Beyond The Call

Business leaders know that some members of their teams go above and beyond while others get by doing the bare minimum. The question on everyone's lips is how to turn every member of your organization into a top performer. Beyond the Call uses case studies, the real-world stories of real managers, and groundbreaking research from NYU's Stern School of Business, to answer important questions about performance and offer real solutions for building high-performing organizations and teams. This book will show you how to coax every member of you team to do more, leaving behind mediocrity for excellence.

'Beyond the Call addresses a topic that goes to the very heart of what makes organisations successful in the 21st Century...this book provides a useful framework to help managers understand more about the discretionary effort. Beyond the Call outlined discretionary effort principles that all managers should benefit from adopting'
Jonathan Emms, Head of Primary Care, Country Lead, Pfizer UK

1. Discretionary Effort and the Case of the Mysterious Mr Underhill 1

2. A Manifesto for Discretionary Effort 17

3. Free to Decide 37

4. Getting to Know You 65

5. Putting Others First 91

6. Fair’s Fair 115

7. Team Talk 139

8. The Importance of Trust 169

9. Next Steps 191

Acknowledgements 207

Reading List 209

About the Authors 215

Index 217

"I loved this book: it is well written, well-structured and contains much that will interest both newly appointed managers and those who have been in the role for some time." (Trainingzone.co.uk, July 2013)

"... a useful examination... what's new is the analysis of the difference between employee engagement and discretionary effort." (Supply Management, February 2013)

"... an exhaustive examination of how managers can foster unity and motivate effectively." (People Management, January 2013)

"... this book will show you how to coax every member of your team to do more, leaving behind mediocrity for excellence." (Ulster Business, December 2012)

"Well worthwhile for anyone involved in talent management or the leadership team." (Financial Adviser, June 2013)

Marc Woods was a member of the British swimming team for 17 years winning 33 international medals. His left leg was amputated below the knee when he was 17 and he has gone on to these extraordinary achievements despite this. He was a founding member of the British Athletes Council and serves on the Board of the Youth Sport Trust. He now runs works extensively with individuals, teams and global businesses, encouraging them to develop best practice within their given areas of interest.
Approximately 25,000 people each year watch him deliver his inspirational presentations. His current client list includes Barclays, BMW, BP, Ceridian, Department for Criminal Justice, Department for Work & Pensions, Ernst & Young, Exxon Mobil, Goldman Sachs, GSK, Home Office, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Lloyds TSB, Novartis, National Probation Services, Natwest, Pfizer, Royal Mail, RBS, Sage, SAB Millar, Univar, UnumProvident, Visa and Zurich.
Marcs also runs SladenWoods a development consultancy running programmes to bring about improvements in performance, developing inspirational leaders, building high performing teams and accelerating organisational change.

Why is it that getting some team members to do even the simplest tasks is like pulling teeth, while other individuals surprise you with their passion and desire to deliver more than expected?

How do you turn every member of your organization into a top performer?

People who go the extra mile are a source of competitive advantage and a pleasure to work with. But why aren’t all your team like that? How can you tap into other people’s discretionary effort? How can you transform mere compliance into excellence?

Beyond the Call focuses on the beating heart of employee engagement discretionary effort, exploring why it matters and how you can maximize it. Based on ground-breaking research, led by Dr. Chris Rotolo, professor at New York University, international case studies and the real-world experience of managers in a cross section of organizations, this book answers important questions about the performance and offers practical solutions for building high-performing teams. Helping you to create an environment and culture where people want and choose to go the extra mile.