Customer Reviews

The Hard Truth About Soft Skills: Soft Skills for Succeeding in a Hard Wor

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is extremely heavy on anecdote. Nearly every page has one or two "real life" examples illustrating the author's points. As a result, the book is very easy to read, but it's not very instructive.

If you are impressed by the abundance of 5-star Amazon reader reviews, you shouldn't be. Many of them look like shills: they're heavily clustered at the start of the book's availability; the reviewers have no other reviews; many mention the author by her first name and describe her personality rather than the book itself. It's really sad that so many authors, publishers and agents feel they are entitled to "game" the Amazon review system.

More or less a book about being nice at work. More of general guidelines as opposed to structured advice on learning to deal with people. Perhaps a good launch pad, but a little thin in content.

It's a good book, but definitely not definitive. I'd consider it more of a "primer" than anything because it doesn't go into great depth or detail. It's only 175 pages so I got through it in two nights; it's a very easy read. Most of it seemed like refresher (which I admittedly needed) from other books I've read or training I've taken. Another reviewer wished she'd had this as a college graduation present - actually, this would be a good book for anyone just starting their first job, simply to create awareness of the importance of soft skills. Since finishing this book, I've started reading "Secrets to Winning at Office Politics", which goes much deeper into the topic, and so far, I'd highly recommend it.

This book is great. It provides real life issues and stories as examples. Unfortunately it does not really provide much of solutions.

Pros: a fast read. a very good handbook for college grads who work for big corporates. a lot of the points made in the book are apparent to most people, but a lot of people tend to forget these rules in reality. it is a good reminder to have before embarking on a career.

cons: same as many reviews here, i do find many anecdotes in the book redundant. after all, Peggy is a real life consultant than a writer. so the book overall is not effectively written. also, i find it annoying that the writer implies to sell her consulting service between the lines of the content. Such as talking about how all the big company employees/managers go to her for advice in case of a dilemma.

I gave it four stars because overall the content/selection of the topics of the book is much better than similar self-help books on the market right now. they are good points made in the book that every career starter should grasp before entering the workplace.

This book is spot on about being the "hard truth" about soft skills. We can often get caught up in what we think is "fair", what companies "should" do and how people "should" behave and all of those things are honestly irrelevant. It is not until people are ready to face the hard truths that they are able to make decisions about their willingness to make changes to their work styles that will impact their career track.

A good reminder of how we should act at work. Nothing ground breaking, but great advice on some of the points that can be easily forgotten when working for and with others. Buy a copy and pass it around the office.

Peggy Klaus has an uncanny ability to lead us toward dissecting our shortcomings and self-destructive behaviors. Like the best of life coaches, she is benevolent and practical in analyzing workplace situations and suggesting behavioral strategies. This book will benefit everyone from the CEO, to the manager, to support staff, to teachers, to shop owners, to freelancers, etc... as it is really about interrelating even away from the office. I came away from this book with a list of easily assimilated action steps to incorporate into my working relationships. Klaus' use of case studies and alternate scripts makes this all the easier to think through and project into our own scenarios.

As someone who has read many self help books and taken a long look about improving relationships in my own workplace (Aa Montessori School), I have to say that Klaus' latest book has spoken to everything that I have experienced in the past 30 years. Where was Klaus' book 30 years ago when I begun my career. I found this book to be very inspirational and it helped me better understand the great need to even help my own employees (teachers) develop their special soft skills in our Montessori School, as well as work on my own skills.
This book is a must for anyone feeling stuck at his/her workplace. Klaus' book on how to look at new behaviors; which encompasses personal social awareness, problem solving skills, critical thinking, self control and many other positive actions. Everyone learns how to do the skills in their job but no one has ever captured the importance of balancing skills with personal traits, attitude, confidence and risk taking. There is no substitute for real world experience; Klaus knows how to capture all levels of awareness to help everyone have a brilliant career.

Amazing book for anyone at any level of the food chain!
Learn to be a good employee and a good boss.