Book Description
DO YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT YOU DO BEST EVERY DAY?
Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.
To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while StrengthsFinder helped millions to discover their top five talents.
In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more (see below for details). While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades.
Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the way you look at yourself -- and the world around you -- forever.
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY IN THE NEW & UPGRADED EDITION OF STRENGTHSFINDER 2.0
(using the unique access code included with each book)
* A new and upgraded edition of the StrengthsFinder assessment
* A personalized Strengths Discovery and Action-Planning Guide for applying your strengths in the next week, month, and year
* A more customized version of your top five theme report
* 50 Ideas for Action (10 strategies for building on each of your top five themes)
* The more user-friendly StrengthsFinder 2.0 companion website, with a strengths community area, library of downloadable discussion guides and activities, a strengths screensaver, and a program for creating display cards of your top five themes
Customer Reviews:
Dinamic Strengths.......2007-10-01
I found the Strengths Finder 2 to be a great, dinamic tool to helping my team find their talents. The good thing about this version, compared to Now Discover your Strengths is that it has guidelines and activities you can do to change the talents into strengths.
Find and Maximize your strengths...fast.......2007-09-24
Great product for anyone wanting to know themselves better. Especially helpful for job seekers or people in transition.
StrengthsFinder Opinion.......2007-09-23
This is great investment! The price is very low and value of the information provided is very high. The best $15 I ever spent.
Optimal Solution for Understanding Yourself.......2007-09-23
I've been a senior leader of several organizations, and consequently have been exposed to a gauntlet of industrial psychologists, personality tests, intelligence tests, leadership training, cultural orientations, yada yada.
This book/body of knowledge/tool does 2 things extremely well. By well, I mean in an optimal way measured by the degree of understanding relative to the time investment. First, for an investment of maybe an hour at minimum, and an additional few hours to explore the guidance and begin to consider the implications and choose new behaviors, etc. you get, in my opinion, the best single, and correct perspective about yourself than any combination of the other methods mentioned above, period. It is not just directionally correct, like a horoscope type paragraph that would be true for anyone who read it, but rather a set of desciptions of your strengths that just "nail it" and descibe you as you know yourself. It tells you about yourself in a way that you can understand, regardless of whether you or anyone who is around you has ever articulated it.
The second thing it does well is offer a rational and empirically validated framework that is just long overdue. It is a simple truth that has been so elusive. It addresses a major reason why leadership is so rare in business - the modern organization strangles out your ability to contribute by trying to fix what you will likely never be much good at, or hate doing even if you end up with some level of proficiency at it.
Get it, read it (25 minutes) and take the online test (35 minutes). If you are like me and the 50 people around me who've infectiosuly taken and immediately recommended this thing to their inner circle of friends and family, you will absolutley find value in it. But like anything, an idea or a tool is only as good as it is put to use. A master craftsman never blames his tools. Remember to act on it and that is something for which only you can be responsible.
Fascinating but Now What?.......2007-09-19
This was an in depth test that I think actually produced accurate results. It was interesting to see where I fell and to read the descriptions of the categories. I think the test was most likely right. So, it was fun and it was somewhat informative...now what? Overall the book didn't give me that much insight on the different categories and the suggestions in some cases contradicted each other. I think it is useful to use in conjunction with additional career books or counselors. It is important to understand your strengths and this may or may not help. Alone, however, I do not think it is enough to give much to the reader.
Book Description
Beginning with the million-copy bestsellers First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham jump-started the strengths movement that is now sweeping the work world, from business to government to education. Now that the movement is in full swing, Buckingham's new book answers the ultimate question: How can you actually apply your strengths for maximum success at work?
Research data show that most people do not come close to making full use of their assets at work -- in fact, only 17 percent of the workforce believe they use all of their strengths on the job. Go Put Your Strengths to Work aims to change that through a six-step, six-week experience that will reveal the hidden dimensions of your strengths. Buckingham shows you how to seize control of your assets and rewrite your job description under the nose of your boss. You will learn:
• Why your strengths aren't "what you are good at" and your weaknesses aren't "what you are bad at."
• How to use the four telltale signs to identify your strengths.
• The simple steps you can take each week to push your time at work toward those activities that strengthen you and away from those that don't.
• How to talk to your boss and your colleagues about your strengths without sounding like you're bragging and about your weaknesses without sounding like you're whining.
• The fifteen-minute weekly ritual that will keep you on your strengths path your entire career.
With structured exercises that will become part of your regular workweek and proven tactics from people who have successfully applied the book's lessons, Go Put Your Strengths to Work will arm you with a radically different approach to your work life. As part of the book's program you'll take an online Strengths Engagement Track, a focused and powerful gauge that has proven to be the best way to measure the level of engagement of your strengths or your team's strengths. You can also download the first two segments of the renowned companion film series Trombone Player Wanted.
Go Put Your Strengths to Work will open up exciting uncharted territory for you and your organization. Join the strengths movement and thrive.
Customer Reviews:
How to take charge of your work.......2007-10-03
Marcus Buckingham is passionate about helping you identify your unique strengths and unleash their power. As you read and work your way through the program in this book, you will become convinced that growing through your strengths is the ticket to your future happiness, effectiveness and success. He refutes the approach of improvement by fixing mistakes as a dead end that cannot help you discover how you can be exceptional. The book constantly refers you to its associated Web site for materials that will help you work through the exercises. Buckingham wants you to act rather than just read a theoretical tract. Nothing presented in this book will help you without action and implementation. However, if you take up the challenge, you will become empowered as you take charge of your work through your strengths. We recommend this book because it contains just a few simple ideas that could change your life.
