Every book in the Berrett-Koehler catalog, in one place. Browse our full collection of titles spanning leadership, management, workplace culture, social change, and beyond.
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All humans have bias, and as a result, so do the institutions we build. Internationally sought after diversity consultant Tiffany Jana offers concrete ways for anyone to work against institutional bias no matter what their position is in an organization.
While it is easy to identify intentionally built systems of oppression like Jim Crow or the paralysis caused by the glass ceiling for women in the workplace, confronting systems that perpetuate subtle, unconscious bias is much harder. Erasing Institutional Bias will help people tackle structural bias regardless of their positional power. Eliminating systemic bias can seem an insurmountable task from the vantage point of an ordinary individual, yet Jana and Mejias empower readers to recognize that each of us has the ability to affect systemic bias through a deliberate, coordinated effort. Institutional bias afflicts all industries -including business, education, health care, government, tech, the arts, nonprofits, and finance and banking. Among the types of institutional bias addressed are hiring bias, gender bias, racial bias, occupational bias, and customer bias. Jana and Mejias focus their attention on bias in the workplace and give readers practices and activities to create organizational trust to challenge these implicit biases. Erasing Institutional Bias will help people recognize that each of us has the power to affect systemic bias. Each of us can evaluate our own current role in perpetuating systemic bias and define our new role in breaking down systemic bias.
While it is easy to identify intentionally built systems of oppression like Jim Crow or the paralysis caused by the glass ceiling for women in the workplace, confronting systems that perpetuate subtle, unconscious bias is much harder. Erasing Institutional Bias will help people tackle structural bias regardless of their positional power. Eliminating systemic bias can seem an insurmountable task from the vantage point of an ordinary individual, yet Jana and Mejias empower readers to recognize that each of us has the ability to affect systemic bias through a deliberate, coordinated effort. Institutional bias afflicts all industries -including business, education, health care, government, tech, the arts, nonprofits, and finance and banking. Among the types of institutional bias addressed are hiring bias, gender bias, racial bias, occupational bias, and customer bias. Jana and Mejias focus their attention on bias in the workplace and give readers practices and activities to create organizational trust to challenge these implicit biases. Erasing Institutional Bias will help people recognize that each of us has the power to affect systemic bias. Each of us can evaluate our own current role in perpetuating systemic bias and define our new role in breaking down systemic bias.
This no-nonsense guide to social intelligence for project managers gives you a step-by-step process for building a bulletproof project team-no matter what gaps exist in personality, geography, culture, or communication style.
High-performing teams don't happen by magic. You need processes that are designed in a socially intelligent way if your team is going to overcome the modern world's tough challenges with coordination. To be a star project manager, you have to communicate with people in their individual learning styles, provide accountability in ways that won't be demotivating, and run meetings and minutes that people won't tune out. Your processes must be constructed in ways that respect the complex realities of social dynamics step by step.
You have to know your team before you can motivate them, and you have to motivate them before you can manage them. In this book are foolproof techniques to make sure your team connects with you, each other, and everyone they need to get the job done. After all, a team should be more than the sum of its parts-and it's up to the project manager to provide the glue that holds it all together.
High-performing teams don't happen by magic. You need processes that are designed in a socially intelligent way if your team is going to overcome the modern world's tough challenges with coordination. To be a star project manager, you have to communicate with people in their individual learning styles, provide accountability in ways that won't be demotivating, and run meetings and minutes that people won't tune out. Your processes must be constructed in ways that respect the complex realities of social dynamics step by step.
You have to know your team before you can motivate them, and you have to motivate them before you can manage them. In this book are foolproof techniques to make sure your team connects with you, each other, and everyone they need to get the job done. After all, a team should be more than the sum of its parts-and it's up to the project manager to provide the glue that holds it all together.
YES! Magazine cofounder Sarah van Gelder sends dispatches from an eighteen-state journey across America, describing how people abandoned by big national institutions are developing creative community-based solutions to environmental and social problems.
