How Did That Happen?

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER

Title: How Did That Happen?: Holding People Accountable for Results the Positive, Principled Way

Competencies: trust, conflict management, two-way feedback, performance management, coaching, interpersonal effectiveness, empowering others

Who benefits: employees at all levels

Consultant Usage: must read for all executive coaches, counselors, should read by organizational consultants

What’s it about? Let’s begin with my disclaimer.  I have not read this book.  But I am going to recommend it anyway for two reasons.  First, the topic.  It is about accountability in the work place.  Think for a brief moment what the impact would be on business and government if everyone was really held accountable for their actions and their productivity.  I can’t even begin to imagine how different the world would look.

Here’s what the book jacket says about the topic: “The economy crashes, the government misfires, businesses fail, leaders don’t lead, managers don’t manage, and the people we count on for the results that affect our own performance don’t follow through, leaving us asking, ‘How did that happen?’”  That question deserves a book.

I am having my own personal sidebar moment here, LOL, thinking what would happen if the news media were also added to the list of those who should be held accountable.  Within days pundits would be in short supply!

Anyway, I said I had two reasons for recommending this book.  The second reason is because the authors are the same authors of one of my all time favorite business books: The Oz Principle.   I am putting together my own top 10 all-time favorites and The Oz Principle easily makes the list.  It is a book about personal accountability where How Did That Happen is more about organizational accountability.  I suspect they are very complementary.

The book was just released in August.  You still have a few weeks to be the first in your organization to get a copy, read it and then pass it around the organization with just the slightest bit of smugness.

Catch you later. 
[tags]accountability, personal accountability, organizational accountability, the oz principle, the oz factor, bill bradley, william bradley, bradley[/tags]

Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.