Fire Your Sales Team Today by Mike Lieberman & Eric Keiles - Book review

Fire Your Sales Team Today

Then Rehire Them As Sales Guides In Your New Revenue Department

By: Mike Lieberman, Eric Keiles

Published: June 1, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
ISBN-10: 1608323625
ISBN-13: 978-1608323623
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press












"Buyers have access to more information from more sources than ever before. They ask questions, get answers, read reviews, make comparisons, and start conversations with people they've never met - all on the web, all on their own terms, and all on their own time schedule", write Co-founder and President of Square 2 Marketing, Mike Lieberman; and Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Square 2 Marketing, Eric Keiles, in their organizational changing and idea packed book Fire Your Sales Team Today: Then Rehire Them As Sales Guides In Your New Revenue Department. The authors describe how the power of the buying equation has shifted from the seller to the buyer, that the old sales and marketing techniques no longer work, and recommend a fresh approach to sales and marketing to remain competitive.



Mike Lieberman (photo left) and Eric Keiles recognize that a complete sea change has taken place in the buying process. That dramatic shift is one where the seller is no longer in control of the transaction, and as a result, the traditional techniques of cold calling, telemarketing, and the hard sell are no longer effective. The authors go even farther and suggest that the old divide between marketing and sales is so counterproductive, that the two should now be forged into a single revenue department. In this new way of thinking and acting, the revenue department consultant acts as a customer focused guide. The customer centered guide answers questions, finds the real problem, and helps the buyer find a suitable solution.



Eric Keiles (photo left) and Mike Lieberman understand the need to facilitate a fresh perspective on sales and marketing, as a direct response to the dramatic shifts in the buying landscape. The authors point out the power and permanent importance of the internet in the transfer of power from seller to buyer. Today's customer simply does not want to be sold to, and will not react favorably to the old techniques. Instead, customers demand information, answers, and guidance toward real solutions.

To develop a fresh approach that really puts the customer at the center of the communication, the authors provide a three part approach. The three elements of this new way of thinking are as follows:

* Buyer behavior has changed through the internet
* Utilize the guided sales process
* Replace sales and marketing with the revenue department

For me, the power of the book is how Mike Lieberman and Eric Keiles combine a clear understanding of the fundamental change in the buying landscape, with effective and proven strategies for guiding customers to the right solution for their real problem. The authors address effectively the quandary where marketers and sales representative now find themselves. Faced with empowered buyers, but equipped with tools no longer effective for the task, the time for a fresh approach is now.

That new perspective is provided in the form of the three principles of a revamped revenue department, the guided sales process, and an understanding of the changing needs of buyers. The authors demonstrate how to align the new revenue department with the overall organizational goals, and share the techniques for successful implementation of the overhauled sales and marketing force.

I highly recommend the insightful and fresh thinking based book Fire Your Sales Team Today: Then Rehire Them As Sales Guides In Your New Revenue Department by Mike Lieberman and Eric Keiles, to any business leaders, executives, sales managers, and entrepreneurs seeking a clear and concise blueprint for navigating the new buyer focused landscape. This book will transform your current approach to sales and marketing from the obsolete model, to one that is both more effective and more profitable.

Tags: Fire Your Sales Team Today: Then Rehire Them As Sales Guides In Your New Revenue Department, Mike Lieberman, Eric Keiles, sales and marketing management, business book reviews

Senior Sensory Systems Function: Zero Defects

It is not unusual that as your dog ages, their senses might decline. Particularly their sight and/or hearing can deteriorate with age.

Jasmine is no doubt a senior dog. How are her senses holding up?

She could hear a pin drop on a subway.

Well, OK, I never tested that, nor I believe she'd care to listen for it. Here is what I do know, though.

While on the main floor, she can hear the difference between my putting on regular pants versus walking pants (jeans) upstairs.

By the sounds, she can tell the difference of a bathroom being prepped for hubby's or my shower, versus hers.

Every morning, she'd be listening to the sounds of hubby getting ready either for work, or for a trip to the farm. Certain sounds mean, “go back to sleep, no party today”, and certain sounds mean “party time!”

Even when it doesn't look like she is paying attention to the sounds, she is. You cannot tell as long as the sounds proceed in their proper order. However, change one sound, or change their order, and watch the perked-up ears and head tilt.

She can see like a hawk.

I really noticed that the other day. Out on the walk, I was breaking up a piece of jerky for her, and a tiny morsel broke off and fell to the ground. Believe me, it was tiny. I didn't really see it, I just noticed the movement. Jasmine saw it drop too! I saw her following it's path and then she reached for it at the exactly right spot.

That thing couldn't have been much bigger than a pin head.

And then she actually found it in the gravel.

And, of course, during a long boring ride, when desperate for something to bark at, she can see a Chihuahua from a mile away ...

Could she smell a sugar cube in a pool?

Probably, if she cared. She can certainly smell it when I try to sneak by her with a piece of cheese.

When during a walk hubby gets a bit ahead, and out of sight (because he has little appreciation for all those important things that need to be smelled along the way), she can track him down; it was quite amazing to watch. Even through terrain, she followed the exact path he took.

Trying to play hide and seek in the bushes? Forget it. She knows exactly where to find you.

One thing I love about winter time is that I can actually see what's she's sniffing. Yellow snow, little tracks … I enjoy that very much because I can see what she's seeing.

What about her six sense?

I am quite certain that she knows what we think even before we think it. Particularly when those thoughts are of interest to her, such as thinking that it might be time to go for walk.

Jasmine, you go baby! Sharp as a tack! There is no fooling you.

