That's Not How We Do It Here!

A Story About How Organizations Rise and Fall - and Can Rise Again

By: John Kotter, Holger Rathgeber

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, John Kotter

Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

What's the worst thing you can hear when you have a good idea at work?

"That's not how we do it here!"

In their iconic best seller Our Iceberg Is Melting, John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber used a simple fable about penguins to explain the process of leading people through major changes. Now, 10 years later, they're back with another must-listen story that will help any team or organization cope with their biggest challenges and turn them into exciting opportunities.

Once upon a time, a clan of meerkats lived in the Kalahari, a region in Southern Africa. After years of steady growth, a drought has sharply reduced the clan's resources, and deadly vulture attacks have increased. As things keep getting worse, the harmony of the clan is shattered. The executive team quarrels about possible solutions, and suggestions from frontline workers face a soul-crushing response: "That's not how we do it here!"

So Nadia, a bright and adventurous meerkat, hits the road in search of new ideas to help her troubled clan. She discovers a much smaller group that operates very differently, with much more teamwork and agility. These meerkats have developed innovative solutions to find food and evade the vultures. But not everything in this small clan is as perfect as it seems at first.

Can Nadia figure out how to combine the best of both worlds - a large, disciplined, well-managed clan and a small, informal, inspiring clan - before it's too late?

This book distills Kotter's decades of experience and award-winning research to reveal why organizations rise and fall and how they can rise again in the face of adversity.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"This unique parable shows us how we’re safer in changing times when we innovate!” (Spencer Johnson, MD, author of Who Moved My Cheese?)

“This simple parable of furry mammals facing the challenge of adapting to threat offers real insights into the journey so many of us make. Brilliant!” (General Stanley McChrystal [Ret.], author of Team of Teams and cofounder of the McChrystal Group)

"John Kotter does it again. His use of metaphor helps readers distill down to the fundamental requirements for a high-performing organization: tapping the hearts and minds of team members in service to a compelling purpose. Leadership enables this, and in doing so unlocks tremendous creativity and potential." (Leigh Morgan, COO, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)

Simple book on Organizations

Author does a good job of showing the impact of communication and collaboration with any organization. Light read a good book for a junior manager or employee. A good reminder to us veterans as well.

Can leadership and management skills fit together?

Learn how management and leadership principles fit together rather than compete with each other in a whimsical fun short audio book!

WOW!!! The worst narrator ever!!!

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

can't think who might like this. I guess, people who like painful experiences.

What didn’t you like about Bahni Turpin and John Kotter ’s performance?

WOW!!! The worst narrator ever!!! It was like listening to foreign subtitles. The story of the book is idiotic.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Nope.

Any additional comments?

I can't seem to be able to return it.

Great and timely listen!

Loved the story format. Had a little difficulty with the narrator when in the car, but overall an excellent listen!

Narration very poor

Very difficult to understand the narrator, it’s not even Kotter but a lady with African accent supposedly. Buy the book vs audible.

okay

very hard to understand the reader. made it very difficult to get through the whole book. story was okay would recommend to actually read this one

AWESOME!!!!

great book!! every organization should encourage their employees to get a copy and read it then discuss it's contents as a group

Narrator African accent is unnecessary

I listened to the audiobook twice back to back as I had hard time focusing my mind following the plot due to the narrator's African accent. The second time around was easier to comprehend the story. As to the fable, it was a good reminder of our daily work and the challenges we face when our bosses are closed minded.

Short, insightful and professionally entertaining

I found the book to be interesting, a different yet effective approach. I could relate it to my office experiences within the government. I particularly took notes on the summaries at the end.

Spot On.

Spot on with describing the challenges of an organization in rapid growth and the need to develop both exceptional Leadership and Management.