Books

• Turning Complaints Into Culture Change
• The Convergence of Customer and Employee Experience
• The ROI of People

Turning Complaints Into Culture Change

In “How to Create a ‘No Complaining’ Organizational Culture…And Why it Will Be Good for Everyone,” author Scott Maurer provides what he says is a practical system that everyone in all levels of and organization can follow to pursue healthy sustainable culture change.  Mauer is founder of Remedium Solutions, a culture advisory service. His approach focuses on teaching employees to recognize that frequent complaining among employees is a signal for the need for immediate culture change. The author argues that when complaining is addressed proactively, organizations can enjoy an increase in productivity, creativity, problem solving, employee health, morale, retention, engagement, and more. The book offers advice on how to focus on problem-solving, hold productive conversations to reduce tension, better understand relationship dynamics; streamline and align communications; improve self-awareness and emotional health, and establish formal or informal peer support structures to create a sense of purpose, loyalty, and employee well-being.

The Convergence of Customer and Employee Experience 

The new book, “In the Center of Experience: The Blueprint for Creating an Experience-Led Enterprise,” asserts that business is at an “inflection point in the relationship between brands and their audiences, where customers and employees are demanding better and more valuable experiences.” Author Greg Kihlstrom, President and Chief Experience Officer at Cravety, an agency focusing on employee and customer experience, says that “companies must keep up with this demand in order to remain competitive.” This, he says, includes competition for both customers as well as employees. He believes that organizations that start the customer experience process internally have the greatest potential to achieve long-term benefits.

The ROI of People

Dave Bookbinder, Senior Director of CFGI, a financial advisory company, argues for more focus on the value of human capital in business valuations. In his book, “The New ROI: Return on Individuals,” he points out that while many executives say that people are their organizations’ No. 1 assets, he believes that when it comes to valuations, most organizations put more value on patents and trademarks than on people. The book explores ways to put more quantifiable value on the value of human capital. This includes strategies to promote greater workforce value by creating “difference makers,” increasing employee success, improving happiness, reducing the impact of toxic employees, generating innovation through trust, embracing and improving corporate culture, and much more. Author Dave Bookbinder and over 20 collaborators share strategies to achieve these goals and new ways to quantify the value of human capital. 

 

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Master the Principles of Enterprise Engagement to Achieve Organizational Goals and Enhance Your Career

• Profit from a new strategic and systematic approach to engagement to enhance your organization’s brand equity; increase sales, productivity, quality, innovation, and safety, and reduce risks.
• Get trained to become a Chief Engagement Officer for your organization.
• Learn how to create Sustainability or Integrated Reports for Your Organization or Clients.

Resources: The Brand Media Coalition, the only guide to the story-telling power of brands and where to source them for business, event, promotional gifting, and rewards and recognition. Enterprise Engagement Solution Provider Directory. The only directory of engagement solution providers covering all types of agencies and tactics as well as insights on how to select them.

 

Communities: The  Enterprise Engagement Alliance and Advocate and the  Brand Media Coalition free resource centers offering access to the latest research, news, and case studies; discounts, promotions, referrals, and commissions, when appropriate to third-party solution providers from participating coalition solution provider members.

 

In Print: 

Enterprise Engagement for CEOs:The Little Blue Book for People-Centric Capitalists
This is the definitive implementation guide to Stakeholder Capitalism, written specifically to provide CEOs and their leadership teams a concise overview of the framework, economics, and implementation process of a CEO-led strategic and systematic approach to achieving success through people.  (123 pages, $15.99)

Enterprise Engagement: The Roadmap 5th Edition
The first and most comprehensive book on Enterprise Engagement and the new ISO 9001 and ISO 10018 quality people management standards. Includes 36 chapters detailing how to better integrate and align engagement efforts across the enterprise. (312 pages, $36.) 

Online:  
10-minute short course: click here for a 10-minute introduction to Enterprise Engagement and ISO standards from the Coggno.com learning platform.

