Interview with Authors Karin Hurt and David Dye

 

1.  What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book? 

 

We’ve worked with many senior leaders who consistently confide their frustration that people in their organizations don’t see problems and fix them and either aren’t thinking creatively on behalf of customers, employees, and processes or else aren’t speaking up with their creative ideas.

At the same time, we would talk with frontline employees and supervisors in those same organizations and they would say things like “no one wants to hear my ideas” and “they don’t really care what I think.”

This gap is concerning. Leaders need ideas from every level of the business. Employees have ideas and insights. But somehow, there’s a disconnect. We wanted to understand exactly why this happens and what exceptional organizations and leaders do to bridge the gap. So we partnered with the University of North Colorado on an extensive quantitative and qualitative research study which grounds our book

Courageous Cultures is the product of that research and gives you a practical roadmap to overcome the barriers and build a culture where everyone contributes and ideas are valued.

 

2.  What is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader? 

 

Every day, employees are barraged with problems.

They cringe as they try to soothe customer frustrations about problems they can’t fix. Or, they face battles with inefficient systems and outdated procedures. As the COVID-19 pandemic transforms the world, new challenges emerge at an unprecedented rate. Our research shows that employees have game-changing ideas for how to solve these issues but frequently don’t speak up to share them. As a result, organizations waste money and miss opportunities to create better experiences for their customers.

Courageous Cultures is informed by years of executive consultation as well as a research collaboration with the University of Northern Colorado’s Social Research Lab. It provides practical tools to uncover, leverage, and scale the best ideas from every level of an organization.

• See why organizations struggle to create healthy cultures that encourage employees to contribute their best thinking.

• Re-engage and motivate employees by applying proven models and tools.

• Learn how to apply the best strategies and techniques used by successful companies around the world.

 

We wrote it for leaders who see the need for consistent contributions from every member of their team or business. Leaders who are willing to take the first step themselves and recognize that the days of having all the answers are long gone. We made it easy for teams to read together and implement the tools and techniques.

 

3. What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down? 

 

That no matter where they sit it an organization, their opinions matter. That they can use these very practical tools have more influence and impact and to draw out better ideas from those they work with.

 

4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers? 

 

Write and publish consistently. You get better at writing great content by writing lots of content and seeing what is resonates for your audience. And, don’t get too attached to your first draft. Courageous Cultures is radically better than our first draft. But that first start, helped us see what we needed from a structure perspective. Rewriting is painful, but worth it. Take the time to get it right.

 

5. What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?

 

People like content that is easy to digest and very practical. We’re also seeing the need for integrated formats (e.g. video and micro-learning that supplement the books)

 

 6. What challenges did you overcome to write your book? 

Well, we didn’t anticipate launching a book during a pandemic, and just like everyone else found our book launch plans on a fast pivot as we moved in-person events to live-online. We missed the opportunity to do book signings at the large in-person events at conferences. And we bought some great Courageous Cultures high-tops for the book tour that have yet to be worn ;-)  As challenging as that was, as it turns out Courageous Cultures message and tools are exactly what so many leaders need right now.

7. If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours? 

 

With so much uncertainty, the need for ideas and potential solutions has never been greater. Many organizations are in the midst of a fast pivot to find creative ways to serve their customers. Many are working from home and trying to do the best they can with what they have from where they are. Teams and companies who leverage every good idea and help people to think strategically will be able to thrive going forward. Those that can’t, face an extremely difficult road ahead.  We give you a practical seven-step process and tools you can implement right away, starting today.

 

About the Authors: Karin Hurt and David Dye are the founders of Let’s Grow Leaders, an international leadership development and training firm known for their innovative and highly practical tools and techniques. They're the award-winning authors of five books including Courageous Cultures: How to Build Teams of Micro-Innovators, Problem Solvers, and Customer Advocates and Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results Without Losing Your Soul. A former Verizon Wireless executive, Karin was named to Inc. Magazine’s list of great leadership speakers. David Dye is a former executive and elected official. Karin and David are committed to their philanthropic initiative, Winning Wells - building clean water wells for the people of Cambodia.

 

 

Please Contact Me For Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2021. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.