Follow-up book, much overlap with earlier books.......2007-09-30
Marcus Buckingham discusses six steps to identifying and putting your strengths to work:
1. Convince yourself that exercising your strengths is more fun and productive that spending your time shoring up your weaknesses.
2. Identify specific activities that exercise your strengths. For example, mine include
a. Determine true value
b. Learn and apply new and useful skills, knowledge
c. Creative problem solving
3. Build your job towards your strengths.
4. Stop / reduce time spent shoring up your weaknesses
5. Build a strong team by enabling each member to exercise their strengths towards delivering business value
6. Make a habit of ensuring that each person's activities around you are aligned with their strengths (including yourself :-)
The book could have been much shorter - the concept was repeated multiple times. More specifics on step 3 would also have been more useful.
Excellent book and great team activity!.......2007-09-13
I manage a team of Sales Professionals and found this book to be a great tool to help them stay focused on the positive aspects of their job. I really like the message and appreciate the fact that it does not immediately say that if you are not happy right now, you need a new job. It points them back to their current position and helps them be more productive and utilize their strengths where they are at.
While he also wants to sell you other stuff, the book is a good way to build your own positive deviance.......2007-09-13
If you really look at what is holding you back, from really using your best qualities and talents, you will almost surely find that most of it are the images and thoughts you hold between your ears. You are so sure about what could go wrong, or about what you HAVE to do, or about what is just not possible, that you just don't even try to step out.
Well, to say it simply, stop it! This book provides you with a six step process to help you build on your strengths rather than chasing and fixing mistakes. It is based on the ideas you will find in the business philosophies of Appreciative Inquiry and Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS). The core idea in these movements is that you can't build on your strengths if all you see are your weaknesses. If you want to be a master of something, you have to study those who do it well, not focus on the mistakes of those who aren't very skilled. The term they often use is "positive deviance". That is, that area of performance that deviates ABOVE the norm. The goal is to learn how to create more positive deviance.
In the first step, Buckingham focuses you on giving up belief in three myths: 1) As you grow your personality changes. 2) You will grow in your areas of greatest weakness. 3) A good team member does whatever it takes to help the team. He says that the truths are: 1) As you grow you become more of who you already are. 2) You will grow in your areas of greatest strength. 3) A good team member deliberately volunteers his strengths to the team most of the time.
As he discusses each of these he asks you to examine what you are getting out of believing in these myths. What would it cost you to stop believing in it? Then think carefully about the benefits you would gain by believing the truth. If you sincerely do this, you will likely be shocked and then energized.
The purpose of this book is to help you take charge of your life and especially your work life. You will make it more rewarding, says the author, by centering your work on your strengths rather than just doing whatever comes to you as an assignment. It is a six step process. The first, as I noted above, is to bust the myths. Step 2 is to get clear about your strengths. Three is to free your strengths. Four helps you see and stop your weaknesses (not focus on fixing them). Five coaches you on how to speak up and get your boss supporting your strengths. Six is about keeping the process alive by building strong habits.
Now, Marcus Buckingham is a big-time, high-priced consultant. The book sends you to his website to use some free materials there (but also offers you others to purchase). Underneath this is the desire to sell your company consulting and seminar services with associated materials. It is interesting stuff, but the sheer "salesiness" of it detracts from it a bit for me.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson
A `how-to' book for understanding your Identity.......2007-09-05
I admire books that deliver as advertised! This is a `how-to' book for gaining clarity on a critical component - something Buckingham calls strengths - for individual performance success. As he did in previous books, Buckingham defines Strengths as being our blend of Talent, Skills, & Knowledge; then he goes farther with this book, noting that strengths are not just personality or talent profiles, even if done using the Clifton StrengthFinder profiling tool. What seems to be emerging in step-2 of this 6-step process for finding and using our strengths is the tapping of passion - what work actually gives you energy. If so, Buckingham may now be speaking more about understanding identity, than what gets heard as a traditional strengths and weaknesses assessment. Whatever the case, this, easy to read, understand, and do, book contains practical tools for learning about ourselves and using this understanding to improve personal performance.
Although a book devoted primarily to `how-to' steps, during Step-1, Bust the Myths, Buckingham does a summary of personality development that I particularly liked. He also included a nice bit about how strengths are used to build high performing teams - it is not necessary to lose your identity in order to become a team player! This book is recommended for any individual who is interested in living a happier and more productive life by appreciating who they are and the gifts they have to offer the world. Dennis DeWilde, author of The Performance Connection
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Effectively managing personnel--as well as one's own behavior--is an extraordinarily complex task that, not surprisingly, has been the subject of countless books touting what each claims is the true path to success. That said, Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton's Now, Discover Your Strengths does indeed propose a unique approach: focusing on enhancing people's strengths rather than eliminating their weaknesses. Following up on the coauthors' popular previous book, First, Break All the Rules, it fully describes 34 positive personality themes the two have formulated (such as Achiever, Developer, Learner, and Maximizer) and explains how to build a "strengths-based organization" by capitalizing on the fact that such traits are already present among those within it.
