AMA Edgewise » AMA Edgewise

In this episode of AMA Edgewise, we talk to Kory Kogon one of the Co-Authors of The 5 Choices: The Path Extraordinary Productivity. Kory explains why it is both easier and harder to achieve extraordinary productivity. In a business world filled with technology made to increase productivity, those same tools somehow take control over your day. Kory Kogon and her Co-Authors illustrate the framework necessary to take back control of your workday through the 5-Choices. Kory Kogon brings 25 years of research and experience as FranklinCovey’s Global Practice Leader for Productivity. She has been featured on Inc.com, Fast Company, and Forbes for her research around content development and communication skills. Kory is passionate and intentional about her work in time management and she wants to shed some light on what it takes to be and extraordinary worker.

Negotiation is always difficult but for women it can be a minefield of politics and unconscious biases. That’s why Dr. Yasmin Davidds, co-author of Your Own Terms, published by AMACOM, teaches gender-specific negotiation tactics. She leverages traditionally feminine strengths, such as collaboration, to work in women’s favor and get them the raise or promotion they’re after. Yasmin Davidds, PSY.D., is founder and CEO of the Women’s Institute of Negotiation (WIN) and the Latina Global Executive Leadership Program. She has trained thousands of corporate leaders across the globe.

Jim McCann, of 1-800-Flowers and author of Talk is Not Cheap, wants you to talk to your employees. Not just because it’s the nice thing to do (though it is). But once you’ve established a rapport with people it’s much easier to be an effective leader. They’ll trust you and you’ll have more insight into what motivates them individually. Talk is not cheap, it’s worth quite a lot. James F. “Jim” McCann is an American entrepreneur who founded 1-800-Flowers, which was one of the first companies to pioneer and popularize the use of both toll-free telephone numbers and Web sites to sell goods and services directly to consumers.

Scott Mautz, author of Make it Matter, the new book published by AMACOM, wants your employees to feel like they matter when they go to work. Some of that has to come from within but managers can also help guide employees to a sense of meaning in their work. Employees who feel taken care of and are assured that their time isn’t being wasted will be happier and do more meaningful work. Scott Mautz has worked at Procter & Gamble for 20 years and now runs a $3-billion division. He is also a speaker and consultant on meaning-making leadership.

When we think about leaders of an company we tend to look up the organizational hierarchy and focus on title. Scott Edinger, coauthor of The Hidden Leader, published by AMACOM, understands the impulse but wants you to remember that there’s plenty of leadership power that doesn’t just come from a title. It’s your go-to people, the mid-level managers and individual contributors who are ready to be tapped. So before you look to outside sources for solutions, remember to look at the resources you already have. Scott K. Edinger, founder of Edinger Consulting Group, is recognized as an expert in helping organizations achieve measurable business results. Coauthor of The Inspiring Leader, he blogs for Harvard Business Review and Forbes.

Stanley McChrystal doesn’t believe in extreme secrecy. Obviously there are limits, especially when it comes to national security, but keeping all information on a need-to-know basis requires someone knowing who needs to know. Wires get crossed and the wrong decisions are made. Trust your team, whether in the military or in the office, to be able to handle the information they’re given and respond in an appropriate way. Stanley McChrystal retired in July 2010 as a four-star general in the U.S. Army. His last assignment was as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force and as the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He is currently a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and cofounder of the McChrystal Group, a leadership consulting firm. His latest book is My Share of the Task: A Memoir.

Mark Goulston, author of the new book Just Listen, published by AMACOM, joins us on Edgewise with some scripts and keywords to use to smooth out even the toughest conversations. Mark Goulston (Los Angeles, CA) is a psychiatrist, business consultant, executive coach, and FBI and police hostage negotiation trainer. A bestselling author whose books include Get Out of Your Own Way and Get Out of Your Own Way at Work, he writes a column on leadership for Fast Company and “Solve Anything with Dr. Mark” for Tribune Media Services, and is frequently called upon to share his expertise by the media including the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Newsweek, Time, Reuters, NPR, CNN, Fox News, and the Oprah and TODAY shows.

Want to be remembered? Become a great storyteller and you’ll be unforgettable. It’s actually easier than it sounds, with great tips for finding the storyteller in yourself in the newly revised edition of Annette Simmons‘ classic Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins. Annette Simmons is a keynote speaker, expert storyteller, and president of Group Process Consulting, whose clients include NASA, the IRS, and Microsoft. She is the author of several books including The Story Factor.

