Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It (Kross, 2021)

Ever find yourself having a conversation in your head about a situation? Possibly building it up to more than what it is or talking yourself out of something? In his new book, Ethan Kross, PhD, reflects on his own experiences studying how to control the conscious mind and offers examples of how our inner voice or "chatter" can be our worst enemy. He shares how these internal conversations impact how we work, how we live, and our relationships. However, the intent of the book isn't to avoid our inner voice or these conversations, but for it not to consume us or take us on a negative path. Imbedded in the stories of chatter are tools to assist in managing it.

In the last chapter, Kross provides the chatter management techniques discussed throughout the book in one location so you can easily access needed tips. The tools are separated into those that can be done as an individual or with others and those that include the environment. There are even tools to give and receive chatter support. If you find yourself in a downward spiral from your inner voice, this book is a must read for you.

Why Innovation Matters (Healthcare Executive Podcast, January 2021: https://soundcloud.com/healthcare-executive/why-innovation-matters)

The American College of Healthcare Executives offers a monthly leadership podcast that's the perfect length for an average commute. In the January 2021 edition, Keller Rinaudo, Zipline CEO, shares his experiences of failure, which can lead to being flexible and continuing to try new things. He states that you can't expect perfection on the first try. There needs to be thoughtfulness and a drive to continue when things don't go as planned.

Innovation starts with identifying a problem and having a vision to solve the problem. Alignment and keeping everyone focused on the goal are stressed throughout the interview. When developing new products or services, we need to be able to make rapid changes. For example, innovation in healthcare has catapulted us to new ways of providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rinaudo shares how Zipline is using drone technology to deliver medical supplies to areas otherwise without access. If you need to wake up your entrepreneurial side, this podcast provides the motivation.

The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability (Conners, Smith, and Hickman, 2004)

The Oz Principle was first published in 1994 then revised and updated in 2004. It applies the concepts of accountability using the characters of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. In the first section, the authors start by identifying accountability, with the yellow brick road as the demarcation line between victimization and accountability. Below the line is victimization and above the line is accountability, which the authors define as "See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It." The second and third sections focus on staying above the line as an individual and organization. There are self-assessments throughout the book to assist you along your journey to accountability and advice to help you stay above the line.

I would especially like to point out chapter 10, in which the authors identify the top 10 most threatening unresolved organizational issues that can keep an organization below the line, including poor communication, people development, empowerment, misalignment, poor performance, work-personal life balance, and cross-functional strife. Seventeen years later, we still see the same issues pulling us below the line. It's time to reexamine this classic and reapply its content.