Have one to sell? Sell yours here
How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything...in Business (and in Life)
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything...in Business (and in Life) [Hardcover]

Dov Seidman (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


There is a newer edition of this item:
How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything 4.7 out of 5 stars (31)
$18.45
In Stock.

Book Description

June 4, 2007
The flood of information and unprecedented transparency reshaping today’s business world has dramatically changed the rules of the game. It’s no longer what you do that sets you apart from others, but how you do what you do. Whats are commodities, easily duplicated or reverse-engineered. Sustainable advantage and enduring success—for both companies and the people who work for them—now lie in the realm of how, the new frontier of conduct. For more than a decade, Dov Seidman’s pioneering organization, LRN, has helped some of the world’s most respected companies build "do it right," winning cultures. Seidman’s distinct vision of the world, business, and human endeavor has enabled more than ten million people doing business in over 100 countries to outbehave the competition. In HOW: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything . . . in Business (and in Life), Dov Seidman shares his unique approach with you. Through entertaining anecdotes, surprising case studies, cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, and revealing interviews with a diverse group of business leaders, experts, and everyday people on the front lines, this book explores how we think, how we behave, and how we govern ourselves to uncover the values-driven "hows" of 21st-century success.

Divided into four comprehensive parts, this insightful guide:

  • Exposes the forces and factors that have fundamentally changed the world in which business operates, placing a new focus on the hows with which we conduct ourselves
  • Provides frameworks to help you understand these hows and implement them in powerful and productive ways
  • Helps you channel your actions and decisions to thrive uniquely within today’s new business realities
  • Sheds light on the systems of how—the dynamics between people that shape organizational culture—and introduces a bold new vision for winning through self-governance

The qualities that many once thought of as "soft"—trust, integrity, values, and reputation—are now the hard currency of business success and the ultimate drivers of efficiency, productivity, and profitability. With in-depth insights and practical advice, HOW will help you bring excellence and significance to your business endeavors—and your life—and refocus your efforts in powerful new ways. If you want to stand out, to thrive in our fast changing, hyperconnected, and hypertransparent world, open this book and discover HOW.

Dov Seidman’s professional career has focused on how companies and their people can operate in both a principled and profitable way. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of LRN. Leading companies such as Disney, Dow Chemical, eBay, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Raytheon, and 3M turn to LRN to help management govern more effectively and workers do the right things the right way, even in the most challenging of situations. Dov is a Harvard Law School graduate who also earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in philosophy from UCLA, and a BA with honors in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University. For more on this book, visit www.HowsMatter.com.



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although the tone of this business primer suggests a commercial version of St. Paul's epiphany on the road to Damascus, consulting firm CEO Seidman hems so closely to the familiar earmarks of the genre-powerpoint diagrams, catchy acronyms, buzzwords and inspirational stories of successful, sane corporate culture-as to engender cynicism early on. Among some compelling accounts of exemplary work environments-the General Electric Durham aircraft engine assembly plant, where nearly flawless products are turned out on flexible schedules and the honor system is arranged by self-governed aircraft technicians, represents one such utopia-Seidman fails to explore the roots of those practices or why they aren't more widely imitated (GE hasn't attempted to reproduced the Durham plant model). As such, Seidman falls short of his goal-teaching leaders how to imbue their corporate culture with moral purpose-which is sure to leave readers frustrated.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“The simple thesis of HOW is that in today’s totally wired world, you are set apart by “how” you conduct yourself. Everyone is so much more transparent and connected than ever before. As a result, so many more people can now see more deeply into what you do and into you company’s operations and tell so many more other people about it via the Internet – without any editor or any filter. Therefore “how” you live you life, “how” you conduct your business, and “how” you say you’re sorry (or don’t’) matter now more than ever.