Related articles:
Jasmine's Mysterious Swelling And Another Experience With VetLiveThe Diagnosis Is In: Jasmine Has An Interdigital Cyst
Jasmine's Mysterious Swelling And Interdigital Cyst Update  
Is Crawling Under Things Some Kind Of Secret Physical Therapy?  
Is There No Place Safe? Jasmine's Acupuncture Session 

Jasmine's Acute Lameness
Jasmine Doesn't Like "Doing Time"
Our Of Jail Free Pass
When It's Looks Too Good To Be True … The Lameness Returns
The Day Of The Treatment
First Time For Everything: A Healing Crisis(?)  
From Zero To Sixty In Four Days: Stem Cells At Work
The Calm After The Storm 
If It Was Easy, It Wouldn't Be Jasmine
This Is What Jasmine's Episode Looks Like
Gotta Try Everything Once (Or Twice): On The Quest To Figure Out Jasmine's Episodes 

***
Meet Jasmine
I'm Still Standing! (Happy Birthday, Jasmine)
How Dogs Think (Well, Jasmine Anyway)
How The Oddysey Started: Jasmine's ACL Injury
Jasmine is Vet-Stem's poster child!
Rant About Quality Of Life Versus Quantity, And Differential Diagnoses
Jasmine Is Headed For Her Next Stem Cell Treatment
Jasmine's Stem Cells Are In
Arthritis? What Arthritis? 
Guess Who Is An Ever-Ready Bunny And Really Liking The Bit Of Snow We Got? 
Don't Knock It Until You Tried It: Animal Chiropractic 
Jasmine's Fur Analysis
Back At Chiropractic Care

Further reading:
Jasmine’s Story: Can Chronic Diarrhea and Soft Tissue Injuries be Normal?
Jasmine’s Story: An ACL Injury and a Cancer Scare
Jasmine’s Condition Deteriorates: Another ACL Injury and an Abdominal Abscess
Jasmine Recovers from Surgery and Jana Discovers TCVM
Who’s Minding Your Pet’s Health?
Pet Owner Perspective On Stem Cell Therapy
Difficult to Manage Lameness Treated with Physical Therapy
Our Journey to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine

You Just Cannot Make This Stuff Up!

"As sand sculpture firm “Team Sandtastic” put the finishing touches on a 16-foot sculpture of President Barack Obama outside of the EpiCentre in Charlotte, N.C., Sand Obama made a command appearance on Twitter right on schedule."



Cartoon Round Up



The Collaboration Imperative by Ron Ricci & Carl Wiese - Book review

The Collaboration Imperative

1. By: Ron Ricci, Carl Wiese

Published: July 3, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 246 pages
ISBN-10: 098394170X
ISBN-13: 978-0983941705
Publisher: Cisco Systems, Inc.











"Improved collaboration represents your best opportunity to tap the full range of talents of your people, move with greater speed and flexibility, and compete to win over the next decade", write Vice President, Corporate Positioning, Cisco Systems,Ron Ricci; and Senior Vice President Global Collaboration Sales, Carl Wiese, in their hands on and results oriented book The Collaboration Imperative. the authors describe how the strength and potential of an organization lies in its people, and through empowering them to bring forward their skills and knowledge, the entire company will benefit from their ideas, creativity, and innovation.



Ron Ricci (photo left) and Carl Wiese recognize the importance of collaboration as critical to the success of an organization. To achieve collaboration as an organization, however, requires a complete transformation of the overall company culture. To ensure that the culture develops into one of collaboration, the complete and unwavering support of leadership is essential. Encouraging collaborative activities at all levels requires processes that help people to work together more effectively. Technology that supports and facilitates collaboration is another vital element in establishing and building a collaborative enterprise. Collaboration, as a culture and a way of behaving, requires a commitment from every level and everyone within the organization as a whole.



Carl Wiese (photo left) and Ron Ricci provide a complete guide to developing and supporting a collaborative organization, that will meet and overcome the myriad of challenges it faces, in both the present and the future. The authors understand the key to collaboration lies with the company's people. When employees are empowered to share and utilize their existing knowledge and skills, new ideas and innovation are the result. To achieve even more creativity and enhanced productivity, an even wider range of employee diversity is needed in companies. The idea that less variation works has been supplanted by the benefits of more diverse backgrounds and people.

The authors present the blueprint for collaboration as the fusion of culture, process, and technology. Within those three pillars of collaboration are the following concepts:

* Culture: Collaborative culture starts at the top
* Culture: Getting real about communication
* Process: Getting commitment to common goals
* Process: Build team trust fast including virtual teams
* Process: Stop wasting time to make the most of time together
* Technology: Unlocking the collaboration toolbox
* Technology: Eight high impact collaboration opportunities
* technology: The true payback of collaboration

For me, the power of the book is how Ron Ricci and Carl Wiese combine the theory and overall framework for collaboration, with the tools and strategies necessary to build a collaborative culture. The authors point out that while an organization may be on the cusp of collaboration, these small steps are only the beginning of the journey. The important role of communication within a collaborative culture goes beyond existing vertical forms. Collaborative communication is faster, more nimble, and travels in multiple directions.

Instead of consensus, the authors present evidence that diversity of ideas propels collaboration forward through different perspectives and ideas. The authors offer the path to building a culture, supported by leaders at all levels, that encourages collaboration through culture, process, and technology. The book is arranged to help facilitate and guide the transformation to a collaborative culture that is holistic and aligned with the overall organizational goals.

I highly recommend the transformational and organizational empowering book The Collaboration Imperative by Ron Ricci and Carl Wiese, to any organizational leaders and entrepreneurs who are seeking to transform their organizations from the static to the dynamic through the power of collaboration. With the challenges facing organizations from all directions, it is essential for an organization to move quickly, and this book provides the road map for success through a company culture of collaboration.

Tags: The Collaboration Imperative, Ron Ricci, Carl Wiese, change management, business book reviews

Veterinary Highlights: Veterinary Electrocardiogram (ECG) Made Simple

An electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG), is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. It is used to detect and locate the source of heart problems.

An ECG shows how fast the heart is beating, the heart’s rhythm (steady or irregular), and it records the strength and timing of the electrical signals as they pass through each part of the heart. It also records the strength and timing of the electrical signals as they pass through each part of the heart.

San Francisco-based AliveCor,  originator of the  iPhone ECG, is going to the dogs.

The company is now marketing an iPhone-based veterinary heart monitor to veterinary health professionals and pet owners.

The AliveCor Veterinary Heart Monitor is a plastic case with two metal electrodes that snaps onto the back of an iPhone 4 or 4S. It takes single-lead ECG waveforms for canine, feline and equine patients, either in a clinic or at home.



The corresponding app the displays the waveform, allowing to add notes to the graph. All data is then automatically uploaded to an AliveCor cloud server.

Pretty cool stuff.

With Jasmine's episodes, some type of arrhythmia was considered a number of times. How cool would it be to get a reading right during an episode?

Source article: AliveCor introduces veterinary ECG for iPhone

Civility? From the Democratic Party? You Gotta Be Kidding!