YES! Magazine cofounder Sarah van Gelder was worried about the current state of American society. Environmental destruction, growing poverty, urban decay, rural decline-it's a long list. Can we turn this around, she wondered? Are there answers we haven't found yet? She confided her fears to a friend, who said to her, “If the universe could deploy the one small person that is you, what would it have you do?” Her answer surprised them both: “I'd go out traveling and see for myself.”
So driving a twelve-year-old Toyota pickup truck with a tiny camper hand-painted by a Suquamish artist, van Gelder visited eighteen states and five Indian reservations, big cities and small towns. She wanted to meet people at the margins of society who were the least embedded in the big institutions that reward status quo thinking.
She came away believing that a profound change is sweeping the country. She went to all kinds of places and met all kinds of people who were dealing with very different problems, but what united them all was best summed up by a phrase she saw on a mural in Newark: “We the People LOVE This Place.” Through the connection we each have to place-our physical and ecological place and also the human community-we are creating a new America.
YES! Magazine cofounder Sarah van Gelder was worried about the current state of American society. Environmental destruction, growing poverty, urban decay, rural decline-it's a long list. Can we turn this around, she wondered? Are there answers we haven't found yet? She confided her fears to a friend, who said to her, “If the universe could deploy the one small person that is you, what would it have you do?” Her answer surprised them both: “I'd go out traveling and see for myself.”
So driving a twelve-year-old Toyota pickup truck with a tiny camper hand-painted by a Suquamish artist, van Gelder visited eighteen states and five Indian reservations, big cities and small towns. She wanted to meet people at the margins of society who were the least embedded in the big institutions that reward status quo thinking.
She came away believing that a profound change is sweeping the country. She went to all kinds of places and met all kinds of people who were dealing with very different problems, but what united them all was best summed up by a phrase she saw on a mural in Newark: “We the People LOVE This Place.” Through the connection we each have to place-our physical and ecological place and also the human community-we are creating a new America.
A longtime broadcast journalist, ABC News correspondent, and business communication strategist shows how you can craft an honest and authentic response to any scandal, rather than try to deny it, and ultimately bolster your brand.
In two decades as a television reporter, T. J. Winick covered many scandals. The biggest mistake he saw brands make was to try to “make it go away” by refusing to apologize, declining to comment, or going on the attack-anything to deflect attention. Often that kind of response becomes a scandal of its own.
In his book, Winick argues instead for transparency, honesty, authenticity, and empathy. Handled correctly, the way you address an egregious violation of your standards can increase your reputation capital. It can remind people of what those standards are and how strongly you believe in them.
Drawing on his intimate insider knowledge of the media, Winick addresses every conceivable aspect of how to respond to a scandal. He includes his Ten Crisis Commandments-universal dos and don'ts-and the seven qualities for an effective response. Using dozens of examples, he covers critical issues such as choosing when and how to apologize and when not to, creating a crisis communication plan and forming a response team, making the press your ally; choosing the right social media channel to deliver your message, navigating controversial social issues, and much more.
Winick's experience covering brands in crisis and then defending them makes this book an invaluable resource. “I have been both the hunter and the hunted,” he writes. If you've built your reputation capital through years of living the ideals you espouse, this book will help you protect and defend it when that inevitable crisis strikes.
In two decades as a television reporter, T. J. Winick covered many scandals. The biggest mistake he saw brands make was to try to “make it go away” by refusing to apologize, declining to comment, or going on the attack-anything to deflect attention. Often that kind of response becomes a scandal of its own.
In his book, Winick argues instead for transparency, honesty, authenticity, and empathy. Handled correctly, the way you address an egregious violation of your standards can increase your reputation capital. It can remind people of what those standards are and how strongly you believe in them.
Drawing on his intimate insider knowledge of the media, Winick addresses every conceivable aspect of how to respond to a scandal. He includes his Ten Crisis Commandments-universal dos and don'ts-and the seven qualities for an effective response. Using dozens of examples, he covers critical issues such as choosing when and how to apologize and when not to, creating a crisis communication plan and forming a response team, making the press your ally; choosing the right social media channel to deliver your message, navigating controversial social issues, and much more.
Winick's experience covering brands in crisis and then defending them makes this book an invaluable resource. “I have been both the hunter and the hunted,” he writes. If you've built your reputation capital through years of living the ideals you espouse, this book will help you protect and defend it when that inevitable crisis strikes.