Services: 
•  The International Center for Enterprise Engagement at TheICEE.org, offering: ISO 10018 certification for employers, solution providers, and Enterprise Engagement technology platforms; Human Resources and Human Capital audits for organizations seeking to benchmark their practices and related Advisory services for the hospitality field.
•  The Engagement Agency at EngagementAgency.net, offering: complete support services for employers, solution providers, and technology firms seeking to profit from formal engagement practices for themselves or their clients, including Brand and Capability audits for solution providers to make sure their products and services are up to date.
•  C-Suite Advisory Service—Education of boards, investors, and C-suite executives on the economics, framework, and implementation processes of Enterprise Engagement. 
•  Speakers Bureau—Select the right speaker on any aspect of engagement for your next event.
•  Mergers and Acquisitions. The Engagement Agency’s Mergers and Acquisition group is aware of multiple companies seeking to purchase firms in the engagement field. Contact Michael Mazer in confidence if your company is potentially for sale at 303-320-3777.

Enterprise Engagement Benchmark Tools: The Enterprise Engagement Alliance offers three tools to help organizations profit from Engagement. Click here to access the tools.
•  ROI of Engagement Calculator. Use this tool to determine the potential return-on-investment of an engagement strategy. 
•  EE Benchmark Indicator. Confidentially benchmark your organization’s Enterprise Engagement practices against organizations and best practices. 
•  Compare Your Company’s Level of Engagement. Quickly compare your organization’s level of engagement to those of others based on the same criteria as the EEA’s Engaged Company Stock Index.
•  Gauge Your Personal Level of Engagement. This survey, donated by Horsepower, enables individuals to gauge their own personal levels of engagement.

For more information, contact Bruce Bolger at Bolger@TheEEA.org, 914-591-7600, ext. 230.

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A 2012 State of the Sector survey compiled by Gatehouse, in conjunction with the Institute of Internal Communication, reveals that improving leadership communication has emerged as a top priority, with 60% of respondents naming it as their main focus over the next 12 months. While decisions made by management may be perfectly rational, poor communication can leave employees confused, worried or disinterested. This can directly impact the levels of engagement and performance across an organization. Strategic Internal Communication offers a holistic approach to building engagement, performance and cultural integration. It looks at the relation between the traditional silos of internal organizational communication, HR and employee engagement and demonstrates how communication is a key factor in breaking down barriers. Using the Dialogue Box approach, an efficient framework for assessing the needs and impact of internal communications, it allows managers and leaders to understand the emotions of their company and how this links to the ways employees interpret events and information. Available from Amazon.

David Cowan. 186 pages. Paperback. Cost: $37.95

12: The Elements of Great Managing is the long-awaited sequel to the 1999 runaway bestseller First, Break All the Rules. Grounded in Gallup's 10 million employee and manager interviews spanning 114 countries, 12 follows great managers as they harness employee engagement to turn around a failing call center, save a struggling hotel, improve patient care in a hospital, maintain production through power outages, and successfully face a host of other challenges in settings around the world. Authors Rodd Wagner and James K. Harter weave the latest Gallup insights with recent discoveries in the fields of neuroscience, game theory, psychology, sociology, and economics. Written for managers and employees of companies large and small, 12 explains what every company needs to know about creating and sustaining employee engagement

Gallup Press. 280 pages. Hardcover. Cost: $18.96

This book present hundreds of methods and activities that incorporate fun in an organization's work: hiring, training sessions, meetings, communications, awards, and teamwork. The authors asked successful businesspeople worldwide if fun played a part in their corporate culture--and, if so, how it was actually manifested in everyday life.

Berrett-Koehler Publishers. 245pp. Paperback. Cost: $12.21

Frustrated employees represent 20% or more of the total workforce, leading to a major loss in performance, talent and revenue. Frustration wears down motivated, dedicated employees who really care about their jobs but can’t get the organizational support they need to get things done. Focused on making contributions, these employees often hide their frustration, leaving managers in the dark about their discontent. “Frustrated employees really want to succeed in their role, but become aggravated by organizational barriers or a lack of resources,” says Mark Royal, Senior Consultant at Hay Group and co-author of the new book The Enemy of Engagement. “Managers must ask the right questions and address the issue promptly, or risk losing top talent who care deeply about the organization.” Royal’s co-author and colleague, Tom Agnew, says that frustration isn’t just an employee issue, it’s an organizational issue, adding that “Managers must listen for clues and serve as the voice for frustrated employees.” For more information on The Enemy of Engagement, contact Andrea Friedman at 212-584-5476 or Andrea@blisspr.com

