Sometimes, books arrive and I can't wait to read and review them.
Two management books that I'll be reviewing soon are:
The Go Point: When It’s Time To
Decide - Knowing What to Do and When to Do It by Michael Useem
Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform From Those Who Don’t by Ram Charan
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Midways Time
On the Moneyed Midways, with its collection of posts from various business and finance blogs, is up at Political Calculations.
Hollywood Novels
Joe Keenan gives his top five list of novels on what it takes to make it in Hollywood.
How Cirque du Soleil Does It
Writing in The Telegraph, Sally Williams looks behind the scene at Cirque du Soleil:
There are currently 13 different Cirque shows around the world, six so large they couldn't even fit in a tent. Visitors to Las Vegas can choose between five resident Cirque shows, including Ka, where the performers fly, and so does the stage; O, where props include 1.5 million gallons of water; and most recently, Love, based on songs by the Beatles.
At Cirque, it is not the ringmaster who is in charge, but head office in Montreal, which is run like a multinational conglomerate with separate departments for developing markets, casting, costumes and props, and talent-scouting – basically human resources. This building issues all manner of edicts, from the Cirque way of serving popcorn during the interval to the cleaning timetable for the Big Top (once a fortnight).
There are currently 13 different Cirque shows around the world, six so large they couldn't even fit in a tent. Visitors to Las Vegas can choose between five resident Cirque shows, including Ka, where the performers fly, and so does the stage; O, where props include 1.5 million gallons of water; and most recently, Love, based on songs by the Beatles.
At Cirque, it is not the ringmaster who is in charge, but head office in Montreal, which is run like a multinational conglomerate with separate departments for developing markets, casting, costumes and props, and talent-scouting – basically human resources. This building issues all manner of edicts, from the Cirque way of serving popcorn during the interval to the cleaning timetable for the Big Top (once a fortnight).
Carter and Dershowitz
To steal an old William F. Buckley Jr. line: Why does the baloney reject the grinder?
[HT: Drudge Report ]
[HT: Drudge Report ]
Friday, December 15, 2006
Novel Payback?
William Sjostrom at AtlanticBlog reports that Michael Crichton's new novel may be payback time for a certain journalist.
Success in 2007
Business 2.0 surveyed an eclectic bunch - including Craig of Craig's List - on how to succeed in 2007.
Check it out here.
Check it out here.
When HR Tilts
Attorney Boyd Byers, writing in HR Hero, on how HR managers can be tempted to “tilt”:
How can managers and HR pros go on tilt? Consider the following examples (all from real-life cases and experiences):
• Your company promotes an up-and-coming employee to become its first female senior vice president. A year later, she announces she's pregnant and misses work because of pregnancy complications. After the baby is born, she takes a six-week maternity leave. She then returns to work part-time for several weeks before deciding to become a stay-at-home mom. When the process to find a replacement begins, the company president complains about being "burned" and makes it clear he's never going to allow another woman, at least one of childbearing age, into senior management. Tilt.
• An employee hurts his back and files a workers' compensation claim. Three months later, the doctor releases him to work with minor restrictions. You can accommodate his restrictions but find an excuse to lay him off because you're steamed about his workers' comp claim or you're worried he might get hurt again and file another claim. Tilt.
• You find one of your subordinates extremely annoying. One day, you receive a report that she has engaged in misconduct, so you call her into your office. She makes a smart-aleck comment, and you blow a gasket and fire her on the spot. Tilt.
How can managers and HR pros go on tilt? Consider the following examples (all from real-life cases and experiences):
• Your company promotes an up-and-coming employee to become its first female senior vice president. A year later, she announces she's pregnant and misses work because of pregnancy complications. After the baby is born, she takes a six-week maternity leave. She then returns to work part-time for several weeks before deciding to become a stay-at-home mom. When the process to find a replacement begins, the company president complains about being "burned" and makes it clear he's never going to allow another woman, at least one of childbearing age, into senior management. Tilt.
• An employee hurts his back and files a workers' compensation claim. Three months later, the doctor releases him to work with minor restrictions. You can accommodate his restrictions but find an excuse to lay him off because you're steamed about his workers' comp claim or you're worried he might get hurt again and file another claim. Tilt.
• You find one of your subordinates extremely annoying. One day, you receive a report that she has engaged in misconduct, so you call her into your office. She makes a smart-aleck comment, and you blow a gasket and fire her on the spot. Tilt.
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