The Power of Minds at Work:

This is a powerful book and I will make some significant changes to the way I manage people in my company because of it. Of the 7 categories of Organizational Intelligence he covers Performance Pressure is the one where I fall down, oddly, because its the one I care about the most. But his comments about managers being afraid to manage people hit home. I have to create a more supportive environment for all the people in the company, not just a few.

Aside from that, though, his perspective on past management trends and fads was really valuable, because it includes advice on what works and what needs to be avoided, including the consultants who tend to promote a particular prescription regardless of the diagnosis. We've used consultants quite a bit, and although I think we're better for it, we spent a lot of money on a prescription that was probably over the top for our level of development, but it will stand us in good stead going forward so I don't regret it.

One of his many pearls of wisdom was: don't make big changes unnecessarily. You don't have a successful program for change unless people perceive it as a real need. It seems basic, but some people think that just shaking things up is good for people. It isn't.

If you have an entrepreneurial bent or you would like to work within your own company to make it better, this is a great place to start.