Bookends Podcasts

On January 20, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Edward Betof for Bookends Book Club. In this interview, the participants explored the implications of leaders teaching through words and modeling to enhance the organization’s effectiveness (profitability) and leadership development.

In addition to its compelling story of change, Leaders as Teachers offers a roadmap for other organization wishing to implement and benefit from Becton, Dickinson and Company's (BD) experience. This complete roadmap includes detailed advice on how to introduce the leaders as teachers program and advice on how to overcome resistance to change; how to select, recruit, and train new leaders for the program; and how to evaluate the effectiveness of a fully functioning program. The book provides all the necessary tools, including detailed plans, worksheets, exercises, complete sample training outlines, and extra materials that speed the transition to leaders as teachers and take full advantage of BD’s extensive experience. Dozens of sidebars throughout the book present the participation experiences of BD’s leaders at all levels, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and personal testimonials of those who have benefited from participation in the leaders as teacher program.

Organizational change pioneer Richard Axelrod explains why the old mechanistic approaches to change no longer work and offers four essential new principles that lead to an engaged organization: I. Widen the circle of involvement, II. Connect people to each other and ideas, III. Create communities for action, and IV. Practice democratic principles. On November 23, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Richard for Bookends Bookclub, a service of The TEAM Approach. In this interview, the participants explore the implications of engaging employees and other stake holders to enhance the organization’s effectiveness (profitability). Drawing on numerous examples from such companies as Hewlett-Packard, Mercy Healthcare, First Union Bank, and others, Axelrod explains in his book how the four principles of the Engagement Paradigm enable leaders to create energy and commitment instead of apathy and resistance. He then reveals how this system-wide commitment in turn fosters the energetic, flexible, responsive organizations necessary to thrive in the 21st century. Recognizing the potential for misapplication, he also shows how engagement can disengage, and identifies potential pitfalls to avoid.

Effective Apology challenges you to think about the fundamental value and importance of apology as it delivers detailed advice for making an apology that truly heals and renews. Kador explores the Five Rs of apology: Recognize the wrong and the person harmed; accept moral Responsibility for your actions; express Remorse; provide meaningful Restitution; and offer assurance that the offense will not be Repeated. Making apology work in the real world—when and how to apologize, in what medium, and how to make it stick—is made clear through over seventy examples of good and bad apologies drawn from the news, popular culture, and the experiences of Kador, his clients, and his friends. There’s nothing easy about apology. The news is filled with examples of leaders apologizing, needing to apologize, or failing miserably at the attempt. And certainly we all have occasion to apologize ourselves—maybe more often than we realize. "But we don’t need more apologies," says John Kador, "we need better ones."

Susan's interview of Ms Caprino reveals the key findings from her yearlong national research study – identifying the 12 ‘hidden’ crises of professional women, including chronic health problems, failure to find work-life balance, and painful losses of the ‘real me.’ It also shares 14 deeply personal stories – her own included – and shows how women are overcoming crises of personal and professional identity.

Susan Stamm interviewed Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff regarding this practical guide which details ten key principles that will profoundly change the way you think about, organize, and lead the meetings that matter most. Rather than trying to change anyone's behavior, Weisbord and Janoff show you how to change the conditions under which people interact. By doing less, you help others do more. With examples from around the world, and practical tips and exercises in every chapter, Don't Just Do Something, Stand There! gives you many new techniques for helping people discover common ground, make productive use of dissension, and take responsibility for action.

Listen to David Isaacs being interviewed about THE WORLD CAFE: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter. The World Cafe is a flexible, easy-to-use process for fostering collaborative dialogue, sharing mutual knowledge, and discovering new opportunities for action. Based on living systems thinking, this innovative approach creates dynamic networks of conversation that can catalyze an organization or community's own collective intelligence around its most important questions. Filled with stories of actual Cafe dialogues in business, education, government, and community organizations across the globe, this uniquely crafted book demonstrates how the World Cafe can be adapted to any setting or culture. Examples from such varied organizations as Hewlett-Packard, American Society for Quality, the nation of Singapore, the University of Texas, and many others, demonstrate the process in action. Along with its seven core design principles, The World Cafe offers practical tips for hosting "conversations that matter" in groups of any size- strengthening both personal relationships and people's capacity to shape the future together.

Based on Bruce Rosenstein’s 20 years-plus study of Drucker’s life and thought, this interview will help you construct a complete life plan through exercises, questions, and illustrative anecdotes and quotes. How can we have a rich and fulfilling life? For Peter Drucker, one of the most influential thinkers of modern times, the secret was “living in more than one world”—enjoying a diverse set of interests, activities, acquaintances, and pursuits. Drucker was able to do this despite extraordinary demands on his time, and now Bruce Rosenstein shows how the man who transformed organizational management can transform the way you manage your personal and professional life. By living in more than one world you gain new insights, see your world from fresh perspectives, access ever-changing sources of inspiration and stimulation. Peter Drucker managed a varied professional life as a writer, educator, and consultant, and was deeply immersed in literature, music, and art. But he wasn’t superhuman. This is a life that can be lived by anybody who has the tools and Bruce Rosenstein provides them in this thoughtful and inspiring book.

Noah Blumenthal’s recent book, Be The Hero, became an instant success. In the first week of its release it climbed into the top 20 in all books on Amazon and #1 in numerous categories, including Business, Self-help, Careers, and Success. At times we all feel frustrated, stressed, or out of control. What if you could be at your best when your challenges are on the rise? Well, you can. Be the Hero introduces us to the way of the “Everyday Hero” and shows how to turn self-defeating thoughts and behavior into heroic actions. The trick is in the stories we tell ourselves. All day long, without even realizing it, we tell ourselves dozens of stories—about other people, our situations, and ourselves—stories that shape our emotions and behavior. These stories are so powerful, they make us think and act like either a hero or a victim. Be the Hero shows you how to choose the stories that lead to personal and professional success. In the tradition of the best storytellers, Noah Blumenthal weaves a tale that is both captivating and profound. Be the Hero is destined to become a classic.

A critically acclaimed business book, Authentic Conversations challenges conventional wisdom on key business and workplace practices and presents concrete ways to Coverconsciously make ordinary conversations the primary driver of workplace change. Susan Stamm interviewed the authors, Jamie and Maren Showkeir on September 23, 2009. Authentic Conversations goes to the heart of why so many people today are disengaged, uninspired, and uncommitted to their organization’s success. It challenges the conventional wisdom about managing people and sets out specific, concrete ways to consciously make conversations the primary driver for change.

Elizabeth Doty speaks with Susan Stamm about how healthy compromise is necessary for accomplishing any meaningful goal with other people. But when your job presses you to betray your word, your principles, or other important commitments, it becomes profoundly unhealthy and deeply stressful. And it can happen even while working for an organization or leader you otherwise respect and admire. Elizabeth Doty offers a new approach: redefining the game. When you feel pressured to play by rules that undermine your integrity, Doty shows how you can tap into six personal foundations that will allow you to stay true to your deepest values and aspirations. Through more than fifty vivid firsthand accounts of compromise and courage in business, she provides guidance for anyone at any organizational level who wants to act with greater clarity, strength, and purpose, as well as for senior leaders striving to lead organizations that allow people to remain true to themselves.The Compromise Trap details a strategy that enables you to act as a positive force—for yourself and whatever you define as the greater good—no matter how difficult the circumstances.