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Jack Covert Selects - The 10 Lenses

The 10 Lenses: Your Guide to Living & Working in a Multicultural World by Mark A. Williams, Capital Books Inc., 240 Pages, $14.95 Paperback, October 2001, ISBN 1892123592

Right or wrong, stereotypes exist. Because humans tend to compartmentalize the world around them to better understand that world, stereotypes work as guidelines to interpret difference. We often help sustain the life of invalid stereotypes, intentionally or unintentionally, simply by not challenging them. Such categorization is often, if not always, dangerously shortsighted, and racial and cultural stereotypes are perhaps the most egregious. While stereotypes may serve as relational guideposts, they inhibit individualism, denying that which is “central to [another’s] personal and public identity.” We, as a society, better than ever understand that we do not know someone simply by his or her skin color. Prominent African American figures with such diverse ideologies as Colin Powell and Louis Farrakhan show us that more than race should inform how we perceive these men, and how we believe they perceive the world.

In The 10 Lenses, Mark A. Williams suggests a better way to organize our world than to rely on stereotypes as our guide. Supported by twenty years of research and with data collected from The Gallup Organization and Harvard Medical School, Williams concludes that we perceive the world though “lenses” which “exist as modes of thought, feeling, and behavior in the general population”. Williams delineates these 10 lenses, found imbedded within such already established overarching categories as race and culture, giving us the opportunity to dissect our own perception of the world as a first step. Then, applying the 10 lenses outwardly, “we can get along with people better when we learn to understand their modes for perceiving other people.”

The 10 lenses range from Elitist to Integrationist, from Seclusionist to Multiculturalist. A classic workbook, The 10 Lenses is laid out by first giving a short description of each lens and providing a short test which can help you determine through which lenses you view the world. Then comes the real meat of the book. Each lens has a full description, running ten to twenty pages long, and within those pages you will meet that lens’ archetype, read the general profile and strengths and weaknesses of that lens, and its history. Then, Williams coaches us on how to best work, mentor or coach that lens type, and how they fit into organizational systems. The book is part of a complete package of services to support the training, understanding and communicating of a culturally diverse workplace and world.

I believe that race and cultural diversity issues will be with us until we are able to understand and educate ourselves against stereotypes and discriminating behaviors and systems. This is the first book that I have seen that embraces the complexities of this issue. The only contention I have with the book is that it concentrates solely on race, culture, nationality, and ethnicity, though Williams acknowledges this and believes the lens concept can be applied to other difference issues, including gender, class, age, sexual orientation and religion. This book is a perfect example of why I started “Jack Covert Selects”: the publisher is small, but the subject and writing isn’t. Buy it and become a better person.

Jack Covert Selects - Making Sense of Strategy

Making Sense of Strategy by Tony Manning, AMACOM, 98 Pages, $19.95, Hardcover, April 2002, ISBN 0814471560

Strategy made simple, this is. Tony Manning presents his 10 principles to us right off the bat, before the table of contents, before the introduction. An example? “If you don’t make a difference, you don’t matter.” Another? “You can’t make a difference to everyone.” And finally? “….Your message must be compelling, simple, clear, and believeable, or you won’t sell it. It must also be complex and challenging, or no one will buy it. And it must be repeated with relentless consistency.” As if 98 pages isn’t brief enough, Manning highlights the most important messages in each chapter, and adds some additional separate-from-the text declarations when he really wants to make a point.

Perhaps the most hands-on section of the book is Chapter 3’s “Design Your Business Model.” Manning presents us with the 7P’s, “the substance of your value proposition”. PURPOSE is the center and from it these others extend: philosophies, positioning, partners, processes, people & products. Then, he enumerates 7 questions you must ask of your company. For example: “What is your business purpose?”; “What products do you sell”; “What kind of people do you hire?” and so on. This is a very helpful tool for understanding your business and how to plan your strategy. Manning also offers us ways to create the conversation needed to buoy up your strategic theory.

