This book is based on the same research as How to be a Star at Work. There is quite a bit of hyperbole in the beginning that seemed like standard journalism – taking an outlier and suggesting it supports the writer’s hypothesis. Things got better in the section on research on expertise. The author collates several studies that confirm that particular fields have “a number,” that is, a number of years of hard intense study that it takes to be a ranked expert in that field. What they find is that “child prodigies” such as Mozart or Tiger Woods had father’s that were teachers, and they started learning before age 5. So by the age of 17, they had over 10 years of experience. And even then, Mozart’s best work was years latter. Also among research findings was the concept of deliberate practice – that practice on things you are not good at, that to you “are hard,” is what separates experts from the tier below. The author’s try to extrapolate the concept of deliberate practice to management and leadership – this section feels rather hollow.
Category Archives: Personal Developement
Tips for Noogler Engineers
Tips for Noogler Engineers is an article on Piaw’s Blog. Apparently a Noogler is a new Google employee. The article points out how to climb the Google ladder. Seems to apply to LM and other large companies. Sad that mentoring and 20% time are possible bad things – they may get you no credit. This also agrees with content in How to be a Star at Work on getting on the most important projects, skip the grunge work.
Other good articles:
- Culture. He talks about innovation at Google, and speed of innovation.
- Twitter Presentation. Lesson’s from Google and Facebook as you face hyper growth. Covers technical issues, people, and process. Most interesting technical comment: don’t build your own general infrastructure stuff. Most interesting people comment is on promotion systems, and how peer based review systems fail after Dunbar’s Number (~150). On process, reward the grungy painful work!
- Google and Facebook. Or more appropriately titled “5 Google Engineering Management Mistakes” – a presentation that Piaw put together for Facebook. HB needs to read slide #6. Slide #8 talks about how non-engineers used the peer review bonus program to get engineers to do things for them. How about tying hiring to management incentives? Interesting observation on slide #13 – you need to work with “staff engineers,” that is senior engineers, in order to get promoted at Google.
Why Is It Always About You?
I finished reading Sandy Hotchkiss’ book upon which the Wikipedia Seven Deadly Sins section is based:
Why Is It Always About You?: The Seven Deadly Sins of Narcissism [Kindle Edition] by Sandy Hotchkiss
In a word, fascinating. Part 1 covers the 7 deadly sins, Part 2 is on the origins of a narcissist, Part 3 is on survival tactics, Part 4 on the narcissists in your life (family, love, work), and Part 5 on narcissism in society and preventing it. I’m still thinking about Part 2 – the theories (dating back to Freud) on how children develop from age 3-18 months. Its in this window that a child’s future as a normal person or narcissist is determined, where a narcissistic parent or other caregiver can create another narcissist. A drug users drug of choice is related to what goes wrong with this stage of development and represents an attempt to go back to that wonderful time of 3-18 months. Just fascinating – how did Freud and others figure this out?
Peopleware
How to be a Star at Work
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
This book presents a very interesting concept, that many of our relationship problems are problems of our own creation. In simple terms, there is a trap that we can get in where we are setting up others to fail. Then we watch them fail and blame them for it!
How Full Is Your Bucket? : Positive Strategies for Work and Life
This is meant as a follow-on to First, Break all the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths. It isn’t in the same league. Mostly this book is an eulogy! I would put it low on your list. The premise is not new – if you emotionally berate employees, they will loose their will to work. Retention rates are tied to employee emotional health – really, I’m shocked? It isn’t until the last chapter that some real advice is given. This book could have had so much more depth, or been 75% shorter.
Emotional Intelligence / Working with Emotional Intelligence / Primal Leadership
I have been reading the books backwards (newest to oldest). Each holds some gems inside lots of fluff. Goleman’s premise is emotional competencies (listening, empathy, etc.) form a separate category of intelligence. I can agree with that. Unfortunately, this has become a business franchise for him, so I think he takes it too far. He asserts it is THE defining intelligence of star performers. I can agree they are neglected, and are of prime importance to leaders. However, in light of Marcus Buckingham’s books, I think that Goleman is trying to fit all the characteristics of star performers into an emotional intelligence frame work. To a significant degree that is putting square pegs into a round hole. The thesis is easy to swallow at first, as the book is written in the standard business best-seller sensational journalist format. This contrasts with Buckingham; he writes in a pragmatic, self-help format. That said, we have a lot of work to do on our emotional intelligence. I would recommend reading Primal Leadership of the three as it discusses the types of leadership problems I have seen at work over, and over again.
People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts
I debated a little on whether or not this title belongs in the “must read” category. The explanations of the difference between submissive, assertive and aggressive behaviors are very enlightening. The clincher for me is one of the early chapters which describes road blocks. Road blocks are simple statements that have the effect of ending conversation, and thereby communication. Usually this is intentional, but not always. Positive statements can be road blocks – clever politicians know how to use them this way! The material otherwise aligns with the two Leadership Development courses I have taken: Coaching for Performance and Results and Effective Communication. I would recommend taking the former class, then reading this book as a follow-up some time latter.
Personal styles and effective performance: make your style work for you
This book is “the original” work from which Wilson Learning and The Trane Co. have derived their respective training programs on Social Styles. The presentation is a little bit different and worth the effort to compare/contrast with the latter. The authors make much more emphasis on versatility than the classes I have taken. Why? The original research (sponsored by the DoD no less) found that what leadership style you have doesn’t matter for success – it is your style versatility that counts. And what do you know, this has resurfaced recently under the guise of diversity!