November 5, 2009 • 7:21 am
I love biographies of all kinds, but especially stories of struggle and overcoming the odds and stories of extreme change. Stand For the Best by Thomas Bloch fulfills both of these. A CEO leaves his nearly million-dollar salary to work for free teaching inner-city youth. Some of the writing feels self-congratulatory but it’s still impressive. This isn’t someone who volunteered a few hours per week. Bloch taught for five years (part-time but still at no salary) and then founded a school and served in other functions for years after teaching.
I admired his honesty — he commented at one point that if he had to worry about money and fulfilling his financial obligations to his family he would not have made the same choices. I admired how he often and profusely thanked other people, especially his wife. (This isn’t Bloch’s fault, but I always wonder why we rarely see these extreme career changes from the woman’s point of view. Could Bloch’s wife Mary have done what he did? What if she decided to pursue a radical change with two small children?)
All in all, it’s an easy read about an exciting career change. It may inspire you to move forward with a business decision. The ego may be a slight turn off. But if you can gloss by that and you enoy biographies this is a solid one.
Filed under: book review , charter school, Stand For The Best, Thomas Bloch, urban education
October 29, 2009 • 1:47 am
I have to love the book that introduced me to the term, bricolage, or as Madson puts it, “use what is there artfully.” Improv Wisdom by Patricia Madson is a must-read for improvisers but still a good read if all you know about improv is Drew Carey in “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”
Madson, chair of the undergraduate acting department at Stanford and creator of the Stanford Improvisors, lists 13 maxims of improv and coaches on how these relate to life at large, not just on stage. The subtitle of the book, “Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up” are two of the maxims. Bricolage was in the chapter on Make Mistakes, Please. Other insightful chapters include Be Average, Face the Facts, and Stay On Course.
You will likely enjoy the book more if you have improv in your experience because Madson doesn’t take too much time explaining the concepts. But her ability to draw parallels between what could be seen as pithy improv rules and important life concepts is impressive. This book is a fast read, thoroughly enjoyable, and incredibly deep.
Filed under: book review, life coaching , bricolage, career coaching, Drew Carey, improv, Improv Wisdom, improvisation, life coaching, Patricia Madson, Stanford, Stanford Improvisors, Whose Line Is It Anyway
October 17, 2009 • 8:50 am
Get Out of Your Own Way at Work…And Help Others Do the Same by Mark Goulston is a fast, digestible read on a variety of failings that might beset you or a colleague at work. Procrastination, not taking No for an answer, and staying too long in a job you should leave are just 3 of the 40 items covered in the book. Each item has an anecdote to give it 3-d clarity, helpful tips, and a quote. All in all the short chapters provide a good snapshot of what the problem is and some strategies to address it.
Goulston created a very efficient book and seems to know his stuff. While I liked the breadth of it, I wanted to go deeper on each, even if it meant leaving some out. But that’s my preference. This is a good book for the reference shelf when you find yourself stuck in a work rut or managing a difficult team member. You can get some quick tips and inspiration here.
Filed under: book review , career management, Get Out of Your Own Way at Work, management, Mark Goulston, procrastination
I read Power of Less by Leo Babauta at the recommendation of a life coach I respect greatly (and still do despite this book). Who isn’t attracted to the notion that we can simplify our life and still be more productive? Unfortunately, that temptation is merely that – a temptation with no substance at least from this book. I’m glad I borrowed it from the library, rather than purchased it. Here’s the summary:
To do less and still get more done, cut to the most essential. Author can’t tell you what those essentials are; you have to figure that out. End of book.
Babauta suggests picking no more than 3 goals at a time and then sticking to them till they are all done, as opposed to adding a goal once just 1 is done. That intrigued me for the logistical possibilities but otherwise I wasn’t sure why that would work. Babauta also advises to take small steps (exercise first just 10 minutes rather than 30) but that’s been advised in numerous other books.
The best I can say about Power of Less is that it’s a fast read and a good reminder to simplify, even if it doesn’t offer any suggestions on how.