Manning makes it clear that strategy is only half the battle, and, in such a volatile business climate, is often obsolete before it ever really gets off the ground. The danger is to over-strategize, and under-act. The real importance of strategy lies in its implementation and buoyancy. How to keep your strategy fresh and in the forefront? Manning stresses conversation above all in the creation, implementation and continued success of strategy. He asserts that it is conversation that stimulates ideas, enforces processes, stresses themes and helps move theory into practice. He writes: “When people don’t talk about the right things – and don’t talk about them constantly, creatively, and constructively—things quickly come unglued.” In other words, strategy isn’t just for the top brass; instead strategy must be shared with the employees so as to create company-wide action, because it is the implementation of strategy that is difficult. This kind of communication aids spirit, another essential key to strategy. Your employees must be committed and enthusiastic, 100% behind the success of the company’s strategy.

Chapter 4, Conclusion, contains a fine review of each of Manning’s main points, and finishes up with 20 strategy questions you can use to clear your strategic thinking. This books strength really relies on its “hands-on” approach and its brevity, neither of which most strategic theory books offer, and that’s why I’m recommending it here. Is this book the “antidote for all your strategic theory woes” as Manning declares in his introduction? Well, as Manning rightly reminds us, being armed with the right questions, and then having the right conversations is your best first step.

Jack Covert Selects - A Ghost's Memoir

A Ghost’s Memoir: The Making of Alfred P. Sloan’s My Years with General Motors; by John MacDonald, MIT Press; 147 pages; $24.95, Hardcover, May 2002, ISBN 0262134101

I have struggled with my decision to include A Ghost’s Memoir on this month’s list. Don’t misunderstand me. It has all the merits of a great business book: not only did the publisher create a striking cover, an informative dust jacket, and notable quotes, but the content is timely, well-written, easy-to-understand, and, well, interesting. So why the struggle? Well, this is a book about a business book, or perhaps more accurately, it is a story about the writing of a business book. Is this biography? History? Can this book provide you, the reader, with real applicable value to add to your business knowledge pantry? The dust jacket suggests that we can satisfy this question by seeing this as a strategy book. Strategy as a part of Sloan’s story, as a part of GM’s attempt to suppress the publication of the book, and strategy via McDonald’s fight against the massive corporation that is GM. But ultimately, I suppose it doesn’t matter. A good book is a good book, and this is one very good book.

First, a little background. In 1964, the autobiographical business book, -- one of the most influential of all time--, “My Years with General Motors”, by Alfred Sloan, and ghostwritten by John McDonald, was published. Despite its basis in autobiography, My Years became a best-selling management book that is still read with interest today. So, why did John McDonald write a book about the creation of My Years? Well, because it almost didn’t make it to the shelves and the public was almost denied its insight. Following one of the most volatile times among the leading car manufacturing companies, General Motors had surpassed its market rivals and was being investigated as a potential monopoly due to its incestuous relationship with DuPont. Because the US Government was investigating GM, the company’s powers-that-be (of which Sloan was really no longer one of) tried to suppress it fearing that some of the material could be used in an antitrust action against the company. So, what we end up with is a fascinating story of MacDonald and Sloan’s partnership in writing the original text, as well as MacDonald’s struggle, in the face of having lost almost 5 years of his professional life (and compensation) to the writing of this book, to get the book published after Sloan bends to the will of GM and McDonald is forced to file suit against GM to get the book published. Ultimately, GM’s problem with the initial draft of My Years lay in the chapter about Sloan’s “Product Policy of 1921” which includes such incriminating statements as: “A monopoly is not planned.” and describes GM’s intent to start “covering the market in price classes” thus driving out the competitors. After some revision on both parties, the book is published in ’64 (as opposed to its intended publishing date of ’59) by Doubleday.

A Ghost’s Memoir is an entertaining read that really sets you in the 1960’s and engrosses you in its details and tension. While it is not quite time for a “beach read”, this is one you can pick up on the weekend, read in a few hours, and not only feel like you’ve utilized your time well reading a quality bizbook, but also that you have been relaxed by a good story.