240 pages. Hardcover. Cost: $19.80

New Book Explores the Engagement Equation: One sign that engagement has emerged as a formal field is the proliferation of books published on the subject over the last few years. The latest, The Engagement Equation: Leadership Strategies for an Inspired Workforce, by BlessingWhite consultants Chrisopher Rice, Fraser Marlow and Mary Ann Masarech, and published by Wiley, focuses specifically on how to infuse engagement throughout your managerial and organizational culture. A fundamental premise of the book is that “you can’t actually make employees engaged. Engagement is fundamentally an individualized equation. What might make one person engaged might turn off the person in the next cubical.” The authors stress the link between “maximum engagement and maximum contribution…” – i.e., the importance of continually linking engagement to organizational results. The book stresses the importance of finding a common definition for engagement and a way of talking about it in the organization; focusing as much on individuals as on global trends or indices; making engagement a priority and shared responsibility so that everyone has a stake in the process; making sure management is as engaged as employees are expected to be; and how to map out an overall plan that provides a clear direction and vision, open communication and realistic ROI measurement tools. They caution that surveys tools should be used to diagnose issues rather that simply as a “prize.” Click here to view a video by the authors.

Wiley. 306 pages. Hardcover . Cost: $23.62

Activity-Based Management shows how to transform an organization from a traditional hierarchical structure to one that is activity-based. This hands-on resource provides guidance on the planning, organizational, and implementation phases of a total activity-based program, which has proved successful at companies like AT&T.

McGraw-Hill. 400pp. Hardcover. Cost: $50.10

Blur explores the emerging economic landscape where knowledge and imagination are more valubale than physical capital. Authors, Davis and Meyer, challenge readers to question their assumptions they know about business and to experiment at the edges of business.

Warner Books. 288pp. Paperback. Cost: $17.99

The authors of 20 essays look at branding from a wide range of perspectives, from the creation of a new brand and development of brand names through packaging design and advertising. For executive-level managers who are either directly or indirectly involved with marketing and branding, this is a must read.

New York University Press. 544pp. Hardcover. Cost: $50.00

This book tells how to use a behavior-based performance management system to transform employees' work into something they are willing—even eager—to do. Offers the newest strategies used by companies like Xerox, 3M, and Kodak.

McGraw-Hill. 245pp. Hardcover. Cost: $14.93

Innovations change and improve the status quo in small ways but this book explores what happens when they improve the status quo in a big way. The aurthors argue that sustained leadership comes from making creativity a broad, enterprise-wide cpapbility that is on all the time.

Harvard Business School Press. 232 pp. Hardcover. Cost: $21.86

• Increase long-term profitability
• Maximize customer loyalty and referrals
• Capture the commitment of dealers, agents and distributors
• Increase sales and improve customer service
• Maximize quality, productivity, quality and wellness
• Foster greater prosperity through a focus on people 

Bruce Bolger, Allan Schweyer & Richard Kern . 242 pp. Cost: $36

Based on the business practices and history of Enterprise Rent-a-Car, this book focuses on how the company has achieved financial results by creating happy customers, successful business partnerships, and an engaged and motivated workforce. It discusses the relationship between the company's employee satisfaction, retention, and profitability, and shows how Enterprise makes and reinforces those connections.

Currency . 256pp. Hardcover . Cost: $16.47

The Great Toys “Saga” series uses a novel format to bring to life the leadership issues related to employee engagement and culture.
 
Nick Shepherd, an Ontario, Can.--based former CFO, spent almost his entire career in finance before publishing the books Understanding and Reporting Human Capital and the Cost of Poor Culture, among others. He has now published two novels that tell through a fictionalized story of how “CEOs can reposition their organizations in a holistic way to revitalize the behaviors needed for creativity and innovation – the very drivers of strategic success. CEO’s, board members and leaders concerned about calls for renewed capitalism, responsible business, and other changes to the way we do business will benefit from following Steve’s own personal journey of trials, tribulations, successes and learning events as he repositions his business for success.”
           
Explains the author, the two books, No Fun at Great Toys, and Fun Returns to Great Toys tell the story of Steve who is appointed CEO of their family business, after his brother dies unexpectedly. Steve finds a demotivated and demoralized organization that has been depleted of its innovation and creativity through several years of cost-cutting. The stories tell of Steve’s efforts to understand the problems and rebuild the business into a successful, vibrant, enthusiastic, and responsible business, that returns to growth and profitability.         
 