Most original and potentially most revealing, however, is a Web-based interactive component that allows readers to complete a questionnaire developed by the Gallup Organization and instantly discover their own top-five inborn talents. This device provides a personalized window into the authors' management philosophy which, coupled with subsequent advice, places their suggestions into the kind of practical context that's missing from most similar tomes. "You can't lead a strengths revolution if you don't know how to find, name and develop your own," write Buckingham and Clifton. Their book encourages such introspection while providing knowledgeable guidance for applying its lessons. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Unfortunately, most of us have little sense of our talents and strengths, much less the ability to build our lives around them. Instead, guided by our parents, by our teachers, by our managers, and by psychology's fascination with pathology, we become experts in our weaknesses and spend our lives trying to repair these flaws, while our strengths lie dormant and neglected.
Marcus Buckingham, coauthor of the national bestseller First, Break All the Rules, and Donald O. Clifton, Chair of the Gallup International Research & Education Center, have created a revolutionary program to help readers identify their talents, build them into strengths, and enjoy consistent, near-perfect performance. At the heart of the book is the Internet-based StrengthsFinder® Profile, the product of a 25-year, multimillion-dollar effort to identify the most prevalent human strengths. The program introduces 34 dominant "themes" with thousands of possible combinations, and reveals how they can best be translated into personal and career success. In developing this program, Gallup has conducted psychological profiles with more than two million individuals to help readers learn how to focus and perfect these themes.
So how does it work? This book contains a unique identification number that allows you access to the StrengthsFinder Profile on the Internet. This Web-based interview analyzes your instinctive reactions and immediately presents you with your five most powerful signature themes. Once you know which of the 34 themes -- such as Achiever, Activator, Empathy, Futuristic, or Strategic -- you lead with, the book will show you how to leverage them for powerful results at three levels: for your own development, for your success as a manager, and for the success of your organization.
With accessible and profound insights on how to turn talents into strengths, and with the immediate on-line feedback of StrengthsFinder at its core, Now, Discover Your Strengths is one of the most groundbreaking and useful business books ever written.
Customer Reviews:
Strengthsfinder is a powerful tool.......2007-10-01
I have not yet read any of the book, but bought it for the key to taking the online Strengthsfinder assessment for a graduate class in career and workforce development. (NOTE: MAKE SURE TO BUY A NEW COPY OF THE BOOK IF YOU WANT TO GET AN "UNUSED" KEY TO TAKING THE STRENGTHSFINDER ASSESSMENT ONLINE.)
The assessment alone was well worth the price of the book. Structuring one's professional development or career pathing around one's strengths (instead of around one's weaknesses) is an energizing way to invest in one's work self. If you only take the assessment and never read the book, you will have gotten your money's worth.
Regarding the book, my professor tells me it goes a good job at applying the Strengthsfinder to the work world and management.
book.......2007-09-21
great product. exactly as stated it would be. great book. very uplifting!
If you want to know your strengths.......2007-09-21
I read this book and took a class on it, there are coaches that are trained all over the world that will help you discover and use your strengths in every day life. Loved this book. They even have a book for every age, (young students, adults, and college age)
Go straight to the last chapter and forget the rest.......2007-09-20
Very dissapointed as to what the title leads you to believe about the book. Though the authors have done a tremendous amount of research, it flaws in 2 major issues which it forgets:
a) the profile though quite specific, is similar to other profiles out there
b) 90% of the book is about why we should concentrate on our strenghts. Now lets face it, if you are a small business person like me who wants to grow his business, i already understand that i should be concentrating and exploring my strenghts and that of my organisation. I dont think i need to go thru the majority of the book to learn the concept.
If you are a small business owner like me who wants the "how to", just read chapter 7 which goes to practical issues. If on the other hand you have nothing else to do, then yes do go ahead.
Marketing Excellence-Yes! New Information-?.......2007-09-19
This book is an excellent illustration of the Gallup Organization's ability to market data as "knowledge". Today we seem to be so enamored of huge statistical databases that we assume better conclusions come from analyzing more information, in newer and more complex ways. When I finished reading this book, and taking the online "Signature Themes" profile evaluation I was struck by the enormity of my tranquilized obviousness. Everything I "learned" from this book I already knew, other than the valuable marketing lesson of how they got me to buy it!
Book Description
America's most sought-after executive coach shows how to climb the last few rungs of the ladder
The corporate world is filled with executives, men and women who have worked hard for years to reach the upper levels of management. They're intelligent, skilled, and even charismatic. But only a handful of them will ever reach the pinnacle -- and as executive coach Marshall Goldsmith shows in this book, subtle nuances make all the difference. These are small "transactional flaws" performed by one person against another (as simple as not saying thank you enough), which lead to negative perceptions that can hold any executive back. Using Goldsmith's straightforward, jargonfree advice, it's amazingly easy behavior to change.
Executives who hire Goldsmith for one-on-one coaching pay $250,000 for the privilege. With this book, his help is available for 1/10,000th of the price.
Customer Reviews:
Leadership Development 101.......2007-10-03
I have coached over 500 individuals over the last 10 years. I do referral only business. After reading Marshall's book, I felt as if someone punched me hard in the stomach! I at first wanted to dismiss his premise that leaders want to win, be right, and generally look good. Was that me? After careful reflection and becoming introspective, I found Marshall's insights profound, and so simple, not only as a coach, but also as a manager in business. I now use the book as a reference book, and have purchased two copies. For me it's a must read for anyone interested in their personal development, or the development of others.
Good, but not the whole story.......2007-09-16
Bo Burlingham's book offers an interesting look at the ultimate objectives of privately held businesses. Each case is unique and engaging. However, I think Bo could have spent more time discussing exit strategies. Some of the owners stuck with their companies when they could have cashed out and do an even bigger, better company with the proceeds. Risk has to be considered and the failure to more heavily weight this aspect is the only issues I have with Mr. Burlingham's book. I will pass it along to others.