Jack Covert Selects - Breaking the Pattern

Breaking the Pattern: The 5 Principles You Need To Remodel Your Life; by Charles Stuart Platkin; Red Mill Press; 271 pages; $24.95; Hardcover, ISBN 0971150303

Nature vs Nurture: the age-old argument regarding the origins of human behavior, dysfunctions, and successes. Here, Platkin has researched this argument trying to find out if you can truly “remodel” your life, or if you are simply destined to repeat destructive or simply unproductive patterns. Platkin is an advocate of Nurture over Nature, well, maybe Knowledge over Nature, or Persistence over Nature. Yes, he agrees that nature plays some part of who we are, however, he believes people are able, with much reflection, awareness, planning and goal-setting, to defy nature and release ourselves from our patterns. What is refreshing about Platkin’s approach is that he is aware that some of his advice may be corny, but that to benefit from this book, we, as readers, need to embrace “the “Corniness Factor.” I can appreciate such candor and liked the book all the more for its author’s practicality.

Platkin’s first instruction for us is to identify our patterns, and learn to stop blaming others for our pitfalls and misfortune. In other words, take some responsibility. To do this, not only do you need to be wholeheartedly behind your change efforts, but you also need to be willing to reflect on some negative aspects of your life. One of the ideas I found wise was “Morning Pages.” Essentially, just take some time first thing in the morning to write your thoughts down. About 3 pages, and completely without structure, write about having forgotten to go to the grocery store, how much you are bugged by one of your coworkers, how you wished you’d said something at the meeting yesterday but you’d held your tongue, and how you wish spring would come soon. The benefit is that you get the ‘worry’ out of your head, onto paper, and validated so that you are better able to go into the day with a clear view and more optimism. Good advice!

The book is separated into 5 progressive sections: Patterns; Failure; Responsibility; Goals; & Achievement. Platkin includes a discussion of each section’s theme and facets, and then provides four or five exercises to elucidate our patterns and determine how we should break them. What makes this book so enjoyable is Platkin’s anecdotal approach. In the Failure section, he provides “A Who’s Who of Failure” which includes juicy disasters about some of the most notable “success stories” in history: Abe Lincoln, who was pretty much beat down by life until his presidency; Dr. Seuss, who met a brick wall when trying to publish his first book; and even Michael Jordan, who (as we witness even now) has, despite his amazing successes, taken a lot of risks and weathered a number of failed attempts. Throughout the book, Platkin uses these brief stories about people who we would view as great successes to show us that persistence is really the key. One of my favorites is a story about James Earl Jones found in a section within “Responsibility”, subtitled “Play the Cards You’re Dealt”. Throughout his childhood, Jones had a serious stutter. (Yup, that James Earl Jones, that famous voice). One day, in school, he was accused of having plagiarized a poem and was challenged by his teacher to read the poem aloud. He was so angry about the accusation that he rose to the challenge and read the poem clearly, with no stutter, learning from this that he could recite the written word, and eventually he used this knowledge to overcome his stutter. It’s these kinds of stories that lift “Breaking the Pattern” above the usual self-help dreck – that, and the fact that Platkin’s exercises really are do-able (he is, after all, asking for a remodel, not a tear-down and rebuild) and applicable to all elements of your life at work and at home.

Jack Covert Selects - The Impossible Just Takes a Little Longer

The Impossible Just Takes A Little Longer: Living with Purpose and Passion by Art Berg, William Morrow, 200 Pages, $25.95 Hardcover, February 2002, ISBN 0060199903

I generally have a hard time with reading and reviewing “self-help” or motivational books because many of the books in that category seem to be too simplistic. So, with a healthy dose of skepticism, I dug into this book, in large part because I was engaged by the subtitle. Who doesn’t want to be passionate about life? Well-told, heart-felt, and realistic, this book turned out to be well worth my time. The author, Art Berg, had a horrific car accident that left him a quadriplegic. Prior to the accident, he had led a vital active life and was in top physical shape, but after, the doctors told him he would never walk, hold a job, or have children. Talk about a monumental challenge! This book is not just a story of one man’s happiness; it is a reflection on what happiness means. Let me repeat that: This book is not just a story of one man’s happiness; it is a reflection on what happiness means. The author doesn’t tell you what your hopes should be, instead he uses great stories to help us find these hopes for ourselves.

