Most Recent Articles
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Blog / ChangeThis
How to Make Change Stick: Kill the Company
By Lisa Bodell
"A decade into the 21st century, one thing has become clear: change is the new normal. In business, we call it innovation, and it's a strategic pillar in nearly every organization. Thanks to a growing body of research and thought leadership in recent years, we're learning a great deal about the individual skill sets behind innovation, and the organizational strategies that create disruptive growth. Yet in companies around the world, well-intentioned innovation initiatives crash and burn, despite a wealth of great ideas, copious research, and well-designed strategies. Why? Innovation is not just about data analysis, plans and processes, and thinking outside the box. More than anything else, innovation is about change. And the truth is that as much as we'd all like to think otherwise, we are all hardwired to resist it."
Categories: changethis
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Blog / ChangeThis
Why Companies Must Reduce Complexity
By Neil Smith
"Done right, a good change process focuses on reducing complexity, which will automatically bring about greater efficiency and profitability and lead to lasting improvements. Too often companies look at reducing expenses without even thinking about reducing complexity. These types of programs to increase profitability may be successful in the short term, but unless you look at how things get done, change won't be sustainable."
Categories: changethis
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Blog / ChangeThis
Selling, Art or Science?
By Jim Holden
"Having been in the sales training business for more than 30 years, we have seen all manner of sellers; strong performers, average sellers, and those who just don't make the grade. But behind all of this has always been the debate as to whether sales is an art or a science, almost to suggest that for some, sellers are born and not made. The intent of this manifesto is to apply unconventional thinking to the question of art or science, not only resolving the issue, but also putting forth the significance of the answer from both a seller and supplier company perspective"
Categories: changethis
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Blog / Staff Picks
Tubes
Book Review by 800-CEO-READ
"They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the Internet. And again, the Internet is not something that you just dump something on. It's not a big truck.
Categories: staff-picks
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Blog / Excerpts
Stolen!, an Excerpt from Digital Wars
By 800-CEO-READ
Reading JP Mangalindan's recent story about how the browser wars are back in Fortune reminded me of a great book by Charles Arthur that Kogan Page put out in late April. Arthur is The Guardian's technology editor, and the book is Digital Wars: Apple, Google, Microsoft, and the Battle for the Internet. It's a fascinating history, well told and concisely written.
Categories: excerpts
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Blog / News & Opinion
The Strategist
By 800-CEO-READ
Strategy is a common topic in business. From business schools to books to boardrooms, the 'how' of strategy is often discussed. But Cynthia Montgomery's new book, The Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs takes a different approach: Strategy in terms of who does it.
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
The FT/Goldman Sachs Book Award, Now Accepting Submissions
By 800-CEO-READ
The search is now on for the 2012 Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year. From the official announcement: This annual Award, promoted by the Financial Times Limited and the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. aims to identify the book that provides the most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues, including management, finance and economics.
Categories: news-opinion, publishing-industry
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Blog / News & Opinion
The $100 Startup
By 800-CEO-READ
Chris Guillebeau was in Milwaukee last night as part of his $100 Startup tour. The full room of people who traveled from as far as Chicago got exactly what they hoped for: Hearing Chris share some of the most interesting stories from the book, a discussion of idea navigation, free copies of his book, and personalized signing by Chris. What they also got was a great space, cupcakes, Milwaukee Beer, and pizza arranged by the great folks at Translator.
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / Staff Picks
KnowledgeBlocks
Book Review by 800-CEO-READ
We're very pleased to announce the official opening of KnowledgeBlocks, a subscription-based service and online resource that gives readers access to quality content and business resources, a way to save, organize, and customize the information that is important to them, and engages business authors and thought leaders to help solve business problems and build new knowledge. Among the key features of the site, subscribers have access to the following: Explorations: Every month we publish three business book explorations that examine a narrow subject within a broader business topic. Each begins with a featured book and then branches out in unexpected directions, introducing you to author insights via podcast or interview, other related must-reads, curated links, and brief analyses that will help you build your business knowledge.
Categories: staff-picks, narrative-biography, publishing-industry, the-company
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Blog / News & Opinion
The Finch Effect
By 800-CEO-READ
Charles Darwin once noticed that finches adapted their beak structures over a few generations to deal with changes in their environment. These adaptations were essential for the birds to survive. They weren't quick fixes, but necessary ones, which helped them find new food sources while other species slowly died off.
Categories: news-opinion