Customer Reviews

Inside Out

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Collaboratively written by Myron J. Radio (President of the Minnesota-based Giro Group consulting firm)and Rod N. Johnson (President of The R Group, a corporate leadership oriented consulting firm), Inside Out: Using Classic Children's Stories For Personal And Professional Growth showcases both a personal and a professional self-discovery journey utilizing a framework of familiar children's tales to facilitate wisdom, teamwork, leadership qualities, and much more. A useful exploration guide with both character-building and professional-tactic advantages, Inside Out is a very highly recommended and "reader friendly" addition to both Business Management and Personal Development reading lists and reference collections.

A quick read that leaves a lasting impression. Inside Out is a book that will be re-read and referenced over and over as corporations, teams and individuals hone their story. By using stories we all have heard and/or read as children, Radio and Johnson tie in the business/personal theory (take-away) that leads one on a new path to skills such as leadership, team building and empowerment! Every one of us has a story to tell, read Inside Out and make your story one that leaves a legacy!

Johnson and Radio has put together thoughtful renditions of real business processes in the prose and style of storytelling - a lost art. Selling your story to your employees, your family, or your political party is necessary to get something moving - anyone can learn from this easy to read book. I bet you never thought of the stories told to you as a child as having any deeper meaning - this proves there is more to telling a good story, and listening to what application those stories have in real life!

Inside out takes a fresh approach to presenting managerial and self development thinking. Inside out is laid out in short chapters that are made of a short story or parable and then a section called 'Discovery Notes'. The 'Discovery Notes' sections examine the underlying messages that can be found in these stories. Using stories or parables is not new, but using children's stories for the parables is.

Inside Out explores the following topics:
o Assume nothing - question your assumptions and expectations
o Choosing a path - Will you take the road less traveled, the easy path or the path of charlatans
o Breaking the shackles of fear - who we've become vs. who we want to be
o Executing at the speed of thought - navigating between the known and unknown
o When opportunity knocks - find the hidden talents of you team members
o Consistent-is-my-name - Are you open to change and growth
o How me was changed to we - the power of teams
o Moral Dilemmas - will your values hold up under pressure
o The ABCs of a Strong Organization - leadership, organization and team building
o Come Monday Morning - reaching for the next step

Inside Out is a quick read and thought provoking read.

Folk and fairy tales have survived the ages because they reflect basic truths about our world and/or our humanity. We understand that this is a good way for children to learn the lessons that we want them to. This book focuses on how those truths we learned through these tales can be applied in the business setting too. We sometimes forget that businesses are created and populated by people. This book is an enjoyable read and I now look at people who are not fully functioning in their jobs and wonder if, like Rudolph, they are simply in the wrong job and would shine if anyone realized that there was great value to having a red nose.I