Reader's Room

Welcome to the Stomp the Elephant in the Office Reader’s Room.

We’d love to hear your comments after reading the book – how are you using the tools and ideas it contains? What changes have you seen in yourself? Your work team? Your family?

Want to share these ideas with others on your team or in your circle of friends? Download our Free Elephant–Stomping Group Handbook and get started. There’s power in joining forces with others to share ideas and successes.

Readers' Comments

Latham Gray & Tom Martin/TP Mechanical is promoting the reading of Stomp the Elephant by: (a) Develop a “Monkey Survey” that requires participants to know “nuggets from the book” - with the winner receiving a “Stomp the Elephant” book. (b) “Dinner and a book” night for small groups (6 max). Pre-Agenda must be submitted in advance and approved for any group willing to “explore the pages of the book.” (c) Company will sponsor $100 voucher provided group shares experience with all other POIS Groups. Newsletter coverage to be provided. (d) Develop a team competition (2-3 per team) to design one of four “Stomp the Elephant” related “glossies” for hanging in all offices. Rewards to be determined. (e) Create “Elephant Busting Groups,” disperse the STE Group agendas and have EBG’s tackle the “elephants in the company.” (f) “Stomp the Elephant” Snowball – must quote something from the book and apply it to a co-worker. (g) Organize a “Stomp the Elephant” Book club that would meet during lunch hour via conference call (Noon to 12:30) where a chapter a month is discussed. Participation would be voluntary and ideas shared regarding application of the books principles to TPMC.
Cindy Wilcox/Novartis, writes: We have been using the STE book to be our guide for our ongoing Pathways meetings. The comments and stories in the book have generated a lot of great conversations. We've talked about how we can relate to the issues described in the book. We ask ourselves what can we control and what maybe we can't. We then collaborate with one another about what we can do about our challenges. We help one another and use the book to encourage what we know to be the best. We have been walking slowly thru the book to ensure that we don't rush it and lose golden nuggets that might help.
Patrick M. Goebel/Star Lumber & Supply writes: There are 8 of us that have read the book and are meeting. We are into the third meeting. We are finding with 8 people that it isn't possible to get through one agenda in an hour. That is a good thing because it means we are having meaningful discussions. I do like the parts where you relate the information back to the family application. That helps some people really figure it out when it can be applied at home as well. I read The 10 Greatest Gifts I Give My Children book and still practice implementing that philosophy.
Steven Hessenden/Gerber, writes: After graduating from Pathways our team chose to read and discuss the book, "Stomp the Elephant in the Office" each week. In our discussions we are finding that certain tools have become so second nature to some people that only through reading are they reminded of the good things being accomplished. We all have areas to work on but let's take the time to congratulate each other on the progress we have made.
"Received your book 24 hours ago from Lisa and just completed my first read wonderful! To serve is to live! Thank you so much for this most significant contribution to the dignity of the human spirit and effectively working together to deliver compelling visions!" Alan Mulally CEO, Ford Motor Company
Wayne Pape/Lincoln Industries writes: This book is filled with recommendations and truths that I totally agree with. I personally think the guidelines are more in-line, and achievable than "Good to Great". I think it could become a best seller.
I have read it once and have re-read the back section. I love how it takes the knowledge that you and your team gained from the Pathways to Leadership and integrated more examples and went further into the tools. I really thought it was Excellent! Karen Flatley/goodcow.com
Lisa Barnett, writes: We have four people in our Elephant Stomping Group and we all work for the same organization, but different departments and different locations on both coasts. I shared the book with two colleagues, one of which invited someone I didn't know from another department. As middle managers, we are all interested in becoming stronger leaders and building our capability to lead down, up and sideways in our matrix organization. We meet weekly for one hour using private conference rooms at our facilities. We use the agendas and occasionally, like for Part 3, we choose to spend two meetings so we could spend plenty of time on the parts of the agenda that were most interesting to us. I'm pleased to report we have stomped more than a few elephants in our organization as well as our homes! --
J. Schreiber/Mazda Europe writes: I love it! It is really well written - unobtrusive and inviting, yet compelling and with many good, real life examples. The book provides an excellent summary of the Pathways to Leadership concepts, yet presents some new ideas insights, with the elephant analogy adding good pace and a helpful thread.

Reader Reviewers

Great leadership starts with this book., February 20, 2008

By B.M. (Amazon Reviewer)

B.M. - See all my reviews

This book is incredibly insightful and caused me to look at company culture and my own professional behavior in a completely different way. We really do have the choice, no matter what our level in the organization, to be a driver of a positive work environment or a contributor to a negative one. This book provides practical tools that enable you to make a difference immediately in how you communicate with others, motivate team members and resolve challenges. I highly recommend it.

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