Filed under: book review , Leo Babauta, Power of Less, simplify
August 31, 2009 • 3:48 pm
Thomas Neff and James Citrin’s “You’re In Charge — Now What?” offers an 8-point plan for starting a new leadership post. Written with the CEO as the intended audience (though useful for lower leadership levels as well), the book offers a comprehensive checklist of strategies, as well as helpful real-life anecdotes from past CEO’s making the transition.
Of particular help are the stories, top ten list of mistakes to avoid, and the emphasis on building consensus (with the board, with the real power players you take care to identify). There is a lot of repetition which helps reinforce the subject or bores you, depending on your point of view.
One piece of conflicting advice that I struggled with was the time allocation advice. According to Neff and Citrin, the new leader has less than 1200 hours, (calculated as 14 hours per day and a 6-day work week), so exercise and family time are likely to fall off the radar (they mention several times the value of leaving family behind for the first few months of a relocation situation. Kudos to Neff and Citrin for providing both male AND female examples of this). Yet, they also talk about how there are many first 100 days over the course of a career, implying that there are many instances where you need to drop health and family and focus all or nothing on the job. While I agree wholeheartedly that there are crunch times throughout a career (and family crunch times as well), the implied start and stop made me wonder if there is a better way. Given Neff and Citrin’s extensive experience watching careers via their work with executive search firm Spencer Stuart, I hope a more balanced long-term approach might be part of a follow-up book!
All in all it’s a great book for the reference shelf.
Filed under: book review, career coaching , CEO, james m. citrin, leadership, Spencer Stuart, thomas j. neff, You're In Charge -- Now What?
This is a feel good, motivational book but also with substantive advice, illustrative examples, and actionable tips. I am keeping The Art of Possibility in the front of my reference shelf. I may be biased as a former classical musician because the Zanders are artists (Benjamin conducts the Boston Philharmonic) so the creative and music stories really resonate with me. But I think their easygoing and fun storytelling will hook anyone.
With 12 memorable frameworks to help the reader embrace Possibility as way of approaching life, The Art of Possibility is practical as well as motivational. There are many gems: Rule Number 6 for not taking yourself too seriously; Giving Way to Passion memorably encapsulated in Benjamin Zander’s story of the one-buttocked pianist (you have to read the anecdote to get the full flavor); and Being the Board about taking responsibility are just a few of my favorites. I love the index of anecdotes at the end of the book so you know exactly where to find the one-buttocked pianist (page 118 in my edition) and all of your favorites.
This is a must read. I read a lot of business, self-help, non-fiction books and this is at the top of the list. In this down market where anxiety and doom and gloom rule, this is an even more important and transformational read now.
Filed under: book review, life coaching , Benjamin Zander, book review, Rosamund Stone Zander, The Art of Possibility
The subtitle of George Fraser’s Click is Ten Truths For Building Extraordinary Relationships. The truths are further funneled into a model of Chemistry, Fit and Timing, which is a more easily remembered and useful paradigm. I especially liked how Fraser included the need to “prune” relationships (a nice way to describe dropping people from your circle). While much of the book is very basic, the anecdotes are entertaining. I laughed out loud on the story of the woman in the casino elevator (I won’t give it away because the surprise is where the laughs come). I also loved the quotes sprinkled throughout. Finally, Fraser’s easygoing narrative makes the book a quick read and well worth it for readers looking for some good foundational advice on networking.
Some of my favorite Fraser gems:
- He remembers a journalism professor who says, “Never assume. It makes an ass out of u and me.”
- Fraser joking to his sons: Due to the economy, we’re going to have to let one of you go.
- Fraser on networking with strangers: Stragers are friends just waiting to happen.
- Fraser commenting on a Special Olympics race where one of the runners fell, cried, and the other competitors went back for him, linked arms, and crossed the finish line together: It is better to help others win, even if we have to slow down, go backward and share the victory.
If any of the above resonate with you, read the book as there more anecdotes and quotes. Remember this is a basic book, but solid basics.