“…And we will not get out of [the global economic crisis] without going back to some basics, which is why I find myself re-reading a valuable book that I wrote about once before, called, “How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything in Business (and in Life).” Its author, Dov Seidman, is the C.E.O. of LRN, which helps companies build ethical corporate cultures…We need to get back to collaborating the old-fashioned way. That is, people making decisions based on business judgment, experience, prudence, clarity of communications and thinking about how — not just how much.”–Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and author Thomas L. Friedman

“In his book How, published last year, Mr Seidman explained why he feels behaviour (as opposed to the more fashionable management notions of engagement or motivation) is the key to organisational success….Thought leadership, and big ideas, are rare. But here is a challenging thought for you. Outbehave, outperform, outgreen – or out you go.” –The Financial Times Business Life columnist Stefan Stern

“The book has understandably received a second wind, propelled by the global economic turmoil. Books like Seidman’s on the importance of trust and building and strengthening corporate reputation are being heralded as the voices of sanity.” –Economic Times journalist Arati Menon Carroll

“Seidman, an erudite intellectual and practical philosopher, shows that in today’s transparent commercial environment, operating openly and morally is both honorable and economically necessary.” –Syndicated Get Abstract book reviewer Rolf Dobelli

“One of the more interesting and ambitious books to cross my desk lately is How by Dov Seidman. The appeal of Seidman’s work is that he’s taken such a sweeping view of the business world in his explanation of how we think, behave and govern — as individuals and organizations — influences our achievements in the marketplace.” –Chief Learning Officer Magazine editor Brian Summerfield

“…Behaving as if everyone is armed with your personal information is a very good idea, according to author Seidman, because they are. He also discusses the ethical and moral implications of all this openness. Seidman is an experienced and worldly observer, so he is not unrealistic about the baser instincts that motivate many of us. Nonetheless he also presents a hopeful and positive future where lying and obfuscation are less possible and ultimately unacceptable because there are fewer places to hide.”
The Miami Herald reviewer Richard Pachtert

“In his superb book on corporate behaviour, HOW: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything ... in Business (and in Life), Dov Seidman tells the story of the New York City doughnut seller who taught him a valuable lesson in business trust…Doing the right thing has always been good for business. What Seidman's book makes clear is that regardless of whether it is in Sydney or in Auckland, being open about the manner in which a corporation operates, trusting customers and insisting on maintaining standards which enhance reputations, is now of global significance. Investors everywhere are looking at issues relevant to integrity.”
The New Zealand Herald reporter Stephen Loosley

"…Companies with a should-do culture can outperform those with a can-do culture because they value intellectual capital, not just human capital, and forward-think about the impact of "What’s next"…An integral component of Mr. Seidman’s should-do advocacy also involves connecting outside knowledge to the organization. The nature of should-do firms involves asking questions, change and accuracy of communication. Being inquisitive makes them aggressively search for "what they don’t know". Miscommunication is the Achilles heel of any firm; when a mouse click can send information around the globe, a company’s reputation can be damaged by an errant email. Mr. Seidman’s personal anecdotes illustrate how should-do firms deal with their thirst for knowledge and communicate effectively.”
Syndicated columnist Jim Pawlak

“HOW is a radically different and compelling approach to competing in business today. Dov Seidman connects the dots in an original way, focusing on transparency, trust, and reputation as important drivers of success. We're all aware of the implications of operating in a transparent, wired, global marketplace. What Seidman has done is crystallize how we now need to think and act to win in this new world.”
Chairman and CEO of Pfizer Inc. Jeff Kindler

“Dov Seidman’s intellect and passion—brilliantly displayed in HOW’s well-written and entertaining case studies, anecdotes—show us a new way to think about enduring success in times of change. Seidman’s penetrating insights into what really matters in a wired world challenge the very best in each of us to see what is right and wrong in everyday decision making.”
–U.S. Senator Bill Bradley “In HOW, Dov Seidman takes the idea of 'success' even further, redefining it as a quest for significance. Isn't that what we all really want? To have a positive impact, to make a difference, to excel? To do that you have to achieve significance, and Seidman brilliantly shows you HOW. This book will change your life in profound ways.”
–Author Marcus Buckingham

“Dov Seidman ’s book introduces you to the world of how in a way that will revolutionize the way you think about, assess, and experience success.”
– Former Chief Learning Officer, Goldman Sachs and former head of leadership development at GE, Steve Kerr

