Flipping the Switch...: Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability Using the QBQ! (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I've seen firsthand the difference personal accountability can make..." (more)
Key Phrases: garbage thinking, personal accountability, Advantage Principles, The Question Behind the Question, Exception Mentality

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Leadership guru Miller expands on the anti-buck-passing principles of his QBQ: The Question Behind the Question in this winsome volume of business homiletics. The QBQ methodology aims to replace plaintive, querulous thoughts of "Why is this happening to me?" and "When will others do things right?" with more constructive questions like "What can I do to contribute?" This shift in perspective, he contends, short-circuits the unhelpful behaviors of blaming, complaining, procrastinating and "thinking like a victim," and empowers people to solve problems themselves instead of whining about them. The ethos of personal accountability, he continues, reinforces other virtuous habits, including learning, creativity, service and trust, and imbues organizations with a cheerful, cooperative, can-do spirit. The author conveys these truths in a plainspoken style, replete with business anecdotes on such topics as great (or sullen) customer service, the importance of delegating and the demoralizing effects of e-mail flame wars. Miller's credo of personal accountability is not a sufficient moral code; sometimes it licenses unreasonable-and somewhat ironic-demands for customer pampering, as when Miller wishes a hotel clerk would make himself personally accountable for shining his scuffed shoes. Still, Miller's call for active engagement instead of passive resentment is a useful one that readers will find easily digestible and mildly inspiring.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Asking the right kind of question isonly the first step to becoming fullyengaged at work and in life.

In his bestselling book QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, John G. Miller revealed how personal accountability helps to create opportunity, overcome obstacles, and achieve goals by eliminating blame, complaining, and procrastination. The result? Stronger organizations, more dynamic teams, and healthier relationships.

Now Miller takes readers to the next level to show how they can use the power of the QBQ! and personal accountability every day.

When a light switch is flipped the flow of energy that is released reaches the lightbulb in an instant, bringing it to life. Similarly, asking the right kind of question-a QBQ-is the first step to empowering what Miller calls the Advantage Principles-five essential practices that will lead to a richer experience in every aspect of life:

- LEARNING: live an engaged and energized life through positive personal growth and change
- OWNERSHIP: attain goals by becoming a solution-oriented person who solves problems
- CREATIVITY: find new ways to achieve by succeeding "within the box"
- SERVICE: build a legacy by helping others succeed
- TRUST: develop deep and rewarding relationships

With compelling real-life stories and keen insights, Miller demonstrates how anyone can find success and satisfaction by "flipping the switch."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1 edition (December 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399152954
• ISBN-13: 978-0399152955
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34,196 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transformational Shift, April 12, 2008

By	Isabelle (Jersey City, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flipping the Switch... : Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability Using the QBQ! (Hardcover)

Flipping the switch is a very enjoyable read in which the author John Miller is basically asking the question: Would you rather be part of the problem or the solution? To be part of the solution, all it takes, according to him, is a shift in perspective. Instead of asking "why me?" switch to "what can I do?". It is a simple shift, which takes you from the victim's chair into the driver's seat and allows you to experience satisfaction and transformation in all areas of your life.

In this respect the book reminded me very much of the work of Ariel and Shya Kane Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation , How To Create a Magical Relationship and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. The Kanes also present the idea that a shift in perspective can transform your life instantaneously and take you from the realm of working on yourself and thinking, to the realm of being yourself and being enlightened. Instantaneous Transformation is accessible when you flip the switch and choose to be present in the moment rather than lost in your thoughts.

I highly recommend both the work of John Miller and Ariel and Shya Kane to anybody looking to live a "bright" life!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flip the switch... be effective and efficient in how you live and work, January 16, 2006

By	Robert Schmidt (Honolulu, HI & Logan, UT USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Flipping the Switch further develops author John Miller's motivational "the question behind the question" philosophy.

I have not read QBQ, his first book. I became acquainted with Mr. Miller by reading Flipping the Switch. It is intriguing enough that I look forward to tracking down that first book.

Miller wants his readers to be efficient and effective in their daily lives, forgoing the blaming "who" and "why" type questions about life, love, happiness, and productivity for the "how" and "what" type questions. Instead of "Why me," he asks the reader to explore the "How can I" philosophy, as in:

"What can I do to solve this problem?"

"How can I contribute?"

Miller states that the blame game is not productive. Instead, he encourages his readers to look for the positive, the changeable, and the possible.

I thought he did a nice job reviewing the contents of his first book, QBQ, in Chapter 2. This makes Flipping the Switch readable without having read his first book.

My chief complaint is that it is too short for a hardback book (129 pages)! Hopefully, future editions will combine these two books into one (128 + 129 = a book with 257 pages, a much more appropriate length). At some point, as his philosophy is practiced, Miller will have to document real changes in people and businesses. Let's hear the success stories!

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Harnessing Your Own Strength, August 15, 2007

By	J. Nariman "Jules" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Flipping the Switch" is a small but muscular tool. It helped me to get out of a cycle of complaining, pushing me to ask "What Can I do about this situation?" rather than "Why is this situation so annoying?" As a teacher, I have found I can sometimes dwell too much on the faults of the school system, or my colleagues, blaming them for the way things are, rather than truly trying to make a situation better myself. When I catch myself doing that now, I remember the QBQ, or the question behind the question: rather than saying "Why is the bureocracy preventing me from getting things done?" I ask, "What can I accomplish right here, right now?"

I have also been reading Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment both by Ariel and Shya Kane, and find them to be a wonderful companion to "Flipping the Switch." Their principles of transformation and everyday examples of how one can live with excellence (rather than being dominated by a situation you resist) are brilliant. Both are inspirational reference tools to be pulled out whenever you need it. I highly recommend these books along with "Flipping the Switch."