Who Are ""They"" Anyway? [Hardcover]

BJ Gallagher (Author), Steve Ventura (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2004

A charming workplace parable to inspire your staff to achieve success through greater personal accountability.
Every team, every organization, every group has problems. Every individual has problems, too. Often we search for the right person or persons to solve those problems. The question is: Where and how do we find them? Who are "they" anyway? In Who Are "They" Anyway? BJ Gallagher and Steve Ventura lead readers on a personal quest-a journey-in search of someone who can fix what's wrong, deal with difficult people, and take charge of fixing individual and organizational problems. Who is that special person? The results may surprise readers, as they learn:
* Who those "theys" are who seem responsible for every organization's bureaucratic hassles.
* How to stop looking for someone to blame or someone to come to the rescue.
* How to experience the job satisfaction and personal pleasure that comes from taking ownership and solving problems. Both practical and inspirational, Who Are "They" Anyway? is written to appeal to both the heads and hearts of employees at all levels-from folks on the front line, to supervisors and middle managers, all the way to top executives. It includes tips, strategies, quizzes, and how-tos to help readers apply the story in their own work lives. It is a message of encouragement and empowerment, and the personal and organizational payoff can be enormous.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gallagher and Ventura, consultants and corporate training experts, use a story, a parable, to help us assess how others act in our organization and to think about our own actions--what we have to gain or lose by taking personal responsibility at work. They caution us never to use the word "they" but always refer to "we." Explaining that we can only change ourselves and cannot change those who resist, the authors caution us to influence others by our example, taking charge of our own work life and career success by learning new behaviors, developing new ways of thinking about ourselves and others, and adopting new attitudes about solving problems and achieving goals. They advise us to be winners and not whiners, and they quote the philosopher Frank Tyger, who suggests, "Your future depends on many things, but mostly yourself." Motivation in the workplace is a constant challenge, and this small book offers a simple but valuable perspective. Mary Whaley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"...charming little book...if you have a problem, the key to solving it is asking yourself "What do I want?"" -- Automotive Design & Production, September 2004

"Motivation in the workplace is a constant challenge, and this small book offers a simple but valuable perspective. " -- Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793188296
• ISBN-13: 978-0793188291
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,458,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple, logical advice to overcome a popular problem, December 28, 2004

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Who Are ""They"" Anyway? (Hardcover)

Succinct motivational business books have blossomed ever since the success of "Who Moved My Cheese?" This one addresses a topic we're all familiar with and may need to be reminded of every so often: accountability. While the problem and its remedies aren't new, they're presented in a fresh package here.

As has become the standard preamble for this genre, this book begins with a parable. A worker who has encountered a problem wants desperately to find a solution. But everyone he asks has an answer involving THEY. THEY make the rules. THEY need to do something. The worker tries to track down this elusive THEY, moving through the administrative levels of the business and to the board, the labor union, the finance department, and human resources. He finally comes to a realization while talking with other workers in the company bathroom and looking in the mirror. What if we use the words ME and WE instead of THEY? Doesn't that simple approach change everything?

The second half of the book addresses the process of putting the ME / WE concept into practice. Quizzes measure levels of accountability and personal responsibility. Quotes from successful people inspire us. A standard method is introduced for approaching problems, assessing needs, and setting goals. An added emphasis is that if you want to make change, you must realize that you can change only yourself. Then you can hope that your own behavior influences others. The chronically-negative folks and professional victims should be left alone to either stew in their own juices or to join the crowd when the mood strikes them. The goal here is to move from Whiner to Winner and from Victim to Victor. The book makes the transition seem fairly easy. Using it in real-life situations will be more challenging. While this book isn't a cure-all for this organizational ailment, it will at least get workers thinking.

"Who Are 'They' Anyway?" is obviously a promotional tool for the two authors. The book concludes with advertisements for supplemental materials and personal lectures or consultations. But the message is still a worthy one to consider. Read this book this afternoon, and a red flag will wave before your nose the next time a co-worker complains about a decision that THEY made. Perhaps you'll be bold enough to initiate the ME / WE practice at that very moment.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very over-rated, April 20, 2009

By 

Ruth Y. Dower - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Who Are ""They"" Anyway? (Hardcover)

This is very over-rated as being for us all. Sounds like a textbook. By the way, I've been a successful business-owner for over 30 years.