Filed under: book review, career coaching, resource recommendation , Click, George Fraser, networking, relationships
The subtitle to Dan Schawbel’s Me 2.0 is Build A Powerful Brand To Achieve Career Success. I love it when an author puts his money where his mouth is. Schawbel has firsthand built himself a powerful brand. His Personal Branding blog is syndicated in leading publications. His own career is based around branding. But the most telling proof for me was well before I even read the book: about a year ago I was at a Meetup with a group of Gen Y Brazen Careerist bloggers, and Dan Schawbel was mentioned by several. He is on the mind of his target audience. That’s powerful branding.
After reading this book, I can see why. Forget the stereotypes of Gen Y not wanting to do the hard work and wanting too much too soon. Schawbel is Gen Y but definitely does the heavy lifting on this book. Me 2.0 is comprehensive, well-structured, and full of practical strategies and tips for how to brand yourself offline and online. Not just for Gen Y, I found myself bookmarking several pages, especially on the blogging tips (thank goodness for Gen Y’s facility with technology!).
It is clearly written for Gen Y, so a great resource for the teenagers and recent graduates in your circle. Experienced professionals may find the early chapters too basic (I myself loved reading about Schawbel’s career path). But the later chapters on communicating and maintaining your brand are a must-read for everyone.
Filed under: book review, career coaching, resource recommendation , blogging, brazen careerist, Dan Schawbel, gen y, Generation Y, Me 2.0, Millennials, online social networking, personal branding
The subtitle of Jason Jennings’ Less is More is: How Great Companies Use Productivity as a COMPETITIVE TOOL in business. That sounds like this book will be about efficiency techniques and competitor case studies. I almost didn’t read the book because I wasn’t in the mood for a straightforward business text. But the book is actually much more comprehensive than the title and certainly the subtitle suggest. It’s also a breezier read than expected: any book that espouses the value of public hangings in a chapter about weeding out bad management is not going to be a staid business tome.
There is a big focus on the culture of these productive companies and how committed they are at all levels to sound business practices. It was refreshing to see examples of big, established companies that calculated the value proposition of their ideas using simple but powerful financial metrics, implemented systems that worked, weeded out bureaucracy, and built a culture of respect and integrity at all levels. We have all seen too many big companies allow bad practices to seep in at all levels. WTGBRFDT, an acronym used by one of Jennings ‘ case studies, is not the norm even though it should be. (WTGBRFDT = What’s the good business reason for doing this? and it’s a central theme of the book.)
Less is More has convinced me to look at my own business practices with a more watchful eye. It will also help as I consult to my bigger clients. Recently I pitched to a client that used a team of 10 to recruit 200 hires. In my past corporate life, I had managed a team of 3 that recruited 500 hires. This company was concerned whether I could help them because I previously had overseen just a team of 3. Perhaps I can send them this book with the chapter on Financial Metrics highlighted. Rather than worrying about numbers managed, they could focus on numbers hired, recruiting more with less staff. Focusing on the right metric is a critical tool for any business and especially true in this economy.
Filed under: book review , book review, Jason Jennings, Less Is More, productivity, recruiting
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne is not the breeziest read but it has some very interesting points for business owners. Even if you don’t have your own business, Blue Ocean Strategy’s creative recommendations are useful to stretch and challenge your current thinking.
Rather than fighting your competitors (i.e., the red ocean strategy because it’s a bloody battle) can you make your competition irrelevant (i.e., the blue ocean strategy where you swim alone)?
What parts of the business can you reduce or eliminate? Can you sell to different customers? What can you create that is new?
These are just some of the many challenging questions that Kim and Mauborgne raise. They also provide many interesting examples from Cirque du Soleil to [yellow tail] wines to the NYPD turnaround under Bill Bratton’s leadership.
There is a lot of juicy material in this book. My one quibble is that it’s not the most accessible read. There is a lot of information, lots of theory, lots of graphs. I read a lot of business books, and I had a hard time keeping track of everything — sometimes I felt there was too much and I would have liked to cover few topics but more in-depth. Still, if Blue Ocean Strategy can cause you to question just one part of your business (or your life) then it is a worthwhile read.
Filed under: book review, resource recommendation , Blue Ocean Strategy, business transformation, market competition, Renee Mauborgne, W. Chan Kim
