Millennials in the Workplace by Neil Howe with Reena Nadler - Book review

Millennials in the Workplace

Human Resource Strategies for a New Generation

By: Neil Howe with Reena Nadler

Published: March 2010
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 0971260648
ISBN-13: 978-0971260641
Publisher: LifeCourse Associates







"As the Millennial Generation (born since 1982) graduates from schools and colleges and fills the ranks of the entry-level workforce, older Americans are beginning to take notice", write national speaker, renowned authority on generations in America and co-founder of Lifecourse Associates, Neil Howe, and Program Director at Lifecourse Associates Reena Nadler, in their insightful and very practical book Millennials in the Workplace: Human Resource Strategies for a New Generation. The authors identify who the the Millennials are, why their behavior and work style is often misunderstood, and how to transform these younger employees into an asset and opportunity for the organization



Neil Howe (photo left) and Reena Nadler present an alternative view of the Millennial generation from the confused opinions prevalent in the modern workplace. With most managers and employees belonging to the Baby Boom and Generation X cohorts, the arrival of the Millennials has shocked managers and co-workers alike. With older employees not understanding the Millennials, the usual management position has been one where the young workers are seen as both a challenge and even a liability. The authors describe how this attitude is not only misguided, but one that may miss out on a tremendous opportunity. While there are many myths that have grown up about Millennial employees, the authors point out that the core traits of the young employees offer a fresh perspective and some valuable strengths to enhance any company. This book dispels the myths, and demonstrates the critical importance of understanding the Millennial generation, and how their core skills and values represent the future of the organization.



Reena Nadler (photo left) and Neil Howe describe the seven core traits of the Millennial generation in a positive light. Unlike most media and employer opinion, where Millennial values are considered a problem, the authors share their research and experience that offers an entirely different portrait of a misunderstood generation. The seven core traits that define the Millennials are:

* Special
* Sheltered
* Confident
* Team Oriented
* Conventional
* Pressured
* Achieving

These are not traits, according to the authors, that are associated with the Silent, Baby Boom, or Generation X cohorts. They are the traits usually associated with the GI Generation that formed society in the postwar era. Generations, and their differences, are nothing new in business and community life. They have existed through the entire history of America. Generations are more than just phases of life. Different generations behave in very unique ways are the various stages of their lives. Generations may be shaped by history, but at the same time, they also create history through their actions. the Millennial generation promises to make an important mark upon history and organizations, just like all other generations before them.

For me, the power of the book is how Neil Howe and Reena Nadler not only describe the Millennial generation and its traits, but also apply that information to how they can excel in the workplace. The authors back up their practical advice for employers with a combination of theory and comprehensive generational research data. At the same time, the book contains an unprecedented in depth examination of the seven core traits of the Millennials against a backdrop of Neil Howe's groundbreaking generational research. This overall larger generational framework places the Millennial generation in the greater historical context, comparing them to the high achieving GI Generation. This larger generational perspective sets this book apart from other books that offer advice on workplace generational interaction.

I highly recommend the definitive and must read book Millennials in the Workplace: Human Resource Strategies for a New Generation by Neil Howe with Reena Nadler, to anyone serious about really understanding the potential and tremendous opportunity offered by the addition of Millennial generation employees to the workplace. Their skills and important generational traits provide a bright future for any organization that embraces these high achieving young employees.

Read the essential and important book Millennials in the Workplace: Human Resource Strategies for a New Generation by Neil Howe with Reena Nadler, and discover how to put the tremendous potential of the Millennial generation to work in your organization. These dynamic young employees offer an opportunity that will benefit any organization, and put them in the forefront of their industry for years to come.

Tags: Millennials in the Workplace: Human Resource Strategies for a New Generation, Neil Howe, Reena Nadler, personnel management, business book reviews.

Stephen Epstein, Chief Marketing Officer at Avistar Communications - Interview

Stephen Epstein, Chief Marketing Officer, of unified visual communications industry innovation company Avistar Communications Corporation, was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about his company's groundbreaking study of visual communications trends the rapidly growing field of desktop videoconferencing.

Stephen Epstein describes the reasons for companies using videoconferencing and shared some of the advantages and disadvantages of the system. He also gazed into the crystal ball and shared some of his thoughts on the future of videoconferencing and of communications in general.

Thanks to Stephen Epstein for his time, and for his informative and comprehensive answers.

Thanks as well to Norman Birnbach of Birbach Communications, Inc., and his team, for their assistance in facilitating this interview.

What was the background to this groundbreaking study of visual communications trends?

Stephen Epstein: Each year, as part of our marketing efforts, we look at market conditions to help us focus our efforts. For the last two years, in the spirit of the social media age we live in, in which it is important to share perspective and insight, we've issued some of our insight regarding the more mainstream part of the visual communications market.

Briefly, how does videoconferencing fit in as a unified communications tool?

Stephen Epstein: Technology has given us a number of different ways to communicate – email, instant messaging (IM), and audio or phone and video. Many of those communication methods have been available as standalone services. Leading Unified Communications (UC) systems like Microsoft OCS and Lync and IBM Lotus Sametime integrate different communications services into one solution so that you can IM with someone you're talking to via videoconferencing without having to open a new window. The next step, we believe, is to integrate communications into key points of the business process, known as communications-embedded business processes or CEBP.

Is videoconferencing growing in prominence to the point of being everywhere?

Stephen Epstein: Absolutely. Videoconferencing has captured people's imaginations since AT&T unveiled the videophone at the 1964 World's Fair, and again a few years later on "Star Trek." But the technology wasn't there. It is now, and thanks to free consumer video chat services like Skype and FaceTime, videoconferencing is available everywhere.

Is interoperability becoming an issue for creating bridge standards to use different systems together?

Stephen Epstein: We see interoperability – the ability for technology to work across different systems, platforms, etc. – as being a big issue. The reason is partly due to the technology: closed systems have fewer issues and work better, and partly due to a business decision that bets that companies can sell more when customers are locked into one platform and can't buy a low-cost generic alternative. So current UC systems have been built as proprietary systems to limit connections to other systems. The problem is that people need to connect to people at other companies, who may be using a different platform.