This years fall must read!!.......2007-09-14
I have recently graduated college and decided to read this book for that short time in between school and the real world. Although, it's intended for top CEO's, I believe this book has help me become more successful. For starters, I did get my first full time office job after reading it.
Marshall's book inspires you to become a better leader, as well as a better person by learning how to communicate more effectively with co-workers, which easily carries over into other facets of life. Marshall uses smart tactics such as humor, personal stories and work stories, which all make the book very relatable and helps get his points across.
It's a very fun and effective way to learn the business dos and don'ts in order to succeed. I recommend this book to CEO's, high school students and everyone in between!
Getting to the next level in life's journey.......2007-09-13
This is a must audio for anyone that wants to get to the next step in business. This audio is also a must for all of your subordintes.
Incredible book.......2007-09-12
This book is a step by step exploration of the holes we "successful" types dig for ourselves. It really lays it out in a way that's easy to hear - what you're doing wrong, why, and how to fix it. If you want to be much more successful, or even just more effective as a leader or as a person, read this book.
Amazon.com
Using the story/parable format so popular these days, Leadership and Self-Deception takes a novel psychological approach to leadership. It's not what you do that matters, say the authors (presumably plural--the book is credited to the esteemed Arbinger Institute), but why you do it. Latching onto the latest leadership trend won't make people follow you if your motives are selfish--people can smell a rat, even one that says it's trying to empower them. The tricky thing is, we don't know that our motivation is flawed. We deceive ourselves in subtle ways into thinking that we're doing the right thing for the right reason. We really do know what the right thing to do is, but this constant self-justification becomes such an ingrained habit that it's hard to break free of it--it's as though we're trapped in a box, the authors say.
Learning how the process of self-deception works--and how to avoid it and stay in touch with our innate sense of what's right--is at the heart of the book. We follow Tom, an old-school, by-the-book kind of guy who is a newly hired executive at Zagrum Corporation, as two senior executives show him the many ways he's "in the box," how that limits him as a leader in ways he's not aware of, and of course how to get out. This is as much a book about personal transformation as it is about leadership per se. The authors use examples from the characters' private as well as professional lives to show how self-deception skews our view of ourselves and the world and ruins our interactions with people, despite what we sincerely believe are our best intentions.
While the writing won't make John Updike lose any sleep, the story entertainingly does the job of pulling the reader in and making a potentially abstruse argument quite enjoyable. The authors have a much better ear for dialogue than is typical of the genre (the book is largely dialogue), although a certain didactic tone creeps in now and then. But ultimately it's a hopeful, even inspiring read that flows along nicely and conveys a message that more than a few managers need to hear. --Pat McGill
Book Description
The "disease" of self-deception (acting in ways contrary to what one knows is right) underlies all leadership problems in today's organizations, according to the premise of this work. However well intentioned they may be, leaders who deceive themselves always end up undermining their own performance.
This straightforward book explains how leaders can discover their own self-deceptions and learn how to escape destructive patterns. The authors demonstrate that breaking out of these patterns leads to improved teamwork, commitment, trust, communication, motivation, and leadership.
Customer Reviews:
A life Changing Book.......2007-09-27
This book was referred to me by a friend and is a life changing book. I have shared it around the office as well. Well written and an easy read.
Painful slog.......2007-09-21
I received this book as part of a leadership training process. The leader bought a copy for everyone involved. I'm afraid she should have spent the money elsewhere.
Reading the book is a slow painful slog. The story does not draw me in and the prose has the fluidity of cardboard (which is the material used to create the characters).
The thesis, we deceive ourselves by denying our part in creating the problems we face, is valid. It is not, however, new. It's been around since Aristotle, at least.
What I didn't know was hurting me.......2007-09-15
Great book! The things I learned about how I was decieving myself were amazing. Now I have to really think things through so I know why I feel what I feel. I always have a choice to be in or out. If you don't know why I said that, then you need to read the book.
Getting Out of the Box: A New Perspective.......2007-09-10
This is an easy to read book, however, that is no indication of its importance. Tremendously enlightening perspectives presented in a unique frame. A MUST for anyone who interacts with human beings in any arena.
Improve your communication skills with everyone!.......2007-08-31
LEADERSHIP AND SELF DECEPTION IS A BOOK FROM WHICH ALL READERS MAY BENEFIT. I PERSONALLY RECOMMENDED IT TO A CEO OF A SMALL COMPANY, HE SHARED IT WITH ALL OF HIS TEAM LEADERS. I HAVE ALSO ENCOURAGED ACQUANTIANCES TO READ THIS BOOK TO IMPROVE THEIR MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS AS WELL AS THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR CHILDREN. I GAVE EACH OF MY OWN CHILDREN A COPY; I FEEL THAT IT WILL HELP THEM IN ALL ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATING IN THIER OWN LIVES.
"GETTING OUT OF THE BOX" IS A PRINCIPLE THAT IF PRACTICED WOULD RESULT IN A BETTER WAY OF LIFE. HAPPINESS AND PEACE WOULD ABOUND,PRODUCTION WOULD INCREASE, MENTAL BLURR WOULD DIMINISH, AND FAMILIES AS WELL AS BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS WOULD BE EMPOWERED TO WORK TOWARD COMMON GOALS. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!
