Sunday, February 7, 2016

If it ain't broke, you must have fixed it

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Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual

One of the perks of running the NYDLA.org is receiving advance copies of really cool books.


I stumbled across David Burkus during our recent winter storm Jonas (Snowzilla) which gave me an excuse to get caught up on my reading (and listening) to podcasts and books. Like finding a secret room full of hidden treasures, I discovered David’s archive of podcasts.


I used the storm as ground cover to explain to my wife why I listened to dozens of podcasts in a matter of days. David’s podcast archive is like a Hall of Fame of thought leaders and brilliant minds from the world of business and leadership.


I’m all about remote work, distance learning, technology based learning systems (TBLS) and the future of work. When you visit www.DavidBurkus.com the first thing that you see is the question: How Can I Help You?  


Oh let me count the ways…...


In his new book, David explores:


  • Do open-floor plans really work – or do they make employees miserable?
  • Are there companies which really put their employees’ welfare first, and their clients second?  
  • Are annual performance reviews really necessary?


Dr. David Burkus is a highly regarded and increasingly influential business school professor who challenges many of the long-established principles of business management. Drawing on decades of research, David has found that not only are many of our fundamental management practices wrong and misguided, but they can be downright counter-productive.


Today, the best companies around the world are breaking the old rules. At Volkswagen, email is now restricted to certain hours, so that employees can work without distraction. Netflix no longer has a standard vacation policy of 2-3 weeks, but instructs employees to take off as much time as they feel they need. At Morningstar Farms, there are no managers at all - the employees govern themselves. At Zappos, new employees are given the option to quit and get paid for it.


Under New Management reveals how companies leave behind decades-old management practices and implement new ways to enhance productivity and morale. This new book challenges the traditional and widely accepted principles of business management — and proves that they are outdated, outmoded, or simply don’t work.


*******


We live in the world of distance learning, TED.com and ebooks. We live in the world of global collaboration, telemedicine and “the cloud”. I just learned that for the first time, you can go to a local cinema and watch the opening session of the legendary TED Conference on the big screen.


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After listening to my marathon of Snowzilla enabled podcasts, I connected with David via LinkedIn, and mentioned how we know many of the same people from the world of business and higher education.


Next thing you know, I am reading an advanced copy of his new book. And now, after being blown away by his newest best selling book (trust me) I am knocking out this blog before heading off to our Super Bowl party. I hope that David approves.


Don’t wait for the next Snowzilla. Go checkout www.DavidBurkus.com and make sure you read his new book once it comes out next month.


David’s websites says: How can I help you?


Leaders are Teachers.


I think his website should be updated to: How can I help you to help yourself?

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