To put this in context, imagine you're a Verizon customer and that the only way you can connect to an AT&T customer is to buy a separate phone and service plan and now you need to call a Comcast customer. The industry had addressed this before, and will again need to tackle the interoperability issue. The alternative – focusing customers to develop ways to bridge standards, media processing and signaling at their own cost – is unacceptable.

Is there a trend toward companies having to bridge standards at their own cost, or is that potential for added cost disappearing as a barrier to using visual solutions?

Stephen Epstein: Companies need to communicate. They need their employees to collaborate, even if they're in different locations, and that is more often the case these days. They need to develop relationships with customers and manage vender relationships. Right now, companies have to either figure out an acceptable compromise or determine a way to bridge the standards themselves. Ultimately, the UC developers will need to find a solution to the interoperability issue. However, because the Avistar C3™ solutions are interoperable, we're not finding that a barrier for customer adoption. Companies want videoconferencing solutions that can work across different systems.



Stephen Epstein (photo left)

Many business people think of videoconferencing from their own offices. Do you see an increase of mobile videoconferencing from anywhere?

Stephen Epstein: Absolutely, videoconferencing has moved from the conference room to the desktop, and from the desktop to the laptop and from the laptop to smartphones and tablets, thanks to the multitude of tablet devices hitting the market and the further roll-out of 4G networks. What we expect to see is the influence of consumer videoconferencing on businesses, as employees who use mobile videoconferencing in their personal lives push for the same capability at work. Videoconferencing has emerged as a must-have solution for business people at offices or on the go, as it provides smart, ubiquitous visual communications – anywhere, anytime, anyplace.

Is there a movement to thinner and less bulky hardware for videoconferencing?

Stephen Epstein: Absolutely. At the consumer level the just-announced iPad2 will be thinner and lighter and contain a front-facing camera for videoconference calls. At the business level, we’re seeing continued adoption of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), which entails delivering a thin client – which may be not much more than a screen and a keyboard with access to all the data and applications hosted on a remote server. This movement will continue to gain momentum as businesses work to control costs while delivering software tools that employees need to do their jobs effectively.

How are the trends in videoconferencing affecting corporate networks?

Stephen Epstein: The big issue is bandwidth management. As demand and usage surge, companies will face pressure to provide increased videoconferencing services. The challenge will be to how to accommodate the demand for videoconferencing while ensuring that critical business applications, that also require bandwidth, are not adversely affected in a battle of the bandwidth. Companies will need to select communications solutions that provide robust bandwidth management, call admission control, user policy support, threshold and utilization modeling, in addition to extensive report and forecasting capabilities.

What was the most surprising result arising from the study?

Stephen Epstein: The impact that consumer technology is playing on enterprise software is really surprising. It used to be that software was developed to serve businesses and then expanded into the consumer market. These days, the look-and-feel of consumer software serves as a template for business software. And, of course, while Avistar has been developing videoconference technology for 16 years, free consumer services have really moved the market forward in a short time.

What is the future of videoconferencing?

Stephen Epstein: Convergence will be seen with videoconferencing popping up as a function in non-traditional devices, such as smart whiteboards and a variety of new and innovative devices, so that people can communicate and collaborate regardless of device, location and/or network capacity. A lot of videoconference solutions are still based on a hardware model of traditional telephony. But the future will require all-software solutions because of their cost-efficiency and high quality. For example, Avistar’s all-software approach lowers procurement and deployment costs by as much as 200%.

What sort of visual solutions will businesses large and small be seeking this year?

Stephen Epstein: Businesses will feel pressure from their employees for the ability to conduct videoconferencing at work. But companies have different requirements from consumers. Smart businesses will evaluate business-class solutions that provide high quality video and audio – because that's what customers expect. They'll need bandwidth management tools and security that aren't available with the free services. And they need the ability to place ad-hoc multiparty calls and the ability to share documents on each employee’s computer screen.

What is next for Stephen Epstein and Avistar in 2011?

Stephen Epstein: There's a tremendous amount of interest in videoconferencing. I think as an industry, we've finally reached the tipping point, and that's very exciting. We're looking forward to working with our customers, technology partners like IBM, Tandberg (now part of Cisco), Polycom, Logitech and LifeSize, and resellers and distributors to continue to push videoconferencing forward. Once people get used to it, they really like videoconferencing, and see for themselves that it's a big improvement over audio phone calls. It's a great time to be in the industry.

**************

Stephen Epstein, Chief Marketing Officer, joined Avistar Communications Corporation in January 2008 and is responsible for the company’s marketing, product and account management functions. Prior to Avistar he was Vice President, Head of Product Management at Mantas, Inc., where he was responsible for global product strategy, managing product requirements, defining go to market plans and marketing strategy, while continually evaluating the financial services market in order to provide a clear and decisive direction for Mantas’ business.

Prior to joining Mantas, Stephen Epstein was Head of Product & Business Development at Bang Networks where he spearheaded product and business development efforts, focusing on delivering real-time information distribution products. Prior to that he held senior-level management and product development positions including Head of Global Foreign Exchange Sales Technology and Group CTO at Deutsche Bank.

Tags: Avistar Communications Corporation, Stephen Epstein, desktop videoconferencing, business interviews.

Al Weatherhead: The Power of Adversity - Author interview

Albert J. Weatherhead, chairman and CEO of Weatherchem, a private manufacturer of plastic closures for food, spice, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about his inspirational and deeply moving book The Power of Adversity: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better.

Al Weatherhead describes how the serious and life changing, and even life threatening power of adversity can transform a person through the experience of dramatic personal growth.

Thanks to Al Weatherhead for his time, and for his fascinating and comprehensive responses to the questions. They are greatly appreciated.



What was the background to writing this book The Power of Adversity: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better?