Amazon.com
Change can be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. The message of Who Moved My Cheese? is that all can come to see it as a blessing, if they understand the nature of cheese and the role it plays in their lives. Who Moved My Cheese? is a parable that takes place in a maze. Four beings live in that maze: Sniff and Scurry are mice--nonanalytical and nonjudgmental, they just want cheese and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Hem and Haw are "littlepeople," mouse-size humans who have an entirely different relationship with cheese. It's not just sustenance to them; it's their self-image. Their lives and belief systems are built around the cheese they've found. Most of us reading the story will see the cheese as something related to our livelihoods--our jobs, our career paths, the industries we work in--although it can stand for anything, from health to relationships. The point of the story is that we have to be alert to changes in the cheese, and be prepared to go running off in search of new sources of cheese when the cheese we have runs out.
Dr. Johnson, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and many other books, presents this parable to business, church groups, schools, military organizations--anyplace where you find people who may fear or resist change. And although more analytical and skeptical readers may find the tale a little too simplistic, its beauty is that it sums up all natural history in just 94 pages: Things change. They always have changed and always will change. And while there's no single way to deal with change, the consequence of pretending change won't happen is always the same: The cheese runs out. --Lou Schuler
Book Description
The Change Survival Kit is an A-Mazing Way to Deal with Changes in Your Work and in Your Life. It reminds you to use what you discovered in the "Cheese" story - and enjoy it!
The kit contains:
A copy of the #1 Hardcover Book
12 Animated Reminders
24 Screen Saver Prompts
12 Desktop Wallpapers
Photo-Top Mouse pad
FREE! Multi-Level Maze Game
Customer Reviews:
It's an OK book.......2007-10-04
Just like most of the people, I got this book from my employer (I hope it's not a sign of restructuring :)).
I'm afraid that I do a too good job of reviewing the book one would no longer need to buy it anymore. In essence, the whole book can be summarized in about 10 statements. In all fairness though, these are insightful and worth meditating on statements.
So, like I said... An OK book.
Thought Provoking.......2007-10-03
The book is an easy and quick read but the story will put thoughts in your head that you will think about for years if not a lifetime. Life brings us all challenges so this book is for all of us... That is, unless your life is perfect.
Genuinely Insulting..........2007-09-29
Genuinely insulting to the independent thinker. Yeah I know, it's been said countless times but I felt the need to reinforce that notion. If you're someone that's more comfortable being a follower and having your life and work environment structured for you then you're more likely to enjoy this book and find something meaningful in it. If you're someone that uses logic and reason to guide your decisions then don't waste your time or money on this rehashed brainwashing manual. This is a book written for unquestioning, mindless followers, not a book for leaders. But a tool that leaders would use to try and control their subordinates.
who moved my cheese.......2007-09-21
Light, but nevertheless thought provoking reading. Good for an hour or so by the fire.
Overrated.......2007-09-17
This book has been considered a classic by many and used widely in the corporate world. In my opinion, however, if you are seriously considering reinventing yourself or improving how you manage life, this book won't get you there. Change doesn't come about with a superficial one-hour read. Consider a book like "The Path of Least Resistance" by Robert Fritz. It will take more time and effort, but I think it's a seminal work in the field of human motivational theory. If you give it a chance, it might transform you.
Mario Alonso, Ph.D; author of "Family Business Survival: Six Key Tasks Required for a Successful Family Business" www.AlonsoStrategyConsulting.com
Average customer rating:
- Brand new - just like she said!
- Great Book!
- Real Positives for a Negative World...
- How Full is Your Bucket?
- Excellent
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How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life
Tom Rath , and
Donald O. Clifton
Manufacturer: Gallup Press
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ASIN: 1595620036 |
Book Description
How did you feel after your last interaction with another person? Did that person — your spouse, best friend, coworker, or even a stranger — "fill your bucket" by making you feel more positive? Or did that person "dip from your bucket," leaving you more negative than before? The number one New York Times and number one Business Week bestseller, How Full Is Your Bucket? reveals how even the briefest interactions affect your relationships, productivity, health, and longevity. Organized around a simple metaphor of a dipper and a bucket, and grounded in 50 years of research, this book will show you how to greatly increase the positive moments in your work and your life — while reducing the negative. Filled with discoveries, powerful strategies, and engaging stories, How Full Is Your Bucket? is sure to inspire lasting changes and has all the makings of a timeless classic.
Customer Reviews:
Brand new - just like she said!.......2007-09-05
I ordered 25 books that were supposed to be in good condition. They were even better. They were just like new. They were missing one of the supplementary items as was clearly stated up front. I am completely satisfied.
Great Book!.......2007-08-27
Another new bestseller which I recommend - The Exclusive Layguide: When Dating and Having Sex with Incredibly Hot Women is No Longer Mirage Even If You Don't Look Like a Model or Don't Make a Fortune
Real Positives for a Negative World..........2007-08-03
I have probably referenced this book more in my training seminars and speaking engagements than any other book I have ever read. I just love it! (I gave everyone in my family a copy for Christmas) The author states that 99 out of 100 people report that they would like to be surrounded by more positive people. "And the church said; AMEN!" This short, interesting, and succinct read teaches the reader how to become one of those "more positive people." A must read about positive psychology for anyone who has to be around negative people in our negative world. I think that pretty much includes all of us, doesn't it?
SUCCESS: It Just Ain't That Hard Y'all! Three Things to STOP Doing and Three Things to START and KEEP Doing to Reach Your Greatest Potential
How Full is Your Bucket?.......2007-07-29
The book assigns theoretic valuations to philosophic concepts.
