organizational development
Jon Katzenbach & Zia Khan on the Right Balance of Formal and Informal Organizations
How to make the formal and informal networks within an organization work together harmoniously.
August 20, 2010 / Podcast # 10-34
Jon Katzenback and Zia Khan don’t want you to have fun at work. More specifically, they don’t want you to try to have fun; often that leads to trying too hard, strained attempts at socializing, and not a lot of work getting done. The work day flies by even faster when ideas are flying in meetings, instead of icebreakers. Jon and Zia say, leave the socializing and fun to the informal networks in an organization, and they will come to it naturally. Read more…
Vineet Nayar on Achieving Success by Putting Employees First, Customers Second
How to listen to the employees and gain their trust, to make a better company.
July 9, 2010 / Podcast # 10-28
Nelson Mandella, Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. They all had something in common: the ability to inspire people and make them want to change. Vineet Nayar looks to them as an example of how to effectively manage a company, by inspiring and listening to the employees and making them the priority. That way managing people becomes less about directing them in what to do and more about motivating them to make their own decisions. Read more…
Jon Bidwell on Driving Innovation from Within
How a conservative culture gave way to radical innovation from within.
January 8, 2010 / Podcast # 10-02
When Jon Bidwell became the Chubb Group of Insurance Cos.’s first ever new chief innovation officer, his mission was to increase the speed, pace and profitability of Chubb’s products and services, involving a global network of 10,000 employees. Bidwell realized that the best way to generate innovation as quickly as possible was to tap into the company’s 10,000 employees, those who knew from first-hand experience what could make the organization work better. The conservative culture at Chubb gave way to a radical program that tapped into the company’s internal resources, generating thousands of ideas for organizational improvement. Read more…
John Hoover and Paul Gorrell on Connecting Coaching to the Organization
If an individual employee is improving through coaching, shouldn’t the organization see some results, too?
November 6, 2009 / Podcast # 09-45
Coaching has traditionally focused entirely on the individual…sometimes even at the expense of improving measurable business results for the company. The Coaching Connection (AMACOM) by John Hoover and Paul J. Gorrell shows managers how they can use contextual coaching to simultaneously promote both individual and organizational growth. The book helps readers align what individual contributors do best with what organizations need most, ensuring everyone involved their highest probability for success.
Ric Merrifield on Rethinking Cost Cutting and Boosting Innovation
A Microsoft strategist exposes what does and doesn't need attention in your organization.
July 31, 2009 / Podcast # 09-31
It’s the trap that ensnares virtually every business. We focus on process: “how” we’re doing the job. And we forget about the bigger issue: “what” we’re doing and “why” we’re doing it. That’s why we’re leaving so much value on the table.
In Rethink, business architect Ric Merrifield exposes this problem with vivid examples and introduces breakthrough techniques for overcoming it. Merrifield presents case studies ranging from ING DIRECT to Amazon.com to Procter & Gamble. These diverse companies have learned how to cut costs, strengthen innovation, and profit from change all at the same time. Read more…