Al Weatherhead: I’ve had my share of major adversity. I have been a drunk. I’ve endured failed business ventures… failed marriages… and I’ve suffered the terrors of clinical depression, crippling arthritis and terrifying heart disease.

I had sunk as low as I thought one could go. Then things turned around for me. Today, for example, I am a recovered alcoholic. I’m deeply in love with my wife. I have conquered both my depression and my arthritis, and my body now shows no physical evidence of heart disease. In addition, I’ve been able to build a multi-million dollar manufacturing company that provided me with the means to be a major philanthropist, endowing hospitals, universities and charities which offer valuable help to thousands of people.

Why was I able to persevere over my adversity? This question tormented and fascinated me. What did I do in my life that I wasn’t doing when adversity was threatening to overwhelm me? How had I changed?

My introspection provided me with a sudden illumination. I came to understand the power of adversity and some of the lessons it can teach us, starting with the all important truth that we are not meant, in the grand scheme of life, to be happy and comfortable. Rather, we are meant to forge our characters on the anvil of adversity.

And so I formulated the premises of this book, which is that most of us experience monumental periods of adversity and it’s these devastating setbacks which propel us in our quest to become fully and creatively human. Sometimes we get stuck, so stuck, in fact, that only great pain will impel us to move. It’s then that the power of adversity is revealed. But to see it requires a new way of looking at the world, a radical shifting of perspective, which share with readers of my book.

What do you mean by adversity, and does it mean different things for different people?

Al Weatherhead: In my book I’m not talking about daily irritations such as traffic jams, computer glitches, and so on. We can usually shrug those off pretty well. I’m referring to tragic, life-changing adversity like cancer, divorce, and getting fired.

Such major adversity can drive any of us to contemplate the unthinkable: committing suicide quickly with a gun, a razor blade or an overdose of pills, or killing ourselves more slowly but just as effectively, by drowning our pain in booze, or obliterating it, along with our minds, with mood-altering addictive drugs.

Of course, a person’s sense of a particular adversity will depend on their circumstances and personalities. For some, a divorce is an adversity to be shrugged off. For others, separating from a spouse can be devastating. But whatever we our particular adversity, when we embrace our problems using my techniques we can empower ourselves to achieve unimagined success.

You recommend embracing adversity while most people would prefer to avoid it. Why is embracing adversity so important?

Al Weatherhead: Alcoholics Anonymous taught me that the easiest (and most useless) response for a drunk is the geographical cure: go somewhere else and hide. Temporarily the problems seem to diminish, but wherever you go, your problems always go with you. Such an escape is a delusion.

Geographical cures –like all forms of problem avoidance – only change the external circumstances of adversity, but the interior roads of negative motivation and emotion remain unexplored. That’s why our adversity would like nothing more than for us to try to avoid it. The more we do so, the stronger its negative influence becomes.

So resist the temptation to avoid your adversity. Instead, embrace it! Temper yourself on the anvil of your adversity using my techniques and you’ll move ever closer to mastering your troubles, and be that much more at peace.



Al Weatherhead (photo left)

You describe adversity as building walls to tear down. What do you mean by that?

Al Weatherhead: When you let adversity build walls around you, you have the safety of those walls. But you can’t see out. And nobody can see in. You may think you’re in a fortress. But you’re really in a prison enduring solitary confinement.

My illnesses gave me the wake-up calls I needed in this regard. Until I got sick with rheumatoid arthritis I thought I could conquer anything and everything. I didn’t need anybody, and booze would get me through. But getting sick the way I did – first with RA and then with heart disease – showed me that I needed help if I was going to make it, and I became willing to ask for it. This was something I had to learn how to do, and I’m glad I did, because it changed my life.

Tearing down the walls of adversity by reaching out to others isn’t the only way to progress. You can also escape adversity’s shadow by finding something – anything –you think you can do to tackle the problem you’re confronting. I present a methodology for doing this in my book.

Suffice to say that the adversity we perceive as an exterior problem is often really the symptom of a problem deep within ourselves. It is only by tearing down the walls of adversity that those deep-rooted issues will at long last be revealed, advancing us on our journey to master adversity.

The economy is going through a difficult period, yet you see opportunity where others see dismay. Why do you consider this time to be an opportunity?

Al Weatherhead: First and foremost, life is nothing but opportunities that may come to us disguised as adversity. Second, as with personal adversity, professional adversity is not a curse, but a gift. When we embrace professional adversity during touch economic times, we receive a tempering of our professional viability that can empower us to achieve unimagined success.

The tips I share in my book on how to be proactive concerning adversity can help any businessperson leverage adversity to reach new heights of professional success in a tough economy. For example, we’ve talked a little bit about tearing down the walls that adversity builds. One can apply that lesson in business by networking with colleagues or collaborating with employees.

If you’re looking for work, proactively reach out to others for help and your options will multiply. If you are a business owner and your business is currently suffering, walk around and talk to all your employees. Ask: How can we improve this place? What’s wrong here?

Tear down the walls and I guarantee you will get more valuable information in just a few hours than you could possibly act upon in a year!

When a businessperson uses my advice, he or she can seize myriad opportunities and become the master of adversity during tough economic times – as well as when financial prosperity once again returns, which I’m confident it will.

You see problem solving as a joy. That view is not shared by everyone. Why do you suggest looking at problem solving in a fresh and positive light?

Al Weatherhead: As I said above, life’s opportunities and adversities are two sides of the same coin, so we certainly can’t avoid problem solving. If that’s the case, why not make it a joy by looking at our problems in a fresh and positive light?

When I have a problem to solve, I don’t say, I have to do it. I say, I have it to do. This helps me take control of my adversity – and my life.

If you think that’s just semantics, please think again. Your adversity is real. It can’t be banished. But it can be transformed by your perspective!

As I explain in my book, this shifting of perspective allows ones to look at life, what happens to us and what we do in a profoundly different way, which is a primary step to mastering adversity.

