Living Well, Working Smart: Soft Skills for Success (Paperback)

~ Sue Mackey (Author), Laura Tonkin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Education and experience are essential ‘hard’ elements in any resume, but they do not reflect on the ‘soft skills’ that are required to make any job a personal and professional success. Soft skills are those tools that influence attitude, behavior and character in a positive way. Living Well, Working Smart: Soft Skills for Success offers forty-one valuable soft-skills on accountability, speaking, writing, prioritizing, and organizational skills. Each entry is accompanied by advice and guidelines on Mistakes to Avoid and Steps to Success and presents a clear picture of the responsibilities and rewards inherent in each skill. Written with clarity and humor, Living Well, Working Smart is a valuable manual for corporations, small businesses and individuals who wish to enhance their chances for success.

About the Author

Sue Mackey and Laura Tonkin are partners in The Mackey Group, a Seattle-based consulting firm recognized nationally for its development and implementation of skilled-based standards and assessment systems. As a respected business columnist, Sue Mackey has written for the Washington CEO Magazine, the Bellevue Journal American, and a number of prestigious law journals. Both Laura and Sue lecture and conduct workshops for business organizations around the country.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Book Publishers Network (August 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887542280
• ISBN-13: 978-1887542289
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #723,271 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Parental Refresher, August 18, 2009

By	Phawnda Moore "Journalism Design" (Rocklin, California USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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If you are in your 20's and never had much parenting, you may find this book worthwhile. On the other hand, if you have had some socialization and/or you've read any self-help books, chances are good this is a repeat, at best. It's true there's a lot there, it covers most of life's skills. But it is boring, written in a parental "do it this way" voice with advice about not talking with food in your mouth, your elbows on the table, being rude, inconsiderate, etc. There's a page after each chapter with "Mistakes to Avoid" and the expected consequences, in detail. I found the short quotes that begin each chapter the best part, but after that, it was downhill . . . .

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply expressed... just do it..., January 22, 2009

By	L. Yogarajah (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very simply expressed... Just do it. This book could not have been regimented like this without the deep professional knowledge bank. This is refreshment, I would say we may read this book once in an every year to refresh and restate our standards in the work and personal life. Well expressed chapter by chapter with the "Mistakes to avoid" and "steps to success" for each chapter that really helps to take a note apply on the real time.

New way of defining the anger management and stress management by the author is a very realistic approach, clearly indicates anger and stress are part of the career but need to convert that energy into an achievement.

Problem solving, decision making, resolve or manage conflicts, negotiating, accountability, trust, writing, listening, speaking, commitment, loyalty......and it goes up to 41 areas that covers all about the professionalism in the each sections with the tips to correct the areas we are weak.

It's good refreshment.

Couple of critics;
Author could have avoided repeating same "Mistakes to avoid" for different topics.
'Researching' section may need to be expressed with high level research methodology.
I am not sure how this book will help the people with the decades of experience.

In overall, I can't put less than five stars

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In a sea of management books this one stands out, September 15, 2005

By	Philip E. Dyer (Bellevue, Washington) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

How refreshing, to find a book that makes connections to both the practical and the management aspects. Well written, concise, to the point, and not full of mumbo-jumbo psycho-babble. Living Well, Working Smart has turned out to be a great tool for my managers and staff, and has proven to be insightful in assessing my own techniques and habits. Not just your usual run-of-the-mill self-help book. Congratulations to the authors, these two really know the real world, which makes the book more relevant and useful.