Enron with Bethany McLean

The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron with Bethany McLean

In retrospect, Enron did not conceal their dubious transactions from the investing public, but Enron’s brass didn’t go out of their way to point them out, but for anyone willing to wade through the company’s financial documents, the numbers were clear.

We are joined today by a brilliant journalist who did that work, who asked the questions others did not, and whose work would expose one of the biggest scams of all time.

We welcome the author of “The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron”, Bethany McLean

Image of Rabbits Looking at Map of Carrots

Designing Ditches Is Not Digging Ditches: The Map is Not the Territory

The map is not the territory means that the description of something is not the reality of that something. The model is not reality, or in the context of this Thursday Thought, when a group of consultants who know very little about your organization design a strategy, it does not mean that strategy will succeed. In fact, because they do not know the inner workings of not only your industry, or the realities of the territory of your organization, coupled with the reality that they often do not include key people in designing the map, many consultants design bum maps. Is it any wonder that 75% of transformational efforts fail? (I always believe it is more because some organizations will not admit such failure)

Image of John Kotter

Change with John Kotter

Incremental improvement is no longer sufficient in helping organizations navigate the complexity, uncertainty, and volatility of today’s world.  Our guest today explores how to create non-linear, dramatic change in organizations. He explores the emerging science of change that teaches us about how to build organizations – from businesses to governments – that change and adapt rapidly.   It is great pleasure to welcome the author of “Change: How Organizations Achieve Hard-to-Imagine Results in Uncertain and Volatile Times”, John Kotter.

More about John: https://www.kotterinc.com

 

Getting Things Done with David Allen

Getting Things Done with David Allen

Our guest is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on personal and organizational productivity. Time Magazine called today’s book, “the definitive business self-help book of the decade.”

We welcome the international best-selling author of “Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress-Free Productivity”, David Allen

The PenPals of Innovation: No Facts only Interpretations

When a group collaborates, empathy is often assumed to be present, but it is rarely the case. I believe it is a good idea for the group to highlight the need for empathy so that all voices are heard and the room is not dominated by the extraverts or the HiPPO: Highest Paid Person’s Opinion. In addition, when we consider where each person is “coming from” (empathy) and when we agree on ways of working, we are less likely to hold back on our suggestions or withhold beneficial critique.

Anne Janzer Writing

Writing to Be Understood with Anne Janzer

Whether you’re an expert trying to communicate with a mainstream audience or a nonfiction writer hoping to reach more people, Anne Janzer offers us the insight we need to reach more people with your words.

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