As the Baby Boom enters to what is considered traditionally to be the retirement years, you suggest an alternative way of looking at life changes. Is traditional retirement the only option?

Al Weatherhead: Of course traditional retirement is not the only option! I believe age is a state of mind. What’s more, if you embrace practicing my approach to dealing with life’s trials and tribulations, you’ll discover a personal fountain of youth that will provide you with the physical, spiritual and emotional energy to experience the world with a child’s wonder and delight.

The number one factor to maintaining your youth is to develop a youthful perspective – by keeping a positive mindset. The mind, overwhelmed by fear, can be like a drop of mercury on a table, slithering and breaking into wildly evasive squirts and pieces. On the other hand, the mind when positively rooted in a deep passion for life, is more certain and powerful than the forces which rotate the earth.

You will go a long way toward overcoming your adversities that do so much to age you when you avail yourself of the power of positive thinking. I know this to be true because it is that same power that enabled me to control my alcoholism, beat arthritis and accomplish what was once considered impossible: total reversal of heart disease.

You see, staying young is all about choice. So choose to be young – or restore your youth – by thinking positively with the right imagery. Decide now to regain the healing optimism we all once had as infants learning to walk, when we took our first albeit wobbly but determined steps into our bright futures!

Many business people, after building a successful company, fail to have a succession plan. Why is this the case and what should they do about it?

Al Weatherhead: Succession planning is difficult to tackle because it forces you to confront your own mortality by changing your mindset to visualize the day when you will no longer be around.

Tension, conflict, fear, emotional hurt – all the hallmarks of adversity – will be with you every step of the way in succession planning. But like it or not, change is coming. Get moving right away to confront it. The sooner you begin to address the complexities of succession planning, the longer you’ll have to be around to help the transition go smoothly for your business.

How can new leaders be groomed the right way to make a seamless transition to a new generation of leaders for the company?

Al Weatherhead: Your business is a living, breathing, growing thing, and so should be your relationship with your new management team. You know best the heartbeat of your company, and if you hire executive talent who share the rhythms of that heartbeat, they will enthusiastically and successfully lead your company – if you allow them do so!

Give your new team free rein to explore (under your benevolent watchfulness) even the seemingly dumbest ideas. One of two things will happen. Either they will surprise and delight you by persuading you that their notions are sound, or your patience will be rewarded as your questioning and prodding guides them to realize for themselves that their proposed course of action is ill-advised.

Bottom line: let your new team have the time and space to take root; to let them realize their own great successes and small failures as they learn for themselves the practical business lessons that you once had to learn. It’s my bet that your new team will take far less time than you took to master those lessons!

What is the first step a person should take toward taking a more positive approach to adversity in these seemingly difficult times?

Al Weatherhead: The most important advice I can give is to take advantage of all the new opportunities presented in your personal unending stream – and infinite bounty – of adversity. Remember:

* Adversity is all powerful – either it creates misery or destroys it.
* Adversity will always hurt – it is up to us to transform that hurt into limitless freedom and positive transformation
* Adversity is the bridge that can carry us to our future – where we can live fully, bravely and meaningfully in the world.

Approach your adversity with enthusiasm and a “can-do” positve spirit and you’ll be buoyed along the river of life with its inevitable daily surprises – good and bad.

What is next for Al Weatherhead?

Al Weatherhead: At my age you would probably forgive me if I chose to spend my time reminiscing about the past... If I lost myself in happy, misty reveries of days spent with old and dear friends... But for me, that could never be. I relish the present moment and planning for the future!

Over 40 years ago I started my company with faith, trust, enthusiasm, energy – and one product for two customers. Today I still revel in going to work each day in the best plastics closure company in America!

On a typical day I may chat with a plant worker and feel the surge of human connection... engage in one of my philanthropic causes and experience the sweetness of knowing that I am making a positive difference in the world...swim laps in a pool, scudding through the water like a cloud through the blue sky as I meditate on the miracle and mantra of my breathing…and end each day talking with my wife, sharing all that has passed between us and anticipating all that is yet to come...

All these great old and new joys I owe to my blessed enemy, adversity. My life is not perfect. No life can be. Adversity still haunts and taunts me. But I will never let it suck me back into the shadows. Instead, I will continue to grow by taking advantage of all the new opportunities presented to me by my own, personal unending stream – and infinite bounty – of adversity.

***********************

My book review of The Power of Adversity: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better by Al Weatherhead with Fred Feldman.

Albert J. Weatherhead is the author of The Power of Adversity: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better and chairman and CEO of Weatherchem, a private manufacturer of plastic closures for food, spice, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. Please visit www.powerofadversity.net or www.weatherchem.com for more information.

Tags: The Power of Adversity: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better, Al Weatherhead, personal leadership, business author interviews.

The Power of Adversity by Al Weatherhead with Fred Feldman - Book review

The Power of Adversity

Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better

By: Al Weastherhead, Fred Feldman

Published: April 25, 2008
Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
ISBN-10: 1571745629
ISBN-13: 978-1571745620
Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing Company











"We face adversity every day. We spend most of our lives trying to bounce back from it", write chairman and CEO of Weatherchem and founder of the Weatherhead Foundation, Al Weatherhead, and consultant, prolific author, and creative thought leader Fred Feldman, in their inspirational and moving book The Power of Adversity: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better. The authors describe how the serious and life changing, and even life threatening power of adversity can transform a person through the experience of dramatic personal growth.



Al Weatherhead (photo left) and Fred Feldman share Al Weatherhead's personal and spiritual journey through adversity ranging from being a troubled alcoholic, to tearfully burying his infant son, to experiencing marital breakdown, to serious disease and health challenges. Al Weatherhead has faced his own personal adversity, and learned through bitter experience both personal and professional, how strength can be drawn from even the most traumatic and heartbreaking events in one's life. Al Weatherhead turns the conventional wisdom that adversity is a curse, but is instead a gift, that presents the opportunity to learn, to grow as a person, and to change one's life for the better in many undreamed of ways.