By Alan Caruba

We have already begun to hear calls for civility in the remaining ten weeks of the campaigns until Election Day. While I take this for granted from Republicans, I have not seen much evidence of it from Democrats.

Television ads claiming that Mitt Romney caused a woman to die from cancer or portraying Paul Ryan as pushing on old lady in a wheelchair off a cliff are not my idea of civility if the definition of civility also includes telling the truth.

Taking their cue from a President who is currently lying about everything from “our plan worked” to “the private sector is doing fine”, the Democrats are stuck with this blatantly false message.

I want you to watch and listen to the level of Democrat hysteria that will follow Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech. It will tell you everything you need to know about the weeks ahead between now and Election Day.

Currently, the Democrats are pushing a claim that there is a Republican “war on women.” Please! On the same night that Paul Ryan gave his acceptance speech, he was preceded by former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez.

Expect more of the same deliberate deceptions as Democrats desperately try to keep the focus on anything other than the economic mess they “inherited” and did not fix. They created the mess with their housing policies that demanded and rewarded banks for making bad mortgage loans. Those chickens came home to roost in 2008 as George W. Bush's second term was coming to an end and they have been blaming him ever since!

Winston Churchill warned that “We must beware of trying to build a society in which nobody counts for anything except a politician or an official, a society where enterprise gains no reward and thrift no privileges.”

That is a description of the last nearly four years of the Obama administration, replete with a shadowy super-class of White House officials dubbed the “czars.”

As any historian or student of history will tell you, presidential campaigns in America have not been distinguished by civility. Vicious attacks between opponents were the order of the day from the earliest days following the precedent-setting two terms held by our first President. For much of the late 18th and throughout the 19th centuries, the name-calling was often virulent.

Writing recently in The Wall Street Journal, Robert Dallek noted that “Character assassination so often trumps policy differences in presidential campaigns for a couple of reasons. Despite all the public hand-wringing about negative advertising, political veterans will tell you that it persists because, more often than not. It works. But tearing down the other guy has another attraction: It can be a substitute for building much of a case for what the mudslinger will do once in office.” The key word here is “substitute.”

Back in 2010 when voters demonstrated their dissatisfaction with Obama’s conduct of national and international affairs by returning control of the House of Representatives to Republicans, political pundit Karl Rove wrote, “If Mr. Obama is serious about his commitment to courtesy and respect, then he will need to demonstrate presidential leadership and rein in the verbal excesses of the leaders of his party.”

One example was the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who characterized conservatives as “reptiles” and “fire-breathing tea party nut jobs.”

More recently over at CNN, a reliable platform for Democratic Party spokespersons, both Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer were so appalled by Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s lies about the Romney-Ryan approach to saving Medicare and repealing Obamacare that they were forced to strongly reproach the DNC Chairwoman in ways not frequently seen on television.

In April 2010, the results of the Allegheny College Survey of Civility and Compromise in American Politics revealed that voters were well aware of what they deemed a lack of civility.

“A whopping 95% of Americans believe civility in politics is important for a healthy democracy” while “87% suggest it is possible for people to disagree about politics respectfully” and “nearly 50% of Americans believe there has been a decline in the tone of politics since Barack Obama became President.”

Among the factors that caused Sen. John McCain to lose the 2008 campaign was his unfailing civility; his refusal to focus on Obama’s total lack of preparedness to be President, his hiding of personal records reflecting what little was known of his life beyond his two memoirs, the hollowness of his themes of “hope and change” as well as his promise to “fundamentally transform” America.

With the selection of Paul Ryan, we see that candidate Romney, a man of unfailing civility, has learned the lessons of 2008. Ryan, who knows the problems afflicting the economy as well as Romney, has demonstrated that he is eager to take on and condemn Obama’s appalling record of failure. Happily, Romney has been doing so as well on the campaign trail. They are telling the truth and the Democrats are calling it uncivil.

The Democrats, however, just can’t help themselves. From the President to the Democrat leaders in Congress, along with those leading the Democratic Party, the charges levied against Republicans, the Tea Party movement, and GOP candidates have been replete with claims that they are crackpots, hate women, and are racists have persisted and will be heard again and again between now and November 6th.

Regarding Obama, this writer has been impolite in the past, but this writer is not running for office or receiving a paycheck from the Republican Party. I could have been more polite, but then I would have failed to point out in the strongest possible way the threat of four more years of a President Obama and the failure of the Democratic Party to avoid more than forty months of high unemployment, crony capitalism, the seizure of General Motors and the nation’s healthcare system. Et Cetera!

The President continues to blame his predecessor for his failures while the Democratic Party in 2012 takes the low road to political power over our lives and the future of the nation.

The same sunny optimism that propelled President Reagan into two terms in office and the same steely determination after 9/11 that gave George W. Bush two terms will, I am confident, do the same for Mitt Romney.

I fully expect the Democratic Party convention to be a cesspool of incivility.

© Alan Caruba, 2012.

Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's by Cody Teets - Book review

Golden Opportunity

Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's

By: Cody Teets

Published: July 16, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1604332794
ISBN-13: 978-1604332797
Publisher: Cider Mill Press












"My story is the rule rather than the exception to the McJob myth, which inaccurately denigrates much of the quick-service restaurant industry and other sectors like retail and convenience stores", writes vice president and general manager of the Rocky Mountain region for McDonald’s USA, Cody Teets in her eye opening and inspirational book Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's. The author provides the very personal stories of successful people who began their careers at McDonald's Restaurants, and shares the important business and life lessons learned while employed at the Golden Arches.

Cody Teets recognizes the underlying benefits that result from employment flipping burgers at McDonald's. Far from being a low skilled, dead end job that provides little more than a pay check, the author demonstrates through the personal stories, that the benefits are much more than commonly thought. Cody Teets points out that working at McDonald's develops personal discipline, self confidence, personal responsibility, and a sense of teamwork. At the same time, the author provides evidence that the job provides a unique opportunity to learn and practice leadership roles at a relatively young age. Cody Betts offers insights into how employment under the famed Golden Arches developed skills and outlooks on life that last a lifetime.



Cody Teets (photo left) understands that there are important skills and life lessons that can result from any job. Instead of viewing the pay check as the only end, despite its importance for economic and personal reasons, the personal accounts presented demonstrate that job value beyond the money.

