Customer Reviews

TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

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Doug Conant and Mette Norgaard's " Touchpoints" is a powerful reminder of the greatest strength of an organization...its people. Through numerous anecdotes Conant and Norgaard share their leadership wisdom, gained through experiences both positive and not so positive. Truly transformational effective leadership comes when leaders at all levels of an organization meaningfully engage with their fellow workers. Conant and Norgaard illustrate that often the effective application of the " soft" leadership skills is truly more difficult than of the so called "hard" skills. Daily,constant leadership using Head, Heart and Hands will transform any organization by releasing the power within...the expertise and collected wisdom of its people. I would recommend this book highly for anyone who wishes to be the best personal leader they can be.

Leadership includes interacting with people. Some leaders consider most of these interactions interruptions to be avoided. The author, however, tells us they're opportunities that we, as leaders, should look forward to.

The author teaches a "tested approach" that makes the most of these "moments." In the preface we read what the authors accomplish in the book. "They direct the leader in three key steps: first, to listen closely to understand an issue; second, having gained that understanding, to help frame the actual situation; and third, to advance the conversation in order to advance the issue."

This 'listen, frame, advance' TouchPoints triad is taught and discussed in the book.

We all know of leaders who become quickly irritated when interrupted. They pay very little attention to the person who has approached them. In so doing, they very often miss a valuable opportunity to learn something important or to advance an important goal or in some way to improve something within the company.

This book will help anyone who is in the position of leadership to learn how to create a world-class company by developing the skill of knowing how to handle all their interactions. You don't need to alter your way of leading. You simply need to add this new, valuable skill.

Highly recommended.

-- Susanna K. Hutcheson

At one time or another, every leader in most every organization has struggled with balancing the important with the urgent. You're working on a critical report and someone interrupts with a question. You can be annoyed by the intrusion or you can see it as an opportunity to engage in a meaningful way. You're trying to stay on the tight agenda during a meeting and a colleague seems to get off topic. You can insist on lock-step adherence to the agenda, or you can treat the tangent as a possible path to a breakthrough. These and hundreds of other moments of truth in a typical day are TouchPoints - a chance to connect with other people in ways that build trust, strengthen communication, and enhance collaboration.

There's absolutely no psychobabble or businessspeak in this book. TouchPoints, by retired Campbell Soup CEO Doug Conant and consultant Mette Norgaard, is elegant in its simplicity. It lays out commonsense steps to bringing magic to the moment of interaction with others. These TouchPoints are often brief and seemingly inconsequential, maybe as fleeting as a hallway conversation. But they can make all the difference in encouraging people, challenging them to think differently, conveying respect, and as multitude of other things that create a high performing work environment.

I'm especially fond of the TouchPoint Triad: Listen, Frame, Advance. Asking questions primes the pump and gets things started. Careful listening helps you clarify how you can be helpful. Framing the issue helps create common ground from which to launch meaningful dialogue.

This is a fine book, rich with helpful guidance on developing a leadership style that brings out the best in yourself and in the people important to your success.

TouchPoints, by Campbell Soup Company President and CEO, Doug Conant, and consultant Mette Norgaard, isn't simply "Mmm, Mmm Good." It's brilliant. In our hectic, high-tech, light-speed world, the authors provide insightful guidance for connecting with and motivating others, one person at a time. TouchPoints should be required reading for all leaders and those who aspire to lead.

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

I loved the concept, the philosophy, the approach, and the results. This book is a master stroke.

One of the reasons I found this book so valuable is that it conformed so well to a concept I have taught for many years--audience analysis. It is when a speaker's ideas, along with the subject on which the speaker is talking, overlaps the wants, needs, and interests of his or her audience members (at least those of his or her target audience) that effective communication can take place.

Having written a number of college textbooks on public speaking, including five chapters in Communicating Effectively, 10e (McGraw-Hill, 2012), I can affirm that Conant and Norgaard are spot-on regarding "the power of touchpoints." Even my small book, Public Speaking Rules! All you need for a GREAT speech! (And Then Some Publishing LLC,, 2008), which is designed for the general public, thoroughly supports, reinforces, and underscores Conant and Norgaard's concept.

Here is what I found interesting, and I cite this example in support of this great book: I discovered more specific ideas in this book (e.g., on self understanding, listening, speech preparation, small-group work, and public speaking) that I could use (with their permission, of course) as material to supplement the information in my forthcoming eleventh edition of Communicating Effectively. I am always in search of material from other sources to use in the "Consider This" boxes that are designed to illustrate, enhance, or explain information I use in the book.

Conant and Norgaard's book is easy-to-read, clearly explained, well-organized, and full of effective examples.

For those people who are striving to be leaders, who currently are leaders, or who have been leaders, this is a "must read" leadership book. If all leaders (including politicians) would not only read this book, but follow the suggestions and advice presented here, the world would be a better place.

What you may not know about this book, and it may not be obvious from the title, this is a motivational book as well. Here is an example: "You know what it feels like when you have touched someone in a positive way, because she is a little clearer, a little more confident, or a little more committed to going forward. Even better, you know she will take that energy with her to future interactions, lighting up the organization's synapses along the way" (pp. 142-143). Now that is inspirational!

I enjoyed the book after a colleague drew my attention to it. It is an excellent collection of useful insights from someone who has led large organizations with the distinction of having favorable impacts on both the business and people behind it. I liked how it stressed the importance of being "in the moment" with people. Knowing that Doug Conant is a student of business models, I found it interesting how Campbell created their own hybrid leadership model. They found many of the more common leadership models today were not completely suitable as is. I think that underscores the point that sometimes the best models are those that are personal to you or your organization. It is a keeper.

You can become a great leader if you take to heart the message and the methods of Campbell Soup Company president and CEO Douglas Conant and executive management training consultant Mette Norgaard. They describe an innovative leadership model based on making the most of "TouchPoints," those seemingly innocuous but quite powerful interpersonal events that pepper the daily lives of corporate leaders. Many executives resent "pesky" interruptions, but the authors reframe them as golden opportunities for leaders to move their strategic agendas forward via personal connections with their employees. Conant and Norgaard based their approach on the philosophy of "leading in the moment" that Conant developed and used to turn Campbell's around when it was distressed. getAbstract recommends their book to executives seeking a workable model for creating and honing a personal leadership style.

I recently purchased over 60 copies of this book to share with my management team. As each day is busier than the next, it is easy to forget the basics of human relationships and connections. Doug and Mette do an excellent job in reminding all of us leaders on what truly is important in our roles. Quick read. You won't be disappointed.

Excellent book on what it means and what it takes to be an effective leader. No wonder the authors are as successful as they are.

If you want a book to read that you will not be able to put down---this is THE book!!! The practical and real world examples that are cited in this book are fantastic! There is no

pretense or speculation----these are real world examples that you can apply to you in both business and in your personal life! Great to see this type of book being written and getting such deserved positive press for the business world!! BRAVO!!!