Fred Feldman (photo left) and Al Weatherhead offer the counter-intuitive perspective of adversity as a part of life to be lived and embraced, and not to be avoided. Indeed, Al Weatherhead emphasizes that running away from challenges, no matter how painful they might be, is not the right approach to life. Avoidance only increases the pain over time, and powerful and life changing opportunity for personal growth is missed. Instead of taking the attitude that adversity consists of events being done to a person, Al Weatherhead offers another alternative interpretation. The worst blows that life can send a person's way are special gifts that provide the inner strength to master life. A person who avoids adversity misses the chance to build this internal power to overcome obstacles and arrive on the other side, both stronger and a better human being. The pain of the suffering passes, but the strength to overcome and endure remains.

For me, the power of the book is how Al Weatherhead and Fred Feldman express their profound ideas with both compassion and insight. They also combine successfully their empowering philosophy for mastering life, with practical techniques for harnessing the gift of adversity in one's own life. This fusion of Al Weatherhead's personal experience, told in a deeply moving way, with the strategies for meeting adversity and gleaning its lessons is valuable for any reader. The core value of the book, that life can best be mastered through the challenges of adversity, instill inner strength and resolve, along with the creativity to find meaningful and lasting solutions. Instead of thinking "why me", the book challenges the reader to think in terms of "why not me". Instead of avoidance, the gift of adversity enriches a person's life.

I highly recommend the deeply profound and empowering book The Power of Adversity: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better by Al Weatherhead and Fred Feldman, to anyone who feels troubled and unable to cope with the adversity in their life. This wonderful book will change a person's perspective on obstacles from one of fear to one of acceptance of their hidden gifts.

Read the inner strength building book The Power of Adversity: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better by Al Weatherhead and Fred Feldman, and discover that when the moment feels the most dark, and when the troubles feel their most insurmountable, the most critical insights into life are found. This insightful book will transform your life in ways you never imagined possible.

Tags: The Power of Adversity: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better, Al Weatherhead, Fred Feldman, personal leadership, business book reviews.

PBS NewsHour: Making Sen$e of How-To Economics

Be sure to watch a terrific new feature posted on PBS NewsHour Economics Correspondent Paul Solman’s “Making Sen$e” blog.

Starting Monday, February 14, Paul unveils a new tool called “How-To Economics” that will explore the decisions we make everyday – big and small. Sometimes our decisions go badly. Sometimes we do things that aren’t in our own best interests. How can we help stop that from happening? How can we help people live better lives?



Paul Solman (photo left)

Paul invites experts from the fields of psychology, economics, behavioral economics and others for hot tips on how to live more fulfilling lives. What choices will make us happier, healthier and better? Paul Solman investigates.

In a Preview Video, Paul and Dan Ariely, a Duke University professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics, web chat about the project, and why you should take a look.

Tags: PBS NewsHour, Paul Solman, How-To Economics, “Making Sen$e” of financial news..

Norman Birnbach: Media Trends 2011 - Interview

Public relations and media expert Norman Birnbach, President of Birnbach Communications, Inc., was kind enough to take the time to discuss media trends in 201i. He describes what is happening with radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and online media. He also shares a few surprising trends that will be appearing in 2011 as well. Norman also blogs at the popular and highly regarded public relations blog PR Back Talk.

Thanks to Norman Birnbach for his time, and for his intriguing forecasts in the fascinating field of media.

What was the background to your creating this annual series of public relations predictions?

When we started Birnbach Communications a decade ago, we realized there was a missing element from a few clients' marketing plans. They did a great job in capturing key issues from within the company but needed the context of the world outside -- that is, the trends and issues that were being covered by the media. We began issuing an annual list of predictions to help our clients more effectively understand and engage on topics of interest for traditional and now social media.

How successful were the forecasts you made for 2010?

We hit most of our predictions, including our major prediction that last year would be the year of online subscriptions. Very soon afterwards, publishers like the New York Times, Hulu.com, Boston Globe, the Times of London and others began announcing that they would be establishing online subscription access to their content. We were right that print journalism would see a better year – true, 10 papers shut down in 2010, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to the 109 that shut down in 2009.

We were right that the iPad would be one of the biggest stories of the year – which in hindsight was not a risky prediction; but at the time, there was a lot of skepticism about why people would need and buy iPads – plus a lot of people mocked the name, iPad. We did predict a battle between Android vs. the iPhone but did not expect that Android would outsell the iPhone. We predicted the media would focus on corporate battles like Google vs. Apple vs. Microsoft and EMC vs. HP vs. Oracle. We were right about Google vs. Apple, but we did not anticipate Oracle vs. SAP or Cisco vs. H-P. Overall, I'd give us an A/A-.

Social media use and rules are evolving very rapidly. Will this trend continue or even accelerate in 2011?

What's startling is how quickly people have adjusted to social media, now the #1 activity on the Web. It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users, TV just 13 years. Yet it took Facebook less than nine months to add 100 million users. The platforms and the rules will continue to change rapidly. So much of that change is driven by new functionality and some by evolving business models. Take Twitter, for instance. An entire ecosystem of companies have popped up to offer services that Twitter didn't deliver at first, but as Twitter has evolved, it's added some of those features, That's one form of rapid evolution. This rapid change can be overwhelming, but it also presents an opportunity for companies that are social media newbies to jump in, and catch up quickly. After all, many companies are still taking social media baby steps.

How will the corporate use of social media be judged for success in 2011?

Companies will be judged on several criteria, including the quality of their social media engagement, their frequency and use of multimedia elements. Assuming the quality is there, it will be important for companies to post on a regular basis – not just once a month. The fact is that people assume a company has gone out of business or is in a downward spiral if it hasn't issued a release or otherwise updated its website in a matter of months. But in 2011, people will now assume your organization has gone out of business or that you have left your job if you haven't posted or updated your blog or status in a month. To keep brands and images relevant, social media content needs to be a consistent drumbeat, rather than an occasional dribble of information.