PepsiCo's award-winning chief design officer reveals the secret to creating life-changing innovations: putting human needs at the center of any design process.
In every industry, new technologies have lowered the barrier to entry like never before. Either you design exceptional products, brands and experiences, or somebody will beat you to it. And Mauro Porcini - PepsiCo's and 3M's first ever chief design officer - says, the key to real, world-changing innovation is to put people first. Putting people first requires what Porcini calls unicorns: people who are in love with people and who have a genuine fire in them to create meaningful solutions for actual human beings. In this book, he describes them, celebrates them, and details their superpowers so you can find them, hire them, grow them, and retain them. Some have qualities you might expect-the ability to dream and an attention to detail-but when was the last time you heard an executive ask prospective hires if they were kind or humble? Porcini uses his journey across startups and multinational corporations, through successes and failures, to create a handbook for modern innovators. This book is written by a celebrated designer, high-level corporate executive, and a decent human being.
In every industry, new technologies have lowered the barrier to entry like never before. Either you design exceptional products, brands and experiences, or somebody will beat you to it. And Mauro Porcini - PepsiCo's and 3M's first ever chief design officer - says, the key to real, world-changing innovation is to put people first. Putting people first requires what Porcini calls unicorns: people who are in love with people and who have a genuine fire in them to create meaningful solutions for actual human beings. In this book, he describes them, celebrates them, and details their superpowers so you can find them, hire them, grow them, and retain them. Some have qualities you might expect-the ability to dream and an attention to detail-but when was the last time you heard an executive ask prospective hires if they were kind or humble? Porcini uses his journey across startups and multinational corporations, through successes and failures, to create a handbook for modern innovators. This book is written by a celebrated designer, high-level corporate executive, and a decent human being.
Building on the success of his classic bestseller Eat That Frog! -- nearly one million copies sold - Brian Tracy shows how everyone can turn negative frogs (negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors) into positive princes (positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors) in all areas of life and work.
“Professor Coffee's compelling new approach to holding fraudsters to account is indispensable reading for any lawmaker serious about deterring corporate crime.”
-Robert Jackson, former Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission
In the early 2000s, federal enforcement efforts sent white collar criminals at Enron and WorldCom to prison. But since the 2008 financial collapse, this famously hasn't happened. Corporations have been permitted to enter into deferred prosecution agreements and avoid criminal convictions, in part due to a mistaken assumption that leniency would encourage cooperation and because enforcement agencies don't have the funding or staff to pursue lengthy prosecutions, says distinguished Columbia Law Professor John C. Coffee. “We are moving from a system of justice for organizational crime that mixed carrots and sticks to one that is all carrots and no sticks,” he says.
He offers a series of bold proposals for ensuring that corporate malfeasance can once again be punished. For example, he describes incentives that could be offered to both corporate executives to turn in their corporations and to corporations to turn in their executives, allowing prosecutors to play them off against each other. Whistleblowers should be offered cash bounties to come forward because, Coffee writes, “it is easier and cheaper to buy information than seek to discover it in adversarial proceedings.” All federal enforcement agencies should be able to hire outside counsel on a contingency fee basis, which would cost the public nothing and provide access to discovery and litigation expertise the agencies don't have. Through these and other equally controversial ideas, Coffee intends to rebalance the scales of justice.
-Robert Jackson, former Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission
In the early 2000s, federal enforcement efforts sent white collar criminals at Enron and WorldCom to prison. But since the 2008 financial collapse, this famously hasn't happened. Corporations have been permitted to enter into deferred prosecution agreements and avoid criminal convictions, in part due to a mistaken assumption that leniency would encourage cooperation and because enforcement agencies don't have the funding or staff to pursue lengthy prosecutions, says distinguished Columbia Law Professor John C. Coffee. “We are moving from a system of justice for organizational crime that mixed carrots and sticks to one that is all carrots and no sticks,” he says.