This book consists of 20 chapters, each with a ‘strategy’ offered right below the chapter title. For example, the strategy for the chapter, Courageous People Are Not Afraid is: “Instead of hiding from your fears, embrace them.” Instinctively, I reacted negatively to this chapter title, thinking, ‘who’s afraid? I’m not afraid. This isn’t a chapter for me”, but Berg predicts this reaction and heads my negativity off at the pass:
“After reading this chapter title, you’re probably saying. ‘Sorry Art, This isn’t me. I’m hardly someone who is afraid. And I’m certainly not scared of change. Otherwise, why would I have bought this book?’. Well, it’s easy to read a book. It’s hard to make real change. And the reason it’s hard to make change is because you’re full of fear. I’m not exaggerating…”
The Impossible Just Takes a Little Longer is a book that can help us all lead—with purpose and passion— the life we really want to lead.

Jack Covert Selects - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Pat Lencioni, Jossey Bass Publishers, 220 Pages, $22.00 Hardcover, March 2002, ISBN 0787960756

Pat Lencioni is the president of a management consulting company in San Francisco and has written two very successful books on leadership. Lencioni excels at using the business fable, a genre I expect can be traced back to Eli Goldratt and The Goal. I have read (or attempted to read) many business fables that have a composite CEO trying to turn around a metaphorical company. One of the biggest problems I sometimes have with this genre is that the author is too distracted by “the moral of the story” to concentrate on actually telling a good story and creating memorable characters. The characters in this book ring true, are completely recognizable, and fully-realized. The book itself is well-written, and, I believe,ranks with the best of the genre.

It is the story of a person hired by the board of directors to come in and fix a young company. The crux of the company’s problem is well-articulated in this passage spoken by the new CEO:

“We have a more experienced and talented executive team than any of our competitors. We have more cash than they do. We have better core technology. And we have a more powerful board of directors. Yet in spite of all that, we are behind two of our competitors in terms of revenue and customer growth. How can we fix that?”

The answer? Teamwork. And the book uses a great tool, “The Model”, to show how this transformation is accomplished. To support the fable’s lessons, Lencioni uses a section for an overview of the model, another for a team assessment, and one that deals with understanding and overcoming five dysfunctions of a problem company. This book works for the CEO, the supervisor, or the small businessperson. We all need knowledge on building and using teams.

Jack Covert Selects - The Elephant and the Flea

The Elephant and the Flea: Reflections of a Reluctant Capitalist by Charles Handy, Harvard Business School Press, 225 Pages, $24.95 Hardcover, February 2002, ISBN 1578518229

I must start this review with a confession. In my world, Charles Handy is a god, so if you sense some hero worship in this review, I do not apologize. About three years ago, BusinessWeek asked me to provide a list of the best business books of all time. You can see that list by clicking http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/books/index.htm and scroll down until you find my name. You will see that #1 on my list is Handy’s book The Age of Unreason. That book is one of the few business books I have read more than once. This will be another.

Handy worked for one of the ultimate “elephants” (behemoth organization), Royal Dutch/Shell when he started his career. He then went to the London Business School as a professor and then on to the chairmanship of the Royal Society of Arts. Charles Handy is now seventy years old, having “retired” in 1981 to “go portfolio” (become a “flea”, or independent consultant), as he called it.

An inspiring personal memoir, I will let Handy himself tell you what the book is about, and in the process of doing that, you’ll get a feeling for his style and substance:

“…It is, if I am honest, a mixture of memories and prejudices, although I would prefer to call them ideas and beliefs. They are lessons of my life, because I think that you only truly learn by living—and then reflecting on the living. It doesn’t mean that all the lessons are correct, of course, but taken together they have become my credo, my way of looking at the different worlds that I have mixed with, my hopes and fears for our futures, and my philosophy of life. I am conscious, however, that in trying to draw lessons from my own life I am inviting comments such as ‘it was easy for you’ or ‘would that we were all so lucky’ or ‘it’s all very well for some, but not for most of us’. It has not felt easy, and still doesn’t, but of course I did start with what some would call the advantage of a privileged education and, most crucially, I married an unusual woman whose fierce belief that we can and should shape our own lives gave me the courage to be a flea when I could easily have settled for a quiet career and early retirement and, no doubt, an early death after a boring life. Most people, anyway, would not envy me my current life of writing and speaking. It can be both lonely and frightening. Don’t take my example literally, therefore, but regard this book as an encouragement to write your own script for a part in the very different world that lies ahead of us.”

The book goes on to explore his ideas and beliefs, and I am (as you will be) a better person for the time I spent with this book from this great man.