turn, the client wants to act.
6. Allows your client to make an informed
business decision. The value-based vendor offers options with distinct
prices. Clients choose among them. They’re clear about the trade-offs involved.
7. Establishes a trust partnership. Once
the client’s investment manifests in real value or impact, the vendor becomes a
trusted partner. The relationship flourishes. Other opportunities develop.
In
short, vendors selling value come up with ways to serve their clients. In the
process, they redefine their work. They explore ways to differentiate
themselves and their services.
This
transition from a price-based to values-based approach is not an easy one. It begins
with a transformation in how you as a vendor see yourself. You aim to build
mutually beneficial relationships rather than manage one-off engagements. It’s
more demanding and, the authors of Breaking the Time Barrier conclude,
much more rewarding for all parties.
Breaking the Time Barrier doesn’t break new ground, as works like Alan Weiss’ Value-Based Fees offer more in-depth treatment of similar issues. Nonetheless, by offering a compelling case for values-based sales via a parable, it offers an invaluable addition to the literature that’s no doubt contributing to its positive word of mouth online.
January 20, 2018
Breaking the Time Barrier doesn’t break new ground, as works like Alan Weiss’ Value-Based Fees offer more in-depth treatment of similar issues. Nonetheless, by offering a compelling case for values-based sales via a parable, it offers an invaluable addition to the literature that’s no doubt contributing to its positive word of mouth online.
January 20, 2018
I'll start with a new book, Impromptu: Leading in the Moment. As a professor of management communication and leadership/communications coach and consultant, I immediately sought out this book based on its title. By highlighting the prevalence of impromptu speaking opportunities, the author (Judith Humphrey) has identified a critical change and with it has mapped out concomitant skills and aptitudes individuals must master to thrive. The book overall offers a quick read with short chapters designed to serve as an ongoing reference. Humphrey covers a lot of ground here and that's a strength.
That said, some chapters covered territory (e.g., the scripting template on pg. 98, how to handle questions and answers) that undoubtedly will be familiar to experienced communicators, Toastmasters, and others who've spent time looking at other books in the field. I wish Humphrey had mentioned some of these books (I'm thinking specifically of Roger Ailes' You are the Message and Thomas Montalbo's The Power of Eloquence) which would benefit the reader seeking additional insight. Her argument overall is sound, although the dichotomy between prepared and impromptu speeches is often fuzzier than the reader might conclude. To that point, many of her main points could just as well apply to occasions when formal presentations are required.
These latter points aside, Humphrey has delivered a worthwhile book bound to be helpful to professionals seeking further insight into the complexities of communicating in our times.
Go here to view a list of books in my library.
Last updated September 30, 2022
No comments:
Post a Comment