The book contains the personal, and very revealing accounts, of well known business leaders and celebrities, whose first job was at McDonald's Restaurants. Some of those high achieving people include:

1950s: Lester E. Stein, Jr., James McGovern, Philip E. Rosner, Ph.D.
1960s: Jay Leno, Andrew h. Card, Jr., Henry "Hank" James Thomas
!970s: Andie McDowell, Leroy Chiao, Ph.D., Carla Harris
1980s: Jeffrey P. Bezos, Marlene Gonzalez, Laurieann Gibson
1990s: Jerry W. Hairston, Jr., Karen Wells
2000s: Eddie Davenport, Fatima Poggi

For me, the power of the book is how Cody Teets combines the personal accounts of well known people, currently successful McDonald's franchisees and executives, with the leadership and life lessons learned on the job. The author, and the profiled individuals, make it clear that taking a position flipping burgers under the Golden Arches, is not a dead end job. Indeed, for the individuals contributing to the book, the job was their step forward into understanding leadership, teamwork, and personal responsibility. Those traits, learned on the job, have served the employees past, present, and future very well.

Since many of the contributors went on to executive or franchisee leadership roles with McDonald's, including the author, the idea that there is no advancement within that organization is false. McDonald's identifies talented people, and promotes from within. That promote from within concept has also carried over in the careers of the former McDonald's employees. As one of the world's best run companies, McDonald's business model and processes are valuable case studies in and of themselves. The individuals profiled in the book learned those lessons and skills from within the company itself.

I highly recommend the very personal and life lesson filled book Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's by Cody Teets, to anyone who is seeking a job, a career changes, or in understanding more deeply the lessons that can be learned from employment at McDonald's Restaurants. This book will open your eyes to why the idea of the misnamed McJob is not only false, but does a disservice to the people who launched their successful careers under the Golden Arches.

Tags: Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's, Cody Teets, career management, business book reviews

Dog Nutrition: Vegan Diet For Dogs?

"Sometimes we get so focused on whether we could, that we don't stop to think whether we should."
—Jurassic Park

A friend of mine, over from Canis bonus, recently asked me about my opinion on vegan diets for dogs. Shen then wrote quite an awesome post Dog: Vegan Dog or Raw Meat? She did a great job, the article is worth reading.

My answer was, "if you want to feed vegan, get a rabbit".

She went right ahead and quoted me on that.

I also asked Jasmine, what she thought, and her answer was, "put down the cauliflower and nobody gets hurt".

All kidding aside, I believe, that with perhaps some exceptions, dogs need animal protein in their diet.

It is one thing to argue whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores, but turning them into herbivores? Seriously?

I asked my veterinary friends what were their thoughts on the subject.

"Dogs are omnivores. I've seen dogs survive on little more than luncheon loaf and socks. So which protein source you choose (vegan protein vs. cooked animal protein vs. treated raw animal protein) matters little to me. As long as the diet is balanced, and free of pathogenic bacteria or parasites, and most importantly, the dog does well on it, I'm content."
Greg Magnusson, DVM (Leo's Daddy), Leo's Pet Care

***

"I think a vegan dog diet can be done well, but it would be difficult to balance well. Get your veterinarian's blessing, and involve a veterinary nutrition specialist and go for it!"
Dr. Shawn M. Finch, DVM, Riley & James

*** 

"The answer, of course, as in so many questions in veterinary medicine is, it depends.

If we have a patient with uric acid bladder stones which is related to problems with purine metabolism, then protein from vegetables can help reduce the problem.

If we have a patient with allergy to animal based proteins, then vegetable proteins can help.

If we have a patient that requires a specific urine pH that only a vegetarian diet seems to provide for that patient, a vegetarian diet would help. 

Apart from patients in those categories, I cannot remember any of my patients that otherwise would have benefited from a vegetarian diet.

Challenges facing vegetarian diets are mostly technical in nature. It takes a pretty good nutritionist and a competent food company to formulate a diet that is balanced down to the amino acid levels using only plant based sources. It can be done, and it is done, but make sure any vegetarian diet used has been subjected to feeding trials to confirm it does work in the real world with real dogs, and not just on the computer. (Actually good advice for any food selection) Plant based proteins tend to be less digestible as a group, and that needs to be allowed for. 

In the absence of any disease issues, that a vegetarian diet may help control, households making the choice to use vegetarian over animal based proteins, are making a philosophical decision and not a scientific one. Dogs do not make philosophical decisions, which makes them  so easy to love."
Dr. Rae Worden, DVM , Fergus Veterinary Hospital

***  

"I don't feel that vegan diets are the appropriate sole food choice for dogs.  Dogs are omnivores that lean towards the carnivorous end of this eating scale, so they are able to survive on a variety of nutrients, originating from either plants or animals.  In the wild, dogs would scavenge on whatever food sources are available. This may be blades of green nutrient-rich grass, a rotting animal carcass, raw eggs discovered in a nest, or a live caught field mouse.

Incorporating whole food based, fresh vegetarian ingredients (fruits, vegetables, legumes, etc.) in a dogs diet can have many health benefits.  This is especially true for pets that consume processed dry or canned commercial dog or cat food, which is cooked at high heat (which typically deactivates vital amino acids and enzymes) and is often devoid of nutrients as nature intends food to contain."
Dr. Patrick Mahaney, VMD CVA, Patrick Mahaney.com

*** 

"Vegan wouldn't be my first choice of diet for a dog because I think they do better on animal proteins than plants. However, that being said, some dogs can do okay on a vegan diet and some actually do better than on other diets. In short, in many cases, it depends on the dog.

You didn't mention cats but I'm going to say it anyway. Vegan diets are never appropriate for cats!"
Dr. Lorie Huston, DVM, Pet Health Care Gazette

Dr. Lorie wrote an article on the subject, Vegan Diets for Dogs and Cats and also referenced a CNN article about vegan dog diets, Vegan diet for dogs: A question of thriving vs. surviving.

***  

A carnivores' digestive system is not designed for efficiently digesting plant material. 

Our dogs are carnivores, they are not strict carnivores and can eat vegetables, however just because dogs fed plant-based diets can stay alive does not make it the best for them. 