For instance, a full bucket has a net positive outlook + Energy
from every drop of strength expended. Relentless negativity leads to
death. The North Koreans broke down peer cohesiveness by insisting
that captors confess their transgressions publicly.
The author believes that regular praise= increased productivity,
tenure, loyalty and satisfaction. People leave when they aren't
appreciated sufficiently. Bad bosses increase stroke risk.
Activiely disengaged employees cost employers upward of $50B a
year or more. A strength of the book is that the authors attempt
to quantify universal concepts within practical contexts of
everyday life. To a considerable extent, the authors succeed.
Excellent.......2007-07-27
This was a great book that I handed out to my staff. Everyone found it valuable for life not just work.
Book Description
Do you want to get ahead in life?
Climb the ladder to personal success?
The secret, master networker Keith Ferrazzi claims, is in reaching out to other people. As Ferrazzi discovered early in life, what distinguishes highly successful people from everyone else is the way they use the power of relationships—so that everyone wins.
In Never Eat Alone, Ferrazzi lays out the specific steps—and inner mindset—he uses to reach out to connect with the thousands of colleagues, friends, and associates on his Rolodex, people he has helped and who have helped him.
The son of a small-town steelworker and a cleaning lady, Ferrazzi first used his remarkable ability to connect with others to pave the way to a scholarship at Yale, a Harvard MBA, and several top executive posts. Not yet out of his thirties, he developed a network of relationships that stretched from Washington’s corridors of power to Hollywood’s A-list, leading to him being named one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 and selected as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the Davos World Economic Forum.
Ferrazzi's form of connecting to the world around him is based on generosity, helping friends connect with other friends. Ferrazzi distinguishes genuine relationship-building from the crude, desperate glad-handling usually associated with “networking.” He then distills his system of reaching out to people into practical, proven principles. Among them:
Don’t keep score: It’s never simply about getting what you want. It’s about getting what you want and making sure that the people who are important to you get what they want, too.
“Ping” constantly: The Ins and Outs of reaching out to those in your circle of contacts all the time—not just when you need something.
Never eat alone: The dynamics of status are the same whether you’re working at a corporation or attending a society event— “invisibility” is a fate worse than failure.
In the course of the book, Ferrazzi outlines the timeless strategies shared by the world’s most connected individuals, from Katherine Graham to Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan to the Dalai Lama.
Chock full of specific advice on handling rejection, getting past gatekeepers, becoming a “conference commando,” and more, Never Eat Alone is destined to take its place alongside How to Win Friends and Influence People as an inspirational classic.
Download Description
Do you want to get ahead in life?
Climb the ladder to personal success?
The secret, master networker Keith Ferrazzi claims, is in reaching out to other people. As Ferrazzi discovered early in life, what distinguishes highly successful people from everyone else is the way they use the power of relationships–so that everyone wins.
In Never Eat Alone, Ferrazzi lays out the specific steps–and inner mindset–he uses to reach out to connect with the thousands of colleagues, friends, and associates on his Rolodex, people he has helped and who have helped him.
The son of a small–town steelworker and a cleaning lady, Ferrazzi first used his remarkable ability to connect with others to pave the way to a scholarship at Yale, a Harvard MBA, and several top executive posts. Not yet out of his thirties, he developed a network of relationships that stretched from Washington’s corridors of power to Hollywood’s A–list, leading to him being named one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 and selected as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the Davos World Economic Forum.
Ferrazzi’s form of connecting to the world around him is based on generosity, helping friends connect with other friends. Ferrazzi distinguishes genuine relationship–building from the crude, desperate glad–handling usually associated with “networking.” He then distills his system of reaching out to people into practical, proven principles. Among them:
Don’t keep score: It’s never simply about getting what you want. It’s about getting what you want and making sure that the people who are important to you get what they want, too.
“Ping” constantly: The Ins and Outs of reaching out to those in your circle of contacts all the time–not just when you need something.
Never eat alone: The dynamics of status are the same whether you’re working at a corporation or attending a society event&mdash “invisibility” is a fate worse than failure.
In the course of the book, Ferrazzi outlines the timeless strategies shared by the world’s most connected individuals, from Katherine Graham to Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan to the Dalai Lama.
Chock full of specific advice on handling rejection, getting past gatekeepers, becoming a “conference commando,” and more, Never Eat Alone is destined to take its place alongside How to Win Friends and Influence People as an inspirational classic.
Customer Reviews:
You get what you give .......2007-10-06
Generosity over courting someone hoping to get an in...The author points out that the key to success is holding a generous mentality toward others. Being a leader is based on working for and with others not ahead of or independent from them. When you are excited to help others progress their ideas, they will innately do the same for you.
Never Eat Alone.......2007-09-28
What a wonderful read!
At the core of this entertaining book are Keith's suggestions how to build a powerful network of friends and acquaintances. He starts out reasoning that you won't make it (or at least have a real hard time) in today's business world without contacts. What makes him really likeable though is his twist on the motivation and how to approach it. It is clear that he despises the calculating networking jerks that are just out to take something from a new relationship, but are not willing to give anything. On the contrary, his advise is to stretch out to others and offer your help, your advise where you have expertise, and your existing contacts to do the other a favor, and not ask and not even expect anything in return. He argues that return favors will come automatically and plentiful, without you asking for it (through your network, not necessarily from every person you ever helped).
As a personal advise to anybody's development, he offers a three step plan (sounds familiar). Only in the last step he suggests to actively look for people who can help you achieve your goals, and start networking so that you get to know them.
