Partnership

Roger Martin has lain down business organizations in the therapist chair, but you won't notice it because the author avoids skillfully the psychological labels currently in vogue.

If you often wonder about why you end up working more than others, why some people don't understand what you clearly state or why everybody sees what is wrong in the company and they don't do anything to fix it, this book is for you. It goes to the root of the problem, explains it plainly and offers a step by step program to solve it. The book also provides a better understanding of what's behind the Enron debacle and the government agencies mishandling of security issues before, during and after September 11.

It doesn't matter if the reader is a CEO, a manager, a professional or a secretary, he or she will find familiar faces and situations; people that could be your boss, your vice-president of sales or your managing editor. Why do we have the chance to see ourselves and others in these pages? The book is simply about human nature. It deals with the underlying emotions, culture and language that make many bureaucracies what they are: an incompetent and unfulfilled mass of otherwise intelligent, good and hard working people.

Martin explains that lack of collaboration between leadership and other parties in the organization brings an unbalanced approach to responsibility. The author describes what he calls the "heroic leader", which takes more responsibility that he or she should. Conversely, the other parties react giving up responsibility. Once the leader is unable to meet the goals, he or she sits back and takes the position of the followers. Meanwhile the frustrated followers take responsibility for their part, but because they can not attain the needed broad or bold solutions, parties induce the leader to take again more responsibilities that he or she can handle, and the infectious cycle of dependency starts again.

The mysterious Responsibility Virus is nothing more than the very human fear of failure. According to Chris Argyris, cited in the book, there are "governing values" that guide the way we interpret and deal with the world. They reside so ingrained in human nature that they apply to people across ages, cultures, economic status, and educational levels. Humans-Agyris claim--will always try to win, maintain control, avoid embarrassment and stay rational in any situation. Fear of failure triggers the governing values and they make us either take more responsibility (fight) or abdicate responsibility (flight).

Martin proposes the use of some "tools" to improve collaboration (choice structuring process), eliminate the mistrust and misunderstanding (frame experiment) and to balance capability and responsibility (responsibility ladder) among the parties in the organization. All these tools have the general objective of untying the person from the situation that requires attention and put aside the biased frame of mind from which we see the problem. Once all the parties involved in decision-making have a better perspective of the issue, they are in a position to find a middle ground between capabilities and responsibility.

It is at the end of the book, redefining leadership, when Martin describes the leader as what sociologists or psychologists would call a mature personality. According to the author, a leader should be capable of splitting responsibility through dialogue, apportioning responsibilities in keeping with capabilities, but more importantly, making apportionment discussable and subject performance to public testing. Although he doesn't mention it, you have the sense that it is the leader a significant carrier of the responsibility virus and also accountable for spreading his or her fear of failure throughout the organization.

In these times of leaders finger-pointing at each other and frustrated managers turned into audacious whistle-blowers this book is a timely required reading to understand not only organizations but the world around us.

this book explores great works and the career of Richard rogers , the quality of photographs ,sketches and text really suitable for this great architect ... Recommend it highly .

Sunday, December seventh 1941, that "infamous" day, is generally regarded by historians to be a major tuning point in American History. It marked the emergence of the United States as the supreme power in the realm of word politics. On that day, Japan attacked the United States binging her into the Second World War. The events leading up to this pivotal point in American history, however, deserve much scrutiny. The second world war, taken from the American perspective, often times runs the risk of being viewed in a vacuum, marked from 1941 to 1945. The war however had been going on for some time, arguably since the Japanese had invaded china in the mid 1930's. In Europe it had been an open conflict from the time of Germany's invasion of Poland. United states involvement in the war must be viewed in this larger context in order it's true significance to be appreciated. Indeed the United States was from the outset of hostilities deeply involved in the war, just not in a direct military sense. Joseph Lash in his book Roosevelt and Churchill: the partnership that saved the west examines these years from the perspectives of the United States and Great Britain. He pays particular attention to the personal and professional relationship between the two respective leaders of the countries, who played key roles in shaping the nature of the overall conflict.

