Customer Reviews

Passion at Work: How to Find Work You Love and Live the Time of Your Life

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Passion and rage are among the most powerful of human emotions and each is obviously capable of producing extraordinary results, either positive or negative. The happiest people tend to be those who are passionate about both how they earn a living and the quality of life their efforts provide. Conversely, the unhappiest people are those who continuously rage against real (or imagined) grievances in any or even in all of the areas of their lives. In this book, Lawler Kang addresses these and other issues. Specifically, he suggests answers to questions such as these:

1. When am I and/or when have I been I happiest? Why?
2. Doing what?
3. Not doing what?
4. With whom am I and/or with whom have I been happiest? Why?

One of the greatest benefits of this book (and there are several) is the assistance Kang provides so that his reader can measure the gap between where she or he is now, and, where she or he would much prefer to be. He then provides sound, practical counsel on how to close that gap.

At this point, I presume to suggest (and presumably Kang agrees) that many of our wounds are self-imposed, that in our daily struggles to achieve whatever desirable objectives we may have, Pogo was right: "We have met the enemy and he is us." Hence the importance of taking full responsibility for the consequences of our decisions, both past and recent, so that we can then make better decisions henceforward.

Kang carefully organizes his material within seven chapters. Throughout the narrative, he inserts appropriate real-world examples of his key points. I appreciate the fact that, unlike so many other authors of books which address many of the same issues, Kang resists the temptation to be a sophist or evangelist. He correctly realizes that people can sometimes be inspired by others (who are by nature passionate) but only they can motivate themselves. At one point Kang observes, "The most important source of competitive advantage in the twenty-first century will come from individuals and organizations that unleash the power of passion." Quite true, but it should be added that -- more often than not -- individuals and organizations which find themselves at a disadvantage are those which compete against themselves. This is especially true of many of those involved in sales: They are preoccupied with reasons why a prospect could be resistant and are, therefore, reluctant to ask for an order. In effect, they sell against themselves. Of course, there are others (not only ) in sales who seem convinced that "enthusiasm" can compensate for insufficient understanding of a prospect's needs and interests. They demonstrate passion without competence and, on occasion, passion without integrity.

Throughout his book, Kang leaves absolutely no doubt whatsoever that what he recommends must be guided and informed by three "priorities": Passion, of course, but also proficiencies and principles. He insists that two other "priorities" must also be served: a plan which accommodates both one's organization and one's personal life, and, various means by which to verify and validate (i.e. prove) the appropriateness and effectiveness of that plan. These last two "Priorities" (plan and proof) are discussed with rigor and eloquence in Chapter 10. This chapter, all by itself, is worth far more than the cost of the book but should not be read until after the previous nine.

In the next chapter, Kang responds to a question many readers will pose after absorbing and digesting the material provided to that point: "Now what?" Let's assume that his reader is determined to begin a new (albeit perilous) "journey" to achieve career and personal goals once assumed to be unattainable. Much of the preparation has by now been completed but Kang correctly alerts his reader to the fact that several "canyons" await and one's "journey" through and beyond them can be completed only if unnecessary "baggage" is cast aside along with any guilt associated with it. Kang: "Make friends with your past." Only closure can release the emotional energy needed to continue. Next, the canyon of finances. Kang offers several suggestions as to how to "make friends with your future." That is, financial as well as emotional "baggage" must be eliminated. "The thought of working your passion, however you define it, without having [BOTH] a tactical [AND] a financial plan in place is simply unthinkable." With regard to third and last "terrifying, dimly lit, and dust-ridden corridor called `The Unknown,'" having a sufficient and sustainable commitment to completing the journey is absolutely essential. I suspect (only a suspicion) that, for most people, this last "canyon" is the most difficult.

As I read the final chapter "Looking for Your Life's Work," I was reminded of the marathons in Boston and New York which also require rigorous and extensive preparation, both psychological and physical. Hopes are high as the race begins. As it proceeds over time, most participants drop back and some drop out, exhausted and discouraged. Those who complete the course may feel exhaustion but also a sense of achievement, whatever their final standing. Another marathon awaits. In so many respects, our lives consist of a sequence of cycles as does marathon competition. Kang seems to be suggesting that getting through the three "canyons" and then locating one's life work is indeed admirable but by no means the end of the "journey." New "baggage" will be acquired which must eventually be discarded; new financial issues will emerge which must be resolved; and we will encounter new "canyons," hence the importance of passionate and thorough preparation as well as passionate and total commitment to proceed through each of them.

