Customer Reviews

Full Steam Ahead!: Unleash the Power of Vision in Your Work and Your Life

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Everyone on our team was expected to read this book before beginning our project. I must admit I was initially not very enthusiastic about being given a book to read. But once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting! I had always looked at vision as "soft." This book shows how it is practical and necessary and it shows how to easily apply the ideas. Using the book as a reference, our team created a shared vision for our project that was supported by senior management. I have never been on a team that accomplished so much in such a short timeframe--we were focused, energized and easily moved Full Steam Ahead!

Note: This book is applicable to all aspects of your life (not just work).

If you're like me, and have spent countless hours in countless meetings trying to develop a "vision statement" for your organization without ever really getting to the point, then this book is for you. Blanchard (The One Minute Manager) and Stoner have skillfully crafted an allegorical tale of Jim and Ellie, one a successful but uninspired business owner, and the other a recently-hired employee who serves as a sounding board and confidant. In their conversations, Jim confides to Ellie that running the insurance company his father created just isn't all that exciting anymore. Notes Jim: "When my father was president, everything here was full steam ahead." He goes on to say that his father really inspired the employees - they felt like they were doing important things at work, and there was real joy in the agency then. When Ellie asks whether "full steam ahead" means being reckless, or moving ahead blindly in the face of danger, Jim responds, "No, I think it's the opposite. It means having vision - being so clear about your purpose, so committed to it, and so sure about your ability to accomplish it, that you move ahead decisively despite any obstacles." This characterizes the tone and sentiment of the book - discovering the ability to unleash transformative power by developing a clear vision of where you want to take your organization and your personal life.

The authors delineate the three elements of a successful vision: significant purpose, clear values, and a picture of the future. This last element, what the future will look like, resonated especially strongly for me as I read the book- the idea that you know you're on the right path when you can see a clear picture of what it's going to look like when you reach your goal. Examples abound here: JFK's vision of putting a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, Soviet athletes' technique of "mental rehearsal" in the 1976 Olympics, even skiing down a difficult hill. Using Ellie as a creative muse, Jim comes to realize that his insurance company does have purpose (peace of mind) and values (ethics, relationships, success) which permit him to develop a picture of the future where employees look forward to coming to work each day and strive to provide unparalleled customer service. Of course, the process of creating the vision is perhaps as important as the vision itself - working together to develop a common theme invests members of the organization as stakeholders, and that can build cohesion and a common sense of purpose.

In the final analysis, this book is extremely well-written, engaging, and hard to put down!

There's something about this book that's different. Other business novels I've read often seem light and superficial--motivational but not practical. There is nothing superficial about this book. The authors' messages are powerful and can easily be applied. Instead of just telling you how important it is to have a vision, they show you how to create one. I was impressed that I could learn so much from a short, enjoyable to read book.

I just finished the 2nd edition of Full Steam Ahead and must say I'm quite impressed. My boss handed out the book to everyone on our team, not realizing I had read the original version in 2004. I flipped through it and it grabbed my attention. I started reading and couldn't put it down. Blanchard and Stoner have hit a home run.

This book is even better than the first. If you already own the first edition, you'll appreciate this edition even more - there is more information on how a team can create a vision, how to keep a vision alive, and what to do when people are cynical about vision. There's a very helpful summary of the concepts at the back of the book. It's still packed with examples of real companies, which have been updated. And I love the story - there are new characters and more detail about life in the company. Kudos to the authors!

Ken Blanchard and Jesse Stoner say, "Leadership is about going somewhere. Without a vision, your leadership efforts won't matter." In their powerful and practical book, Full Steam Ahead, Blanchard and Stoner show how to create an enduring vision that will guide you on an ongoing basis - for your company, your department, your team and your own life.

This is an outstanding, well-written book. Not only is the message clear, but also it is an enjoyable read. The concepts are clearly illuminated through an engrossing story. Having devoted the last 10 years to taking care of her children after her husband died, Ellie is just entering the workforce. Teaming up with Jim, president of the company she has just joined, they discover the three elements of a compelling vision and the process to make it a reality.

This outstanding new edition is even better than the first. There is more information on how vision applies to teams and departments, what to do when you get blown off course, a summary of the key concepts at the end of the book, a team assessment, and a game plan to create your own vision.

This is the book to buy for your whole team. Get another copy to take home to your family.

It's an excellent distillation of the most essential elements of creating and living a vision. Don't let the size fool you. It's a fabulous example of an easy-to-read and equally important easy-to-apply book. This is the second edition of Blanchard and Stoner's book on Vision -- chock full of new material, thinking and value. Fuzzy, lifeless visions plague too many organizations. People let "life happen to them." Full Steam Ahead is the antidote to both maladies. Define your vision. Unleash the power of it -- in your organization, life, family. I've bought copies of the book for my team mates, wife and kids. Get a copy. Sit back and begin creating your preferred future. Full Steam Ahead is a great guide to help light the way.

This book is great at demystifying the "Vision" thing and the process to get a team to understand and implement a strong team approach to accomplishing goals.

I further recommend Power Up by David L. Bradford and Allen R. Cohen for a practical step-by-step approach to a team culture that can be empowering at all levels of an organization.

This book will definitely help you both in your personal and professional life. I finished reading it two weeks ago. I keep thinking about it and finding new ways to apply the learnings. I'm going to read it again. It is filled with practical ideas and useful concepts that can be applied everywhere--at home and at work. I was deeply touched by the story. It is extremely well written.

Blanchard and Stoner have written a book that is deceptively simple, yet filled with significant insights. I think this is possibly the best book Ken Blanchard has co-authored yet!

You don't have to be a business person to benefit from the wisdom in this book!

Excellent book that is an easy and quick read, yet filled with practical, useful information on how to create a vision and implement it! I for one am tired of reading books that talk about the importance of vision but give no clue on how to create one. This book does both: it shows exactly how to create a compelling vision and it also shows how to make it come alive. The advice in this book is down to earth and easy to apply. It provides the roadmap I've been looking for.

If you only read one book this year, this is the one to read!

Through a beautifully written, engaging story about two people who are struggling to create visions, both for the company where they work and for their own lives, Blanchard and Stoner detail the essential elements of creating a successful vision.

Full Steam Ahead takes the mystery out of the "vision thing." It makes vision accessible to everyone, in both, their organizations and their personal lives. It explains the three key elements of a compelling vision and how to create a shared vision that unleashes energy and potential. The process described in this book connects with your business and its business objectives; it's not just a "feel good" process. The book shows what happens to businesses and individuals that don't have a clear vision - the financial, operational and personal implications of an unclear vision. It demonstrates how these concepts can be applied in a variety of ways: creating a vision for a company, for a department, for a family and for one's personal life. This book is about more than how to create a compelling vision. It's also about how to ensure that it's a shared vision, it comes alive, and it continues to guide you on a day-to-day basis.

Read this book and get ready to move Full Steam Ahead!