After setting up the stage, it is the conflict: between Roosevelt, American popular opinion and an ever more desperate Britain led by Churchill, between the years of 1939-1941 that the narrative centers mainly around. Written primarily through memoirs and the words of the key players: Lash depicts with growing excitement the success of Roosevelt in molding popular opinion in aiding the British. He traces with scrutiny the growing involvement of the United states in the second world war through such milestone acts as the cash and carry provision, and the lend lease act. He illustrates the tremendous willpower and resolve of Churchill's Britain in surviving the tremendous onslaught of the Axis powers in all theatres of war. The burgeoning friendship of Churchill and Roosevelt is traced till it comes to full fruition aboard the Prince of Wales in a symbolic joint Sunday service, where Churchill would remark: "the sun shone bright and warm while we all sang the old hymns which are our common inheritance" . The steps to war taken by the Japanese and forced upon the Russians are accounted for with growing uncertainty. Finally all events, movements, and personal accomplishments converge in an explosive climax with the United States entering the war after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Lash does an excellent job of putting the individual tensions, and mutual cooperation within the framework of pragmatic diplomacy. The Main characters are fist and foremost held within the confines of a harsh reality. They must adjust to circumstances as best as they can. In Churchill's case, he must try to hold his crumbling empire together while courting aid from a nation that is reluctant to give it. Roosevelt must try to do as much as he can for his friend, while having his hands tied by a reluctant populace, before he is too late. Both men struggle to work together in establishing Naval supremacy in the midst of a continuous German and rising Japanese threat. Amidst all this looms the question of what to do with the Soviet Union. .

Apparent in his work is Lash's hypothesis that the contributions of Churchill and Roosevelt were nothing less than absolutely invaluable to the favorable outcome of the war. The two leaders are endowed by Lash with an almost divine understanding of issues and forces in the world, enabling them to make the key decisions, which ensure success. Conversely the Axis leaders are depicted as mere mortals possessing both brilliance and folly. Hitler's mistakes of attacking Russia, then his unnecessary declaration of war on the United State are incidents used to illustrate this. Lash however runs a danger in this area. He never even entertains the thought of different leaders being able to fill the roles of each effectively. By neglecting to answer this question Lash slightly weakens his argument. In ignoring this leftist historical viewpoint, Lash misses a chance to greatly strengthen his stand that individual achievements were the single most decisive factor in the outcome of the war.

Despite this missed opportunity, Lash's book is a stunning work, offering an unpopular but by no means invalidated perception of history that emphasizes the value of individuals and their actions in shaping the course of human events. The book is written almost entirely utilizing the letters and direct quotes of key players to tell the story. The reader is inundated with names of generals, diplomats and political figures. Personal dramas, disputes, jealousies, friendships and the like unfold as told through the first hand accounts of these characters letters and memoirs. The effect that Lash's narrative style has on the reader comes in helping him to view the early war years as an unfolding drama, with a formidable and unique cast of characters. The Book reads like an exciting novel, in which one is drawn into the drama and uncertainty of the times. Lash's perception of history placing on emphasis individual accomplishment is greatly aided by his writing style, which like a novel lends itself to telling a story of people and the importance of their actions.

In the end Lash succeeds in writing a timeless and thorough history of the early war years. He succeeds in turning a possibly dull and dry study into a captivating story, told in effect by those who dominated it: Roosevelt and Churchill. Were the eventual outcome not listed in the annals of common knowledge Lash would have succeeded in writing a truly suspenseful novel.

This is the best book on the market about school, family, and community partnerships for use in teacher education and school administrator training! Based on decades of research, Epstein has pulled together all the pieces necessary to help educators understand the importance of partnerships, the effects of these partnerships on student outcomes, and the necessary components for building comprehensive school, family, and community partnerships in elementary, middle, and high schools, located in urban, suburban, and rural settings. The research-based framework and approaches Epstein discusses will help all educators create postive relationships and productive partnerships with families and communities, linked directly to school improvement goals. One of the strongest parts of the book is the class projects and assignments found at the end of each chapter. My only regret is that this book was not part of my required reading as a student. If increasing numbers of educators have the opportunity to read Epstein's book and then apply what they've learned, our educational system and students will benefit tremendously.

