book discussions

Obstacles

Wed Dec 3, 2003 at 11:55 AM

Gray Matters also discusses obstacles at work. I'm curious, what are the biggest obstacles you face at work? And how do you deal with them?READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 2 comments

Heath -- you are too kind! We think the comic book format is the perfect way to engage people and to help them see more options. We also picked the topic of sales to be one of the sections of the book because we believe that everyone ...READ»

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Gray Matters: Customers

BY Heath RowTue Dec 2, 2003 at 4:44 PM

I'm continuing my daily readings from Gray Matters, our December Readers' Choice Award selection. Last night, I was struck by chapter five, which focuses on customers. Bob, Allan, and John suggest several leading questions that are ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 5 comments

The Value of Writing II

Tue Dec 2, 2003 at 8:35 AM

John, great point about business writing. Recently I was in someone's office, and took a book off their bookshelf. Out flew the receipt. They hadn't even opened it since they'd bought it. But it isn't the executive's problem. I ...READ»

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What Sins Bug You the Most?

Tue Dec 2, 2003 at 8:30 AM

We did a poll at ABCnews.com and asked, "What Seven Deadly Workplace Sin do you struggle with the most?" We had 913 people participate. I'll do this Letterman style. 5% said obsolescence. 8% surrender. 10% dysfunction. Withdrawal was ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 3 comments

Headaches

Tue Dec 2, 2003 at 8:26 AM

Stress, politics and office noise so far are the big winners for biggest headaches among FC Now readers. My favorite poll a few years back asked the question, "What is your biggest complaint at work?" It was done by the International ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 1 comment

Gray Matters: Politics

BY Heath RowMon Dec 1, 2003 at 4:11 PM

Another section of the book that resonated with me was the chapter on politics -- good and bad. Sherman Fox, the book's "creative marketing guy," says, "Work always gets two grades. One for quality, one for politics." He goes on to ...READ»

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Gray Matters: Dollars and Sense

BY Heath RowMon Dec 1, 2003 at 3:59 PM

Almost finished reading Gray Matters, our December Readers' Choice Award selection, I've been able to absorb about 70 pages a day. At that pace, it's an easy read over the course of a work week -- not a bad goal to set. One of the ...READ»

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Repenting the Seven Deadly Workplace Sins

Mon Dec 1, 2003 at 11:07 AM

Once we had a sense of the kind of headaches that people had at work we decided to try to come up with a profile of the average worker and the kinds of people they'd run into. We call it the Seven Deadly Workplace Sins. See if they ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 4 comments

What Are Your Biggest Workplace Headaches?

Mon Dec 1, 2003 at 11:03 AM

Good morning. It's great to be the guest host for the FC blog this week. Let's begin with a simple question: What are your biggest work headaches? I spent the better part of a year asking the audiences that I spoke to that question. ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 1 comment

Gray Matters: Introduction

BY Heath RowMon Dec 1, 2003 at 8:42 AM

In October, Fast Company asked readers to help pick the next Fast Company Book Club selection. Hundreds of people voted online, and the first recipient of the Readers' Choice Award is featured in the December issue -- Gray Matters: ...READ»

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Leading Readers

BY Heath RowThu Nov 20, 2003 at 11:38 AM

Supachai Panitchpakdi, director general of the WTO, recently shared his deserted-island reading list with USA Today. Among his must-read titles: Petrosian's Best Games of Chess 1946-1963 by Peter H. Clarke Development as Freedom by ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 4 comments

Sleep Depraved II

BY Heath RowThu Oct 9, 2003 at 5:50 PM

In response to a mid-August FC Now entry, we recently received some feedback from Fred Gratzon, co-author of The Lazy Way to Success: You guessed wrongly about my book's theme. My book's premise is that success is inversely ...READ»

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Thanks for Contributing

Mon Sep 29, 2003 at 5:46 PM

Many thanks to our book club host Charles Decker, who last week became our first special guest contributor to FC Now. The discussion prompted by Charles's posts brought out some interesting and empassioned debate. Look for more ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 2 comments

FC Book Club - Use the Tools

Fri Sep 26, 2003 at 5:59 PM

While I have been talking a lot this week about the magazine's new book club, it occurs to me that many of you might want to know a little more about the five books you'll be voting on. What makes them special? What new points do ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 1 comment

FC Book Club - The Near Misses

Thu Sep 25, 2003 at 2:16 PM

What a chore. Choosing five books each month to feature for the magazine's book club from the multitude of management, leadership, careers, and professional skills titles that are released. I never thought it would be so tough. ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 1 comment

FC Book Club - Creating Community

Wed Sep 24, 2003 at 12:03 PM

It looks like we have our first "hit" with the Fast Company Book Club. A major online bookseller based in Seattle (named after a river in South America -- you do the math) sent out an e-mail inviting employees to participate in a ...READ»

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FC Book Club - It's About Passion II

BY Heath RowTue Sep 23, 2003 at 5:06 PM

As Charles says, passion is a strong undercurrent throughout Authentic Leadership. In one key passage (pp. 36-37), Bill George connects passion and purpose: Many leaders search for years, even decades, to find the purpose for their ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 4 comments

FC Book Club - It's About Passion

Mon Sep 22, 2003 at 11:22 PM

The October issue has barely hit the stands and people have begun asking what gets my attention when choosing the nominees for Fast Company's new Book of the Month feature. If there is one overriding quality that applies to all the ...READ»

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FC Book Club II

BY Heath RowMon Sep 22, 2003 at 4:32 PM

Fast Company readers are already discussing Bill George's Authentic Leadership, our first Book of the Month. Here are some of the highlights: Kathy DiPietro: For once here's a book by a CEO that seems to come directly from his ...READ»

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FC Book Club

Sun Sep 21, 2003 at 12:25 PM

I am delighted that John Byrne and his team at the magazine have invited me to be the "guest blogger" this week. And I am even more delighted that they have embraced the book club/reading group concept that I have been passionate ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 9 comments

Guest Blogger: Charles Decker

BY Heath RowFri Sep 19, 2003 at 1:01 PM

Next week, Fast Company Now's contributors will be joined by special guest Charles Decker, co-author of Beans: Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times or Bad, a publishing consultant, and the host of Fast Company's new ...READ»

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On the Books

BY Heath RowTue Sep 16, 2003 at 6:56 PM

Fast Company recently launched the FC Book Club, a monthly book discussion group featuring the best and brightest business books selected by our readers -- and our host Charles Decker. October's selection is Authentic Leadership by ...READ»

BOOK DISCUSSIONS | 1 comment

Sleep Depraved

BY Heath RowWed Aug 20, 2003 at 4:25 PM

I just learned about the book The Lazy Way to Success by Fred Gratzon and Lawrence Sheaff. Subtitled "How to Do Nothing and Accomplish Everything," the text argues against the notion that hard work and success are related. While ...READ»

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Leading Readers II

BY Heath RowMon Aug 18, 2003 at 11:03 AM

The Chapter-a-Day online book discussion service started featuring Buck Up, Suck Up by James Carville and Paul Begala in its Business Book Club today. The hard-hitting political strategist offers tips and tricks that can be applied ...READ»