The Little Big Things, Peters, 2012
Summary:
The book is a compilation of Blogs, articles, and observations by the author. He contends that “soft is hard” meaning that relationships, courtesy, recognizing success, and demonstrating values are as important as strategic planning and execution through the traditional business model hierarchy.
The soft skills can be learned. Managers ultimately improve themselves by improving those around them.
A major theme of the book is to hire excellent employees and treat them well. Facility and organizational design should focus on employee job satisfaction. Happy employees will naturally exhibit superior performance, provide extraordinary service to customers and advance organizational goals.
Attention to detail is another theme of the book. Tasks and services should exceed expectations. This is accomplished through hard work. However, the author also notes that some tasks are best left as “good enough” so that time can be allocated to more important issues.
Story telling is one of the “little big things”. Leaders should develop their personal story and tell it often. Leaders should consider presentations, executive meetings, and interactions with employees or customers as an opportunity to tell stories. A good story is the best form of communication, connects with the audience, clarifies purpose, creates meaning, and motivates others to action.
The author contends that all of the “little big things” can be learned. Leaders can become more effective through deliberate practice of the specific skills and behaviors recommended in the book.
Comparison to Other Authors:
• McGregor’s Theory Y: managers assume that given the right conditions, employees are ambitious, self-motivated, and exercise self-control.
• #11 Get China and India on your mind. This not a call to action so much as a call to awareness. China is not a threat; it is a reality, a part of our lives vs Friedman’s The World Is Flat, which I interpreted as inevitable hostile takeover
• Primal Leadership: Learning To Lead With Emotional Intelligence, Golemen, Boyatzis, McKee:
o Great leadership works through emotions.
o Leaders manage meaning for a group.
o The resonate leader puts into words what everyone is feeling in their hearts.
o Seventy percent of how employees perceive their organization’s climate can be traced to the actions of one person: the leader.
Evaluate:
Pros: ability to skip around while reading, practical ideas easily put into action, sound advise.
Cons: I don’t like the writing style: bold, repetition, fragments. Mostly opinion and little research base.
I have many “take-aways” from the book. I’m glad I read it.
Summary:
The book is a compilation of Blogs, articles, and observations by the author. He contends that “soft is hard” meaning that relationships, courtesy, recognizing success, and demonstrating values are as important as strategic planning and execution through the traditional business model hierarchy.
The soft skills can be learned. Managers ultimately improve themselves by improving those around them.
A major theme of the book is to hire excellent employees and treat them well. Facility and organizational design should focus on employee job satisfaction. Happy employees will naturally exhibit superior performance, provide extraordinary service to customers and advance organizational goals.
Attention to detail is another theme of the book. Tasks and services should exceed expectations. This is accomplished through hard work. However, the author also notes that some tasks are best left as “good enough” so that time can be allocated to more important issues.
Story telling is one of the “little big things”. Leaders should develop their personal story and tell it often. Leaders should consider presentations, executive meetings, and interactions with employees or customers as an opportunity to tell stories. A good story is the best form of communication, connects with the audience, clarifies purpose, creates meaning, and motivates others to action.
The author contends that all of the “little big things” can be learned. Leaders can become more effective through deliberate practice of the specific skills and behaviors recommended in the book.
Comparison to Other Authors:
• McGregor’s Theory Y: managers assume that given the right conditions, employees are ambitious, self-motivated, and exercise self-control.
• #11 Get China and India on your mind. This not a call to action so much as a call to awareness. China is not a threat; it is a reality, a part of our lives vs Friedman’s The World Is Flat, which I interpreted as inevitable hostile takeover
• Primal Leadership: Learning To Lead With Emotional Intelligence, Golemen, Boyatzis, McKee:
o Great leadership works through emotions.
o Leaders manage meaning for a group.
o The resonate leader puts into words what everyone is feeling in their hearts.
o Seventy percent of how employees perceive their organization’s climate can be traced to the actions of one person: the leader.
Evaluate:
Pros: ability to skip around while reading, practical ideas easily put into action, sound advise.
Cons: I don’t like the writing style: bold, repetition, fragments. Mostly opinion and little research base.
I have many “take-aways” from the book. I’m glad I read it.
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