The Play Zone: Unlock Your Creative Genius and Connect with Consumers by Lewis Pinault

The play zone: unlock your creative genius and connect with consumers by Lewis Pinault

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperBusiness (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066621011
• ISBN-13: 978-0066621012

From Publishers Weekly

Amidst the legions of books peddling gimmicky sound bites on business management comes this highly complex approach to understanding consumers. Pinault (Consulting Demons) advises applying chaos theory to business and social science—through the youthful art of play (often with LEGOs). "Playfulness," he insists, "can allow the ‘hidden order’ of chaos to emerge." "Sophisticated, complex structures arise in nature all the time" and with the right creative spark, he supposes, this same self-emergent organization can help businesses understand customer desires and brainstorm new product ideas. All of this innovation occurs in Pinault’s "Play Zone"—a time and place where local players can globally affect the complex network of consumers by "playing" with various devices he calls "Ubiquitous Tools." For example, a Cabbage Patch Doll stakeholder used "the butterfly effect" in the 1980s when he paid a group of people to fight over the then-obscure toys at a single U.S. store, triggering immediate news coverage and a worldwide sales rush. But Pinualt focuses beyond the low-tech to new tools like Amazon.com’s personalized web suggestions for each visitor, which are based on an ever-increasing list of past purchases and searches. To help readers swallow the meaty scientific jargon, the author provides a quick primer on chaos theory in the introductory chapter, while sidebars and flow charts break up the prose, making important concepts slightly easier to digest. The toy graphics and constant reference to the LEGO company’s "SERIOUS PLAY" program sometimes make the book read like an advertisement. Still, this is a refreshingly thoughtful book for imagining businesses that agilely adapt to consumer demands.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A fun and informative read...The intended takeaways of this tome are many." -- International Newspaper Marketing Association


"An interesting read for managers who value alternative approaches to old disciplines, sparking new insights in the process." -- Harvard Business School Working Knowledge


"Challenging...filled with intriguing ideas." -- USA Today

Product Description

LEGO#174; building bricks and toys. Intricate treasure maps with color markers. Creative imagination run riot. Play.Not your usual bag of tools for puzzling through the serious management challenges, demanding client values and the growing complex of technologies, which make up the new consumer experience.
In this groundbreaking new book, Lewis Pinault -- author of the infamous expos#233; Consulting Demons -- again draws back the curtain on the professional services industry. This time he reveals the latest cutting-edge findings set to revolutionize the consumer experience: the amazing relationship between innocent play and complex technologies and how the growing importance of our creative power as consumers is redefining the multitrillion-dollar consumer industry. Pinault turns from exposing the pitfalls of the "old-guard" consulting industry to highlighting the best professional services and technology firms and exploring the emerging developments and intriguing personalities defining the Play Zone:

• Johan Roos, Cliff Dennett and the team developing and supporting LEGO#174; SERIOUS PLAY ™ use LEGO bricks to express and advance the revolutionary language of 3-D metaphor to instigate new patterns of thinking through the intuitive power of play.
• John Caswell's Contextual Frameworks ™ resets and aligns entire enterprises and industries against a unique understanding of consumer wants and needs, rendered in captivating works of business art.
• The immersive environment of the Play Zone, where biometric, radio-frequency and adaptive computing technologies converge to bring us to the "Internet of Everything."

By integrating the latest findings from the fields of complexity science and customer service and management, and rendering them simply and logically, Pinault has created a system of six principles that offers a whole new means of cutting through complexity -- principles that can be successfully applied to any management and social setting to unleash the power of play in all aspects of the consumer experience.
Filled with entertaining stories, larger-than-life characters and eye-opening revelations, The Play Zone will guide readers through a boisterous crowd of important new ideas so that they can connect with consumers like never before.

About the Author

Lewis Pinault is vice president of consumer industries at one of the world's leading computer services and outsourcing firms, and he is a research practitioner with the Imagination Lab Foundation established by the LEGO Group. Consulting Demons, Pinault's notorious firsthand, partner-level account of the too-often unscrupulous workings of the consulting industry, led to his intensive exploration and development of new and better means of client engagement and consumer understanding. An MIT graduate, Juris Doctor, Fulbright Scholar and NASA Space Grant Fellow, Pinault combines a unique mix of science and policy perception in developing his exceptional "fun with a purpose" perspective on consumers, play and technology. He lives in London.

Everyone's a Coach: Five Business Secrets for High Performance Coaching by Don Shula

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; First Edition edition (June 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310501202
• ISBN-13: 978-0310501206

From Scientific American

Audible Ready: On the football field, when the game plan just isn't working, that coach and team ready to execute substitute plays inevitably have the edge. Just as Dan Marino's on-field "audibles" (verbal commands) can turn crises situations into game-winning touchdowns, the office quarterback prepared with a variety of options can execute quick, on-target decisions in the face of unexpected change or challenges.Consistency: The same reactions in similar circumstances may not seem a lot to ask of a leader - but many bosses let their moods, their "toughness," or their need to be liked get in the way when it comes to offering appropriate praise or reprimands. For Shula and Blanchard, the rule is simple: "You can't let poor performance go unnoticed - even from a superstar. The same goes for good performance - performance is all-important; that's what you need to respond to on a consistent basis."
Honesty-based: Effective leaders, Shula and Blanchard maintain, are always straightforward in their dealings with other people. Shula sets out to win fair and square and makes sure his team does the same: It's no coincidence that during Shula's seasons with Miami the Dolphins have been the least penalized team in the NFL. Though penalties in the corporate sector are less immediate than those in a stadium, studies show that the decline of ethics and integrity in a business inevitably lead to the decline of that business. Business leaders who tell it straight, who are open and honest even about bad news, develop the trust essential for strong long-term relationships - inside and outside of the company.
Featuring vignettes drawn from Shula's training sessions and actual Dolphin games, and from the corporate offices where Blanchard has encountered the best - and the worst - of management coaches, Everyone's a Coach sends leaders well on their way to creating a championship team. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Booklist

Examples from the game of football are often used to illustrate determination, overcoming adversity and long odds, competition, and success; and our everyday language is filled with gridiron metaphors and memorable quotes. It is only natural, then, that Shula, the coach with more wins in professional football than any other, should write about inspiring others to win. He provided similar guidance with The Winning Edge (1973), his account of his success in turning around the ineffectual Miami Dolphins. He now teams up with Blanchard, author of the best-selling One Minute Manager (1982) and its popular sequels. Alternately, the two dispense their advice using key points based on the somewhat forced mnemonic COACH (conviction-driven, overlearning, audible ready, consistency, and honesty). Shula, a deeply religious person, includes frequent references to his faith and God. Blanchard, meanwhile, sings the praises of Shula and offers up business applications of Shula's playing-field tactics. David Rouse

Review

Winning strategies for scoring big - in any game.From the playing fields of the National Football League to the corridors of corporate America, smart leaders share the same objectives - putting together a cohesive, hardworking team and tallying up more points than the competition. In business, as in sports, the focus is on creating the winning edge by training and inspiring players to reach their best performance levels. In the face of fierce global competition and decreasing job security, the rules of the game in American business are changing: the pressure to perform has escalated and the need for effective coaching is greater than ever. In Everyone's a Coach: Five Business Secrets for High-Performance Coaching two of America's most remarkable leaders - Don Shula, the winningest coach in pro football, and Ken Blanchard, the internationally known management consultant who has guided hundreds of corporations and organizations toward performance excellence - lay out a game plan for head coaches in all occupations.
In alternating chapters, passing the ball with championship finesse, Shula reveals his secrets of successful coaching and Blanchard pinpoints how they apply to any leadership position. Combining what Shula has been practicing and Blanchard has been teaching for more than three decades into the acronym COACH, they explore five essential strategies:
Conviction-driven: Shula's vision of winning every football game - and his belief that he can do it - underlies every decision and move he makes during practice and games alike. In 1972, his vision became a reality when the Miami Dolphins went the extra mile to emerge unbeaten for the season - and topped it off with a Super Bowl triumph. Ample proof, as Blanchard points out, that believing in your goal and doing the right thing for the right reasons provide the boundaries and direction that people need and want in order to perform well.
Overlearning: Great leaders pay attention to the details - whether they're supervising a hard-driving football team or the software division of a computer company. By insisting on over-preparation throughout the season, Shula arms his players with the skill and confidence they need to make the big play; his expectations for them are never in doubt. In business, leaders who encourage employees to master every assignment thoroughly and monitor their progress every step of the way will discover, as Shula has year after year, that high expectations reap high productivity. -- From the Publisher --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

Based on five key points symbolized by the acronym C.O.A.C.H.--Conviction-Driven, Overlearning, Audible Ready, Consistency, and Honesty--a winning coach and renowned management consultant offer a guide to success for any organization. 150,000 first printing. $100,000 ad/promo.

