Kenneth Blanchard, Thad Lacinak, Chuck Tempkins and Jim Ballard, Whale Done! The Power of Positive Relationships. Free Press, 2002.
Referenced in: Empowering Leadership
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is a parable co-athored by a group from SeaWorld, thus “Whale Done!” It emphasizes principles from the work of animal trainers, especially those who train killer whales. It focuses on building trust, accentuating the positive, and redirecting negative behavior. The parable tells about a manager who went from a style of “GOTcha” (catching people doing things wrong) to “Whale Done!” (catching people doing things right).
This is an expression of empowering leadership. For a closer look at Blanchard’s theories behind empowerment, see Leading at a Higher Level. Also, Heart of a Leader is an excellent distillation of Blanchard’s philosophy into thirty-six principles. Three Keys to Empowerment presents a helpful plan for putting the empowerment philosophy into practice.
Please consult the following Ministry Resource Guides for help in navigating Blanchard’s many resources:
- Empowering Leadership – Includes several works by Blanchard, along with titles by Stephen Covey, Warren Bennis, James Kouzes and Barry Posner.
- Servant Leadership – Lists volumes by Blanchard and related works by Robert Greenleaf, James Hunter, Bill Hybels, and others.
- Situational Leadership – Describes the Situational Leadership model and lists relevant texts by Ken Blanchard and his associates.
From the Publisher
What do your people at work and your spouse and kids at home have in common with a five-ton killer whale? Probably a whole lot more than you think, according to top business consultant and mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and his coauthors from SeaWorld. In this moving and inspirational new book, Blanchard explains that both whales and people perform better when you accentuate the positive. He shows how using the techniques of animal trainers — specifically those responsible for the killer whales of SeaWorld — can supercharge your effectiveness at work and at home.
When gruff business manager and family man Wes Kingsley visited SeaWorld, he marveled at the ability of the trainers to get these huge killer whales, among the most feared predators in the ocean, to perform amazing acrobatic leaps and dives. Later, talking to the chief trainer, he learned their techniques of building trust, accentuating the positive, and redirecting negative behavior — all of which make these extraordinary performances possible. Kingsley took a hard look at his own often accusatory management style and recognized how some of his shortcomings as a manager, spouse, and father actually diminish trust and damage relationships. He began to see the difference between “GOTcha” (catching people doing things wrong) and “Whale Done!” (catching people doing things right).
In Whale Done!, Ken Blanchard shows how to make accentuating the positive and redirecting the negative the best tools to increase productivity, instead of creating situations that demoralize people. These techniques are remarkably easy to master and can be applied equally well at home, allowing readers to become better parents and more committed spouses in their happier and more successful personal lives.
About the Author
Ken Blanchard, Chief Spiritual Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Blanchard Companies, Inc., is the author of a dozen bestselling books, including the blockbuster international bestseller The One Minute Manager and the giant business bestsellers Raving Fans and Gung Ho!. His books have combined sales of more than 12 million copies in more than twenty-five languages. He is married with two children and lives in San Diego, California.
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