The new Soho Guide 2000 continues to be a valuable resource of information for one of Manhattan's most interesting neighborhoods. It is perfect for tourists and local New Yorkers alike. The Guide is organized in an easy-to-use layout that allows the reader to find what they need quickly. As a set decorator, I often use the guide to track down furniture and props for commercial, TV, and film projects. At the end of a long day, I thumb through the food and drink section to find a place to meet with friends, or the services section for a much needed foot massage. I have found this annual guide to be the best way to keep up with the ever-changing face of Soho. Best of all, I feel I am helping my community because a portion of the price goes to helping the homeless get back into the work force. You can't beat that!

Getting Stakeholders involved

The following review is from ISO9000 + ISO14000 News 4/1999.

The name of John Marsh should be familiar to readers of ISO 9000 + ISO 14000 News since he contributed the article in our March/April1999 issue on the ISO Technical Report 10014, Guidelines for managing the economic effects of quality. In addition to his participation within ISO/TC 176 as convenor of the working group that produced the above report, he runs TQP, an international training and consultancy company, which specializes in involving stakeholders in process improvement.

As such, he is obviously the right man in the right place at the right time, since the process approach to organizations, continual improvement and stakeholders receive considerable emphasis in the "new, improved" ISO 9000:2000 revisions currently under development (although in the standards, the term "interested parties" replaces "stakeholders", since the latter is difficult to translate into many languages).

In view of the above. John Marsh is also the author of the right book at the right lime: A Stake in Tomorrow: World Class Lessons in Business Partnerships').

From making profits by satisfying customers, more progressive businesses are moving to a new, more holistic mindset, which has no doubt been germinated by environmental issues, rising populations and scarce resources. This mindset places the organi-zation in a wider context. For what has been called elsewhere "a license to operate", it needs to take account not just of customers and shareholders - and, if they are lucky, employees - but also of its suppliers, the community, legislators, and, indeed, society as a whole.

'The big picture' For John Marsh, this recognition of stakeholders in general takes place as organizations of all types become more aware of "the big picture", under the growing influence of systems thinking.

'The challenge for organizational leaders is how to involve these diverse groups, with differing wants and needs, through the planning, delivery and review of products and services.' In this book, leaders will find many practical ideas on how to do so.

One of the main methodologies described is the application of process analysis to organizations to bring out their purpose, customers, core activity, partners and controllers. Examples are given of process analysis applied to an organization, a community, a crime prevention campaign, and the provision of a new hospital.

The author describes methods of involving stakeholders in strategic planning and in process improvement then presents various tools and techniques for specific uses.

Lastly, John Marsh brings it all together with actual examples of stakeholding drawn from both private (waste management, hotels, retailing) and public (schools, defence support, hospitals) sectors.

To sum up, A Stake in Tomorrow is a fascinating book in its own right and also provides insight into one of the strands of thought which have been inputted into the new versions of ISO 9000 currently under development.

After searching for a reference that had practical and useful applications "Successful Partnering is it. While concise, it is packed with useful tools that make partnering work and not just another theory.

This scholarly work of Henry Kissinger's reflects his powers of analysis before he developed politically, and is an observant study of NATO valuable to anyone interested in the subject.

On the original edition, the portion of the title "The Troubled Partnership" evidently appeared prominently on the cover. Book sales for this sort of work were about what one would expect, except in one small portion of the nation, where sales were remarkably robust. The publisher investigated, and found that the book had been placed not in "current events" or "history," but in the section of the store featuring books about marriage and family self-help.

I had the pleasure to meet Sandrine Tesner in NYC last May, where she told me the book will be published and we talked about international business.

As business people we have the tendency to regard the UN as an international organization involved in the "big" issues.

Sandrine makes very clear in her book on how the world is becoming together and how a truly partnership is needed. Yes, business contribution individually can be regarded very small but as is rightly pointed is a very powerful mechanism to make small contributions to a better world.

The book is direct, very well written and ilustrates the powerful instrument that the UN can, and should be.

A must to any international business people.

My friend gave me this book and I thought it was great. I liked what he said about that governments and churches cannot create wealth only distribute it and that God loves businesses that glorify him. This is a small book but full of great insights that I have not found in many popular business books today. What a great little find. I highly recommend it!