Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Donna Hicks: Dignity The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict - Blog Business Success Radio
Listen to Wayne Hurlbert
Internationally acclaimed conflict resolution facilitator, Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard Univeristy, and author of the life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., Ph.D., describes how dignity is the motivating force behind all human interaction. Whether it's in families, communities, the business world, or at the international level, people have the desire to be treated well and with dignity. Donna Hicks points out that if dignity is violated, then the result is aggression, violence, and hatred. Without dignity, the human connection disappears. Donna Hicks offers people an understanding of dignity, which is little understood, despite its universal desire. Donna Hicks examines the gap in the understanding and honoring of dignity. She shares a fresh set of strategies for becoming aware of the role of dignity, and for putting dignity into practice in all of our interactions with other people.
Donna Hicks, Ph.D. is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.
The show airs live on Thursday, February 2, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.
Internationally acclaimed conflict resolution facilitator, Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard Univeristy, and author of the life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., Ph.D., describes how dignity is the motivating force behind all human interaction. You will learn:
* Why dignity is the fundamental value in human interaction
* What are the ten essential elements of dignity
* How to avoid the ten temptations to violate dignity
* How to heal relationships with dignity
Donna Hicks, Ph.D. (photo left) is an Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.
In addition to teaching conflict resolution at Harvard, Clark and Columbia Universities, Dr. Hicks has spent nearly two decades in the field of international conflict resolution facilitating dialogue between communities in conflict in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Cuba, and Northern Ireland. She was a consultant to the BBC where she co-facilitated a television series, Facing the Truth, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which aired in the United Kingdom and on BBC World in 2006.
Dr. Hicks also works as a consultant to corporations and organizations, applying her dignity model to everyday business and relational situations.
She lives in Boston, MA.
My book review of Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks, Ph.D.
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 internationally acclaimed conflict resolution facilitator, Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard Univeristy, and author of the life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., Ph.D., as she describes how dignity is the motivating force behind all human interaction. Whether it's in families, communities, the business world, or at the international level, people have the desire to be treated well and with dignity. Donna Hicks points out that if dignity is violated, then the result is aggression, violence, and hatred. Without dignity, the human connection disappears. Donna Hicks offers people an understanding of dignity, which is little understood, despite its universal desire. Donna Hicks examines the gap in the understanding and honoring of dignity. She shares a fresh set of strategies for becoming aware of the role of dignity, and for putting dignity into practice in all of our interactions with other people on Blog Business Success Radio.
Social bookmark this
Internationally acclaimed conflict resolution facilitator, Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard Univeristy, and author of the life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., Ph.D., describes how dignity is the motivating force behind all human interaction. Whether it's in families, communities, the business world, or at the international level, people have the desire to be treated well and with dignity. Donna Hicks points out that if dignity is violated, then the result is aggression, violence, and hatred. Without dignity, the human connection disappears. Donna Hicks offers people an understanding of dignity, which is little understood, despite its universal desire. Donna Hicks examines the gap in the understanding and honoring of dignity. She shares a fresh set of strategies for becoming aware of the role of dignity, and for putting dignity into practice in all of our interactions with other people.
Donna Hicks, Ph.D. is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.
The show airs live on Thursday, February 2, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.
Internationally acclaimed conflict resolution facilitator, Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard Univeristy, and author of the life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., Ph.D., describes how dignity is the motivating force behind all human interaction. You will learn:
* Why dignity is the fundamental value in human interaction
* What are the ten essential elements of dignity
* How to avoid the ten temptations to violate dignity
* How to heal relationships with dignity
Donna Hicks, Ph.D. (photo left) is an Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.
In addition to teaching conflict resolution at Harvard, Clark and Columbia Universities, Dr. Hicks has spent nearly two decades in the field of international conflict resolution facilitating dialogue between communities in conflict in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Cuba, and Northern Ireland. She was a consultant to the BBC where she co-facilitated a television series, Facing the Truth, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which aired in the United Kingdom and on BBC World in 2006.
Dr. Hicks also works as a consultant to corporations and organizations, applying her dignity model to everyday business and relational situations.
