Coming From Every Direction

Editor's Notebook

Each month we receive a wide variety of articles on topics related to change, teams, performance management, and other people-related topics. As with most publications, we slot some of those submissions into special sections that address specific topics, and others are added to our general interest sections. Over time the backlog for general interest articles tends to expand and good articles tend to age. That's why we decided to forgo a special topic for this issue and present myriad general interest articles, capturing the theme, "People, Pride, and Performance." Our goal in this issue is to share "New Perspectives on How to Bring Out the Best in People," as the cover indicates.

To kick off this special issue, Marshall Goldsmith, one of the most well-known executive coaches in the world, graciously agreed to let us include an excerpt of his newest book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There, a New York Times best seller and Wall Street Journal number one business book. We highly recommend that you take a few moments to considet which of the 21 workplace habits presented in the article are keeping you from reaching your highest level of achievement.

Two other authors also share insights from their new books, as follows:

* Alan Gregerman's Surrounded by Geniuses: Unlocking the Brilliance in Yourself, Your Colleagues, and Your Organization is hot off the press. A noted business strategy and innovation expert, Gregerman provides insight from the worlds of business, history, popular culture, nature, science, and even science fiction.

* Feel like you're trying to juggle burning torches, and you keep getting burned? Reading this article on Peggy Collins' new book, Help is Not a Four-Letter Word: Why Doing it All is Doing You In, may aid you in recognizing the symptoms of "self-sufficiency syndrome" in yourself.

Other articles in this issue cover a range of worthwhile topics as described below:

* "Building a Successful Mentoring Program" by Robert McCauley that includes survey data from chief financial officers on their use, or lack of, this important staff development approach.

* Russell Westcott's "Re-examining the Traditional Communication Model," which explains autopoiesis, a process by which living creatures constantly re-create and maintain themselves and their identity, and shows how our perspectives affect our understanding of and response to messages.

* Have you ever considered that relationships operate in much the same way as bank accounts? Jo Haberstok contends that "Long-Term Investments Can Yield High Returns," presenting suggestions on how to increase your net favorable balance.

* We know that the world is changing rapidly, but it's reasonable to question whether management philosophies are mired in the past. Arthur Adams, Mahesh Gupta, and Louis Raho of the University of Louisville decided to study this question. "Perceptions of Management Philosophies" shares the results of their study of ASQ professionals and educators, which investigated perceptions on the practice of traditional management strategies versus total quality management and constraint management approaches.

We also launch a new department in this issue, "Tools for Transformation," by organizational alchemist Izzy Gesell, which deals with factors that affect personal effectiveness. As the classic song goes, "You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and latch on to the affirmative."

As always, Rick Maurer provides a pearl of wisdom about using improv techniques to improve quality in his perennially favorite column, "Creating a Shift," and Marianne Di Pierro explains how debriefing techniques that are used commonly in business can be applied to improve the process of doctoral education in "Educator's World."

No matter what your interest is, what your job responsibilities entail, or who employs you, we believe this issue will have something that can help you help yourself and your organization.

Deborah Hopen

Editor

Copyright Association for Quality and Participation Summer 2007
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