Are the reports of the death of the traditional press release still premature?

I recently moderated a panel on social media and public relations, and some of the panelists, who were either reporters or bloggers, gleefully declared that the press release was dead. I respectfully think they're wrong. Now news embargoes may be dead, but the press release continues to serve a purpose. There are other ways to communicate the news – such as making an announcement via Twitter or Facebook. However, press releases can still provide value and be effective in 2011, if only by enabling organizations to post fresh evidence of corporate activity and providing search engine optimization (SEO) opportunities.



Norman Birnbach (photo left)

Will traditional media find its footing from which to operate effectively?

Yes. This year, traditional media will move to stable, if fragile, footing. The worst may be behind them, based on the reduced number of traditional newspapers and magazines that have either shut down or shifted to an online-only business model in 2010 as compared to the prior two years. But the old ways of doing business won't survive the "new normal." Even with a recovery, media properties will never again see revenue at the 2007 pre-recession levels -- unless they innovate and find more ways to generate revenue aside from traditional ad sales. That means finding a way to charge for online content on the revenue side. That also means fewer staff and resources, perpetual deadlines and multichannel content.

Will we see more live real time integrated and interactive multimedia events in 2011?

They won't replace what we used to call "TV shows" in 2011, but we will see more of these events. But that's because we may not be watching on a TV. The cable channel Bravo already actively elicits people to post comments about its shows while the programs are airing – and they're seeing a strong response, more enthusiastic connections and interactions, which is something advertisers like. You won't be limited to just voting for a contestant on a reality show; you can also comment on everything about the show. Hate Ryan Seacrest? Now you can let everyone know. The difference is that in 2010, you had to comment on Twitter or Facebook. In 2011, you'll be able to comment next to the action, and be able to interact with others on one screen as opposed to watching your TV and typing away on your computer.

Are there any changes in the fashionable words and jargon that you expect to happen in 2011?

Hybrid will be the overused word of the year, followed by mashup and curation. We're seeing that hybrid no longer is relegated to plants or cars. It can mean anything that deploys a two-part solution, like one that offers a cloud-based solution, which stores data offsite, along with a way to store data onsite. On the other hand, mashups can be used to describe anything that combines elements of two different things, like two songs (as on "Glee"), or two kinds of data – such as overlaying crime statistics on top of Google Maps. Meanwhile, as used in 2011, curation does not have anything to do with healing. Curation generally refers to the concept of a website that offers information selected and maintained by an actual human (who might be known as a curator if this were a museum), not by an algorithm. In newspaper circles, this person used to be called "editor" – so curation is a back-to-the-future concept.

What will be some of the big technology stories to watch for in 2011?

The biggest will be the battle between the iPad and the iPad Killers. The media will also look at the impact of tablet computing on the PC market. (Anyone remember netbooks?) The media will look at the success and valuations of Groupon and Twitter and Facebook, and whether and when they will go public. The status of Facebook, its policy towards privacy, and the demise of MySpace. (Last year, it was Twitter's business model – which has yet to be fully answered.) Of course, the media will also cover the state of the media, especially print media, online-only business models and online subscriptions. The media – traditional and online can't help but cover itself.



Which trends that emerged in 2010 will continue or increase in 2011?

Location-based services and behavioral targeting by advertisers and personalization will be important. Online privacy will continue to be important. The continued growth of e-books and e-readers will lead to talk about the inevitability of the demise of paper-based book. (The one exception will be children's books, especially pop-up books – to be known as 3-D books.) The media will continue to focus on the latest smartphones and digital cameras.

What is next for Norman Birnbach in 2011?

As an agency, we'll be offering more and richer social media services, including enhanced advocacy programs. And I'll continue to comment on the state of the media, social media and the communications industry on my blog, PR Back Talk (blog.birnbachcom.com).

Tags: Norman Birnbach, Birnbach Communications, Inc, 2011 Media Trends Report, interviews

Mark Scharenbroich: Nice Bike! Making Meaningful Connections On The Road Of Life - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Emmy Award winning keynote speaker, humorist, and author of the inspirational and engaging book Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life, Mark Scharenbroich, shares how a casual two word compliment at the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company's 100 year anniversary celebration conveyed more than appears on the surface. The two words, "Nice bike", acknowledged, honored, and connected with others. By seeking those underlying connections everywhere in our lives and careers, we can discover and deepen relationships with others. The author offers three powerful actions that will transform business relationships, improve productivity, develop higher levels of customer engagement, increase retention, and improve profitability. Learn how to improve employee management, help people to embrace change, enhance tram collaboration, and create meaningful connections with those around you.

Mark Scharenbroich is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, February 10, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Emmy Award winning keynote speaker, humorist, and author of the inspirational and engaging book Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life, Mark Scharenbroich, shares how a casual two word compliment at the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company's 100 year anniversary celebration conveyed more than appears on the surface. You will learn:

* Why people need and seek out meaningful connections

* The three principles that form the basis of relationships

* How engaging employees benefits both the staff and the company

* Why engaging customers is good business in so many different ways



Mark Scharenbroich's (photo left) motivational style, knockout humor, and personal stories with universal appeal all focus on the relationship side of creating results, connecting people to people, administration to faculty, team member to team member, educator to student, and student to student.

While earning a degree in mass communications at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, Mark wrote, directed and performed in a comedy troupe called Mom’s Apple Pie. The group performed together throughout the Midwest in the ’70s. Since there were no comedy clubs, Mom’s Apple Pie performed on high school and college campuses. When the group disbanded, Mark went solo and combined his comedy training with motivational insights and started speaking at high school assemblies.

Jostens — the leading manufacturer of class rings, yearbooks and graduation products — hired Mark to speak at high schools throughout North America. In 1981, Mark was featured in a film called The Greatest Days of Your Life … (So Far). The movie featured Mark speaking to a packed audience of high school students and was seen by millions viewers worldwide in the 80’s. It earned him the Golden Apple and Silver Screen film awards.