An optimal biologically appropriate diet for a carnivore is to have a meat based diet. An optimal biologically appropriate diet allows the dog to thrive not just survive. It provides them with the nutrients needed for a healthy immune system and a solid base for a long healthy life."
Dr. Daniel Beatty, DVM, Dog Kinetics

Dr. Dan also wrote an article on the subject, Carnivores are not vegans.

***  

"If domestic dogs lived in a zoo, they would be fed fresh meat and bones with the rest of the carnivores."
 This is a quote from a video series What Do Dogs Eat by Dr. Conor Brady, Dogs First

*** 

"From a purely veterinary perspective, you’ll find very few veterinarians who’d recommend a vegetarian diet for a dog or cat, and even fewer who’d describe it as optimal nutrition for these pets."

 Dr. Marty Becker, VetSTREET

***

What do you feed your dog and why? Is your decision based on their best interest or your philosophy?

Proposed GOP Cuts to Spending

By Alan Caruba

No wonder Democrats are sweating bullets over proposed cuts to the spending that has been the hallmark of their party and politics for decades. This list, taken from a recent issue of U.S. News & World Report provides an insight to the many ways fiscal sanity can be restored.

These are some of the programs that the Republican House has proposed cutting.

* Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy -- $445 million annual savings.

* Save America 's Treasures Program -- $25 million annual savings.

* International Fund for Ireland -- $17 million annual savings.

* Legal Services Corporation -- $420 million annual savings.

* National Endowment for the Arts -- $167.5 million annual savings.

* National Endowment for the Humanities -- $167.5 million annual savings.

* Hope VI Program -- $250 million annual savings.

* Amtrak Subsidies -- $1.565 billion annual savings.

* Eliminate duplicating education programs -- H.R. 2274 (in last Congress),

authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 such programs at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.

* U.S. Trade Development Agency -- $55 million annual savings.

* Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy -- $20 million annual savings.

* Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding -- $47 million annual savings.

* John C. Stennis Center Subsidy -- $430,000 annual savings.

* Community Development Fund -- $4.5 billion annual savings.

* Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid -- $24 million annual savings.

* Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half -- $7.5 billion annual savings

* Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20% -- $600 million annual savings.

* Essential Air Service -- $150 million annual savings.

* Technology Innovation Program -- $70 million annual savings.

* Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program -- $125 million annual savings.

* Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization -- $530 million annual savings.

* Beach Replenishment -- $95 million annual savings.

* New Starts Transit -- $2 billion annual savings.

* Exchange Programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts -- $9 million annual savings

* Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants -- $2.5 billion annual savings.

* Title X Family Planning -- $318 million annual savings.

* Appalachian Regional Commission -- $76 million annual savings.

* Economic Development Administration -- $293 million annual savings.

* Programs under the National and Community Services Act -- $1.15 billion annual savings.

* Applied Research at Department of Energy -- $1.27 billion annual savings.

* Freedom CAR and Fuel Partnership -- $200 million annual savings.

* Energy Star Program -- $52 million annual savings.

* Economic Assistance to Egypt -- $250 million annually.

* U.S. Agency for International Development -- $1.39 billion annual savings.

* General Assistance to District of Columbia -- $210 million annual savings.

* Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority -- $150 million annual savings.

* Presidential Campaign Fund -- $775 million savings over ten years.

* No funding for federal office space acquisition -- $864 million annual savings.

* End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.

* Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act -- More than $1 billion annually.

* IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget -- $1.8 billion savings over ten years.

* Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees -- $1 billion total savings.

* Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees -- $1.2 billion savings over ten years.

* Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of -- $15 billion total savings.

* Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.

* Eliminate Mohair Subsidies -- $1 million annual savings.

* Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- $12.5 million annual savings

* Eliminate Market Access Program -- $200 million annual savings.

* USDA Sugar Program -- $14 million annual savings.

* Subsidy to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) -- $93 million annual savings.

* Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program -- $56.2 million annual savings.

* Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs -- $900 million savings.

* Ready to Learn TV Program -- $27 million savings.

* HUD Ph.D. Program.

* Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act.

TOTAL SAVINGS:
$2.5 Trillion over Ten Years

I would add the elimination of the U.S. contribution to the budget of the United Nations. There is no reason why decisions regarding our national security and sovereignty should be subordinated to the UN. The humanitarian work undertaken by UN agencies can be done just as well, if not better, by independent international organizations.

© Alan Caruba

Victoria Grady: The Pivot Point: Success In Organizational Change - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Consultant, Lecturer in the Department of Organizational Science in he Columbian School of Arts and Sciences at George Washington University, and co-author of the insightful and research based book The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change, Victoria M. Grady, describes how costly it really is for organizations to change successfully. Victoria Grady points out that over 70 percent of all organizational change initiatives fail, and that failure is often mistakenly blamed on employees for being resistant to change. Instead, the failure is due to what Victoria Grady calls a failure to pivot.

That important pivot point is reached when employees abandon the old familiar ways of doing things, and embrace acting and performing in a new way. Since people are attached to people, places, events, or processes in the workplace, change leaders must understand both the people and organization. Since this is not always the case, change efforts fail. Victoria Grady shares ideas for improving the success of change initiatives, and for measuring and tracking how employees respond to specific actions in the process.

Victoria Grady is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, August 30, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Consultant, Lecturer in the Department of Organizational Science in he Columbian School of Arts and Sciences at George Washington University, and co-author of the insightful and research based book The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change, Victoria M. Grady, describes how costly it really is for organizations to change successfully. You will learn:

* Why change management initiatives really fail

* Why the usual charge of employee resistance misses the mark

* Why attachments as pivot points are more important to understand as human behavior

* How to find the pivot points and measure results in each step of the change process



Victoria M. Grady (photo left) completed her Doctoral Studies at the George Washington University in May 2005. Her dissertation focused on the inherent loss of stability suffered by organizations introducing and implementing organizational change initiatives. The research resulted in a validated model (LOE Model) explaining the tendency of individuals, often subconsciously, to struggle, resist, and potentially disrupt the organizational change initiative.

Dr. Grady continues to build upon her research in the field of change management and extended her original model to include a validated index (LOE Index) that quantitatively measures the tendency of individuals within the organization to embrace organizational change initiatives. The index focuses on the employee, and how factors inherent in change affect their performance. Subsequently, this shift in performance will have a negative impact on the overall health of the organization.