“HOW is a trip through the lens of a first-class observer. Dov Seidman captures the life lessons that impact how we should think and respond in today’s world. HOW’s clarity and common sense make it a must read for aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere.”
Chairman, Equity Group Investments, Sam Zell

“This book is the ultimate guidebook for successful living. Its truths are simple but stunningly powerful.”
Author Marianne Williamson

“We do business on every continent. Everywhere we go, Dov Seidman's message rings equally true. HOW provides valuable insight for anyone who believes their company culture and core values can determine their ultimate success.”
Massimo Ferragamo, Chairman, FERRAGAMO USA

“Dov Seidman captures the power that Ray Kroc instilled in us at McDonald’s from the day he opened his first restaurant in 1955—a culture based on values puts the customer first. In today’s world, focusing on the ‘how’ is critical to accelerating momentum. HOW is required reading for anyone seeking enduring success in business or life.”
Jim Skinner, CEO, McDonald’s Corporation

"The hottest adviser on corporate virtue to Fortune 500 companies."
Fortune magazine


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (June 4, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471751227
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471751229
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Named one of the "Top 60 Global Thinkers of the Last Decade" by The Economic Times and "the hottest advisor on the corporate virtue circuit" by Fortune Magazine, CEO, author and thought leader Dov Seidman has built a career, and pioneered an industry, around the idea that the most principled businesses are the most profitable and sustainable.

Sixteen years ago, Dov founded LRN with a powerful vision that the world would be a better place if more people did the right thing. From that basic notion, he has grown a successful business that has helped to shape the ways millions of employees, managers and leaders behave and interact all over the globe. LRN helps more than 500 leading companies worldwide - including Apple, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Viacom, DuPont, Rolls-Royce, 3M and The Dow Chemical Company - develop ethical corporate cultures and inspire principled performance in business. In 2008, LRN acquired leading green strategy firm, GreenOrder.

Dov maintains that in today's connected and transparent world, people and organizations stand to gain by dedicating new thought and energy to how they do what they do. That's the inspiration behind "HOW: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything ... in Business (and in Life)," an award-winning book, most recently recognized as a best business book by The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek. Since its release, the book has been published in the U.S., Germany, China, Korea and Brazil.

The HOW philosophy is prominently featured as one of the nine rules for companies to embrace in Thomas L. Friedman's seminal book, "The World is Flat." In Friedman's latest work, "Hot, Flat and Crowded," Dov explains how to lead a green revolution by adopting the HOW philosophy to outbehave and outgreen the competition. Friedman's latest edition suggests the sustainability of our institutions, countries and world lies in HOW.

Dov was named one of the "Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior" by Trust Across America and is frequently invited to speak at leading industry events, and to senior corporate managers and boards of directors. Recent presentations include The World Economic Forum, The World Business Forum, 92nd Street Y, The National Press Club and The Aspen Ideas Festival. He has also been the keynote speaker at University of California Los Angeles's annual commencement, and has received an honorary doctorate from Hebrew Union College.

Dov's views on business behavior, success and corporate culture have been quoted in hundreds of media, including an in-depth profile in FORTUNE Magazine and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, Charlie Rose and ABC's Good Morning America. Each month, Dov shares his views on human behavior as the ultimate source of competitive advantage in a monthly column for Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

Dov testified in 2004 before the U.S. Sentencing Commission arguing that corporations must move from a check-the-box, compliance-only approach to instead focus on fostering ethical cultures and behaviors. His proposals were adopted and today are the very standards by which companies, cultures and programs are judged.

Led by a lifelong pursuit and passion for ethical leadership, he and his company LRN became the exclusive corporate sponsors of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity Prize in Ethics in 2008, as the institution was in its 20th year of celebrating ethical decision making among America's youth.

Dov earned simultaneous bachelor's and master's degrees, summa cum laude, in philosophy from UCLA. He later earned a B.A. with honors in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University. He graduated with honors from Harvard Law School. He, his wife Maria and their son live in New York City.

