Milkshake Moment: Overcoming Stupid Systems, Pointless Policies and Muddled Management to Realize Real Growth »

Steven S. Little is a much sought-after expert on the subject of growth and the future of opportunity. A former president of three fast-growth companies, he now advises thousands of leaders of growing organizations and communities each year. To learn more about Steven and growth, please visit his Web site at www.stevenslittle.com.

Growth. It's the central focus of every organization, the underlying goal of virtually every business project, product launch, non-profit initiative, or community campaign. To grow, an organization must encourage creativity, flexibility, and the overall capacity for individuals to recognize and respond to opportunity at every level. So why, then, do so many organizations, both big and small, continually find ways to shoot themselves in the foot?

In The Milkshake Moment, growth guru Steven S. Little shows you how to identify and overcome the stifling behaviors built into your organization and lead the way toward substantive change and real growth.

Building on the frustrating true story of his inability to order a simple milkshake, Little explains how well-intended systems meant to increase satisfaction can often produce the opposite effect for both customers and employees. The "Milkshake Moment" is that precise instant in which an organization's individuals realize that they are allowed to do the right thing— to serve the interests of others in order to grow the organization—instead of following arcane internal procedures that actually hinder growth. Little clearly demonstrates that only when we remove our own self-imposed barriers can we begin to seize growth opportunities in any organizational setting.

The Milkshake Moment helps you develop both the actions and the attributes of a true growth leader as you learn how to:

• Foster "grow" versus the status quo
• Understand the difference between "the managed" and "the led"
• Break the cycles of conformity
• "Develop" policies that promote growth
• Hone your judgment
• Uncover the BIG secret to service
• Resolve the "people problem" problem
• See your future opportunities more clearly

Packed with fascinating examples of behaviors that drive an organization's growth and those that throw it into reverse, The Milkshake Moment mixes up a refreshing blend of engaging reading and actionable advice on how you can help your organization reach another level.

Acknowledgments     ix
The Milkshake Moment     1
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night     3
Half Empty or Half Full?     9
This Is Not a Customer Service Book     17
Foster "Grow" versus Status Quo     23
A Brief History of Organizations and Man(agement)     25
Toddlers and Trust     31
Some Shocking Behavior     39
Lessons from the Cubicle Farm     49
The Managed     55
The Led     59
Put Purpose Before Profit     65
It's Never about Money     69
The Wizard of Westwood     73
Profit Pushers     79
NoClu Motors, Inc.     85
Purpose in the Plan     91
You Gotta Serve Somebody     95
Insource Crucial Judgment     101
Edicts Made on High     103
Peeves from Below     109
Participatory Policy Making     115
How 'bout Them Pomegranates?     119
Come Harter or High Water     125
Address the "People Problem" Problem     131
The People Problem Polka     135
Eric's Excalibur     139
Why People Work     145
Care for Customers     151
Home Team Drops the Ball     155
The Big Secret to Great Customer Service     161
Even Geniuses Struggle to Serve     165
It Takes a Hero     173
The Future Is Already Here ... Some Folks Just Aren't Getting the Memos     179
Index     185