She is currently an Assistant Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Organizational Science within the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences at the George Washington University. Dr. Grady's consulting practice includes federal government institutions, non-profit organizations, and private sector companies.

My book review of The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change by Victoria M. Grady and James D. Grady.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with consultant, Lecturer in the Department of Organizational Science in he Columbian School of Arts and Sciences at George Washington University, and co-author of the insightful and research based book The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change, Victoria M. Grady, as she describes how costly it really is for organizations to change successfully. Victoria Grady points out that over 70 percent of all organizational change initiatives fail, and that failure is often mistakenly blamed on employees for being resistant to change. Instead, the failure is due to what Victoria Grady calls a failure to pivot. That important pivot point is reached when employees abandon the old familiar ways of doing things, and embrace acting and performing in a new way.

Since people are attached to people, places, events, or processes in the workplace, change leaders must understand both the people and organization. Since this is not always the case, change efforts fail. Victoria Grady shares ideas for improving the success of change initiatives, and for measuring and tracking how employees respond to specific actions in the process on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change, Victoria M. Grady, James D. Grady, change management, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Dog Cartoon Of The Week: Nice Costume!

***

Dog Cartoon of the Week is brought to you by Andertoons. Check out the website for more great cartoons.


Cartoonist Mark Anderson lives in the Chicago area with his wife, their children, two cats, a dog and several dust bunnies. You might have seen his cartoons in a number of publications including Reader's Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, Barrons, Woman's World, Harvard Business Review, Saturday Evening Post, American Legion Magazine, Funny Times.

The Government Gu$her

By Alan Caruba

At a time when the biggest issues are the economy, the reform of entitlement programs, the national debt and deficit, many Americans are blissfully unaware of the machine that keeps their taxpayer dollars flowing from every federal government department and agency. Even with a $16 trillion dollar debt, the money gushes forth.

In a Wall Street Journal column by William McGurn about government spending, he says that “Surely the real issue here is whether people have any meaningful choice. Because government funding tends to crowd out private funding, it leaves fewer and more expensive options in its wake. Generally that means you have to be as rich as Warren Buffett or living in the most inaccessible Ozarks backwoods to be in a position to forego federal dollars.”

Point well taken; older Americans, having paid into the involuntary system, understandably expect to receive Social Security checks every month and the same applies to having Medicare cover escalating healthcare costs. Many younger Americans are going to college on government loans. There is a plethora of government programs that redistribute taxpayer dollars on all manner of worthy or dubious recipients.

The most troubling aspect of government largess is the political factor. I was reminded of this upon receiving a news release from the U.S. Forest Service announcing $3.5 million to support community forests. One might reasonably ask why, at a time when the national debt is $16 trillion dollars why the government is spending money on community forests.

On closer examination, it appears that the grants are going to communities in states that Democrats need in terms of their Electoral College votes. Grants went to communities in Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, notable swing states, as well as dependable ones such as Washington, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

Then, too, it should be noted that every U.S. State maintains offices in Washington, D.C. to ensure it receives the government grants being handed out for all aspects of their needs, much of which is dependent on federal funding. Collectively, the states are over $4 trillion in debt; much of which is tied to public worker’s pensions and other benefits.

The money gusher also explains the exponential growth in the lobbying industry. A 2005 Washington Post article noted that “The number of registered lobbyists in Washington has more than doubled since 2000 to more than 34,750 while the amount that lobbyists charge their new clients has increased by as much as 100 percent. Only a few other businesses have enjoyed greater prosperity in an otherwise fitful economy.”

Wikipedia says that “By 2011, one estimate of overall lobbying spending nationally was $30+ billion in 2010.” Every industry, profession, enterprise and special interest group in America seeks representation and a piece of the pie.

Federal spending understandably reflects the policies of whichever administration is in power and the Obama administration’s obsession with alternative energy has resulted in some of the most wasteful spending—they call it investment—as it lost billions in loan guarantees to companies such as Solyndra and other solar panel manufacturers. The wind power industry could literally not exist without some form of government funding and mandates.

There isn’t a single federal government department and agency that does not engage fulltime in the redistribution of wealth via grants, some of which would be commendable if the nation was not facing economic collapse.

In August, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced a $68 million in grants for HIV/AIDS care for women, infants, children, and youth. It also announced awards up to $4.6 million in youth suicide prevention programs to tribes throughout South Dakota.

In August the Department of Education announced more than $2.5 million for seven student support services projects to help students succeed in high education.

Over at the Department of Transportation the Federal Highway Administration announced more than $363 million in funding for various highway projects. When they invited states and cities to apply for federal funding from twelve different grant programs, they received nearly 1,500 requests totaling almost $2.5 billion. Grants have gone to all fifty states, plus Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

To push its agenda, the Environmental Protection Agency hands out millions in grants for Community Action for Renewed Environment, Education, Environmental Justice, Student Programs, the National Clean Diesel campaign, and other comparable programs.

Every single federal department, Labor, Justice, Interior, et cetera, is engaged in this largess of programs, including the State Department which oversees foreign aid. It is all funded not only by taxes, but by continuous borrowing—forty cents of every dollar spent, millions every day.

Congress is so shy of cutting any spending program it initiated a doomsday program, the automatic sequestration, the results of which are supposed to spread the pain. It is a failure to exercise the oversight Congress is supposed to exercise. It is the abandonment of one of its most important functions.

The hope is that a Republican Congress and White House will seriously reform the nation’s entitlement programs; literally one half of all the money is committed to be spent before Congress arrives in the Capitol Building to do anything else.

The reality is that our huge federal government will continue to disperse all the money it collects and borrows to justify its existence.

© Alan Caruba, 2012

1.8 Million Page Views and Counting!

I am happy to report that Warning Signs just passed 1.8 million page views and is now averaging 100,000 hits per month as word of our daily commentaries and other informative posts reaches out in cyber-land.

I thank everyone who visits and those who take the time to comment, sharing their experience and expertise.

The effort is to reflect on current events, but also to call attention to the major issues of our times, many of which are ignored by the mainstream media.

The enemies of our nation’s future are ignorance and apathy. Together we have an obligation to stay informed and to take what action we can to thwart the efforts of those who would do harm to America.

Right now our primary task is to vote Barack Obama out of office, to get our family, friends, and coworkers to vote, and to ensure the Republican Party takes power in Congress in order to reverse the deliberate ruin of the nation. We owe that to previous generations of Americans, some of whom gave their lives to ensure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for us.

For Warning Signs, it is more important than ever that, if you can, you make a small donation to ensure that iour work continues. Thank you!

-- Alan Caruba

The Pivot Point: Success In Organizational Change by Victoria Grady & James Grady - Book review

The Pivot Point

Success in Organizational Change

By: Victoria M. Grady, James D. Grady

Published: August 1, 2012
Format: Paperback, 140 pages
ISBN-10: 1614483000
ISBN-13: 978-1614483007
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing






"But despite all these advances in the field, the vast majority of organizational change initiatives still fail", write Assistant Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Organizational Science within the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences at the George Washington University, Victoria M. Grady; and consultant and researcher into the human element in organizational behavior, James D. Grady, in their insightful and research based book The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change. The authors describe how the usual reason given for the failure of change management initiatives, one of employee resistance, is insufficient to explain those ineffective attempts, and instead demonstrate through research how discovering how and why employee attachments affect their behavior.



Victoria M. Grady (photo left) and James D. Grady understand that blaming employee resistance to change, for the failure of change management initiatives, is superficial and even misses the mark entirely. The authors propose the alternative explanation, based on their extensive research, that successful change depends upon finding the pivot point where change becomes a reality.

The pivot point is the time and place where people within the workplace leave their old ideas and attachments behind, and embrace the new. The insight that people become attached to objects, in the form of other people, familiar technology, a particular system or process, or an abstract idea, provides the key to understanding why change fails to take place.



James D. Grady (photo left) and Victoria M. Grady recognize that change leaders must focus on the individuals, and their special pivot points, for change to made effectively. The author point out that for many change leaders, the course of action is more wishful thinking than it is real understanding of the employees themselves. The authors provide the tools for improving change initiatives through measuring and tracking the employees and their response behavior to each specific element of the change process.

When the attachment factor is understood, and treated with tact, clarity, and dignity, people will respond more positively, and develop confidence in accepting and embracing the change. When it is recognized that the resistance to change belief is not about resistance at all, the change manager is able to look beyond resistance. The response is really a human behavioral one, and it can be understood as a reaction. With that insight in place, recognizing the pivot point of the attachment can be understood and replaced with a fresh approach and behavior.

For me, the power of the book is how Victoria Grady and James Grady combine their theory and research with practical advice for understanding the underlying, human behavior that can be addressed successfully to achieve real change. The authors move beyond the usual reason given, one of employee resistance to change, to discover the deeper reason that change efforts fail,through their groundbreaking research findings. The authors provide an important method of measuring each step along the change implementation journey, through a tactful and dignity oriented approach.

The book itself is a combination of a narrative business fable and a guide book. The story and characters provide engaging illustration of the the principles of identifying the attachments, pivot point, and measuring the reactions for easier understanding. The authors also provide additional insights in the form of the book appendixes, and they add enrichment and depth to the principles shared in the main book itself.

I highly recommend the essential and must read book The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change by Victoria M. Grady and James D. Grady, to any business leaders, executives, managers, or entrepreneurs in any size of business or type of industry, who are seeking an effective and insightful approach to achieving successful and lasting change management. This thought provoking book will change forever the way you look at change management, and the misunderstanding of the deeper reasons for employee resistance, to that change.

Tags: The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change, Victoria M. Grady, James D. Grady, change management, business book reviews

Something You Wouldn't Think Cold Laser Could Be Good For: Snake Bite

This story was posted by Dr. Patrick Mahaney as part of FlexPet's Summertime Pet Safety Series. The story is based on a case report by Dr. Yukiko Kuwahara, DVM, who treated a nasty snake bite with Multi Radiance Medical Laser.

According to my friend, animal physical therapist, Susan E. Davis, lasers are one of the most underutilized treatment modalities that we have to offer animals in the veterinary world. 

A cold laser it is one of the safest and most effective devices to utilize.

The treatment increases healing, decreases pain, reduces  unwanted scar tissue, decreases bacterial counts, reduces inflammation, etc. Jasmine is getting cold laser along with her physical therapy but when she had the foot infection, got that lasered too.

Could cold laser be also used to treat a snake bite?

A bite by a venomous snake needs to be treated quickly and aggressively. The severity depends on how much venom was injected by the snake.

What will snake venom do to the dog? 

Snake venom contains enzymes and other proteins that target the nervous system and the blood cells and cause tissue death. Venomous snake bites also cause severe pain.

***

The dog in this story got bitten on the mouth and needed help fast.

The front desk receptionist yells out, “Snake bite, STAT!!!”, and here she comes flying into the rear treatment area, being tugged by a blur of an out-of-control black Irish setter. 

Trying to maintain her balance, she yells out over the howls of the dog, “this dog has been bitten by a snake and needs help fast!”.

Both his top and bottom lips were swelling rapidly. The hospital doesn't stock anti-venom and they had to decided very soon whether this patient needed to be transferred to a trauma and emergency hospital.

The dog was put on standard IV treatment. The staff was waiting to see whether the treatment was having an effect or if the dog was headed for a transfer.

The goal of treatment is to minimize and reverse the effects of the venom as well as pain management.

Meanwhile, the swelling was getting worse.

Dr. Kuwahara decided to laser the dog's lips, to see if it would reduce the swelling. And, indeed, the swelling started to go down. Encouraged, Dr. Kuwahara kept on with the treatment.

By the end of the treatment, both lips had decreased in size tremendously.

The dog was not acting like a typical snake bite victim. There was no apparent pain or sloughing necrotic tissue. Instead, he was presenting symptoms more typical of a bee, spider, scorpion, or other insect bite.

Within four hours the dog was sent home with no need for transfer to an emergency hospital.

***

Read the full story at Dr. Mahaney's blog: Cold Laser Therapy Helps a Snake Bite Victim

Related articles:
Photon Power: Can Laser Therapy Help Your Dog?
Protect Your Dog From Snake Bites 
From The Case Files: From A Swelling To Necrosis In Days 
The Assumption Trap: Tosha's Snake Bite
Spider Bites Dog

Obama's Half-Brother.

Beware of the Mainstream Media

By Alan Caruba

A recent outburst by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews was a near classic example of how some members of the media are so over the moon about Obama that it serves as a reminder that their long knives are out for the Romney-Ryan ticket.

Matthews’ man-crush on Obama is blatant, but I do take some heart from a recent Newsweek cover and article that tore Obama to shreds with facts and figures. It was so unusual, given the usual news magazine adoration accorded Obama that I found it odd, though welcome.

Much depends, of course, on the coverage that will be given by the network news channels, ABC, NBC, CBS, and we should include PBS as well. From my observation, only C-SPAN makes a good faith effort to provide balanced coverage of both parties and political viewpoints.

And, of course, there’s Fox News. “Fair, balanced and unafraid” is their motto, but Fox has been afraid to get anywhere close to the issues involving Obama’s blatantly false birth certificate, the fact that his closest advisors in the White House are committed Marxists, along with his long association with friends who fit that description such as Bill Ayers.

Moreover, Fox has liberal commentators such as Juan Williams on staff and invites liberals to share their views on air as well. That said, its conservative tilt makes it about the only TV news channel a conservative can watch without wanting to throw up.

Matthews became incensed with GOP Chairman Reince Priebus during a recent discussion prior to the convention, riding his hobby horse that any criticism of Obama is racist. This charge is used to inoculate Obama against a reasoned examination of his policies, all of which have brought the nation to the brink of financial collapse, along with massive unemployment and other ills. In the area of foreign affairs, he has thoroughly weakened America’s capacity to influence the world.

The New York Times columnist, Maureen Dowd, sharpened her knives in a predictable attack on Romney in the Sunday edition, but anyone other than a brain-dead liberal knows about this newspaper’s antipathy toward any conservative seeking or serving in public office. Referencing Romney’s little joke about not having to produce a birth certificate to prove he was born in Michigan—to a Michigan audience, Dowd opined that “Already suspicious conservatives pounced on the remark as proof that Mitt would say anything to get elected.” As if Obama isn’t already famous for that.

This is not to say that many conservatives spend a lot of time reading The New York Times. They don’t. It’s the other daily newspapers, primarily written by liberal journalists, that should be of concern. I stopped reading my own state’s largest circulation newspaper for just that reason. While it devotes its columns to tearing down Governor Chris Christie, the rest of the nation has embraced his Jersey-style straight talk and guess who will be the GOP convention keynote speaker?

While most people get their general news from television, conservatives prefer sources such as Fox News, along with The Wall Street Journal, the National Standard, and the many conservative news and opinion sites available on the Internet. I am inclined to believe that conservatives are, in general, better informed and, frankly, more intelligent than liberals.

That said, the conservatives I fear most are those who say they will vote for a third party candidate like the Libertarians. When you consider how narrow the margin was in the George W. Bush v. Al Gore election literally EVERY vote matters, especially in the forthcoming one.

So this is a reminder that a massive amount of distortion about everything the Romney-Ryan ticket says in the weeks ahead will be written and said. The mere fact that the mainstream press is so reluctant to cover the biggest story of all, the dangerous state of the nation’s economy, tells you everything you need to know about their preference, once again, for the worst President to ever serve in the Oval Office.

© Alan Caruba, 2012

Talk, Inc. by Boris Groysberg & Michael Slind - Book review

Talk, Inc.

How Trusted Leaders Use Conversation to Power their Organizations

By: Boris Groysberg, Michael Slind

Published: June 19, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 142217333X
ISBN-13: 978-1422173336
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press










"Instead of handing down commands or imposing formal controls, many leaders today are interacting with their workforce in ways that call to mind an ordinary conversation between two people", write professor of business administration in the Organizational Behavior unit at the Harvard Business School, Boris Groysberg; and award winning writer, editor, and communication consultant Michael Slind, in their insightful and organizational reinventing book Talk, Inc.: How Trusted Leaders Use Conversation to Power their Organizations. The authors describe how a new fountain of organizational power has arisen in the form of organizational conversations that recaptures the strengths and qualities of smaller companies.



Boris Groysberg (photo left) and Michael Slind recognize that previous command and control model of communication is no longer effective, and is even counterproductive for the company. That obsolete model relied on orders moving downward through the organizational hierarchical structure. The authors propose an alternative form of communication, in the form of person to person conversation, that is so crucial to the nimble and cohesive energy of the small company.

The authors provide the tools and techniques for large companies to incorporate the conversational model into their entire organization. With this more flexible and dynamic communication becoming part of even the largest companies, the energy and engagement of small firms can be harnessed effectively for a leap in performance and productivity.



Michael Slind (photo left) and Boris Groysberg understand the power of conversation between people to motivate and engage one another. The authors point out that conversation is more than just talk, but also includes careful listening to social media. One way messaging simply doesn't work in a social media, and in today's conversation based world. The microcosm of the company reflects that conversational interaction and exchange of ideas that flow in many different directions.

Through their in depth conversations with 150 business leaders, at companies of all sizes and types, resulted in the insight that four common elements of organization based conversation being recognized. Those trust building and enhancing elements are as follows:

* Intimacy: Conversation between two people that reduces distance from leaders
* Interactivity: Conversation is a two way street where ideas are shared
* Inclusion: Empowered employers share in telling the company story
* Intentionality: Conversation that builds on and aligns with the company strategy

For me, the power of the book is how Boris Groysberg and Michael Slind combine the theory and principles of organizational conversation, with the practical techniques for nurturing and developing the concept within any company. The authors present a very compelling argument in support of organizational conversation as essential for companies seeking more engaged and empowered employees.

The proven methods of the more dynamic and versatile small company are transferred to even the largest firms through open, two way conversation between people. This open and straight talking interaction that flows in both directions replaces the outmoded and no longer effective one way command and control system. The authors bolster their case with extensive research with business leaders who have discovered the transformational and culture changing elements of conversation.

I highly recommend the culture changing and excellence creating book
Talk, Inc.: How Trusted Leaders Use Conversation to Power their Organizations by Boris Groysberg and Michael Slind, to any business leaders searching for a proven business model that builds a more intimate and nimble organization, with more engaged employees, and vastly enhanced levels of performance. This book shows business leaders how to apply the strengths and advantages of small companies, through the power of organizational conversation, to any size of firm.

Tags: Talk, Inc.: How Trusted Leaders Use Conversation to Power their Organizations, Boris Groysberg, Michael Slind, leadership and organizational development, business book reviews