He offers a series of bold proposals for ensuring that corporate malfeasance can once again be punished. For example, he describes incentives that could be offered to both corporate executives to turn in their corporations and to corporations to turn in their executives, allowing prosecutors to play them off against each other. Whistleblowers should be offered cash bounties to come forward because, Coffee writes, “it is easier and cheaper to buy information than seek to discover it in adversarial proceedings.” All federal enforcement agencies should be able to hire outside counsel on a contingency fee basis, which would cost the public nothing and provide access to discovery and litigation expertise the agencies don't have. Through these and other equally controversial ideas, Coffee intends to rebalance the scales of justice.
“A wonderful book for thinking about how to release ourselves from crippling processes. It's time for men-and for all of us-to stand up and say, ‘Give us back our full humanity, give us back our dignity.'”
-Paul Gilbert, PhD, author of The Compassionate Mind
In a recent FiveThirtyEight poll, 60 percent of men surveyed said society puts pressure on men to behave in a way that is unhealthy or bad. Men account for 80 percent of suicide deaths in the United States and twice as many opioid overdose deaths as women. It's clear we urgently need new a model for a masculinity that works for both men and women.
As an antidote to “toxic masculinity, which the authors reframe as Confined Masculinity, Ed Adams and Ed Frauenheim propose a new male paradigm: Expanded Masculinity. It replaces negative traits like hypercompetitiveness, anger, violence, misogyny, and extreme self-interest with compassion for others, a strong collaborative spirit, emotional expressivity, respect for cultural diversity and gender equality, and protection of the earth. Through hopeful stories, interviews with both thought leaders and everyday men, and practical exercises, this book shows the liberating power of a masculinity defined by the five Cs of Expanded Masculinity: Curiosity, Courage, Compassion, Connection, and Commitment. This way of being a man fosters healthy, harmonious relationships at every level.
-Paul Gilbert, PhD, author of The Compassionate Mind
In a recent FiveThirtyEight poll, 60 percent of men surveyed said society puts pressure on men to behave in a way that is unhealthy or bad. Men account for 80 percent of suicide deaths in the United States and twice as many opioid overdose deaths as women. It's clear we urgently need new a model for a masculinity that works for both men and women.
As an antidote to “toxic masculinity, which the authors reframe as Confined Masculinity, Ed Adams and Ed Frauenheim propose a new male paradigm: Expanded Masculinity. It replaces negative traits like hypercompetitiveness, anger, violence, misogyny, and extreme self-interest with compassion for others, a strong collaborative spirit, emotional expressivity, respect for cultural diversity and gender equality, and protection of the earth. Through hopeful stories, interviews with both thought leaders and everyday men, and practical exercises, this book shows the liberating power of a masculinity defined by the five Cs of Expanded Masculinity: Curiosity, Courage, Compassion, Connection, and Commitment. This way of being a man fosters healthy, harmonious relationships at every level.
This practical guide, the first to show how leaders can achieve extraordinary results through the positive energy generated by virtuous interactions with employees, is written by one of the giants in the study of positive leadership.
This book is about one of the most important factors that leads to spectacular performance in organizations. Kim Cameron, a true pioneer in the study of positive leadership, offers validated scientific evidence that all individuals are inherently attracted to and flourish in the presence of positive energy. Further, he shows that the positive relational energy generated by leaders' virtuous behaviors-for example, generosity, compassion, gratitude, trustworthiness, forgiveness, and kindness-is tightly linked to extraordinary organizational outcomes like greater innovation, higher profits, and increased engagement and retention.
Cameron has not written a feel-good tome about the power of positive thinking, “happiology,” or unbridled optimism. This book is a research-based exploration of how to capitalize on an inherent tendency in all living systems. He provides practical suggestions and exercises for how leaders can assess the level of their positive energy and recommends specific practices that will increase positive relational energy. Positively Energizing Leadership is a major contribution to the theory and practice of leadership.
This book is about one of the most important factors that leads to spectacular performance in organizations. Kim Cameron, a true pioneer in the study of positive leadership, offers validated scientific evidence that all individuals are inherently attracted to and flourish in the presence of positive energy. Further, he shows that the positive relational energy generated by leaders' virtuous behaviors-for example, generosity, compassion, gratitude, trustworthiness, forgiveness, and kindness-is tightly linked to extraordinary organizational outcomes like greater innovation, higher profits, and increased engagement and retention.