 

Customer Reviews

34 Reviews
5 star:
 (17)
4 star:
 (10)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (34 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars 3 books in one adds up to confusion, September 1, 2007
This review is from: How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything...in Business (and in Life) (Hardcover)
I was drawn to this book through various points of exposure to Seidamn's thinking. Having just completed, I admit to being disappointed more than anything else. The structure of the book and its ultimate point is lost as the book attempts to be both a contemplation on personal ethics, a case study in modern management, and a theoretical work in organizational development. It doesn't succeed at any of these.
I think the core notion of Seidman's work is sound, but the execution of translating it into a book really fell apart. The book comes across as a confusing amalgam of business case studies and self-help. the beginning of the book sets the stage for an overarching architecture of "how" that never really materializes. Seidman returns to the grand unification theory of how from time to time, but the overall impact is too diffuse. I'm surprised the editors weren't able to gauge how ultimately confusing and unsatisfying this book is.
As an author, Dov Seidman is a good lawyer.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Good start, not so good end, November 28, 2008
This review is from: How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything...in Business (and in Life) (Hardcover)
I bought this book after reading Thomas Friedman's article "Why How Matters".

I found the first few chapters interesting, and some metaphors (e.g.making waves) and acronyms (e.g TRIP) are definitely inspirational. However after a while the book begins to taste your regular leadership book.

Also the book could be much shorter: the last few chapters touch ground covered previously, and start to rely too much on personal "war stories" exclusively.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars In the Information Age successful entrepreneurs will outbehave their competitors!, October 7, 2007
This review is from: How: Why How We Do Anything Means Everything...in Business (and in Life) (Hardcover)

What I got from this book after struggling with it is that it's great to systematize your business so it is lean and efficient, but the real secret to winning in business TODAY is to have employees that work the system really well. It's awsome employees that will differentiate your company from the competitors and have customers come your way. The book tells us that to be successful an entrepreneur's company must OUTBEHAVE the competition.

This book is about "Process Management." It explains (sort of) that businesses can tinker with what they do, and how they do it, in order to win customers and grow revenues. It tells us that most things today are commodities and that it is very difficult to tinker with WHAT we do in order to stand out. And that means we pretty much have no choice but to differentiate HOW we do what we do in order to stand out.

The book is divided into four parts:

1. Today businesses operate in an Information Age
2. Successful companies appear to be sincere and helpful
3. Successful companies act with integrity and exude positive values
4. Successful companies value their culture and collaboration

So how do companies stand out in their market? This book says they can do it by having a work culture that is collaborative. It says that companies with employees that do their jobs so the customer sees a company that has good values and integrity will rise above. In sum, a company that develops trust and a stellar reputation in the eyes of its customers will retain those customers and get new ones.

The reason I hit this book with a 3-star rating is that as I read it I felt as though I was reading a first draft of a poorly outlined manuscript. The section headings were not very helpful to me in understanding what the book was about. And the chapter titles were even less helpful. Interestingly, I couldn't even read the book reviews posted for this book and get very far in understanding what the book was actually about. I disliked the layout of this book so much I'd really like to give it a 2-star rating, but I haven't done that yet to any book. And I'm not ready to do it with this one. 3 stars!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
leadership framework, interpersonal synapses, xows right, blind obedience cultures, informed acquiescence, acquiescence cultures, hyperconnected world, active transparency, leadership disposition, fortress capitalism, strong synapses, internetworked world, trust circles, transparent world
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Certainty Gap, United States, New York, David Toms, Los Angeles, Goldman Sachs, Jeff Kindler, Cast Away, Doing Culture, Steve Wynn, Fannie Mae, Steve Kerr, World War, Adam Smith, General Electric, Southwest Airlines, Tom Hanks, Wynn Las Vegas, Ronald Reagan, East German, Paul Zak, Jim Skinner, Janet Jackson, Qoing Culture
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
Un-Wellpoint 0 Jun 27, 2007
See all discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
   
Related forums





Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject