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"My friend Dov Seidman has dedicated his life's work to studying how people conduct their business and their lives. As we settle into the twenty-first century with all of its unique challenges . . . it's clear that people worldwide will rise or fall together. Our mission must be to create a global community of shared responsibilities, shared benefits, and shared values. This new focus will require all of us to think about the how, and to find new ways to take action to solve the global issues that none of us can tackle alone."
—From the Foreword by President Bill Clinton
"Dov Seidman's How is a brilliant social-ethical study. It simplifies for the reader the complexity of vital challenges facing humanity today. Students and teachers alike will profit from reading this book."
—Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Laureate
"Dov Seidman basically argues that in our hyperconnected and transparent world, how you do things matters more than ever, because so many more people can now see how you do things, be affected by how you do things, and tell others how you do things on the Internet anytime, for no cost and without restraint . . . and so it must be with us. We need to get back to collaborating the old-fashioned way. That is, people making decisions based on business judgment, experience, prudence, clarity of communications, and thinking about how—not just how much."
—Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times columnist
"A trained moral philosopher, Dov Seidman has built a highly successful business on the theory that in today's wired and transparent global economy, companies that 'outbehave' their competitors ethically will also tend to outperform them financially."
—Fortune magazine
Foreword xi
Preface xiii
Prologue: Making Waves 1
Part I: How We Have Been, How We Have Changed 13
Introduction: The Spaces between Us
CHAPTER 1: From Land to Information 17
Lines of Communication.
Getting Flattened.
CHAPTER 2: Technology's Trespass 25
The Ties That Bind Us.
Distance Unites Us.
Can You Hear Me.
Now?
The Age of Transparency.
The Persistence of Memory.
The Information Jinni Is Out of the Lamp.
CHAPTER 3: The Journey to HOW 41
Just Do It.
The Certainty Gap.
The Limitations of Rules.
Outbehaving the Competition.
How We Go Forward.
Part II: How We Think 57
Introduction: The Paradox of Journey.
CHAPTER 4: Playing to Your Strengths 63
Help.
You Can Judge a Book by Its Cover.
Looking Out for Number Two.
The Evolution of What Is Valuable.
Believe It.
CHAPTER 5: From Can to Should 81
Rules as Proxies.
Dancing with Rules.
On the Tip of Your Tongue.
Unlocking Should.
Risk and Reward.
CHAPTER 6: Keeping Your Head in the Game 103
Distraction.
Small Lapses, Large Costs.
Dissonance.
Doing Consonance.
Friction.
Putting It in the Whole.
Part III: How We Behave 125
Introduction: How We Do What We Do.
CHAPTER 7: Doing Transparency 129
Beyond Proxies and Surrogates.
ICU, UC Me.
The Market Defines You.
Say You Are Sorry.
Interpersonal Transparency.
Sig, Don't Zag.
CHAPTER 8: Trust 157
The Soft Made Hard.
How High Is the Ceiling?
Going on a TRIP.
Tripping.
Doing Trust.
Trust Is the Drug.
Trust, but Verify.
CHAPTER 9: Reputation, Reputation, Reputation 181
Reputation in a Wired World.
Reputational Capital.
Mismanaging Reputation Management.
A Second Chance.
Part IV: How We Govern 209
Introduction: Innovating in HOW.
CHAPTER 10: Doing Culture 215
The Sum of All HOWs.
The Spectrum of Culture.
The Four Types of Culture.
Five HOWs of Culture.
CHAPTER 11: The Case for Self-Governing Cultures 241
Self-Governance on the Shop Floor.
Freedom Is Just Another Word.
Taking Culture for a Test-Drive.
Closing Gaps.
Values in Action.
A Journey to Culture.
Why Self-Governance Is the Future of Business.
CHAPTER 12: The Leadership Framework 267
Leadership.
Walking the Talk.
The First Five HOWs of Leadership.
Circles in Circles (A Thought).
The Leadership Framework, Continued.
Afterword 299
HOWs Matter 305
Acknowledgments 307
Notes 315
Selected Bibliography 331
Index 337
Anonymous
Posted May 28, 2008
Dov Seidman respects your intelligence. Instead of ¿10 tips for ethical behavior,¿ he provides a powerful new lens for seeing and assessing contemporary business ethics. Seidman, an erudite intellectual and practical philosopher, shows that in today¿s transparent commercial environment, operating openly and morally is both honorable and economically necessary. Corporate achievement now depends far more on how you act than on what you do. With the proliferation of media outlets, the Internet, notably YouTube, and cable channels, everyone is watching. Seidman uses fascinating anecdotes, case studies and scientific research to prove that goal-driven companies must focus on openness, integrity, values and ethics. Do things right, you win do them wrong, you lose and end up exposed on the Web. Now that businesses live under the microscope, ¿on glass¿slides, flat as flat can be,¿ your company will be exposed if it cuts ethical corners. Seidman¿s well-annotated book is peppered with learned references to brilliant thinkers from Aristotle to Kierkegaard. He deftly moves from sophisticated topics, such as brain functioning, neuroeconomics and language theory, to stories about pop diva Janet Jackson, Madam Walker¿s Wonderful Hair Grower and Krazy George Henderson, madcap inventor of ¿the wave.¿ This makes the book a pure delight to read. getAbstract openly enjoyed this insightful, idealistic and practical argument for corporate transparency, collaboration, good conduct and altruism.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 14, 2012
Though perhaps not the most groundbreaking book you'll listen to all year, the audio version of How is a worthwhile listen for those interested in taking a different stance on business reading. Don't expect a how-to manual on doing the right thing or being the right kind of leader or worker or decision maker; instead, expect to reconsider a few things you've always taken for granted, and get some interesting stories on human nature -- and varying business cultures -- along the way. It's the kind of business sociology book that can be applied in business as much as in everyday life, and I believe that's what makes it more compelling than a standard how-to (or how-not-to) read, as the case may be. And as an added plus, narration by Scott Brick is spot-on.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 23, 2007
The best business-related book I've read in quite a while.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 12, 2007
This book could not be a bigger waste of time. To even suggest that it is on the same level at The World is Flat is preposterous. What is even more insulting does not practice what he preaches. I know first hand the turn over rate inside his companies walls are the highest in the industry. A better title for the book would have been SCAM.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 16, 2013
Im lauren and i like pizza and pie!!!:)
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Posted March 14, 2013
Surprisingly this book was very good and insightful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.neverawastedbreath
Posted September 23, 2011
I was left inspired and invigorated, not because I now had a new "five step" approach, but because the book resonated with my inner self. Would not the world be a better place if we just extended trust and were trust worthy! This book is a wonderful expression of hope for all of us. We all need to get our HOW's right.
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Posted September 9, 2010
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Overview
"My friend Dov Seidman has dedicated his life's work to studying how people conduct their business and their lives. As we settle into the twenty-first century with all of its unique challenges . . . it's clear that people worldwide will rise or fall together. Our mission must be to create a global community of shared responsibilities, shared benefits, and shared values. This new focus will require all of us to think about the how, and to find new ways to take action to solve the global issues that none of us can ...