PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW BOOK REVEALS
HOW TO COLLABORATE EFFECTIVELY
Many Expert Interviews Included
A new book, Working Together… On Collaboration, by Dr. C. William Keck, David Kettlewell and Ardith Keck has just been released, which provides extensive detail on how people can work effectively in collaborations with other people.
While the principal focus is collaborations between public health-related entities such as medical schools and public health offices, and universities, the ideas are applicable to any person, be they lay person or professional.
“The process of collaboration is something every person wants some familiarity with, because so much of life involves working with others,” said C. William Keck.
Dr. Keck spent a life in public health after serving as a Peace Corps Physician. Later, while serving as Director of Health in Akron, Ohio, he was elected President of the American Public Health Association, and chaired The Council on Education For Public-which is the accrediting body for schools and programs of public health.
The structure of the book reflects a lifetime of successful experience in public health, as Dr. Keck shares his views on how we may work effectively with others, supported by 15 interviews with experts who share their successes and failures with collaboration.
Dr. Keck’s wife Ardith also shares her unique perspectives on the topic, as participant in a lifetime of public health activity with her husband.
Key concepts explained include why putting your ego aside is so critical to success; and the importance super strong listening skills, patience, and allowing others to take credit for your ideas.
“It’s often hard for people to let others take on their ideas as their own, but actually it’s one of the most effective things you can do. It doesn’t really matter who comes up with the idea, it’s only important the idea come to fruition for the good of the people,” said Keck.
Said co-author, Ardith Keck, “It’s also been interesting to see that Bill worked on the idea of combining various public health departments in a region without apparent success. It was an important goal and he was frustrated upon retirement that the goal had not been met. But a few years later, when financial hardship hit the nation, his idea was implemented in full.”
“You never know when something is really successful or not, until some time has passed.”
Said co-author Kettlewell, who is a former Knight Ridder News Correspondent and Producer/host of hundreds of public service television and radio shows, “I’d wanted to work on the book to honor the man; Dr. Bill Keck, principally because he is what I’d describe as a genius at working successfully with others. He is a winner of the Velvet Hammer award and the honor is just. His understanding of how to work with others is exemplary and a valuable lesson for us all. Recording his ideas for posterity seemed a worthy task.”
The book is available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.
Word Count 493