Customer service isn’t always the most glamorous job. It usually only makes the news when something has gone horribly wrong or over-the-top indulgent. However, there’s a happy medium, says Adam Toporek, author of Be Your Customer’s Hero, published by AMACOM. Being a hero to your customers isn’t about grand publicity stunts. It’s about being there for your customers when they need you. Adam Toporek is a customer experience strategist and founder of CTS Service Solutions, a consultancy that provides organizations with real-world, customer-centric solutions through workshops and training. He authors the popular blog Customers That Stick™.

Do you wish you could run a meeting like Tina Fey? Or work a room like Stephen Colbert? It’s not just about humor in the workplace (although that too, is vital) but how to work as a truly collaborative team and learning to stop fearing failure. The new book Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses “No, But” Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration–Lessons from The Second City, coauthored by Tom Yorton and Kelly Leonard, incorporates lessons from the legendary improvisational theater troupe into business best practices. Tom Yorton has been CEO of Second City Works, the b2b arm of The Second City, since 2002. Before joining The Second City family, Tom worked in advertising and marketing, at agencies like Ogilvy, Grey, and Hal Riney, before jumping to the client side, with stints as a marketing VP at Sears and 3Com, where he actually hired Second City Works on a couple occasions.  Second City Works now does over 400 engagements a year, half with Fortune 1000 companies. Tom and team are focused on refining The Second City’s unique capabilities—creating funny short form content, and using improv to develop vital skills in business people- to help companies communicate, collaborate and innovate better in a web first, social-everything world.

Guts, gumption, and determination. That is what it takes to be a bold leader according to Author John Baldoni. In his new book entitled, MOXIE: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership, John discusses how we can all learn to be resilient when faced with difficult times during our careers in order to model a culture of a great succession. John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership consultant, coach and author of over a dozen books all focused on becoming a more successful leader. John works today as a sought after executive coach and educator for corporate, professional, military, and university audiences.

In Evergreen: Cultivate the Enduring Customer Loyalty that Keeps Your Business Thriving (published by AMACOM), author Noah Fleming explains how constantly searching for new customers is not a solution for new business. Fleming argues that customer loyalty is built through proper marketing that balances getting new customers and keeping existing ones. The purpose of the book is to give managers the steps needed to find their right sense of balance. Noah Fleming helps clients dramatically and rapidly increase sales, multiply profits, and maximize customer value as CEO and founder of Fleming Consulting Co. He is a regular contributor for publications such as Fast Company, Forbes, and the New York Times.

Developing a vision for an organization is with no doubt a difficult task. In the book Anticipate: The Art of Leading by Looking Ahead (published by AMACOM), Rob-Jan de Jong highlights the importance of visionary leadership. Frame a big-picture view that provides direction for the future of your organization. ROB-JAN DE JONG is a faculty member in Whartonrsquo;s executive program ldquo;Global Strategic Leadership.rdquo; As a sought-after international consultant, he helps leaders and companies anticipate the future and arrive at winning strategies.

Dan King, author of Scorecard Solution: Measure What Matters and Drive Sustainable Growth, has created a tool for leaders to execute plans and results. In his book published by AMACOM Dan provides the capabilities required to grow a business at an accelerated rate. Listen to learn the what, when, and who of organizational performance. Dan King is the Founding Principal of CloseReach Consulting, a consulting firm aimed to help leaders reach the highest growth possible.

In Fewer, Bigger, Bolder: From Mindless Expansion to Focused Growth Sanjay Khosla and Mohanbir Sawhney discuss how companies fall into the trap of stretching themselves thin in attempts of providing more services, and products across more markets. They call this practice the ldquo;seduction of more." They believe that specializing in fewer areas can actually be more beneficial to companies, since it allows for services to be provided in a bigger and bolder manner. In the book Khosla and Sawhney have developed a comprehensive framework to benefit companies in the attempt to become more focused. Sanjay Khosla is a Senior Fellow at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and was President of Developing Markets of Kraft Foods (now Mondelez International) from 2007 to 2013, where he oversaw revenue growth from $5 billion to $16 billion in six years. Mohanbir Sawhney directs the Center for Research in Technology Innovation at the Kellogg School of Management. They are the co-authors of Fewer, Bigger, Bolder: From Mindless Expansion to Focused Growth (Portfolio, 2014).