MB: Managers Bookshelf

Management In Print

“Moving Out of The Box: Tools for Team Decision Making ”
by Jana M. Kemp, Praeger Publishers,

Westport, Connecticut; 2008; 168 pages; $34.95

In case no one has noticed, business terms and military terms seem to be moving freely from one field to another. Command-and-control is a phrase that originated with the military and has been picked up by business. It is usually the opposite of consensus and collaboration, a phrase that originated in business.
The difference between them is the pressure of time. When a decision is needed very quickly, an individual frequently calls the shot despite the inaccuracy of information on which the decision is based. When there is considerable time before a decision is needed, all kinds of information is gathered, most often by a team of people who collaborate with one another and reach a decision by consensus. The primary danger here isn't inaccurate information, but delays created by paralysis of analysis.
Author Jana Kemp doesn’t condemn either style. She believes that, within reason, there is room for both styles of decision-making in any organization. Kemp notes: “…consensus-driven decisions can be made when the right people with the right expertise and authority are at the table and have a flexible deadline in making a decision. A lack of given authority for making decisions undermines a consensus approach. And, if the right people aren’t present, opt to cancel the meeting; make assignments and reconvene to make a decision; or discuss details now and make a recommendation to the person(s) with authority.
“…Command-and-control decisions can be made when the person or people with the right authority are present and the timing is now. When no clear authority exists and yet a decision is demanded due to urgency, someone must take control, make decisions and deal with the authority issue in the aftermath of the situation. As you can see, there is a situation-appropriate time for both decision-making approaches.”
Kemp goes on to point out that consensus-driven decision makers who face conflict within their teams may take up more time than is reasonably available to them. They are then forced into a command-and-control approach. Similarly, when command-and-control-driven decision makers are in conflict, it sometimes looks like a battle of wills between personalities with oversized egos. Unfortunately, the result is that the decision is kicked upstairs to a very senior executive who makes a command-and-control decision that frequently doesn’t solve the problem while creating a permanent split among his or her associates.
The heart of the book that reconciles command-and-control decision making with consensus-and-collaboration decision making is a set of five figures or marks created by Kemp which she calls “ChoiceMarks.” The author believes these can be annotated to notes on any issue and trigger an approach to resolving issues and reaching conclusions with a reasonable degree of speed.
The ChoiceMarks include the (1) “Anti-Survival Mark” (when a participant states “I'm against this idea because”); (2)”Boxed-in Mark” (“We’re not allowed to do this”); (3)”Neutral Mark” (“I won't stand in your way, but I won’t help.”); (4)Engaged Enthusiasm Mark (“I'm excited about this”); (5) “Extreme Excitement Mark” (“I'm ready to move forward with this”).
In each case Kemp offers questions and possible answers as guidelines, then goes on to offer practical exercises in making choices. She also offers decision-making discussion tips, question-asking tips, and listening tips.
Perhaps one of the best tips offered by Kemp is to arrive at a style with your team that meets their emotional and business needs. In other words, is their preference for a command-and-control approach or consensus-and-collaboration? Once you’ve determined this and put it into practice, the success of the approach becomes assured.
“Moving Out of the Box” is a thoughtful out-of-the box approach to military-based and business-based decision-making.

-- Henry Holtzman

Here are the current top 10 bestselling books for business. The list is compiled based on information received from retail bookstores throughout the U.S.A.

1. “Debt Cures ‘They’ Don't Want You to Know About,” by Kevin Trudeau (Equity Press…$25.95) (1)*
What banks and credit card companies prefer you not to know.
2. “The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life,” by
Alice Schroeder (Bantam Books…$35.00)**
Why there has always been far more to Buffet than meets the eye.
3. “Go Put Your Strengths to Work: Six Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance,” by Marcus Buckingham (The Free Press… $30.00) (7)
How to identify and use your unique strengths at work.
4. “21 Distinctions of Wealth: How to Create Unlimited Abundance in Your Life,” by Peggy McColl (John Wiley & Sons…$15.95) (2)
How to become wealthy and stay that way.
5. “The Five Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me About Life and Wealth,” by Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster Trade…$14.95) (4)
Why the wealthy are different in a variety of ways.
6. “Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned As Children (But May Have Forgotten),” by Jon M. Huntsman
(Wharton School Publishing…$19.95)(5)
Why playing by the rules is still the only way to win.
7. “The Post-American World,” by Fareed Zakaria (W.W. Norton & Co …$25.95) (3)
Why the 21st Century will not be “the American Century.”
8. “The Logic of Life: The Rational Economics of An Irrational World,” by Tim Harford (Random House…$19.95) (6)
Why economics always appears logical when nothing else does.
9. “When Markets Collide: Investment Strategies for the Age of Global Economic Change,” by Mohamed El-Erian (McGraw Hill…$27.95) (8)
New investment strategies as seen by the global investment guru.
10. “Launching a Leadership Revolution: Mastering the Five Levels of Influence,” by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward (Business Plus…$23.99) (9)
Detailed view of how to develop leadership skills.
____________________
(1)* -- Indicates a book's previous position on the list.
** -- Indicates a book's first appearance on the list.
*** -- Book previously on the list is on the list once again.