All throughout the book Keith parts with his incredible wealth of knowledge how to handle the most common situations on your mission to create your network, like dealing with the secretaries of powerful people (the gatekeepers), how to warm cold calls, following up, or the art of small talk. I have to say that I discovered many interesting tips that I had not heard or read before. Meanwhile, Keith is really entertaining, and this pearl never gets boring. There is so much information contained about how to start relationships, how to maintain them, and on principle how to be a people attractor that it will take quite a while for anybody to put all these principles to good use.
I admit that some of it may be too intense, and if you are not necessarily inclined or motivated to become a Fortune 500 CEO, some of the material sounds like overkill. Nevertheless, there are many aspects presented and advise given that apply to regular human interactions as well, and if studied and applied should help you become a better communicator and people attractor.
Tip of the iceberg for building relationships.......2007-09-27
Excellent read. Fast read that sets-up a lot of tangible strategies through heartfelt experiences of success and failure. Some great references to other texts that have also turned out to be fantastic reads.
Underwhelmed..........2007-09-23
After significant media PR, I went out and bought this book. Like that great movie your friends (the media) say that you have to see, this one is a pass. After you cut through the fluff, there are two important concepts to be taken away from this book: 1) always be networking and 2) the most effective way to network is to think about how many ways you can give value, provide leads, or be of service to those in your professional network - this goodwill granted will come back to you in spades.
The Gold Standard of Books on Connecting with Others.......2007-07-30
I found this book as I was perusing the aisles of my local bookstore and have recommended this book to all of my friends who are interested in becoming better or sharpen their "networking" (I prefer the word "connecting") abilities. As a recent college graduate who is just starting out my career, I feel that his book is extremely helpful by providing a solid outline of specific tools and tips for those just starting out and even for those well-seasoned careerists.
In addition, I enjoyed how he wrote the book in a way where both extroverts and introverts could benefit from reading the book. I liked how he used personal examples in his book (which uses his tip of having a certain level vulnerability when communicating with others) which really opens him up to his readers.
Finally, I would highly recommend people to either attend one of his seminars (if possible) or simply watch the short clips of Keith Ferrazzi readily available on YouTube.
Amazon.com
The lure of this book's promise starts with the assumption in its title. Possibility--that big, all-encompassing, wide-open-door concept--is an art? Well, who doesn't want to be a skilled artist, whether in the director's chair, the boardroom, on the factory floor, or even just in dealing with life's everyday situations? Becoming an artist, however, requires discipline, and what the authors of The Art of Possibility offer is a set of practices designed to "initiate a new approach to current conditions, based on uncommon assumptions about the nature of the world."
If that sounds a little too airy-fairy for you, don't be put off; this is no mere self-improvement book, with a wimpy mandate to transform its readers into "nicer" people. Instead, it's a collection of illustrations and advice that suggests a way to change your entire outlook on life and, in the process, open up a new realm of possibility. Consider, for example, the practice of "Giving an A," whether to yourself or to others. Not intended as a way to measure someone's performance against standards, this practice instead recognizes that "the player who looks least engaged may be the most committed member of the group," and speaks to their passion rather than their cynicism. It creates possibility in an interaction and does away with power disparities to unite a team in its efforts. Or consider "Being the Board," where instead of defining yourself as a playing piece, or even as the strategist, you see yourself as the framework for the entire game. In this scenario, assigning blame or gaining control becomes futile, while seeking to become an instrument for effective partnerships becomes possible.
Packed with such examples of personal and professional interactions, the book presents complex ideas on perception and recognition in a readable, useable style. The authors' combined, eclectic experience in music and painting (as well as family therapy and executive workshops) infuses their examples with vibrant color and sound. The relevance to corporate situations and relationships is well developed, and they don't rely on dry case studies to do it. Indeed, this book assumes the emotional intelligence and desire to engage of its reader, promising access to the rewards of that door-opening notion--possibility--in return. --S. Ketchum
Book Description
Presenting twelve breakthrough practices for bringing creativity into all human endeavors, The Art of Possibility is the dynamic product of an extraordinary partnership. The Art of Possibility combines Benjamin Zander's experience as conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and his talent as a teacher and communicator with psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander's genius for designing innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment.
The authors' harmoniously interwoven perspectives provide a deep sense of the powerful role that the notion of possibility can play in every aspect of life. Through uplifting stories, parables, and personal anecdotes, the Zanders invite us to become passionate communicators, leaders, and performers whose lives radiate possibility into the world.
Download Description
The Art of Possibility offers a set of breakthrough practices for creativity in all human enterprises. This inspirational book is a synthesis of Rosamund Stone Zander's knowledge of cutting-edge psychology and Benjamin Zander's experiences as the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Infused with the energy of their dynamic partnership, the book joins together Ben's extraordinary talent as a mover and shaker, teacher, and communicator with Rosamund's genius for creating innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment. In lively counterpoint, the authors provide us with a deep sense of the powerful role that the notion of possibility can play in every aspect of our lives. The Zanders' deceptively simple practices are based on two premises: that life is composed as a story ("it's all invented") and that, with new definitions, much more is possible than people ordinarily think. The book shifts our perspective with uplifting stories, parables, and anecdotes. From "Giving an A" to the mysterious "Rule Number 6" to "Leading from Any Chair"--the account of Ben's stunning realization that the conductor/leader's power is directly linked to how much greatness he is willing to grant to others--each practice offers an opportunity for personal and organizational transformation.
