The Invisible Employee: Realizing the Hidden Potential in Everyone (Hardcover)

by Adrian Gostick (Author), Chester Elton (Author) "Invisible People. That's what the Highlanders of the island called the mysterious beings who filled their vaults with treasures-but were rarely ever seen..." (more)
Key Phrases: invisible employee, employee recognition, United States, Invisible People, Blink Outs (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This book has a simple message: praising employees is the "single business strategy" that meets "all your business objectives simultaneously." Praising employees generates commitment, which leads to high-level performance, which causes customer and investor loyalty, it argues. The authors' point is illustrated through a long, tedious fable about a tribe of "Highlanders" who are showered with gems by a tribe of "Wurc-Urs," until, that is, the Wurc-Urs start to disappear because they're so frustrated by the lack of praise. The book contains a list of 70 ways to recognize employees (buy them a garden statue, write them a funny song, etc.), as well as a few bits of more journalistic evidence (brief accounts of business studies, a story from the Wall Street Journal about an employee who quit when his employer gave him a gold Rolex without offering to pay the income tax on the gift, etc.). Savvy managers are unlikely to buy into the idea that lavish praise is all it takes to generate profits and make the stock price go up, but the book may provide them with a few new ideas for how to make their employees feel appreciated. (Mar.)
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Review
This book has a simple message: praising employees is the "single business strategy" that meets "all your business objectives simultaneously." Praising employees generates commitment, which leads to high-level performance, which causes customer and investor loyalty, it argues. The authors' point is illustrated through a long, tedious fable about a tribe of "Highlanders" who are showered with gems by a tribe of "Wurc-Urs," until, that is, the Wurc-Urs start to disappear because they're so frustrated by the lack of praise. The book contains a list of 70 ways to recognize employees (buy them a garden statue, write them a funny song, etc.), as well as a few bits of more journalistic evidence (brief accounts of business studies, a story from the Wall Street Journal about an employee who quit when his employer gave him a gold Rolex without offering to pay the income tax on the gift, etc.). Savvy managers are unlikely to buy into the idea that lavish praise is all it takes to generate profits and make the stock price go up, but the book may provide them with a few new ideas for how to make their employees feel appreciated. (Mar.) (Publishers Weekly, January 30, 2006)

"...some great stuff on effective employee surveys, plus anecdotes and jokes that the reader could recycle for meetings and training sessions." (Personnel today, April 2006)

"...the message is sound..." (Professional Manager, June 2006)

"...this thought-provoking book nws a delight to read...practical and inspirational in showing readers how to change attitudes in very simple ways...." (Personnel Today, July 2006)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (March 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471777390
• ISBN-13: 978-0471777397
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,226 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whether you manage 1 or 50 people, this book is for you., February 24, 2006

By	Manager from New Jersey (Summit, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

I came across the co-author Chester Elton at a seminar last year. He is very entertaining but most important, his message is one for all managers. It's up to managers to make their employees feel rewarded and recoginzed. The Invisible Employee tells us that this concept is one of the easiest and yet most overlooked aspects of our jobs. Using a fable format the authors drive home the point that happy employees do in fact perform better and contribute more. A great read for every manager!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Leadership Book, Great suggestions, November 4, 2006

By	Wayne Kehl "Wayne" (Prince George BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

Gostick and Elton have captured the essence of good management. They have given their readers clues to what makes employees tick and highlighted the dangers of not rewarding exemplary behaviour. This book makes a great companion to my book, "Always Remember: If it ain't fun, it ain't worth doing!" which also provides managers with the keys to making good employees out of virtually every staff member. Well done Adrian and Chester! Wayne Kehl

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Carrot Guys Do It Again!!!, June 17, 2006

By	Mick Hager "Monkey Business, 7 Laws of the Ju... (Green Bay, WI USA) - See all my reviews

I am a huge fan of Chester and Adrian and my hat is off to them for writing a great New York Times Bestseller. Parables are huge these days and business people love 'em.

If you want an enjoyable read that is heart warming and informative this is it. And what's more, you might just learn something about how NOT to treat people who work for you.

Please understand I am biased in my opinion because if have gotten to know Chester Elton as a fellow author and he is simply a "stand up guy." You don't find people in this business like Chester, class all the way.

Mick Hager, author of MONKEY BUSINESS
7 Laws of the Jungle for Becoming the Best of the Bunch!
A Short Tale of a Company That Gets It! Gibbs Smith Publisher, March 2007