There Is No Place Like Work: Seven Leadership Insights for Creating a Workplace to Call Home - Hardcover

Sheila L. Margolis; Ava Wilensky

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1586858831 ISBN 13: 9781586858834

Publisher: Gibbs Smith, 2006

Synopsis

Based on hands-on, real-world research and concepts used by CEOs, managers and employees in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 to nonprofit, There Is No Place Like Work shows how organizations have accomplished and can accomplish the ultimate goal of managing their CORE Culture. Successful management will help companies build a staff of motivated employees who feel, individually, that they are doing meaningful tasks in the right place-a workplace that offers a sense of belonging and opportunity for the individual and profits for the organization.
A company's culture is not an amorphous and accidental phenomenon. This crucial element in long-range organizational success is definable, measurable and moldable. That process is called CORE Culture Management, and authors Margolis and Wilensky reveal how to master it by understanding CORE Culture and the Five P's. This guide will help you:
Learn how to harness the Five P's, a set of key parameters delineating critical elements of your organization: Purpose, Philosophy, Priorities, Practices and Projections.
Walk through developing your company's CORE Culture Map, which gives you a visual emblem of your organization's identity and core principles.
Learn how to align your organization to the CORE Culture.
This invaluable book employs a Wizard of Oz metaphor-making it easy to see how every worker can find the intrinsic intelligence, courage and heart within themselves to create a successful, high-performance workplace.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Sheila L. Margolis and Dr. Ava S. Wilensky are the authors of the practical and innovative business book There Is No Place Like Work: Seven Leadership Insights for Creating a Workplace to Call Home (Gibbs Smith, 2006). Based on research that earned the 1998 Award for Distinguished Contribution to Human Resource Development Research, this book shows leaders how to use workplace culture to achieve organizational success and find personal meaning through work.
Margolis and Wilensky hold doctoral degrees in Human Resource Development. They have over 50 years of combined experience in training and development, healthcare management, communication, workplace mediation, education and community counseling.
Drs. Margolis and Wilensky were the founding partners of CORE InSites® Inc., an Atlanta based management consulting firm that was both NWBOC and WBENC certified. Dr. Margolis is now President of Workplace Culture Institute. She conducts culture assessments and employee engagement surveys, and leads culture change.
Since 1996, they have worked with a diverse corporate, nonprofit and association client base. Examples include Cingular Wireless, Acuity Brands, Shaw Industries, Lotus Cars USA, Georgia State University, American College of Rheumatology, the Anti-Defamation League, Georgia Society of Association Executives and St. Jude’s Recovery Center.
Drs. Margolis and Wilensky serve as adjunct professors at Georgia State University where they teach courses in business communication, strategic planning, needs analysis and qualitative research. They have been published widely in the professional and academic press including Human Resource Development Quarterly, Human Resource Development Review, Performance Improvement Quarterly, Association Management magazine and American Venture Magazine. Their quarterly column, Housecalls at Work, appears in Connections magazine. Drs.

From the Back Cover

Learn How to Drive Profits and Create a Genuinely Dedicated Workforce
"In There Is No Place Like Work, Drs. Margolis and Wilensky draw a parallel between the journey to Oz and the journey to a meaningful workplace. As you take this journey, you will learn how to analyze and manage your culture and create a workplace that fits who you are and what you want your company to be. The insights in There Is No Place Like Work give you a simply ingenious way to accomplish this goal."
-Roger S. Baum, Great Grandson of L. Frank Baum, Creator of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
"Essential reading for every leader. Interesting and provocative with easy-to-apply insights that can change your work and your life."
-Gail Evans, Former Executive Vice President, CNN, and Author, She Wins, You Win
"This book very simply defines and illustrates what makes the best workplaces in business today. Many of us understand intuitively what makes these places superior, but this book breaks down and explains the structure piece by piece and does it in a clear, concise manner. I highly recommend this to anyone working to build the right workplace."
-Bob Chandler, President, Patcraft Commercial, Shaw Industries
"A lot of amazing information packed into a few easy-to-read pages. No one can afford NOT to read this book."
-Joel E. Marks, President, Innovative Brokerage Solutions, Inc.
"I loved There Is No Place Like Work for two reasons: (1) It's short, to the point and right on target; and (2) it gives clear guidelines that lead to a successful conclusion. In today's business environment, time is of the essence. This book can be read in an hour and provides insights for anyone who wants to improve their business. I'm going to order copies for my employees!"
-Michael A. Leven, President & CEO, U.S. Franchise Systems
"Drs. Margolis and Wilensky's three P's - Purpose, Philosophy and Priorities - could be rolled into one additional P - Powerful. If your job or business is your home away from home, I agree, you're on your way to success."
-Harry Maziar, Retired President & CEO, ZEP Manufacturing Company and Executive in Residence, Kennesaw State University
"Many leaders know what they want to do in their professional lives but are less familiar with how to create an organization that attracts people who are the best match for the company. There Is No Place Like Work guides leaders in successfully defining and managing their culture to build a dedicated workforce. It has applications in academic, professional and applied settings."
-Deborah L. Levy, PhD, Harvard Medical School
"These seasoned experts know what it takes to help you focus on success. Their keen insight is a gift to the business world!"
-Robyn Freedman Spizman, Author, The Giftionary

From the Inside Flap

There Is No Place Like Work is an easy-to-understand business parable about the importance of workplace culture in achieving organizational success and finding personal meaning through work. Inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it tells the story of Dot, the founder and CEO of a successful company that has begun to falter. Dot embarks on a journey to Reflection City to meet the business whiz Mr. Insite. On her way, she encounters three individuals who might just remind you of three friends from Oz. They introduce her to the core elements that make their work personally fulfilling and that generate bottom-line success for their companies. Upon meeting Mr. Insite, Dot learns how to apply the wisdom she has earned so that she, too, can create a purposeful, satisfying and profitable work environment.
Today's companies seek productive, committed employees. There Is No Place Like Work is indispensable for leaders who want to create successful workplaces with dedicated employees who are connected to the company, not just the job.
Dr. Sheila L. Margolis and Dr. Ava S. Wilensky are the founding partners of CORE InSites® Inc., a management consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. They specialize in organizational culture and the strategic use of human resources. The model they present in this book is based on their research, which received the Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies "Distinguished Contribution to Human Resource Development Research Award." They are featured speakers at meetings and events, and their work has been published in academic and professional journals and magazines.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Preface
Imagine hearing your employees say, "This company is like family." "I Can't imagine working any place else." "This is where I belong." Well, you don't have to travel over the rainbow to achieve that level of dedication and commitment from your employees. You can find the answers within your own company--by understanding your workplace culture. Contrary to popular belief, culture is not some amorphous and accidental phenomenon. This crucial element in long-range organizational success is definable, measurable and moldable. That process is called CORE Culture Management, and you will learn to master it by understanding CORE Culture and the Five P's.

Edition details

• Publisher: Gibbs Smith
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1586858831
• ISBN 13: 9781586858834
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 152