Sustainability 101: How Things REALLY work

Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the amazing book, Made to Stick (which Garry Booker blogged about here a while back) run an equally amazing blog site.

Recently, they posted a link to a fascinating (and "sticky") video that's been circling the web, about sustainability. The video is titled "The Story of Stuff" and is well worth spending the 20 minutes watching (as zillions of others have done). You can tab through the various sections, each representing a stage in the production process.

Check it out...

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Managing the Gray Areas Available for Pre-Order

Just thought I'd pass the word along to PMThinkers that my latest book, Managing the Gray Areas, is now available for pre-order from RMC Publications. The book will be released on or before January 15th, but RMC is extending a substantial 40% discount for those who pre-order before then.

Those familiar with my writing and interests won't be too surprised to know that I've pulled lessons from a variety of genres, including philosophy, science, art, medicine, business, history, and more.

The book examines the "real world" gray areas most leaders struggle with, and addresses tough questions, such as:

• How can I be sympathetic to my people’s needs in the face of organizational pressures
• When should I share the big picture with my team and when is it prudent not to?
• Is it best to assemble a team of targeted specialists, or should I look for people who can do a little of everything?
• How can I implement and enforce internal processes without hurting morale or stifling creativity?
• How can I ensure adequate accountability without resorting to micromanagement?
• Given limited time and/or money, should I first focus on creating a good image for my organization, team, or product, or should I spend more time ensuring that it functions well?
• Should I centralize my organization to gain economies of scale, or should I decentralize to take advantage of local or regional expertise?

It examines themes such as ideals (standing for something), leading by questioning, systems thinking, and empathy and cultural awareness. It also highlights organizations that have been successful in challenging the status quo, dealing with complexity, and embracing the gray areas.

Ultimately, the book makes the case that we need to integrate and blend seemingly opposing choices and/or values, as opposed to taking black and white approaches to problems and decisions. Life is never that easy. Nor is leadership.

Here's the link to pre-order if these topics interest you ...

Managing the Gray Areas - RMC Project Management