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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Read!, April 12, 2001
This review is from: The Mid-Career Tune-Up: 10 New Habits for Keeping Your Edge in Today's Fast-Paced Workplace (Hardcover)
If you're looking for someone to tell you to quit that hum-drum job and go find your true self, look elsewhere. William and Rosemary Salmon have written a book for the moderately alienated masses who have lost their enthusiasm for a job that once sparked their imaginations. Like a tune-up for your car, routine career maintenance can improve your performance. The tools the authors use are communication, relationships and continuous self-improvement. While these habits certainly are worthy, they are not particularly groundbreaking. Readers hoping for a complete career-engine overhaul won't find it here. But if what you need is some routine servicing to get the cylinders firing again, we at ... recommend this book to you.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile - 3 1/2 stars., July 19, 2002
This review is from: The Mid-Career Tune-Up: 10 New Habits for Keeping Your Edge in Today's Fast-Paced Workplace (Hardcover)
Having reached what feels like a rut in my career - with the accompanying lack of motivation - I noticed this book on a sale-stand and decided to give it a go. The back-cover promises to give your career a tune-up and keep it in prime running condition. I need that. There are two ways of reading this book. It is organised as a workbook, so the intentions of the authors were probably for readers to diligently work through the exercises. The second option is to skim through the book, and come back to some of the exercises as needed. I decided to take the second approach. Sub-titled "10 new habits for keeping your edge in today's fast-paced workplace", the book certainly covers relevant topics. Issues covered include focussing on the job, prioritisation, communication skills, networking, problem solving, innovation, and adapting to change. It then prompts the reader to fix their own problems, and to take responsibility for their own performance, and to stay current with their skills. Reading the book cover to cover is probably not the best approach - no one can have problems with all of the above. I focussed more on a couple of chapters, which I found more relevant. In other chapters I felt that I was being told things I already knew, so I skimmed. But I can see how working through the exercises can help you mentally prepare for the real thing. It should give you a few extra tools in your toolkit. Will this book change my working habits? I don't know that for sure. But I'll keep it on my shelf for ideas for when I get stuck in a particular area. It may just help me over a hump or two.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
A good read, February 20, 2006
This review is from: The Mid-Career Tune-Up: 10 New Habits for Keeping Your Edge in Today's Fast-Paced Workplace (Hardcover)
The authors have identified 10 habits required to succeed in today's changing workplace.
1. Do what your company is paying you to do: Prioritize your work by determining how you and your department fit into the overall goals of your company. Align your goals with the goals of your company.
2. Balance demands on your times and resources: Make sure you are spending time on high-priority tasks. Avoid time wasters like poor communication, interruptions, unorganized meetings and clutter.
3. Sharpen your communication skills: Be specific and clear, ask questions to make sure others understand, seek agreement on what actions should be taken.
4. Develop productive relationships: Develop closer relationships with clients; identify the 10 people with whom you need to have a productive relationship; be a team player.
5. Resolve conflicts rationally: In a collaborative effort, conflicts are inevitable. Take a rational, problem centered approach. Decide whether you will take an assertive, cooperative or collaborative approach to dealing with the problem.
6. Fix your own problems: Don't wait for someone at a higher level to tell you what to do. Be aware of developing problems and list your options for solving them.
7. Be creative and flexible: Be curious about the underlying processes of a situation. Use your imagination and knowledge to inform your solution. Remove mental blocks. Try techniques like Reverse Thinking, playing with words, or Visual Aids.
8. Learn to accept uncertainty: Take personal responsibility for anticipating and preparing for change. Be professional and positive.
9. Take responsibility for your job performance: Focus on specific goals. Keep track of your own performance. Learn new skills. Set high performance standards for yourself.
10. Manage your own professional development: Ask yourself where you want to be in the future. Outline the skills you will need to achieve your goals. Create an action plan to address your needs.
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