Cameron has not written a feel-good tome about the power of positive thinking, “happiology,” or unbridled optimism. This book is a research-based exploration of how to capitalize on an inherent tendency in all living systems. He provides practical suggestions and exercises for how leaders can assess the level of their positive energy and recommends specific practices that will increase positive relational energy. Positively Energizing Leadership is a major contribution to the theory and practice of leadership.
In a world with a surplus of ideas, what separates a good idea from a bad one? Learn how to cultivate a mindset that produces the kind of ideas people can't turn down.
Most professionals cannot generate a solid idea. They either offer up tired or reused ones, or they generate lots of ideas but none that are worth pursuing.
A great idea presents a well-formulated thought or plan of action that spurs growth, change, advancement, adaptation, or new insight. Worthwhile ideas move the needle; they change the playing field altogether.
The New Art of Ideas is designed to help readers consistently produce worthwhile ideas by becoming nimble and imaginative thinkers better equipped to compete and produce in a global economy. Robin Landa identifies the Three Gs of every good idea:
• Goal-Your vision for the end
• Gap-The underdeveloped area that your idea fills
• Gain-The overall benefits of your goal
With explanations and examples of each component, this book demystifies the process of effective ideation and hands you the key to unlock your creative potential.
Most professionals cannot generate a solid idea. They either offer up tired or reused ones, or they generate lots of ideas but none that are worth pursuing.
A great idea presents a well-formulated thought or plan of action that spurs growth, change, advancement, adaptation, or new insight. Worthwhile ideas move the needle; they change the playing field altogether.
The New Art of Ideas is designed to help readers consistently produce worthwhile ideas by becoming nimble and imaginative thinkers better equipped to compete and produce in a global economy. Robin Landa identifies the Three Gs of every good idea:
• Goal-Your vision for the end
• Gap-The underdeveloped area that your idea fills
• Gain-The overall benefits of your goal
With explanations and examples of each component, this book demystifies the process of effective ideation and hands you the key to unlock your creative potential.
The media's bias toward stories of conflict, violence, and division is bad for your health. Hal Urban shows how to find the positive and uplifting all around us.
The news media thrives on bad news. In recent years, the political climate has become vitriolic and divisive, our country seems more polarized than ever, and news feels inescapable because technology has significantly increased its reach. People who like to stay informed need a lift.
Most people are aware that what they eat greatly impacts their physical health: junk food is bad, vegetables are good. Hal Urban argues that we can nourish our minds by choosing how we consume news, and that when we surrender all that choice to media and external forces, we give up our growth, freedom, and mental health. Countless signs of progress and acts of kindness exist all around the world if you know where to look. And there are positive aspects in our own lives-family, friends, simple beauties, and everyday generosities-that we take for granted. This book helps readers understand that, as the late Zig Ziglar said, "You are what you are because of what goes into your mind."
The news media thrives on bad news. In recent years, the political climate has become vitriolic and divisive, our country seems more polarized than ever, and news feels inescapable because technology has significantly increased its reach. People who like to stay informed need a lift.
Most people are aware that what they eat greatly impacts their physical health: junk food is bad, vegetables are good. Hal Urban argues that we can nourish our minds by choosing how we consume news, and that when we surrender all that choice to media and external forces, we give up our growth, freedom, and mental health. Countless signs of progress and acts of kindness exist all around the world if you know where to look. And there are positive aspects in our own lives-family, friends, simple beauties, and everyday generosities-that we take for granted. This book helps readers understand that, as the late Zig Ziglar said, "You are what you are because of what goes into your mind."
Based on interviews with 48 executives in a variety of industries, The Moral Advantage describes the many distinct ways that morality contributes to business success. Some of these ways are familiar (following ethical codes, for example), whereas others, such as unleashing the powers of moral imagination, have received little or no attention.
Damon details precisely how these business leaders applied their moral sense to strengthen their businesses.
Damon details precisely how these business leaders applied their moral sense to strengthen their businesses.