Customer Reviews

Resilience at Work: How to Succeed No Matter What Life Throws at You

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

 

 

RESILIENCE AT WORK shows how to learn the core elements of hardiness that Salvadore Maddi identified in his classic research project at Illinois Bell Telephone twenty years ago. Maddi and Khoshaba explain that "the key to resilience is hardiness," and then show readers how to develop the three core hardiness attitudes:
* commitment
* control
* challenge

To these. they add two vital skills: transformational coping and social support.

RESILIENCE AT WORK reflects decades of practical experience teaching hardiness skills in corporate settings. Many real-life examples illustrate the points. A concluding chapter provides companies with guidelines for improving worker resiliency.

The negative effects of stress have challenged people for a long, long time. For years, psychologists have endeavored to offer advice and assistance to those coping with personal and professional issues. For obvious reasons, many counselors, consultants, and trainers have focused on managing stress at work. Employers want smooth operations without the potential serious consequences of stress-induced problems. Careers have been destroyed by inabilities to deal with the ongoing changes in business.

I opened this book with an expectation that I might find some new secrets...perhaps a whole new approach to how workers-individually and collectively-could function much differently. What I found was another book on stress. Others may see some new ideas, but I've read a lot in this field so my expectations are probably higher than the average reader.

The text is organized to explain resilience-essentially having the inner strength to cope because you're doing a good job at managing change. The authors describe this as developing hardiness, the foundation of their Hardiness Institute. The book reports on a 12-year longitudinal study of employees at Illinois Bell Telephone. The stress of all the change over the years caused the departure or failure of two-thirds of the workers. The survivors practiced effective stress management techniques. The keys they promote include approaching change as a challenge, developing sound problem-solving strategies, resolving conflicts, and building commitment.

Readers will find an abundance of case studies that make points for the authors, teaching techniques and offering examples to stimulate thought.

I have no doubt that the authors are true scholars and done great studies on relevant subjects. However, as a struggling worker who wants to read a book that can help to increase his resiliency at work, I am far from satisfied. The three key atitudes (Committment, Control, Challenge) and the two vital skills (Transformational Coping, Social Support) of the resilient employees first developed in the author's study done over 2 decades ago still sound reasonable. However, the plenty of case studies and the research paper style of writing failed to absorb me at all. Not very helpful, IMHO. Pardon me to comment that "The Game Plan: Your Guide to Mental Toughness at Work by Steve Bull" and "Stess Reduction for Busy People: Finding Peace in an Anxious World by Dawn Groves" are much better choices.

p.s. Desite my not so positive review above, I like much the single quote wrt the 3Cs above. Please find my copy and paste of them below for your reference.

Life exacts a price for less than full participation in it. We lose touch with human values and qualities that arise naturally from a full engagement with work and life that expresses responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and cooperation. - Tarthang Tulku pg50
Lack of willpower has caused more failure than lack of intelligence and ability. - Flowers A. Newhouse pg52
our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson pg53

What a great book! In today's difficult times, being a resilient person is probably one of the most important things we should develop and this book shows you how. I especially like that it is written in a clear cut manner with case study examples. This book will help anyone who has trouble bouncing back from life's adversities and teaches strategies to successfully handle stress. A most helpful and interesting read!

Resilience is a complex concept. The authors definition is a good beginning --having inner strength to meet challenges. My question is what gives some the inner fortitude to climb out of dark places while others stay there frozen and frightened?

Salvadore Maddi was a true pioneer researching resilience 20 years ago. It was not front and center in the minds of corporate leaders until perhaps after 9-11 shook us to our roots. It seems that the hardiness skills Maddi teaches are even more necessary as life takes us on a faster and steeper ride each year.

I agree that learning better ways to resolve conflicts and more effective problem solving skills are vital. I was also hoping for newer ideas and reasons why so many learn the skills and yet revert back to old patterns that do not show hardiness and resilience. This book helps and also opens the dialogue for more research.

Sylvia Lafair PhD, author "Don't Bring It to work: Breaking the Family Patterns that Limit Success"

What a delightful read! I have been through the Hardiness Training as a student of the authors and am now trained to provide the program to others. This book is a wonderful guide on how to apply the techniques in the workplace; quite timely considering we're all in a world of constant change. The use of real-life examples of resilient and non-resilient individuals was very clever. A brilliantly written book and a truly wonderful legacy for Dr. Maddi and Dr. Khoshaba to give to the world!