From the Back Cover

Are the people who report to you giving you their best? Is your team--whether a group of employees, a classroom of students, or your family--performing at its fullest potential? NFL coaching legend Don Shula and renowned business consultant Ken Blanchard team up in Everyone's a Coach to share their secrets for inspiring others to greatness. At the heart of their book is a simple acronym that describes the qualities of an effective leader: -Conviction-driven--never compromise your beliefs. - Overlearning--practice until it's perfect. - Audible-ready--know when to change. - Consistency--respond predictably to performance. - Honesty-based--walk your talk. Using an effective "tag-team" approach, Shula and Blanchard personally "unpack" the five leadership secrets behind this acronym. First, Shula tells you how each coaching concept worked on the field. Then, Blanchard explains how to apply that concept to your leadership situation. Complete with a self-test for measuring your personal coaching effectiveness, Everyone's a Coach will help you unleash the excellence in anyone. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Ken Blanchard is the coauthor of a number of best-selling books, including The One Minute Manager, which has sold more than 9 million copies. He is a much-sought-after consultant and speaker whose company trains Fortune 500 companies around the world on the principles of management.;Don Shula has led the Miami Dolphins to five Super Bowl appearances and the Baltimore Colts to one--more than any other head coach in the NFL. Sports Illustrated magazine named Shula its 1993 Sportsman of the Year in honor of his becoming the winningest coach in HFL history. Coach Shula announced his retirement in January, 1996, after 25 years as head coach of the Dolphins. 

How to Become CEO: The Rules for Rising to the Top of Any Organization by Jeffrey J Fox

About the Book:-
Hardcover: 162 pages
Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (September 30, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786864370
ISBN-13: 978-0786864379


Firnando Chau Review

Amazon.com Review


Most books about career advancement are either weighty examinations about success in the workplace (e.g., How to Be a Star at Work and Working with Emotional Intelligence) or flippant, humorous takes on surviving the countless inanities of modern work life (e.g., Working Wounded). Jeffrey Fox's book, How to Become CEO: The Rules for Rising to the Top of Any Organization is neither. Instead, Fox presents 75 commonsense rules about successfully conducting your career.


Rules like "Know Everybody by Their First Name" and "No Goals No Glory" may seem obvious; others, such as "Don't Take Work Home from the Office" or "Don't Have a Drink with the Gang" may not. Each is accompanied by page or two of succinct and thought-provoking explanation. For example, for rule 27, "Don't Hide an Elephant," Fox writes, "Big problems always surface. If they have been hidden, even unintentionally, the negative fallout is always worse. The 'hiders' always get burned, regardless of complicity. The 'discoverers' always are safe, regardless of complicity." Wise and to the point, How to Become CEO will help just about anybody's career, whether you want to become CEO or not. --Harry C. Edwards


From Booklist


Fox heads his own marketing consulting company, and he demonstrates here that he knows how to package an idea. While there is nothing especially original about a list of rules for getting ahead, Fox's guide is filled with 75 tips that are short, sweet, and to the point. Moreover, the ideas themselves are fresh. You have to admire the pluck of someone who counsels spending one day a month in the library and recommends sending handwritten notes. For each suggestion, Fox includes one or two pages of elaboration. Other advice: Always take vacations. Always take the job that offers the most money. Never write a nasty memo. Don't take work home from the office. Never let a good boss make a mistake. And, nary a mention of Machiavelli or Sun-Tzu. Refreshing! David Rouse

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Personal Workbook by Stephen R Covey

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Fireside; Original edition (December 2, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743250974
ISBN-13: 978-0743250979