No Excuses: How You Can Turn Any Workplace into a Great One

No Excuses: How You Can Turn Any Workplace into a Great One

Released September 2013
Publisher(s): Jossey-Bass
ISBN: 9781118352427

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Book description

The business leader's guide to creating a great workplace from the Great Place to Work Institute

In this follow-up guide to The Great Workplace, experts from Great Place to Work® Institute, Inc. reveal the most common excuses managers use for why they can't create a great workplace. Authors Jennifer Robin and Michael Burchell poke holes in every single excuse. Whether the reasons involve the organization's leadership, employees, environment, or any other factor, the authors explain that if managers lead people properly, they can create a great workplace. The authors explore how managers can interrupt their own negative thought patterns and instead create lasting change, and they describe how great workplaces have surmounted very real difficulties with aplomb.

  • Includes case studies, stories, tips, and tools for managers who want to transform their organizations

  • From the experts at the Great Place to Work, a global research, consulting, and training firm that operates in nearly 50 countries

  • Proves that any and every organization can change for the better when managers have the right tools and mindset

Creating a place where people want to work and want to succeed is the primary key to success for every manager. No Excuses shows that managers in any organization can transform their workplace—if they'll only get out of their own way first.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title page
  3. Copyright page
  4. Dedication
  5. Foreword by Amy Lyman
  6. Introduction: Creating a Great Workplace
    1. The Knowledge Base
    2. Trust, Pride, and Camaraderie
  7. Chapter 1: The Anatomy of an Excuse
    1. Why It Matters
    2. No Excuses
    3. How to Use This Book
  8. Chapter 2: I Think [Like a Great Workplace Leader], Therefore I Am [a Great Workplace Leader]
    1. “Great Workplaces Are Born That Way”
    2. “Great Workplaces Always Have [Insert Practice Here]”
    3. “We're Not as Good as Some, But We're Better Than Others”
    4. “Resolved: We Will Be a Great Workplace by Tomorrow”
    5. Reflection
  9. Chapter 3: We Are What We Repeatedly Do
    1. Basic Elements of an Organizational Identity
    2. Understanding and Alignment
    3. Focus, Commitment, and Resources
  10. Chapter 4: I Didn't Have Enough Time to Do It Right
    1. Time
    2. Persistence
    3. Personal Characteristics
    4. Habit
    5. What to Do Next
  11. Chapter 5: That's Just Not My Job
    1. My Goals and Priorities Compete Too Much
    2. But I Can't Wear That Many Hats
    3. This Is Someone Else's Problem
    4. I Don't Have the Power to Create a Great Workplace
    5. Organizational Politics
    6. What to Do Next
  12. Chapter 6: My Industry Is Different
    1. The Industry Norms Excuse
    2. The “Hunker Down” Excuse
    3. The “Too Big” Excuse
    4. What to Do Next
  13. Chapter 7: It's Just Not the Right Time
    1. Disruptive Events Come in All Shapes and Sizes
    2. What Makes Disruptive Events Disruptive?
    3. Events Happen in Best Companies Too
    4. What to Do Next
  14. Chapter 8: I'd Be a Great People Manager if It Weren't for All the People
    1. But My Team's Mindset Is So Entrenched
    2. But the People Who Work Under Me Are So Entitled
    3. But My Employees Are All a Part of a Union—My Hands Are Tied
    4. But the Characteristics of My Workforce Just Doesn't Make It Possible
    5. But My Workforce Is Young—They Don't Care About a Cohesive Workplace Culture
    6. What to Do Next
  15. Chapter 9: My Boss Ate My Homework
    1. The Ignorant Leader Excuse
    2. The Neglectful Leader Excuse
    3. The Weight of the World Excuse
    4. You as an Employee, not a Manager
    5. What to Do Next
  16. Chapter 10: The “One Rule” for Excuses
    1. The Opportunity in the Challenge
    2. The Judo Move
    3. What to Do Next
  17. Acknowledgments
  18. About the Authors
  19. More from Wiley
  20. Index

Product information

  • Title: No Excuses: How You Can Turn Any Workplace into a Great One
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: September 2013
  • Publisher(s): Jossey-Bass
  • ISBN: 9781118352427