Incentive - January 2009 - (Page 20)

INTERVIEW STRENGTH of a story By Alex Palmer understand how it works in the world by taking them through with a character who is dealing with it.” With a fast-moving story and page count well below 200, each book is meant to be breezed through in a single sitting and referred back to later. The approach seems to be working. Since founding consulting firm The Table Group in 1997, Lencioni has become highly in-demand as a speaker and consultant. And in November, Fortune named Lencioni “One of the 10 New Gurus You Should Know.” the Patrick Lencioni uses the particulars of a “fable” to impart universal truths about leadership atrick Lencioni doesn’t write business strategy books. It’s true that his eight books, which have topped the New York Times best-seller list, do offer solutions to such problems as employee ennui, ineffective management and a lack of accountability in the workplace. But these solutions are offered to the reader in the form of “leadership fables”—fictional stories where the characters illustrate lessons in management and effectiveness. “I think people learn better when they’re engaged in a story,” says Lencioni. “A lot of people who don’t like to read business books, or get bogged down by them, will like a good story. I felt like I could actually better convey the message and help people P Learning from Experience Lencioni says he gets his story ideas through his consulting, conducting “field research” as he works with his clients and refining his ideas as he helps them get through issues they are struggling with. Before founding The Table Group, Lencioni worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation and Sybase, where he was vice president of organizational development. But while he enjoyed his work at these companies, he describes feeling a desire to take the principles he had learned or was developing and apply them to other teams and a wider range of work environments. His work as the head of The Table Group has done just that, and to date Lencioni has worked with thousands of clients from many industries, including Southwest Airlines, General Mills, Rubbermaid, New York Life and even 20 | Incentive | January 2009 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - January 2009

Incentive - January 2009 Contents Editor's Note: Rewards Must Be Sustainable Headlines Cover Story: Responsibility's New Role Incentive Interview: Patrick Lencioni Family Rewards: Who They're Working For Primer: Working Design Leap of Faith: Religion in the Workplace Cook Up Engagement: Kitchen Teambuilding My Turn: Procurement Possibilities Motivation@Work: Hard Times Recognition Legal Ease: The Tax Facts on Corporate Gifts Travel News: Where to Go and What to Do The Bahamas: Islands in the Sun Field Reports: Four European Destinations Golf: Around the World in 18 Holes Potentials Here and Now Watches and Clocks: Strike the Pose Golf Merchandise: Awards with a Solid Swing Computers: Digital Delights Retailers Band Together for Gift Card Market Gift Cards: The Prepaid Reward Spectrum Advertiser Index On the Web www.Incentivemag.com

Incentive - January 2009

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