Products
Author Timothy L. Johnson has encapsulated two decades of project management and related expertise within his recent books, Race Through the Forest: A Project Management Fable; and – just released – Gust: The "Tale" Wind of Office Politics. For quantity discounts for your organization, please contact Carpe Factum directly.
GUST: The "Tale" Wind of Office Politics
GUST is an acronym to describe a process of approaching office politics:
- Game - figure out what is being manipulated and the source of friction
- Understand - determine what is behind the players, the behaviors, and the motivations
- Strategize - establish an approach that will get you as close to win-win as possible
- Take Action - get your ducks in a row as you implement your political strategy
Too often, when we realize that office politics are being played on us, we simply lash out in a reactive approach. Through dialogue among the characters as well as exercises and thought-provoking questions at the end of the book, you'll be able to diagnose your situation with a little more certainty and confidence and craft an approach that makes sense for the situation, the players involved, and the outcome you desire.
What Readers Say:
"You can't avoid company politics any more than you can dodge air molecules, so you may as well learn how to thrive in the midst of it. This wonderful book will show you how." – Steve Farber, Author of The Radical Leap and The Radical Edge
"I would highly recommend GUST for readers who want to learn how to deal with office politics and how to play the game better." – Franke James, MFA, Inventor, The Office-Politics® Game; Editor & Founder, Office-Politics.com
Contact Timothy for more information on Carpe Factum services, or to schedule Timothy for your event or project needs.
Race Through the Forest
- Are your projects completed on time, within budget and with promised features?
- Are your projects well-defined, with clear requirements?
- Are the right people assigned to your project management teams?
- And does your company support the successful planning and completion of projects?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” Timothy challenges you to read this book. Novice and experienced managers as well as executive sponsors will benefit from its often humorous, but always applicable insights.
Timothy describes Race Through the Forest as a management fable, but adds, “it’s really the story within a story, my own personal Midsummer Night’s Dream of business writing, of project management, of carpe factum.”
The tale begins when two siblings - owners of Forest Industries - place a bet. Frustrated by incompatible project management philosophies, each agrees to initiate one of the company’s two largest strategic projects.
Project teams are formed and we follow their true-to-life ups and downs in a journey through every phase in the life of a project.
What Readers Say:
“Race Through the Forest filters out the superfluous project management fodder and presents the ‘truly needed’ aspects of an invaluable business discipline. It’s required reading for our entire leadership team.” – Rod Leaverton, CIO C&L Companies
“This book goes beyond the ‘how’ of project management directly to our silly thinking about getting things done, names the attitudes that get in the way, and supplies the practical tools we all need to achieve what matters most to us.” – Mike Wagner, President White Rabbit Group