She lives in Boston, MA.
My book review of Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks, Ph.D.
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 internationally acclaimed conflict resolution facilitator, Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard Univeristy, and author of the life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., Ph.D., as she describes how dignity is the motivating force behind all human interaction. Whether it's in families, communities, the business world, or at the international level, people have the desire to be treated well and with dignity. Donna Hicks points out that if dignity is violated, then the result is aggression, violence, and hatred. Without dignity, the human connection disappears. Donna Hicks offers people an understanding of dignity, which is little understood, despite its universal desire. Donna Hicks examines the gap in the understanding and honoring of dignity. She shares a fresh set of strategies for becoming aware of the role of dignity, and for putting dignity into practice in all of our interactions with other people on Blog Business Success Radio.
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks - Book review
Dignity
The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict
By: Donna Hicks, Ph.D.
Published: September 6, 2011
Format:Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-10: 0300163924
ISBN-13: 978-0300163926
Publisher: Yale University Press
"We share a longing for dignity - the feeling of inherent value and worth. When we feel worthy, when our value is recognized, and honored in our relationships, we are connected", writes acclaimed international conflict resolution facilitator and Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, Donna Hicks, Ph.D., in her life affirming and honorable resolution based book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict. The author describes the important role that dignity plays in all human interaction, its universal desire in all people, and how to practice dignity in all personal, business, community, and international interactions.
Donna Hicks recognizes the importance of respect, but considers dignity to be a human desire of a different form. While respect implies an earned value, dignity should be accorded to everyone regardless of circumstance, based on their humanity alone. The author shares how vital a sense of dignity is to a sense of self worth, and how all conflict resolution must place a priority on the dignity of everyone involved in the process and outcome. Donna Hicks provides what she calls her Dignity Model, for understanding the role of dignity, whether in daily interactions or in international relations. The author places the desire for dignity at the heart of all human relationships.
Donna Hicks, Ph.D. (photo left) demonstrates that people become vulnerable if they are treated as if they have no value. At the same time, if others are treated with dignity, we enhance and reaffirm our own sense of dignity. The empowering aspect of this concept is that by maintaining the dignity of others, increases our own level of dignity. In other words, it is self defeating to attempt to undermine the dignity of others during all personal interactions. When we diminish the dignity or others, we lower our own dignity and self worth as well. The very positive approach to conflict resolution of all types, where dignity is upheld and enriched, promotes reconciliation and a renewal of relationships.
The Dignity model, as offered by Donna Hicks includes three essential parts. The three parts are as follows:
* Ten essential elements of dignity and how to honor dignity in everyone
* Ten temptations to violate dignity and how to avoid these traps
* Healing relationships with dignity through rebuilding and reconciliation
For me, the power of the book is how Donna Hicks combines a powerful theoretical framework of the importance of dignity to all people, with a practical guide to honoring dignity in every form of personal interaction. Donna Hicks shares her Dignity Model which transforms conflict resolution from one of confrontation and the diminishing of others, to one where dignity becomes a prime guiding force in the reconciliation process. Through acceptance of identity, inclusion, fairness, and other positive values, Donna Hicks offers an often overlooked connection for understanding the real underlying causes of conflict.
Donna Hicks understands that temptation to diminish the dignity of others has often caused many resolution efforts to break down without success. The author addresses each of these problematic temptations head on, with the warning signs that they are appearing, and the steps necessary to remove them. Donna Hicks also provides a process for utilizing the power of dignity to rebuild relationships, that goes beyond forgiveness, and renews relationships through a shared honoring of dignity.
I highly recommend the landmark and definitive book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks, Ph.D., to anyone seeking an alternative and fresh approach to rebuilding relationships through the mutual honoring of human dignity. This book will change forever your views of how people respond to others, and how that response will enhance and improve all conflict resolution situations.
