On Cloud Nine: Weathering the Challenge of Many Generations in the Workplace [Hardcover]

Robert W. Wendover (Author), Terrence L. Gargiulo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 2005

A storm is brewing in this funny and charming fable about generational differences in the workplace. The statistics are in at the Weather Consumer Satisfaction Bureau and they're not pretty: customer satisfaction is at an all-time low. Can Bureau Director Wally get the older and newer clouds to work out their long-simmering differences and combine their unique strengths to provide a better weather experience for their valued customers? With wisdom, humor and a few surprises, this book shows how the clouds (and indeed members of any multi-generational workforce) can work together - On Cloud Nine.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Joyce Lain Kennedy, Tribune Media Service: ""...insightful in its message....Buy two copies; maybe the book elf needs to visit your boss.""

Houston Business Journal: ""[a] wise and witty fable."""

Book Description

"Illustrations by Eldon Dedini

A recent survey reveals that customer satisfaction with the weather is at an all-time low. It's up to Wally, director of the Weather Consumer Satisfaction Bureau, to sort things out. In this witty fable, the root of the problem is a disagreement between old and new clouds. The upstarts think technology is the answer, while the old guard says there's no substitute for the tried and true. The resulting storms are having a direct effect on customers, who wonder if they will ever see sunny skies again. Can Wally reconcile these seemingly conflicting views and leverage the unique strengths of all the clouds into a successful, customer-friendly plan?

On Cloud Nine presents real lessons about what is valuable in the workplace: balancing the past and the future, encouraging diversity of ideas, and more. The story is followed by simple yet powerful tools that will help readers apply these lessons to their own work and organizations."

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (December 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814408788
• ISBN-13: 978-0814408780
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,219,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to handle age-related differences in the workplace, April 12, 2006

By 

D. Donovan, Editor/Sr. Reviewer "California B... (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Cloud Nine: Weathering the Challenge of Many Generations in the Workplace (Hardcover)

Robert Wendover & Terrence Gargiulo's ON CLOUD NINE: AN INSPIRING TALE reads like fiction but provides an involving vignette about age-related differences in the workplace which hold great meaning for modern workforces. From young people who think they know it all because they have more energy to elders who are more experienced but resist change, and customers who see their satisfaction with the results eroding, ON CLOUD NINE makes a fable out of the first part and leads into real tips on how to improve communication and foster teamwork in a multigenerational workplace. Whether you're a workforce manager or a worker, ON CLOUD NINE offers many coping tips.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Trainer's Dream Come True!, November 29, 2005

By 

Deborah Bonner "Pinot N" (Aurora, Co USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On Cloud Nine: Weathering the Challenge of Many Generations in the Workplace (Hardcover)

This book is an ideal tool for the corporate trainer that wants to improve communication, understanding, leadership and delegation among the various generations in the workplace. Wally - the subject of the book is the perfect example of how an employee can join our company and with the absence of good direction, boundaries and leadership; create chaos in a matter of days. These challenges are typical of the company who hasn't addressed methods for effectively managing the four generations present in today's workplace. I plan to use the book as a short, interactive play during our next training session. Involving the employees will help to develop an understanding of the inter-generational issues in the workplace, plus they will get to know each other on a different level, thus creating a sense of teamwork. This is so timely for today's workplace!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful, humor filled book for training managers & their employees, December 5, 2005

By 

MERLOT (CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Cloud Nine: Weathering the Challenge of Many Generations in the Workplace (Hardcover)

As I started reading I was immediately caught up by the characters and the immediate turmoil caused by the generational issues that we have all experienced in the workplace. Written with great humor each character took on its own personality and leads the reader to the solutions, while laughing at themselves. What a way to learn! A must read for all company executives, managers, and employees. The illustrations allowed the reader to imagine what it felt like to go from complete turmoil to success.