Shepherd says he wrote the books because “Business has access to literally millions of how to books written by experts in every subject imaginable. There are also legions of management consultants available who will offer solutions to any type of business problem. The challenge is that for many issues there is no silver bullet, no turnkey, broad-base fits-all approach. Educational programs such as MBAs have realized this for many years and used case studies as a holistic approach of putting business problems into a context that reflects reality.”
 
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• Founded in 2008, the Enterprise Engagement Alliance provides outreach, learning and certification in Enterprise Engagement, an implementation process for the “S” or Social of Stakeholder Capitalism and Human Capital Management and measurement of engagement across the organization.
• The Enterprise Engagement Alliance provides a training and certification program for business leaders, practitioners, and solution providers, as well as executive briefings and human capital gap analyses for senior leaders.
• The EEA produces an education program for CFOs for the CFO.University training program on Human Capital Management.
• Join the EEA to become a leader in the implementation of the “S” of ESG and Stakeholder Capitalism. 

• The ESM information portal and The Enterprise Engagement Advisors Network solution provider marketplace cover all aspects of stakeholder engagement, and the EEA information library lists dozens of resources.
• The RRN information portal and Brand Media Coalition marketplace address the use of brands for gifting, incentives, recognition, and promotions. The BMC information library provides information and research resources.

• Enterprise Engagement for CEOs: The Little Blue Book for People-Centric Capitalists. A quick guide for CEOs.
• Enterprise Engagement: The Roadmap 5th Edition implementation guide. A comprehensive textbook for practitioners, academics, and students.

• Organizations of all types develop strategic Stakeholder Capitalism and Enterprise Engagement processes and human capital management and reporting strategies; conduct human capital gap analyses; design and implement strategic human capital management and reporting plans that address DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and assist with managed outsourcing of engagement products and services.
• Human resources, sales and marketing solution providers profit from the emerging discipline of human capital management and ROI of engagement through training and marketing services.
• Investors make sense of human capital reporting by public companies.
• Buyers and sellers of companies in the engagement space or business owners or buyers who seek to account for human capital in their mergers and acquistions. 

This book addresses basic management issues applicable to almost any organization and manager. It provides a simple approach summarized as "select, direct, evaluate, and reward," but is in no way short of details. It includes extensive information on every aspect of the process, including benefits of cash and noncash awards.

Amacom. 208pp. Hardcover . Cost: $14.96

Games That Drive Change shows you games and excercises that will help focus on change management. With 100 ready to play activities to reduce people's anxiety about change, this book is perfect for anyone in a leadership position.

McGraw-Hill. 307pp. Paperback.

This book looks at how companies can profit from a commitment to a corporate culture characterized by collaboration, innovation, and joy at work.

Perseus Books. 205 pp. Hardcover.

Good to Great discusses the findings of the Good to Great study that studied what made a company go from good to great. This is the study of several companies and conclusions are made based on case studies and research. This book is good for any entrepreneur or person in a leadership position.

Collins. 320pp. Hardcover. Cost: $16.50

How to Motivate People explains the principles of successful motivation through author, Tarkenton's, P.R.I.C.E (Pinpointing, Recording, Invovlement, Consequences, Evaluation) program. This book shows you how to identify motivational stumbling blacks, track performance levels, inspire participation in setting goals and achieving objectives, plus much more.

Harpercollins. 243pp. Hardcover.

This book provides a blueprint for revitalizing organizations through strong leadership.

Collins. 256 pp. Paperback. Cost: $11.53

Lessons from the Heart of American Business is the story behind author Gerald Greenwald and the Ford Motor Company. Here, one of the most successful corporate leaders tells aspiring managers how they can achieve consensus, build partnerships, react to crisis, and steer a corporation through good times and bad. Drawing from personal experiences, Greenwald writes for anyone holding or looking to hold a managing position.

Business Plus. 288pp. Hardcover. Cost: $29.00

Manage Globally, Sell Locally addresses the factors that make managing the account relationship different from territory management. It also offers tools to help the account manager measure success or position within the account. This book is best for organizations with an account-focused sales force.

McGraw-Hill. 216pp. Hardcover. Cost: $20.90