Mark left Jostens to form his own communications business.

His reputation is schools stretches around the globe. Mark has written and produced several award-winning programs on leadership, motivation, school climate and character education. His inspirational programs include:

* “The Greatest Days of Your Life . . so far” (1981), a motivational film for students
* “T is for Teacher” (1983), a motivational film for educators
* “One of a Kind” (1984), a training program on self esteem
* “Pathways to Performance” (1986), an achievement training program
* “Choose to Lead” (1987), a leadership training program
* “Building Connections to Improve School Climate” (2000), a school climate improvement program
* “Building Connections: 100+ Ideas to Improve School Climate” (2004), a school climate improvement program
* “What’s It About?” (2005), a character education program
* “Building Connections to Improve Student Achievement” (2010 release), a staff development program
* Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life book release.

Mark has built his speaking career by working in both education and business, discovering how some of the best organizations and leaders build a culture that encourages people to perform at a higher level. Mark is known for his ability to connect with an audience through his quick wit, powerfully inspiring stories and concrete ideas on how to improve a school’s climate. He has been recognized by his peers in the speaking profession as one of the very top in the field including being inducted into the National Speaker’s Association Hall of Fame.

Mark and his wife of more than thirty years, Susan, have partnered in Scharenbroich & Associates since 1984.

My book review of Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life by Mark Scharenbroich.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Emmy Award winning keynote speaker, humorist, and author of the inspirational and engaging book Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life, Mark Scharenbroich, as he shares how a casual two word compliment at the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company's 100 year anniversary celebration conveyed more than appears on the surface. The two words, "Nice bike", acknowledged, honored, and connected with others. By seeking those underlying connections everywhere in our lives and careers, we can discover and deepen relationships with others. The author offers three powerful actions that will transform business relationships, improve productivity, develop higher levels of customer engagement, increase retention, and improve profitability. Learn how to improve employee management, help people to embrace change, enhance tram collaboration, and create meaningful connections with those around you on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life, Mark Scharenbroich, personal leadership, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Nice Bike by Mark Scharenbroich - Book review

Nice Bike

Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life

By: Mark Scharenbroich

Published: January 2011
Format: Paperback, 156 pages
ISBN-10: 0982656238
ISBN-13: 978-0982656235
Publisher: Echo Bay Publishing






"Think about the giddy emotion you felt the last time you made a new connection with another person". writes Emmy award winning keynote speaker and humorist Mark Scharenbroich, in his inspirational and engaging book Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life. the author describes how the ability to connect in an authentic and genuine way with other people helps us to be more engaged with our families, be more active community members, and be more valuable contributors to teams in the workplace.

Mark Scharenbroich introduces the concepts of personal connection and engagement, in the most deeply human way possible, through the means of a story. The author shares the tale of a person, attending a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company celebration, who upon seeing another attendee's motorcycle remarks, "Nice bike!" With those two little words, the author points out how more than a casual, throwaway compliment was extended to the other person. Instead, the the friendly comment conveyed three important elements of forming deeper and richer interpersonal relationships with others. Those three principles are acknowledging, honoring, and connecting with others.



Mark Scharenbroich (photo left) presents a thoughtful and profound observation about the nature of being human. People want, need, and even crave interaction and connection with others. The author offers the well known concept of life being a a journey down a long and twisting road. Mark Sxharenbroich takes the analogy of the personal journey to a more personal level. Employing the motorcycle metaphor beautifully, the author shares how even what on the surface appears to be even the smallest of engagements, can lead to an enriched and fulfilling connection. While Mark Scharenbroich tells the delightful stories of bike owners engaging and connecting, the concept has a much wider application, to the world of business, to the building of communities, and to a stronger family life.

For me, the power of the book is how Mark Scharenbroich describes both the philosophical nature of connection, with real life stories of interpersonal engagement. The stories, filled with gentle humor, engage the reader at a deep emotional level. The book itself is an extension of the connection philosophy and worldview described within its pages. The author doesn't present the three principles of connection as a formula. Instead, he moves to a deeper level, and suggests the ideas should become internalized within the person, to become as natural as breathing. Making connections should not be about getting something, but rather of giving and sharing oneself openly and honestly with other people.

Mark Scharenbroich provides an invitation to see and engage people in a new and refreshing way. That idea may seem obvious at first, but until it is practiced as a way of life and of conducting business, it remains only a theoretical construct. This book offers guidance and inspiration toward transforming everyday meetings and interaction with others into deep and strong connections. Going far beyond the prescriptive, and traveling through the narrative, Mark Scharenbroich shares a renewed and meaningful outlook on life. Through more connections, we not only enrich our own lives, but we make a deep and lasting change in the lives of those with whom we connect. The three principles are a way of living and of being, and they can change and enhance lives forever.

I highly recommend the motivational and life transforming book Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life by Mark Scharenbroich, to anyone seeking to develop and enrich their interpersonal relationships with other people. For business people, the book presents guidance for engaging employees and customers in deeper and more meaningful ways that lead to more fulfilling relationships within and outside of the organization.

Read the personal and philosophical guide Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life by Mark Scharenbroich, and set out anew on the journey of life, refreshed, and prepared for the delight filled adventure of connecting with others. You will soon be sharing different versions of "Nice bike!" with everyone you meet.

Tags: Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life, Mark Scharenbroich, personal leadership, business book reviews.

Matthew May: The Shibumi Strategy - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Internationally acclaimed innovation and design strategist, and author of the delightful and idea packed business fable The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change, Matthew E. May, shares his wisdom for creating meaningful change through a fascinating business fable. Matt May uses Zen design principles to facilitate breakthroughs in business, career, and life. The author offers a ray of hope for people and businesses that are facing seemingly overwhelming challenges.The author presents the idea of shibumi as understanding and feeling of clarity, balance, and connectedness to the task at hand. Matt May shares how to recognize these shibumi moments and to learn their important and timeless lessons. Learn how to take the steps necessary to make the connections and to repeat these valuable concepts.

