No! How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life [Paperback]

Jana Kemp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2005

If you're afraid that saying "no" will cause a backlash with friends, family, or colleagues, you'll be pleasantly surprised to learn that "no" can be a productive answer, and can put you in control of any situation - without turning you into a meanie. No! turns the word into a tool for personal power, and gives you new ways to help discussions and decisions move forward. This enlightening guide reveals how "no" can help you protect your time, money, family, and more. And it demonstrates that "no" is a legitimate word that doesn't always need to be negotiated to "yes".

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

"Today’s workplace is already a tapestry comprising people of countless different backgrounds, ethnicities, age groups, regions, and more. But that diversity is just the beginning of a radical shift in the makeup—and requirements—of tomorrow’s workforce.

The New Workforce gives you a clear picture of the rapid changes now underway—along with the steps required to attract and retain motivated, loyal, and productive employees. Based on a wealth of statistics, research, interviews, and firsthand experience, the book pinpoints five sweeping trends:

* An increasingly aging yet active population: Lifestyle changes and medical advances are keeping people alive and fit into their 90s; financial pressures and personal desire are keeping them working as well. Companies that can harness the power of these experienced and skilled employees will reap concrete financial benefits.

* The decline of the nuclear family and the rise of alternative households: Once considered the unshakable norm, the traditional nuclear family now represents only a small fraction of households. Today’s workforce increasingly consists of female heads of households, same-sex partners, stay-at-home dads, dual-income families, unmarried couples, and other arrangements. And the benefits programs required to support and retain them are quickly evolving to make flexibility a key component.

* Four generations working side by side—with a fifth on the way: The Silent Generation, the Baby Boomers, Generation X, the Baby Boom Echo, and the newest entrants to the world—the Millennium Generation…. Each has competing needs, values, expectations, and working styles. Smart companies will mine the wisdom and experience of their older employees with the energy and stamina of the younger ones to create a powerful multi-generational workforce.

* A workplace that is growing more diverse and more blended: Whether it’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, the workforce is growing more diverse at a faster rate than ever before. Truly successful companies won’t just tolerate diversity; they will accept and respect their workforce in a blender.

* The need for a “higher purpose” in the workplace: A paycheck is not the only thing that employees want. Studies show that they also seek a spiritual component, which includes personal growth, balance, and meaningful purpose. Organizations that champion trust, individual respect, and ethical conduct will build committed workforces and creative thinkers.

In addition to mapping the path from current needs to future requirements, The New Workforce supplies powerful ideas for radically revamping HR policies, recruiting efforts, compensation and benefits, and learning and training, including advice on: flexible scheduling in-house medical support double family leave telecommuting literacy tutoring sabbatical programs digital matching aptitude testing total-rewards strategies mentoring up and much more.

The New Workforce is indispensable for human resources professionals, managers and executives, and entrepreneurs. It’s an all-in-one resource for peering into the immediate future and preparing for the rapidly changing face of tomorrow’s workforce."

About the Author

Jana Kemp is the owner of Meeting & Management Essentials, which helps individuals and organizations improve decision making, time management, and meeting skills. She has been featured or quoted in Sales and Marketing Management, USA Today, Success, and other national publications. In addition, she applies her skills as Representative Kemp while serving her first term in the Idaho Legislature. Ms. Kemp lives in Boise, Idaho.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1st edition (January 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814472303
• ISBN-13: 978-0814472309
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,210,981 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a MUST READ, particularly if you are very busy, March 28, 2005

By 

Dave Lakhani (Boise, ID United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No! How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life (Paperback)

As the President of BoldApproach.com, a business acceleration strategy and marketing firm, it seemed a little counter intuitive to read a book about saying no since my whole job is based around getting people to say yes. But I dove in and boy am I glad I did.

No is one of those books that you simply must read. It isn't a book about assertiveness or any of the other things you've read, but a powerful book about taking and maintaining control of your life personally and professionally.

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you say yes when you really want to say no?
Do you ever feel bad when you say no?
Do accept invitations to be on boards and committees even when you are already wildly over committed?
Do you wish there was a way to say no without hurting people's feelings?
Have you ever wondered how and when to fire a customer?

If you answered yes to even one of those questions, then there are literally dozen's of other situations that this book will help you overcome with efficiency.

I highly recommend this book.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, May 10, 2005

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No! How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life (Paperback)

This book benefits those who face exhaustion from overwork, stress and overuse of the word 'yes' - and that includes almost everyone. No matter what level of employment or management you are in, where you work or what your responsibilities are, most people have a natural propensity to say 'yes' far too often. Jana Kemp's book will help if you sometimes say 'yes' when you don't want to, or even when you are not fully capable of committing to and delivering on the promise you are making. She offers tools and advice for timely, sound decision-making. Even though the book's self-assessment mechanisms, introspective exercises and checklists can get a bit repetitive, reinforcement is the best way to change your automatic responses. The habit of overcommitting can harm your relationships and your physical and mental health, including your stress level. Kemp finds that people want to please others so much that they overcommit in every venue of their lives. We say 'Yes!' to this book for anyone who needs to learn how to become comfortable saying 'no' and how to do so in a direct, gracious manner that refuses the request without rejecting the person. (By the way, if you don't need to learn this skill, you can always just say 'No!')

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Make your boss happy by saying No!, October 3, 2005

By 

Mark Mills (Glen Rose, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No! How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life (Paperback)

It seems like a contradiction, 'tell your boss no and get ahead in life', but that's the advice Kemp offers. Kemp is really saying 'be honest' and 'look past your nose and see the implications of your choices'. The fastest and most elegant way to do so often involves being a master of `NO!'

The book is full of exercises, which inventory your moods and habits. There are three personality types: 'Masters of NO', 'Wafflers' (putting off a NO) and 'yes-ters' (at best an 'always helpful' type). By reading the book, you can be a Master of NO!

More could have been done to review the motivations of the always-helpful types. Additionally, several genetically based instincts encourage many to be 'helpful' as a matter of course. These 'helpful' instincts provide con-men with a good living. There isn't anything provided on these subjects.