The Right Choice

The Right Choice

by Ted Hutchin
Released May 2012
Publisher(s): Productivity Press
ISBN: 9781466566699

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Book description

The need for competent leadership remains one of the most pressing issues facing organizations. Introducing a powerful technique to help readers become better decision makers, The Right Choice: Using Theory of Constraints for Effective Leadership supplies the understanding required to manage effectively well into the future through the use of the coaching cycle and the reflection process.

Using case studies, the book explains how to create a leadership culture at the organizational, team, and individual levels through the development of the flight crew, as well as how to link that to effective strategies and tactics in leading the organization forward. The case studies illustrate what leaders have actually done, what they’ve struggled with, and the importance of understanding causal relationships.

Emphasizing the importance of consequences when making choices, the book reflects the author's vast experience with companies across a range of industries. It explains how to resolve conflicts and restore relationships through the use of time-tested tools, in particular, the cloud technique from the Theory of Constraints Thinking Processes.

The book details a practical methodology that you can use in various situations. Through the use of the coaching cycle and the coaching quadrant, it provides a solid platform for any leader wishing to take their organization forward. The tools and methods described in this book will help you become a leader who engages with the people in your organization and allows them to choose to engage rather than be forced.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Introduction
  8. Chapter 1: Setting the Scene
    1. Background to the Book
    2. Some History!
    3. So What Is Leadership, and What Do I Mean by Effective Choices?
    4. OK, So Why the Focus on Making Choices?
    5. So Why Do People Delay?
    6. Why Do We Have to Make Choices?
    7. What Is a Choice?
    8. A Working Definition
    9. So Here We Are!
    10. What It Means to Be Blocked—The Individual Level
    11. What It Means to Be Blocked—The Team Level
    12. What It Means to Be Blocked—The Organizational Level
    13. Some Assumptions of My Own
    14. Choice Hierarchy
    15. Area Known as “Conflict of Subordination”
    16. References and Further Reading
  9. Chapter 2: Some Thoughts on Leadership
    1. What Do I Mean by the Term “Leadership”?
    2. The Starting Point: The Tools of the TOC Thinking Processes
    3. The Use of the TOC Leadership Coaching Cycle
      1. Station 1: What’s Holding Us Back?
      2. Station 2: Why Is This Holding Us Back?
      3. Station 3: What Is the Compelling Picture Going Forward?
      4. Station 4: How Do We Achieve the Objectives Set?
      5. Station 5: Review and Reflect on the Journey
    4. What Are Undesirable Effects (UDEs), and Why Are They Important?
    5. What Are the Criteria for Determining a Good UDE?
    6. What Does a UDE Cost?
    7. A Case Study from the World of the Manufacturing Industry
      1. Beginning the Process of Developing a UDE
    8. References and Further Reading
  10. Chapter 3: Gaining Consensus on the Problem
    1. Gaining Consensus on What to Change
    2. Gaining an Understanding about “Clouds”
    3. A Discourse on Method
    4. Case Study 1: Small-Scale Manufacturing
    5. References and Further Reading
  11. Chapter 4: Case Studies to Help Us
    1. Use of Case Studies to Help Us Understand the Predicament of Leaders in Organizations Today
    2. Case Study 1 from an MRO Environment
    3. Case Study 2 from an MRO Environment
    4. Case Study 3 from an Outpatient Department in a Hospital
  12. Chapter 5: Leading the Team
    1. Understanding the Dynamics of Team Leadership
    2. Leading the Team to Achieve the Goal
    3. Measuring the Progress of the Team
    4. Making It Happen
      1. The Flight Crew
    5. References and Further Reading
  13. Chapter 6: Focusing on “Knowing Myself” as a Core Aspect of Leadership
    1. The Legacy of Leadership
    2. Using “Personal Focus” to Gain Balance
    3. A Final Thought
    4. References and Further Reading
  14. Chapter 7: Making It Happen—Or Not
    1. So What Happened Next?
    2. So Why Does this Happen? A Question of Paradigms
    3. Paradigm Lock Overview
    4. The Importance of Worldview
    5. Paradigms: The Discussion Goes Deeper
    6. The Four Elements of a Worldview
    7. A Clash of Constructs
    8. Three Perspectives
      1. Seven Basic Questions
    9. References and Further Reading
  15. Chapter 8: Drawing It All Together
    1. Bringing the Main Case Study up to Date
    2. Developing the “Flight Crew”
    3. Changes to the Organizational Structure
    4. Making It Happen
    5. Reflection on the Case Study
    6. Drawing Conclusions from the Case Studies
    7. The Coaching Quadrant
      1. Healing and Restoring
      2. Reconciling and Mediating
      3. Sustaining and Nurturing
      4. Guiding and Mentoring
    8. A Reflection on Leadership
    9. Final Thoughts
    10. References and Further Reading
  16. Index
  17. About the Author

Product information

  • Title: The Right Choice
  • Author(s): Ted Hutchin
  • Release date: May 2012
  • Publisher(s): Productivity Press
  • ISBN: 9781466566699