Matthew May is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, February 8, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Internationally acclaimed innovation and design strategist, and author of the delightful and idea packed business fable The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change, Matthew E. May, shares his wisdom for creating meaningful change through a fascinating business fable. You will learn:

* Why the Eastern philosophy of shibumi is so valuable in today's world

* How to understand the five steps to understanding

* How to recognize that critical moment of clarity

* How to apply the Zen principles of shibumi to your own personal obstacles.



Matthew E. May (photo left) is an internationally recognized expert on change, innovation and design strategy. He is a columnist for the American Express Small Business OPEN Forum Idea Hub where he writes in the popular “The World” section.

He is the author of In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing (2009), which was a 2009 Inc. magazine bestseller, and was named to the BusinessWeek 2009 Best Business Books list in the Design/Innovation category, 800CEORead’s “Best Business Books 2009 (Creativity/Innovation)”, and Richard Pachter’s “Best Business Books of 2009” lists. His preceding book, The Elegant Solution: Toyota’s Formula for Mastering Innovation (2006), won the Shingo Research Prize for Excellence and was selected as one of 800CEORead’s “Best Business Books of 2006.”

A popular speaker and adviser, Matt lectures each year to corporations, governments, and universities around the world, as well as coaches creative teams and senior leaders in companies of all sizes. He spent nearly a decade as a close adviser to Toyota and is a master kaizen coach. His articles have appeared in national publications such as USAToday, Design Mind, and MIT/Sloan Management Review. He has been featured and quoted in The Wall Street Journal, the New Yorker Magazine, and on National Public Radio.

Matt is a graduate of the Wharton School and the Johns Hopkins University, but considers winning the New Yorker Magazine Cartoon Caption Contest among his proudest achievements.

The The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change is his first fable.

My book review of The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change by Matthew E. May.

My book review of In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing by Matthew E. May.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with internationally acclaimed innovation and design strategist, and author of the delightful and idea packed business fable The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change, Matthew E. May, as he shares his wisdom for creating meaningful change through a fascinating business fable. Matt May uses Zen design principles to facilitate breakthroughs in business, career, and life. The author offers a ray of hope for people and businesses that are facing seemingly overwhelming challenges.The author presents the idea of shibumi as understanding and feeling of clarity, balance, and connectedness to the task at hand. Matt May shares how to recognize these shibumi moments and to learn their important and timeless lessons. Learn how to take the steps necessary to make the connections and to repeat these valuable concepts on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change, Matthew E. May, personal leadership, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

The Shibumi Strategy by Matthew E, May - Book review

The Shibumi Strategy

A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change

By: Matthew E. May

Published: November 16, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 176 pages
ISBN-10: 0470769505
ISBN-13: 978-0470769508
Publisher: Jossey-Bass










"There are times in life when if fortunate we experience a moment of utter clarity", writes renowned thought leader and speaker on innovation strategy, design thinking, and corporate creativity.Matthew E. May in his delightful and idea packed business fable The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change. The author creates the moving and inspirational tale of Andy Harmon, who faced with a life altering career challenge, must discover deep within himself the breakthrough necessary to achieve success.

Matthew May shares the story of how Andy seeks guidance and advice in what are seemingly the most unusual of sources. The life lessons arrive in the form of personal Zen, which reveal deep truths about himself and the world around him. Faced with a devastating job loss, Andy finds himself confronted with the daunting challenge of selling used cars. With an unpaid month to prove his his sales ability, Andy struggles with the setback and its impact on his life. What Andy discovers, over the course of the parable, is that the most difficult obstacles and set backs are the most likely to result in that epiphany of clarity. For Andy, that moment is when he discovers shibumi, and realizes its importance to his own life.



Matthew E. May (photo left) presents the shibumi strategy as graceful effectiveness, elegant in its simplicity, and scaling the peaks of personal excellence. Through clarity, balance, and a connectedness to work, other people, and to the entire world, shibumi creates a feeling of oneness that is both realized and part of a greater whole. There is a sense of paradox about the nature of shibumi as well. When effort seems to be at its lowest point, effectiveness reaches an unprecedented zenith. These shibumi moments must be recognized when they occur, and the narrative of the story follows the essential elements of shibumi toward those critical moments. Those aspects of shibumi are:

* Commitment
* Preparation
* Struggle
* Breakthrough
* Transformation

For me, the power of the book is how Matthew May offers the deeply profound and ancient wisdom of the shibumi strategy in a thoroughly modern context. The author, through the vehicle of a business parable, sets the principles of shibumi in an understandable and recognizable context, that engages the reader. The story, while simple on the surface, contains many layers of ideas and nuances that reveal themselves more fully with each additional reading. To combine effectively the often esoteric concepts of Eastern philosophy, with the latest Western discoveries in neuroscience, presents the author's own clarity of thought and mind as well. The core value of the book is letting go of preconceived ideas, and both the narrative and the author's own style, utilize that principle very well.

Matthew May not only presents the story of personal leadership resulting in a moment of clarity, and the ensuing breakthrough. An important part of the book is placed at the very end of the business fable. This addition describes the steps necessary, and the process of personal change that takes place, in each of the five shibumi states of being. The principles, as presented in the story can then be applied to one's own life and individual circumstances. Since everyone has times in their lives of upheaval and difficult challenges, this book offers an effective and deeply personal solution to finding a breakthrough and transformation. In these difficult times, this book is a necessary and essential addition to any personal development and leadership library.

I highly recommend the valuable and fascinating business parable The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change by Matthew E. May, to anyone who is facing challenges and setbacks in their lives. The application of Eastern wisdom to overcoming your personal and business obstacles provides a fresh approach that can yield substantial breakthroughs and clarity.

Read the wonderful and powerful business fable The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change by Matthew E. May, and put the clear thinking of the shibumi principle to work in your life and business. The transformation will be deep, rich, and ultimately life changing and empowering.

Tags: The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change, Matthew E. May, personal leadership, business book reviews.