vision

I didn't like this book when I first read it - found it too, er, systematic and consequently rather dull. BUT, I just re-read it and found a lot of useful stuff in it, and didn't find it dull at all. This reminded me that our reactions to a book and what we take from it can be as much dependent on our mood at the time we are reading it - what else is going on and how we are thinking and feeling - as the actual content of the book.

I've been interested in Rackspace since I went to look at their website a couple of years ago and a person - a real person - popped up in an instant chat window and asked if I needed any help. Those things can be really intrusive, but his approach was very laidback and non-salesy. I had a quick chat with him, explained I was a journalist and had heard good things about Rackspace and was just browsing out of curiosity.

My book has fallen to bits, I've thumbed through it that much. I'd like to recommend it to fellow hubbers, and the way I'd like to do it is by quoting (edited)the preface. Here goes.

"On August 23, 1943, when I was nine years old, I awakened in silent terror. I was unable to move any part of my body except my eyes. My muscles seemed frozen, and my voice was silenced. Although I had gone to bed as a walking, talking, wiggling boy, I woke up the next day paralyzed with polio.....

In 2004 I presented an opportunity to my executive colleagues within Asia Pacific to establish an Editorial Production centre that would support the 7 publishing companies we have in the region.   This effectively meant transitioning activities that were performed in each of the businesses across the region and moving those core activities to a new centre location yet to be defined.     

Harvard Professor John Kotter's 8 Step Change Framework is often used as a template for transformational change initiatives by large organizations. A Leadership Hub Fast Guide describing how it works, from Hub members Phil Dourado and Joe Espana, is attached as a Word document.