Management In Print “Moving Out of The Box: Tools for Team Decision Making ” by Jana M. Kemp, Praeger Publishers, Westport, Connecticut; 2008; 168 pages; $34.95 In case no one has noticed, business terms and military terms seem to be moving freely from one field to another. Command-and-control is a phrase that originated with the military and has been picked up by business. It is usually the opposite of consensus and collaboration, a phrase that originated in business. The difference between them is the pressure of time. When a decision is needed very quickly, an individual frequently calls the shot despite the inaccuracy of information on which the decision is based. When there is considerable time before a decision is needed, all kinds of information is gathered, most often by a team of people who collaborate with one another and reach a decision by consensus. The primary danger here isn't inaccurate information, but delays created by paralysis of analysis. Author Jana Kemp doesn’t condemn either style. She believes that, within reason, there is room for both styles of decision-making in any organization. Kemp notes: “…consensus-driven decisions can be made when the right people with the right expertise and authority are at the table and have a flexible deadline in making a decision. A lack of given authority for making decisions undermines a consensus approach. And, if the right people aren’t present, opt to cancel the meeting; make assignments and reconvene to make a decision; or discuss details now and make a recommendation to the person(s) with authority. “…Command-and-control decisions can be made when the person or people with the right authority are present and the timing is now. When no clear authority exists and yet a decision is demanded due to urgency, someone must take control, make decisions and deal with the authority issue in the aftermath of the situation. As you can see, there is a situation-appropriate time for both decision-making approaches.” Kemp goes on to point out that consensus-driven decision makers who face conflict within their teams may take up more time than is reasonably available to them. They are then forced into a command-and-control approach. Similarly, when command-and-control-driven decision makers are in conflict, it sometimes looks like a battle of wills between personalities with oversized egos. Unfortunately, the result is that the decision is kicked upstairs to a very senior executive who makes a command-and-control decision that frequently doesn’t solve the problem while creating a permanent split among his or her associates. The heart of the book that reconciles command-and-control decision making with consensus-and-collaboration decision making is a set of five figures or marks created by Kemp which she calls “ChoiceMarks.” The author believes these can be annotated to notes on any issue and trigger an approach to resolving issues and reaching conclusions with a reasonable degree of speed. The ChoiceMarks include the (1) “Anti-Survival Mark” (when a participant states “I'm against this idea because”); (2)”Boxed-in Mark” (“We’re not allowed to do this”); (3)”Neutral Mark” (“I won't stand in your way, but I won’t help.”); (4)Engaged Enthusiasm Mark (“I'm excited about this”); (5) “Extreme Excitement Mark” (“I'm ready to move forward with this”). In each case Kemp offers questions and possible answers as guidelines, then goes on to offer practical exercises in making choices. She also offers decision-making discussion tips, question-asking tips, and listening tips. Perhaps one of the best tips offered by Kemp is to arrive at a style with your team that meets their emotional and business needs. In other words, is their preference for a command-and-control approach or consensus-and-collaboration? Once you’ve determined this and put it into practice, the success of the approach becomes assured. “Moving Out of the Box” is a thoughtful out-of-the box approach to military-based and business-based decision-making. -- Henry Holtzman Here are the current top 10 bestselling books for business. The list is compiled based on information received from retail bookstores throughout the U.S.A. 1. “Debt Cures ‘They’ Don't Want You to Know About,” by Kevin Trudeau (Equity Press…$25.95) (1)* What banks and credit card companies prefer you not to know. 2. “The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life,” by Alice Schroeder (Bantam Books…$35.00)** Why there has always been far more to Buffet than meets the eye. 3. “Go Put Your Strengths to Work: Six Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance,” by Marcus Buckingham (The Free Press… $30.00) (7) How to identify and use your unique strengths at work. 4. “21 Distinctions of Wealth: How to Create Unlimited Abundance in Your Life,” by Peggy McColl (John Wiley & Sons…$15.95) (2) How to become wealthy and stay that way. 5. “The Five Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me About Life and Wealth,” by Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster Trade…$14.95) (4) Why the wealthy are different in a variety of ways. 6. “Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned As Children (But May Have Forgotten),” by Jon M. Huntsman (Wharton School Publishing…$19.95)(5) Why playing by the rules is still the only way to win. 7. “The Post-American World,” by Fareed Zakaria (W.W. Norton & Co …$25.95) (3) Why the 21st Century will not be “the American Century.” 8. “The Logic of Life: The Rational Economics of An Irrational World,” by Tim Harford (Random House…$19.95) (6) Why economics always appears logical when nothing else does. 9. “When Markets Collide: Investment Strategies for the Age of Global Economic Change,” by Mohamed El-Erian (McGraw Hill…$27.95) (8) New investment strategies as seen by the global investment guru. 10. “Launching a Leadership Revolution: Mastering the Five Levels of Influence,” by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward (Business Plus…$23.99) (9) Detailed view of how to develop leadership skills. ____________________ (1)* -- Indicates a book's previous position on the list. -- Indicates a book's first appearance on the list. * -- Book previously on the list is on the list once again.
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