Management Craft

Top 5 Ways to Innovate

There's a great video on the Fast Company website of Jeremy Gutsche from Trendhunter.com talking about his top five ways to innovate during times of change and chaos (which is all the time, right?).  He advocates for getting rid of the walls that separate people and ideas and checking out other industries.  Watch him discuss his full list here. Love the Peter Drucker quote.

Fireside Chat with John Kay - Obliquity #bizbooks

Are you a fox or a hedgehog? Check out this podcast!

During this 24 minute podcast, I chat with John Kay, author of Obliquity: Why Our Goals are Best Achieved Indirectly. For those of you who manage others, set goals, create stratgy, and/or strive to build a great workplace and life, this podcast and book is for you. John, who is a well-regarded economist and has taught at institutions such as Oxford and the London School of Econimics, brings the idea of obliquity - an indirect and adaptive approach - to many aspects of life in his book (it is not a book about economics). Listen and learn why John is a critic of reengineering practices, why the most profitable companies are not the most profit oriented, and why the happiest peopple are not those who puruse happiness.

You can listen to my podcast with the John Kay by clicking here.

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog. You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name or Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat with Craig and Patricia Neal - The Art of Convening

How can you help move your business conversations from being transactional to relational and transformational? Check out this podcast!

During this 21 minute podcast, I chat with Craig and Patricia Neal, coauthors of a very cool new book called, The Art of Convening: Authentic Engagement in Meetings, Gatherings, and Conversations. The idea at the root of this book is compelling and useful - if you engage others in conversations and gatherings, who you are, how you prepare and how you show up matters a great deal. I have not done a podcast for a while, but reached out to Craig and Patricia when I saw what this book is about.

We spend so much of our time in meetings and yet these hours often feel frittered away and lost. Let's change this!

One of my favorite things is a great conversation, and this is why I called this podcast series the "Fireside Chat," which I realize is not a unique name. For those of you who are newer Management Craft readers, you might not know that I commissioned artist Jon Conkey to create the above painting just for this collection of conversations. The light on their faces reflecting from the fire is a metaphor for how connection makes us feel - warm and lit up! I have the original framed painting sitting across from my desk and appreciate it every day. As humans, energizing and catalytic dialogue is one of the most complex and prescious resources we have.

Our work will pale to its potential if meetings are merely exchanges of information.

You can listen to my podcast with the Craig and Patricia by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog. You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name or Fireside Chat.

Management Simplicity - @wallybock podcast

Check out this short online podcast (the Small Business Advocate) featuring fellow management blogger and author Wally Bock. I like what Wally says about management as being simpler than many people make it out to be.

To be clear, I have been known to say and that management is the toughest job. It is also the best job for those who want to help people succeed. I stand by this. But it is also simple. Huh?

Management is a tough job, but it is also straighforward (except the people part, who add complexity), but the point is, if I don't completely botch it, that there are a few things that great supervisors and managers do consistently and more than lousy managers do. The 80/20 rule applies. Listen and apply.

Living Today, Not In Order To... @unmarketing

My pal Phil Gerbyshak linked to this great talk from Scott Stratten (from TEDxOakville). Check it out.

If you, like so many, are spending too much time buzzing around and not eough time being present and enjoying today, you should watch this. It is a reat talk.

Fireside Chat with Francois Gossieaux @fgossieaux Hyper-Social Organizations

How is social media tapping into primal human needs and how ought this change how we lead and manage? Check out this podcast!

During this 30 minute podcast, I chat with Francois Gossieaux, coauthor of a very cool new book called, The Hyper-Social Organization. I get a ton of free books from publishers and never get around to most of them. But when I saw this one, I contacted Francois post haste. Check out what he means by the following quote:

"After reading this book, you will better understand the impact of Hyper-Sociality on your human capital needs and your organization chart, and grasp the management skills that you will have to develop."

Indeed, this is not a podcast for just tech fans - all managers listen up! The book is born from the Tribalization of Business study and has tons of great examples. I think every manager, leader, project manager, and entrepreneur should both check out the book and apply its ideas to become better influencers, leaders, and partners.

You can listen to my podcast with the Francois by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog. You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name or Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat with @EllenFWeber - Brains and Breakthroughs

Would you like to learn how to use your brain's natural functions to help generate progress and a breakthrough? Check out this podcast!

During this 25 minute podcast, I chat with Dr. Ellen Weber, author of several books and the amazing Brain Leaders and Learners Blog. Ellen is the President of the MITA International Brain Center and is an expert on all things BRAIN and how to apply brain science to improve our lives. I have been following Ellen's work for years and we recorded a podcast several years ago that ended up never getting posted due to technical problems.

If you are a regular reader of mine, you know that I am passionate about helping people generate breakthroughs in results. During this podcast, we bring these two topics together to discuss easy and practical ways (easy but DEEP and PROFOUNDLY transformative) we can generate more breakthroughs and progress and put the amazing power of our brains and our body's electrical circuitry to work for us. I think you will really enjoy it. After the podcast, Ellen and I had a wonderful conversation where she recommended the following book, The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doige.

You can listen to my podcast with the Dr. Ellen Weber by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog.You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat with Mark Levy @levyinnovation

Would you like to learn a simple way to unlock your best thinking? Check out this podcast!

During this 33 minute podcast, I chat with Mark Levy, author of Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content.  You are going to want to listen to this podcast and then give Mark's suggestions a try. I always enjoy the podcast conversations I have with folks, but this is the first time, in a long time, that I felt intellectually "buzzed" after recording the podcast (and the post-cast conversation). I am working on a new concept for my next book and Mark gave me some great ideas for ways I can tap into my creativity.  I have been using several of the techniques Mark reviews in the book and, by golly, they are really helpful. Open up that beautiful brain and see what's inside!

Check out Mark's blog here. And if you live in or near NYC, plan on attending Mark's book launch party this coming Wednesday. Information here.

You can listen to my podcast with the Mark Levy by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog.You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Fireside Chat with Steve Farber - #Leadership Love

Leaders who express LOVE win. Why? Check out this podcast!

During this 23 minute podcast, I chat with Steve Farber, author of Greater Than Yourself. Steve and I were both at SOBCON and Steve's talk about leadership mentioned the L-word more than once. And since I mention the L-world when I talk to leaders and managers, I thought I would ring Steve up and do a podcast about Leadership LOVE. Does this topic sound uncomfortable? Are you sharing enough leadership love? Should HR leaders boycott this recording? Listen to the podcast and find out.

You can listen to my podcast with the Steve Farber by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

In case you are wondering (because I have not put up a podcast in a while), I will be offering podcasts on an irregular and periodic basis. To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Agile Planning Podcast from Johnnie Moore

My pal David Zinger alerted me to this podcast episode from smart blogger Johnnie Moore on the topic of Agile Planning. Check it out here. I have always enjoyed Johnnie's way of thinking (and his guests are equally provocative).

A couple of years ago, I did a podcast with Johnnie on the topic of inviting a challenge. Check it out here!