Customer Reviews:
inspirational.......2007-09-28
This book continues to change my life. I loved their key phrases to remember their ideas. I suggested it to many of my teacher friends and people on our board of education - where money is so tight and so many cuts are being made -this book inspires you to the many possibilities you can create.
Reshaping the "box".......2007-09-06
This book is thought provoking and stimulating. It is not an easy read, but definately gives you the tools to seek new ways of viewing almost any situation in a more positive light. I highly recommend this to anyone who is ready to not to merely think outside of the box, but reshape their box entirely.
No change without leadership.......2007-08-27
There is no change without leadership at all levels. This book is a good introduction into the principles of transformational leadership. Creating Possibilities for others such that they are touched moved and inspired. The leadership theory is based on leading oneself not others and focuses on who you are being not what you are doing. This is not a book about manipulative Machiavellian techniques rather it's about creating free choice for others where they are inspired by the possibility you have created.
A personal growth book for the nearly-jaded.......2007-08-16
I've been reading books for years now that are designed to inspire and lead one toward personal growth in relationships, in the workplace, in life in general. I'm a junkie for this kind of book, and therefore I've become somewhat jaded as well, never really expecting anything new but always hoping. What a delight, therefore, to be utterly surprised by THE ART OF POSSIBILITY. This book delivers! The Zanders' approach is revolutionary, shining real light amongst the plethora of jingoistic motivational books that abound these days. There is nothing self-centered or bumper stickerish or rah-rah cheerleady in this book. It has real depth, it never skims the surface or lets us off the hook. Benjamin is conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Rosamund is a painter and therapist. They bring their stunning creativity and imagination into real life -- their lives -- and show us how we, too, can compose and conduct our lives, paint our future. It's an exciting book, one that I've now read three times and underlined and highlighted and excerpted onto sticky notes for my computer and mirror and calendar. No wonder they are being called on to speak to leading business and professional groups.
The Art of Possibility.......2007-07-10
I would recommend this book to anyone in a leadership position. It is not only inspiring, but practical. It offers insights into effective communication.
Average customer rating:
- Great book to introduce negotiatation to beginners
- Got to Yes
- Buy it
- A Good Skill Builder
- Life-Changing and Revolutionary!
|
Getting Past No
William Ury
Manufacturer: Bantam
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
-
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
-
Beyond Reason: Using Emotions as You Negotiate
-
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most
-
Harvard Business Essentials Guide to Negotiation
-
The Power of a Positive No: How to Say No and Still Get to Yes
ASIN: 0553371312
Release Date: 1993-01-01 |
Book Description
We all want to get to yes, but what happens when the other person keeps saying no?
How can you negotiate successfully with a stubborn boss, an irate customer, or a deceitful coworker?
In Getting Past No, William Ury of Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation offers a proven breakthrough strategy for turning adversaries into negotiating partners. You’ll learn how to:
• Stay in control under pressure
• Defuse anger and hostility
• Find out what the other side really wants
• Counter dirty tricks
• Use power to bring the other side back to the table
• Reach agreements that satisfies both sides' needs
Getting Past No is the state-of-the-art book on negotiation for the twenty-first century. It will help you deal with tough times, tough people, and tough negotiations. You don’t have to get mad or get even. Instead, you can get what you want!
Customer Reviews:
Great book to introduce negotiatation to beginners.......2007-09-25
Getting Past No is the follow up book to Getting To Yes from William Ury. The book provides a simple negotiating method that is easy to understand and follow. Simply put, Ury's method is to
1) "Go to the balcony" - basically remove emotion from the negotiating process to ensure you can look objectively at the issue.
2)"Step to their side" - dig deeper into why the other side is saying no and brainstorm solutions to solve the underlying issue.
3)"Reframe" - instead of making the negotiation an "us vs. them" scenario, make it a "we" situation where you're trying to solve the problem together.
4)"Build them a golden bridge" - in a nutshell, let the other side save face.
5)"Use power to educate" - once you've gotten this far do bully you're way to close the deal. Instead, answer the other sides questions and help them build consensus with their stakeholders by educating them how the deal is good for them.
Overall, this is a very quick read and is not intended to be an all encompassing book on negotiating. It is great for beginners to learn this type of negotiating and it is highly effective for all types of situations. It is a must have in your business library!
Got to Yes.......2007-09-07
This is the sequel to "Getting to Yes" by Ury. I liked the first book better. This one tackles the issue of what you can do when the other party really does not want to cooperate, while "Getting to Yes" assumes a greater willingness to collaborate. The book is okay, just not great. If you trying to get a basic education on negotiation, reading both books would be a good start.
Buy it.......2007-08-15
Probably one of the best, if not the best, negotiations book you could buy. Buy it now!
A Good Skill Builder.......2007-08-07
I found this book helpful because it is concise, skill based (that is I gained skills, not just theory) and provides real world examples. Not as deep or scientific as Crucial Confrontations, but a perfect sized resource that I will refer to over and over.
Life-Changing and Revolutionary!.......2007-03-14
As the author points out, most interactions we have in life end up being negotiations. We cannot provide everything for ourselves, so we have to work with others who may not have the same motivations and goals as we do. This book was an excellent resource when I was struggling with a particular person on one of my projects. It helped me understand that this person had his/her own understanding of the situation, different from mine, and wasn't just trying to be difficult. I believe I will return to this book again and again for guidance. I liked the fact that it wasn't about tricking the other person into doing what you want, but rather about finding a mutually beneficial solution.
I often thought if everyone read this book, negotiations would go a lot smoother.
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