Labels: book reviews
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Michael Michalko: Creative Thinkering - Blog Business Success Radio
Listen to Wayne Hurlbert
Internationally acclaimed creativity consultant and author of the brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work, Michael Michalko, describes how to resurrect your natural creative thinking abilities. Michael explains that creativity requires making connections between two or more dissimilar subjects, resulting in new ideas and concepts. Michael shares his proven techniques to put this connection skill to practical use to discover exciting new solutions to problems. Michael points out that everyone has the ability for creativity, and provides the techniques used by geniuses to develop your own genius capabilities. The methods offered by the author combine fun with real world results to boost your creativity and problem solving skills. Learn how to change your outlook and way of thinking to one where you act and behave like a creative thinker.
Michael Michalko is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.
The show airs live on Tuesday, January 31, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.
Internationally acclaimed creativity consultant and author of the brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work, Michael Michalko, describes how to resurrect your natural creative thinking abilities. You will learn:
* Why everyone has the capability for genius level creativity
* Why people aren't as creative as they can and should be in iife
* How to learn and practice creative thinking skills
* How to change how you see the world and become a creative thinker
Michael Michalko (photo left)
is one of the most highly acclaimed creativity experts in the world and author of the best sellers Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity), ThinkPak (A Brainstorming Card Deck), and Cracking Creativity (The Secrets Of Creative Genius).
As an officer in the United States Army, Michael organized a team of NATO intelligence specialists and international academics in Frankfurt, Germany, to research, collect, and categorize all known inventive-thinking methods. His international team applied those methods to various NATO military, political, and social problems and in doing so it produced a variety of breakthrough ideas and creative solutions to new and old problems. After leaving the military, Michael facilitated CIA think tanks using his creative thinking techniques.
Michael later applied these creative-thinking techniques to problems in the corporate world with outstanding successes. Michael has provided keynote speeches, workshops, and seminars on fostering creative thinking for clients who range from Fortune 500 corporations, such as DuPont, Kellogg's, General Electric, Kodak, Microsoft, Exxon, General Motors, Ford, USA, AT&T, Wal-Mart, Gillette, and Hallmark, to associations and governmental agencies. In addition to his work in the United States, Michael has worked with clients in countries around the world.
Some of Michael’s creative-thinking techniques that were refined by his government and corporate practice were published in his best-seller Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity), which the Wall Street Journal reported "will change the way you think." Women In Business lauded it as "one of the most important business titles of the decade." USA said "believe it or not, this wonderful book will have you challenging the seemingly impossible every day."
Executive Book Summaries praised it by saying, "What we need is a compendium of ways to solve problems. And that’s exactly what you get in Thinkertoys." and Entrepreneur acclaimed it as "required reading for anyone in business." Success magazine awarded Thinkertoys with a Gold Medal for being "one of the best of the best business books." The medal is awarded to books that have that made a major impact on readers who say they've experienced a change -- an improvement in their lives and businesses.
He is also the author of ThinkPak (A Brainstorming Card Deck), a novel creative-thinking tool that is designed to facilitate brainstorming sessions. Michael’s book, Cracking Creativity (The Secrets Of Creative Genius), describes the common thinking strategies creative geniuses have used in the sciences, art, and industry throughout history and shows how we can apply them to become more creative in our business and personal lives.
My book review of Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work by Michael Michalko.
Listen live on Tuesday 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 internationally acclaimed creativity consultant and author of the brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work, Michael Michalko, as he describes how to resurrect your natural creative thinking abilities. Michael explains that creativity requires making connections between two or more dissimilar subjects, resulting in new ideas and concepts. Michael shares his proven techniques to put this connection skill to practical use to discover exciting new solutions to problems. Michael points out that everyone has the ability for creativity, and provides the techniques used by geniuses to develop your own genius capabilities. The methods offered by the author combine fun with real world results to boost your creativity and problem solving skills. Learn how to change your outlook and way of thinking to one where you act and behave like a creative thinker on Blog Business Success Radio.
Social bookmark this
Internationally acclaimed creativity consultant and author of the brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work, Michael Michalko, describes how to resurrect your natural creative thinking abilities. Michael explains that creativity requires making connections between two or more dissimilar subjects, resulting in new ideas and concepts. Michael shares his proven techniques to put this connection skill to practical use to discover exciting new solutions to problems. Michael points out that everyone has the ability for creativity, and provides the techniques used by geniuses to develop your own genius capabilities. The methods offered by the author combine fun with real world results to boost your creativity and problem solving skills. Learn how to change your outlook and way of thinking to one where you act and behave like a creative thinker.
Michael Michalko is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.
The show airs live on Tuesday, January 31, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.
Internationally acclaimed creativity consultant and author of the brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work, Michael Michalko, describes how to resurrect your natural creative thinking abilities. You will learn:
* Why everyone has the capability for genius level creativity
* Why people aren't as creative as they can and should be in iife
* How to learn and practice creative thinking skills
* How to change how you see the world and become a creative thinker
Michael Michalko (photo left)
is one of the most highly acclaimed creativity experts in the world and author of the best sellers Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity), ThinkPak (A Brainstorming Card Deck), and Cracking Creativity (The Secrets Of Creative Genius).
As an officer in the United States Army, Michael organized a team of NATO intelligence specialists and international academics in Frankfurt, Germany, to research, collect, and categorize all known inventive-thinking methods. His international team applied those methods to various NATO military, political, and social problems and in doing so it produced a variety of breakthrough ideas and creative solutions to new and old problems. After leaving the military, Michael facilitated CIA think tanks using his creative thinking techniques.
Michael later applied these creative-thinking techniques to problems in the corporate world with outstanding successes. Michael has provided keynote speeches, workshops, and seminars on fostering creative thinking for clients who range from Fortune 500 corporations, such as DuPont, Kellogg's, General Electric, Kodak, Microsoft, Exxon, General Motors, Ford, USA, AT&T, Wal-Mart, Gillette, and Hallmark, to associations and governmental agencies. In addition to his work in the United States, Michael has worked with clients in countries around the world.
Some of Michael’s creative-thinking techniques that were refined by his government and corporate practice were published in his best-seller Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity), which the Wall Street Journal reported "will change the way you think." Women In Business lauded it as "one of the most important business titles of the decade." USA said "believe it or not, this wonderful book will have you challenging the seemingly impossible every day."
Executive Book Summaries praised it by saying, "What we need is a compendium of ways to solve problems. And that’s exactly what you get in Thinkertoys." and Entrepreneur acclaimed it as "required reading for anyone in business." Success magazine awarded Thinkertoys with a Gold Medal for being "one of the best of the best business books." The medal is awarded to books that have that made a major impact on readers who say they've experienced a change -- an improvement in their lives and businesses.
He is also the author of ThinkPak (A Brainstorming Card Deck), a novel creative-thinking tool that is designed to facilitate brainstorming sessions. Michael’s book, Cracking Creativity (The Secrets Of Creative Genius), describes the common thinking strategies creative geniuses have used in the sciences, art, and industry throughout history and shows how we can apply them to become more creative in our business and personal lives.
My book review of Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work by Michael Michalko.
Listen live on Tuesday 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 internationally acclaimed creativity consultant and author of the brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work, Michael Michalko, as he describes how to resurrect your natural creative thinking abilities. Michael explains that creativity requires making connections between two or more dissimilar subjects, resulting in new ideas and concepts. Michael shares his proven techniques to put this connection skill to practical use to discover exciting new solutions to problems. Michael points out that everyone has the ability for creativity, and provides the techniques used by geniuses to develop your own genius capabilities. The methods offered by the author combine fun with real world results to boost your creativity and problem solving skills. Learn how to change your outlook and way of thinking to one where you act and behave like a creative thinker on Blog Business Success Radio.
Social bookmark this
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Creative Thinkering by Michael Michalko - Book review
Creative Thinkering
Putting Your Imagination to Work
By: Michael Michalko
Published: September 6, 2011
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 160868024X
ISBN-13: 978-1608680245
Publisher: New World Library
"Creative thinking requires the ability to generate a host of associations and connections between two or more dissimilar subjects, creating new categories and concepts. We have not been taught to process information this way", writes internationally acclaimed creativity expert Michael Michalko, in his brilliant and very hands on book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work. The author describes why people always seem to arrive at the same old answers to problems, and shares fun and mind opening practices and techniques to transform anyone into a genius level creative thinker.
Michael Michalko recognizes that people are educated to think logically and in conventional ways. For the author, that educational and societal approach works against the creative thinking process completely. The result is the same ideas are brought forward over and over again. Michael Michalko offers an alternative way of thinking, approaching problems, and looking at the world. The author points out that everyone was creative at a young age, but that innate creativity was removed through the application of firm logic and the standard structure of concepts. To restore that childhood creativity, Michael Michalko provides easy to understand and apply techniques that changes the way people see the world.
Michael Michalko (photo left) understands that conceptual blending of blending two very dissimilar subjects or ideas is one of the secrets employed by creative geniuses throughout history. The author cites the example of Leonardo Da Vinci, whose combining of seemingly random items and concepts, resulted in extraordinary new ideas and ways of thinking. Michael Michalko demonstrates that the principles of creativity, employed by Da Vinci, can be utilized by anyone to create fresh ideas and solutions to problems. Through combining opposites, adding what were previously considered crazy or absurd ideas, changing your perspective on the world, and then letting the idea incubate, breakthroughs will be the result.
Michael Michalko shares his three characteristics shared by geniuses, and offers them as principles for all would be creative thinkers to embrace. The three notable genius traits are:
* Importance of intention and how to use it to develop a creative mind-set
* Changing your thinking patterns by changing the way you speak
* How to become what you pretend to be
For me, the power of the book is how Michael Michalko demonstrates that anyone can become a creative genius and developer of new ideas. The author not only provides evidence that creativity is found in everyone, but also shares proven practices and techniques for drawing out that latent creative thinking ability. For people who mistakenly believe that they lack any sort of creativity, this book is a real eye opening experience. Not only can anyone develop the skills and habits of thought to become a genius level creator, hut the path toward that blissful state is both fun and exciting along the way.
The author brings his own proven experience and real world examples to the book, providing illustrative case studies of the principles in action. A tremendous addition to the book are the many graphics and thought experiments included in every chapter. These enhancements offer fun and challenging techniques to guide the reader toward embracing a creative world view and outlook on life. Michael Michalko also provides very extensive footnotes for each chapter to help readers further their own investigation and study of creative thinking and the creative process.
I highly recommend the creativity inspiring, treasure of a book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work by Michael Michalko, to anyone in any walk of life, who is seeking to develop their inborn creative skills. This book will transform anyone into a creative thinking, and ideas generating genius level creator of ideas and solutions.
Labels: book reviews
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Saturday, January 28, 2012
Through The Language Glass by Guy Deutscher - Book review
Through the Language Glass
Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages
By: Guy Deutscher
Published: August 30, 2011
Format: Trade Paperback, 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0312610491
ISBN-13: 978-0312610494
Publisher: Picador
"I will argue that cultural differences are reflected in language in profound ways, and that a growing body of reliable scientific research provides solid evidence that our mother tongue can affect how we think and how we perceive the world", writes former Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge and of the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Languages in the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, and honorary Research Fellow at the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures in the University of Manchester, Guy Deutscher in his fascinating and thought provoking book Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages. The author describes how the very words and grammar of a language frames the way its native speakers think and view the world, and that languages are all fundamentally different in very crucial ways.
Guy Deutscher moves linguistics out of the field of genetics and places languages firmly in the camp of culture. In the eternal argument of nature and nurture, the author lands solidly on the side of nurture and cultural influences on language. He goes one step farther, and demonstrates that the very words and structure of a language nurture different ways of thinking and looking at the world from those of other language speakers. Instead of accepting the widely held opinion that languages are subsets, and even dialects of one another, Guy Deutscher considers the different languages to be discrete and the creators of a multitude of varying worldviews.
Guy Deutscher (photo left) recognizes that there are enormous differences in culture around the world, but these are usually thought to be superficial. The author presents the alternative concept that these cultural variations are the result of the structure of the language, its choices and variations of words, and its grammar.
Guy Deutscher points out that different languages have decidedly contrasting structures and views of both time and space. For the author, these and other differences in perception carry with them radically different worldviews that are embedded at a very young age. The author utilizes the latest scientific research in neurology, and the ideas of the great philosophers, to frame his case. For the author, even how various language speakers consider colors, is a reflection of both the mirror of a language, and the lens of the language.
For me, the power of the book is how Guy Deutscher presents a compelling argument that language shapes cultures and the worldviews of its speakers. The author acknowledges that his case must overcome some serious historical baggage relating to cultures and the people of the world. At the same time, he presents language as a cultural phenomenon, and not one of genetics. The author also employs leading edge scientific studies to support his position.
Guy Deutscher writes in a very accessible and lively style that draws the reader along through a historical and global tour spanning continents and thousands of years. The author also presents his ideas in a logical format and includes illustrative and supporting examples from history, science, and philosophy. This book will challenge the reader's own perceptions of the world, and lead to further discussion and investigation of this endlessly intriguing topic.
I highly recommend the groundbreaking and landmark book Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher, to anyone seeking a serious and fresh approach to the study of linguistics, language, and cultural perception. Whether a person agrees or disagrees with the author, this book is an important and essential contribution to the fields of linguistics, language, history, human geography, and culture.
Labels: book reviews
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Friday, January 27, 2012
Field Tested by Emily King - Book review
Field Tested
Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Veterans
By: Emily King
Published; November 10, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 187 pages
ISBN-10: 0814417795
ISBN-13: 978-0814417799
Publisher: AMACOM
"Let's start with a very basic question: Why hire a veteran? Because it's good business", writes nationally recognized expert on the transition from military service to civilian employment, and founder of Military Transitions™, Emily King in her groundbreaking and very practical book Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Veterans. The author describes hiring former military personnel as going far beyond altruism or patriotism, as veterans are tremendous employees who bring valuable characteristics and experience to the workplace. The author shares insights to recruiting, hiring, and retaining veterans in organizations, and for optimizing their value to the company.
Emily King recognizes the important attributes that veterans bring to the workplace. Their notable traits include talent, a focus on achieving goals and results, dedication, and loyalty. The author points out that these characteristics are those sought in all employees, and that former service personnel bring them in abundance. Despite the obvious benefits of recruiting and hiring veterans, many companies lack the understanding of ex-service men and woman, and fail to add their talents and skills to the organization. At the same time, the former service men and women are not always aware of the real value and unique skill sets that they bring to the organization. Emily King provides a guide to bridging this gap, benefiting both the veterans and the companies who hire them.
Emily King (photo left) understands the unique strengths that former service personnel bring to the workplace. The author also understands that there are crucial cultural differences between the military and civilian workplaces. Veterans need assistance in making a successful transition to civilian employment, and employers must realize that hiring ex-service men and woman also adds diversity and a sense of inclusion to the organization.
To aid in the successful transition, Emily King shares her Military Transitions Framework™ as a guide and practical tool for facilitating a smooth transfer of skills from the service to civilian employment. The author also shares the Veteran Retention Lifecycle™ as a structure retaining veterans within an organization and assisting in their successful career development. The author also provides a self assessment kit for employers to ensure that their company and its culture are ready to add veterans to their workforce.
For me, the power of the book is how Emily King combines a strong case for hiring former service men and women, with a practical framework and strategy for the successful transition of veterans into the organization. The author asks and answers two important questions in the book. The first question is what traits, skills and knowledge that veterans must bring to the workplace to achieve success in a civilian career. The second question is how can employers better recruit, hire, and retain former service people in their organization, while developing the individual's career path. Both of these questions are answered very well and in depth in the book.
Emily King underlines the tremendous value that veterans bring to the workplace and that hiring former military men and women are a valuable and profitable addition to the company. This book provides a powerful and results oriented base, for both job seeking veterans and employers, to ease and enhance the transition for individuals from military life to civilian careers. Emily King also points out the additional diversity of ideas, background, and experience that veterans bring to any organization. The author also shares real world examples of successful transitions to illustrate her concepts at work with veterans in actual work environments.
