Laurent Courtines Free Online

Product manager for Oberon Media, Baseball Fan & Husband. A man with opinions on everything - but expertise in online products and online casual games.  
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June 5, 2010
 

A Peoples History Of Business

I am reading Howard Zinn's classic A People's History of the United
States for the first time and it has got me thinking.

At first the book actually annoyed me due to the heavy handed anti-capital lean but
I got over it as it is the point of the book. As the book moved into
more modern times (1890-1915) I felt myself shift more towards the
working man. More importantly the power of organization and the
bottom up approach of the great labor organizers. It really is a
about people giving of themselves for the greater good and an
illustrative example of disruption of the status quo by lynchpin
personalities.

All these items got me to thinking about the current work place and
how we can all learn from the story of the People's movements. The
themes that Zinn hits on are that change never just comes from
management enacting it. Change comes from ACTION and RADICALISM. From
standing up, making noise and saying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! If you care
about your job, the work you are doing and the fact that you KNOW it's
going badly, you have to push, you have demand change.

What that might look like at work:
1. In a corporate all hands meeting stand up and tell the truth. What
is really happening at work.
"Hey CEO man, your one million dollar branding campaign is terrible
and a waste of money. Here is what you should do!"
2. Start your blog, twitter account and connect with other workers
and tell them about work.
"Just had another strategy meeting for 2010, by the way it's May"
3. Defy, resist, push and question everything.
Don't wait for approval when you know it's good idea. Resist doing on
high edicts when you know everything isn't one size fits all.
Question when some one who doesn't know your business tells you what
you need to do.

What do you think the resistance at work looks like?

Filed under  //   Productivity   disruption   howard zinn   lynchpin  

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March 16, 2010
 

Business book buzzword: be a lynchpin

I just started reading Seth Godin's Lynchpin on a recommendation from Robin Yang of Candystand.com. She recommended it to me by telling me the book inspired her to be more fearless.  That right there is a compelling reason to read anything!
Anyway. Seth Godin is a top class business book author whose hits include, Purple Cow and Meatball Sundae.  He is a good writer (when compared to the drech outthere in the business book world) and can at times be inspirational. 
In Lynchpin, Seth reinforces the trends we're seeing around the country and in all industries - the way things were are not going to play anymoe.  You can't just show up to work, do your job and punchout.  You have to become indespensible.  You have to show value outside of what your job description is.  The days of "I'm on my break" or "That's not my job" are over.  If you use those terms or even think them while you are working mean you are done in the post-internet-flat-hyperconnected world. 
In essence Seth is telling us you have to become a Lynchpin.  Someone who goes above and beyond, a challenger and an artist at your job.  Find solutions to problems, always be a troubleshooter and ask the important questions. 
The book has made me feel pretty good about myself as I think I have some Lynchpinny qualities.  Some, not all, but like Jules said in Pulp Fiction "...I'm trying real hard..."
I heartily recommend the book for anyone who is stagnating at the job or wants a kick in the pants to move forward in their career, life or whatever.

Filed under  //   books   business books   lynchpin   seth godin  

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