Stop Whining-And Start Winning: Recharging People, Re-Igniting Passion, and Pumping Up Profits [Hardcover]

Frank Pacetta (Author), Roger Gittines (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2000

Combining the renegade attitude of Guy Kawasaki with the energy of Tony Robbins and his own from-the-heart authenticity, Frank Pacetta is on a mission to abolish business-as-usual. In this frank, irreverent look at what's wrong with corporate America, Pacetta, the author of the strong-selling Don't Fire Them, Fire Them Up, shows how the typical squandering of a company's number-one resource -- people -- means losing the edge to those who recruit, train, motivate, and reward the best workers.

In this motivational guide to combating corporate apathy, lost talent, and poor results, Pacetta draws on his experience working with hundreds of Fortune 500 companies to show managers how to find the right people, instill a fighting and winning spirit, and provide leadership and a business process that will improve both morale and the bottom line. With how-to solutions to the issues that constantly keep individuals from achieving their potential, Stop Whining -- and Start Winning offers invaluable advice for a widespread problem many corporations face today.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Nobody likes a whiner, Frank Pacetta least of all. And, as he sees it, there's been far too much whining going on in corporate America over the past decade, and far too little drive, passion, and inspiration to get the job done and get it done well. Stop Whining--and Start Winning is Pacetta's honest and hard-hitting manifesto for how to make this happen.

Pacetta and his coauthor Roger Gittines fire back at America's complacent workforce by equipping leaders with a book packed full of "now-tos"--the Pacetta version of how-tos, only more necessary and more urgent. With chapter titles such as "Do Get Excited--Reaping the Rewards of Emotion" and "Make Big Dreams Happen--What a Great Place to Work," Pacetta drives home his overarching theory of leadership: Being a good leader means getting emotionally involved with your workforce and thereby motivating people to contribute their absolute best. There's no room for "leading from a distance" with Pacetta, who claims that successful leaders can and should directly influence such areas as communications, recruiting, and training. In an animated and conversational tone, the sales guru of Xerox fame shares advice and anecdotes from both his professional and personal lives, with tips from his action-packed days at Xerox, family moments in a vibrant Italian American home, and a personal visit from Ross Perot all entering the fray at one point or another. Stop Whining--and Start Winning is not a theory-based tome but a plug for passion and a call for leaders to get off their butts and fire up their workforces. --S. Glass

From Booklist

Just as senior e-strategists advise client companies that electronic commerce is "all about the customer, stupid," consultant Pacetta warns that "it's all about the employee." Here, then, is his formula for turning around profits, starting and ending with the employee. Don't expect a very structured discussion or highfalutin theories or philosophies. Instead, story telling abounds--revolving around communications, reward-recognition systems, trust, recruitment, and teamwork. Principles are sound, including creating a hard-core vision, finding out why employees leave, and securing buy-in from frontline managers. The prose reads well; for instance, Pacetta regales us with notes about Ross Perot's visit to his home. Not to be considered a main source but good for supplemental anecdotes. Barbara Jacobs

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 294 pages
• Publisher: HarperBusiness; 1st edition (February 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066620058
• ISBN-13: 978-0066620053
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,125,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Same old material, April 28, 2000

By 

David Hirst (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stop Whining--and Start Winning: Recharging People, Re-igniting Passion, and Pumping Up Profits (Audio Cassette)

"Stop Whining" is the same old management book with a different cover and title. I bought it to get some new material, but there is nothing here that hasn't been written before. The entire book revolves around one point: treat others (employees and customers) like you would want to be treated. A vital concept but hardly original. The author is smart using todays hot business buzz word, "passion" in the title, however this material has little spark. The title caught my interest, but having invested money and time into this book leaves me feeling short-changed. As a reader I want fresh ideas not redundant material.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I stopped whining and started winning!, March 26, 2000

By 

Arnold Varona (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stop Whining--and Start Winning: Recharging People, Re-igniting Passion, and Pumping Up Profits (Audio Cassette)

I own this book and it's very motivational and yet is not only focusing on the motivation aspect of the workplace. It deals with many issues and shows you how to tackle them head on! I'm purchasing the audio book version of this because I want to share this with my co-workers who keep putting it off saying that they don't have time. I would definately make time for this book as it has helped me in many ways to improve my management style.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book! But has anyone noticed...?, April 26, 2002

By 

Jeff Keady (Albany NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stop Whining-And Start Winning: Recharging People, Re-Igniting Passion, and Pumping Up Profits (Hardcover)

Pacetta's book is a real winner! Of course there is nothing new in the area of sales, motivation, or inspiration. What is new is the way it is all arranged. And Pacetta arranges his material with wit, honesty, humor, and a blatant attack on the basics. Back to basics is what every professional needs. We get so caught up with our careers and lives, that we stray from the basics; the basics of business, customer relations, employee development, etc. I read this book from cover to cover and loved every page. BUT, did anyone else notice all the typo's? I have never read a book with so many typo's and grammatical errors. It got to the point where it was humorous. Several in each chapter... but it was still a great book and worth every penny. It is especially a must read for those in top level management!