I highly recommend the very insightful and essential book Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Veterans by Emily King, to any former military service personnel seeking to make a successful transition to civilian life; and to any employers, business owners, and hiring managers seeking highly skilled, motivated, and loyal employees. This book will encourage your company to look very seriously at hiring veterans into your organization for the crucial traits and skills they bring to the workplace. Hiring veterans is good business for everyone.
Labels: book reviews
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Thursday, January 26, 2012
Hot Leaders Cool Facilitators by Bart R. Wendell - Book review
Hot Leaders Cool Facilitators
Learning to Lead One Meeting at a Time
By: Bart R. Wendell, Ph.D.
Published: September 22, 2010
Format: Paperback, 164 pages
ISBN-10: 0984194894
ISBN-13: 978-0984194896
Publisher: Networlding Publishing
"You are a leader...and you don't like meetings. You want to like them, but you don't, and your don't know why. This book will fix that", writes master facilitator, business consultant and psychologist Bart R. Wendell, in his very hands on and engaging book Hot Leaders Cool Facilitators: Learning to Lead One Meeting at a Time. The author describes in no uncertain terms why meetings fail to achieve their desired goals, and provides practical advice to guide leaders toward facilitating successful meeting outcomes.
Bart Wendell recognizes that meetings provide a public display of leadership abilities, both good and bad, that can make or destroy a leader's career. The author considers the meeting to be a true test of a leader's skills. As a result, Bart Wendell offers the insightful advice that conducting a successful meeting goes far toward the development of an outstanding leader. Because of the nature of meetings, and why they so often fail to produce positive results, alert leadership is a necessity. People drawn into meetings bring their silos, and not solutions, along with them. Meetings include diverse participants with a wide variety of abilities and agendas.
Bart R. Wendell (photo left) understands that leaders must be able to gauge how a meeting is progressing, and time when to look for a needed breakthrough, in order too achieve a positive outcome that benefits the organization. This skill requires practice and is as much an art as a science. The author points out that leaders very often demonstrate their lack of skills when they want and need to perform their best. What Bart Wendell calls Hot leaders overheat the meeting and cause impulsive and rash responses and decisions. The author describes Cool leaders as too calming resulting in a lack of action or decision making.
To counter these three observations, Bart Wendell proposes a framework built of five leadership principles. Those five principles are as follows:
* Meetings reflect leadership ability. Great leaders run great meetings
* A leader changes through the act of running a meeting, both good and bad
* Good leaders use Hot and Cold effectively to guide the meeting
* Great leaders understand themselves; their own strengths and weaknesses
* A great leader is not afraid of uncomfortable but right decisions
For me, the power of the book is how Bart Wendell combines a deep understanding of the subtle human characteristics of meetings, with a practical guide for developing leadership skills, through running effective meetings. The author considers meetings to be the crucible in which skilled leaders forge their best qualities. For the author, this testing of leadership is both an internal struggle with oneself and one's fears, as it is an external discovery of effective leadership techniques. Bart Wendell devotes an entire chapter to each of the critical aspects of leadership in meetings, underlining both the inner journey to self realization, as well as the skills visible to those attending the meeting.
The idea that meetings, with the need to lead and guide others to a worthwhile result, forms the basis of great leadership is a good one. Understanding the many implications of this important leadership concept alone makes this book a very worthwhile read. The author's experience as a business consultant, meeting leader and facilitator, as well as a psychologist bring a unique and valuable perspective to this book that is rarely found in leadership books.
I highly recommend the insightful and leadership building book Hot Leaders Cool Facilitators: Learning to Lead One Meeting at a Time by Bert R. Wendell, Ph.D., to anyone seeking to become a better leader and to conduct more effective meetings. The author demonstrates how intertwining the concept of great leadership with running great meetings is a powerful connection. This book will change the way that you view both leadership and meeting management.
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