As Kang concludes his book, he shares a Japanese saying, shoga nai, which literally means "There is no other way." As he explains, it is usually uttered with the guttural seriousness of a Samurai warrior and the existentialism of a kamikaze pilot. By now Kang has stressed the importance of sharp focus, strategic timing, constant iteration of core principles, "and most importantly, patience. There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going. It is this undercurrent of patience to which you must fundamentally commit as you start edging closer to living in the prime of your life." To those about to begin this journey, I join Kang in wishing them bon voyage!

I also highly recommend Michael Ray's The Highest Goal, Jim O'Toole's Creating the Good Life, and David Whyte's The Heart Aroused.

Lawler Kang is here to help if you're feeling unhappy or unfulfilled in your career. His "Five Ps" self-examination process arises from his philosophy that, since "you don't get nine lives" like the fabled feline, you must live each moment to the fullest. Life is too short to stay in a boring job. You've probably heard these ideas before, but Kang's exercises and checklists may help you to act on them. His style is sincere, but overeager and jargon-ridden, and the peculiar, hard-to-read typeface exacerbates his confusing tendency to trip on his own clichés. We suggest that people who are feeling inextricably stuck in unsatisfying careers will find it worthwhile to transcend these drawbacks. Kang may be able to start you on a journey to fulfillment and happiness.

"Passion at Work" is at least as much about how to be happy in your life as it is about how to have passion at work. This book is a very fast and fun read, with questions and self-guided exercises that never end. In early sections, the book guides you through better understanding how and why you do what you do - on a very personal level. Later, it guides you through techniques usually reserved for building businesses, and applies those techniques to building a great life. It's a very fun book, filled with powerful insights and lessons, and I highly recommend it.

The author provides a very straight-forward approach for helping readers think about what can make their work and their life in general more rewarding, exciting and fulfilling. His 5 P's process just simply make sense. More importantly, the author knows that there isn't an "answer" he can deliver to everyone, so instead he facilitates the process of helping you to develop your individual vision. I found that reading this book and following his steps helped me to clarify a great deal in my life.

I first heard Lawler speak on this topic in 2006, before the book was printed. He exudes passion for helping people find their own and the personal assessment tools in the book are helpful.

Since this book was published, other good books (eg, Delivering Happiness, Happiness Advantage, etc). have followed with similar messaging Not only does common sense say that happier employees are more productive, empirical evidence developed over the last decade have proven this hypothesis.

We just need more in management to make the internal branding investment.

I appreciate the energy with which Lawler Kang writes. It is infectious and it makes me mostly sure that he really knows what he's talking about when he's talking about passion for work. I have to say though that I do have some disappointment with regard to Passion at Work. The biggest hurdles in reading this book were his constant use of corporate jargon and his tendency to overemphasize his point. I'm not from a corporate world so I'm not immediately familiar with terms like "metric" and "bring to market". I can figure it out, but I don't think it was particularly necessary in order to get his point across. I also would rather that he be more direct and economical in his general writing style. I know he really wants me to get this stuff, but I got it the first time. The next few times kind of wore me out. Content wise I have to say he has some great things to say(although don't let the title fool you. This book is about a lot more than passion). There is one exercise that helps to rank your priorities that is worth the price of the whole book. So thanks for that.

If you are coming from a traditional business or corporate environment and you're looking for some new energy, inspiration and motivation in your work, I think you'll get a lot out of this. If you're a more artistic type like I am, you may find that language a bit foreign.

The only other bit of comment that I have is for Amazon. I read this in my Kindle and the exercise pages were not scrollable at the size of text which I need to read in order to actually see the words. So I could see the top half but not the bottom, making some of the exercises impossible to complete. The good news is that Mr. Kang presented his material in a Google Talk which was broadcast on YouTube. I was able to see whole exercises in that video.

This is a well-written methodology using b-school concepts to determine what your passions are and what to do about them. Liberally sprinkled with great humor. Despite the numerous typos, which are quite distracting, they do not detract from the message. Highly recommend.

Kang presents his probing unsettling questions - and resourceful answers - in rollicking, cheerful prose that prevents the reader from slipping momentarily into guilt or depression.

This is an excellent, unusual book.

Passion at Work combines Lawler's inspirational story, wonderful humor and some real life tools to help readers follow their passion. How many times have you said.."someday I'll...." and never followed through? Get your hands on Passion at Work, the best guide available for following your dream/passion. Lawler provides a clear and easy to follow process that combines both the idenfication of passions, followed by prioritizations and the creation of a life plan. Invest in your dreams and yourself: read the book, do the work, if you need a wee bit of support-hire a coach from lawlerkang.com (even Lance Armstrong has a coach). May you have the time of your life in your lifetime!

I have read many career books and this is by far the best. Lawler's story is inspiring, his sense of humor keeps the pages turning, and his ingenious system of the 5 P's leads you down a path of ultimate self-discovery! I highly recommend it for anyone who could use a little more passion in their LifeTime.