On March 26, 2012, for this episode of Bookends Bookclub, Susan Stamm interviewed Michael Dulworth, author of The Connect Effect. Networking is not mere socializing—it is a vital personal and professional development skill. An effective network can make you more knowledgeable, help you address critical issues, accelerate your career, and even improve your health and well-being. As a recent article in MIT’s Sloan Management Review reports, “What really distinguishes high performers from the rest of the pack is their ability to maintain and leverage their networks.” Networking is simply too important to be left to chance. In this book, Michael Dulworth shows how to take a conscious, systematic approach to networking. After a short quiz to measure your “networking quotient” (NQ), The Connect Effect identifies three distinct kinds of networks: personal, professional, and virtual. Dulworth examines their specific characteristics and offers strategies, tools, and resources for building up and making the best use of each one. Stories from Dulworth’s twenty years of experience running networks, as well as interviews with top executives, researchers, and thought leaders, provide insights and advice about how networks function in the real world.

There is personal, corporate and global power which emerges when we turn conflict into collaboration. In his revised and expanded book, Getting to Resolution, Stewart Levine show how this can happen. On Februrary 25, 2010 Susan Stamm interviewed Stewart Levine about the issues found in his book. Current models for resolving conflict don’t really work. They waste incredible amounts of time, money, and energy and take an enormous emotional toll on participants. People remain embittered, relationships are destroyed, and the conflict resurfaces in a different form because the real emotional aspects of the conflict were not addressed. Stewart Levine offers a revolutionary alternative that goes beyond compromise or giving in and provides real resolution for everyone involved. Marriages run amuck, neighbors at odds with one another, business deals gone sour, and the pain and anger caused by corporate structural changes are just a few of the conflicts he addresses. The new edition has been thoroughly revised with new examples: new tools; new material about communication, building trust, and virtual collaboration; and a more global outlook.

In this book, the authors, Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom use examples from many different types of organizations to illustrate Appreciative Inquiry (AI) in action, drawing in particular on a five-year project with Hunter-Douglas Window Fashions, a company which achieved a 15 to 20% improvement in their bottom line and created a new strategic direction and culture using. On February 24, 2010, Susan Stamm interviewed Diana Whitney for Bookends, a service of The TEAM Approach. The Power of Appreciative Inquiry describes a wildly popular new approach to organizational change that dramatically improves performance by encouraging people to study, discuss, learn from, and build on what's working, rather than simply trying to fix what's not.

Courageous followership recognizes that to be effective at almost every level of an organization, individuals need to play both the leader and follower role adeptly. The notion of courageous followership was developed by Ira Chaleff. Susan Stamm interviewed author, Ira Chaleff, on October 29, 2009 for The TEAM Approach. They discussed his book The Courageous Follower. The updated third edition of The Courageous Follower includes a new chapter, “The Courage to Speak to the Hierarchy.” Much of Chaleff’s model is based on followers having access to the leader. But today, followers can be handed questionable policies and orders that come from many levels above them—even from the other side of the world. Chaleff explores how they can respond effectively, particularly using the power now available through advances in communications technology. Everyone is a follower at least some of the time. Chaleff strips away the passive connotations of that role and provides tools to help followers effectively partner with leaders. He provides rich guidance to leaders and boards on fostering a climate that encourages courageous followership. The results include increased support for leaders, reduced cynicism and organizations saved from serious missteps.

In his work, Michael Stollard described how to create an environment that helps people and organizations thrive, even during the challenging seasons. He tells inspiring stories about leaders of business, government, the social sector and the world of sports. In addition, Michael draws on research from psychology, neuroscience, mental and physical health research, political sociology and organizational behavior. Susan interviewed Michael on 29 July 2009 for The TEAM Approach. In this podcast, you not only hears several highlights from the book but some supplementary material and personal insights as well.

Employee engagement is the cornerstone of achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. In Engaging the Hearts and Minds of All Your Employees, leadership expert Lee J. Colan delivers the “how to” for inspiring your team so they deliver unparalleled value to your customers. Susan Stamm intercviewed author Lee Colan on June 17, 2009 for The TEAM Approach. Colan reveals how to meet employees most basic intellectual and emotional needs while assessing your own engagement style. By fully engaging your employees, you’ll nurture a team that gives their all to deliver stellar service.

The most successful organizations of the future will be those that are capable of rapidly and effectively bringing about fundamental, lasting, system-wide changes. On 21 August 2009, Susan Stamm interviewed Robert Jacobs to discuss the evolution of Real Time Strategic Change. Real time strategic change is a way of redesigning how organizations change-a mindset and accompanying methodology-that ensures that: •Change occurs at a fast pace and in real time throughout an organization; •Change occurs simultaneously within the whole organization; •Buy-in, commitment to, and ownership of a change effort is a natural by-product of involving people in the process of change;

•People feel responsible for the ultimate success of the organization's change effort; •Broad, whole-picture views of the organization's reality form the basis of information used to support people in making changes; •Change is viewed as an integral component of people's "real business;" •Substantial changes are made across an entire organization.

Using real world examples, the authors of Closing The Engagement Gap show that consistently better engagement really is possible and can deliver a huge impact to the bottom line. On 19 May 2009, Susan Stamm interviewed Julie Gebauer. Julie was co-author of Closing The Engagement Gap. When people are truly engaged in their work they give more "discretionary effort" and make a huge difference to their company. They ask, "What's in it for us?" instead of "What's in it for me?" Yet an engaged workforce is as rare as it is valuable. Here is a groundbreaking global study, led by Julie Gebauer and Don Lowman of Towers Perrin showing that most people are not engaged and don't contribute as much value as they could. Not because they're inherently lazy or apathetic, but because their companies and managers don't know how to draw out the best from them.

Keith Ayers suggests leaders must bring their workforce to an even higher level than "engagement." Business leaders around the world have tried to demand, request, and even buy engagement—through bonuses, benefits, and share options. Ayers presents a compelling argument that not only will these methods fail, but the goal itself is misguided. Ayers points to the first place for leaders to look when seeking a solution—the mirror. Business leaders need to ask themselves: How can I change my behaviour to get the most from my employees? Ayers lays down this challenge to you and argues that by adjusting your own behavior, and tuning in to the core needs and values of your employees, you can empower each individual in your organization, and unleash their unique skills and talents.

Explore two powerful tools for strengthening employee engagement. On March 24, 2009, Susan interviewed authors of these workbooks: Dick Axelrod and Peter Garber. Dick Axelrod's How to Engage People When You Don't Have Time is an integrated double CD and workbook program which teaches the secrets of instant employee engagement and how to engage others even when there are many demands on you. Peter Garber's 50 Activities for Employee Engagement is a three ring notebook containing six categories of activities from clarifying elements of engagement to exercising specific exercises which can be selected to address specific needs in an organization.