As we say good-bye to 2019, I thought that Nine Lies About Work might be a good book to reflect the confusing times we live in. Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall select nine “truisms” from the world of Work and show they lack realism and lead organizations astray. My favorite chapter is LIE #2: “The Best Plan Wins.” Today, things change so quickly, planning is tough to accomplish. Buckingham and Goodall stress information over planning. Whoever has the best information–accurate and reliable–will make better decisions. Buckingham and Goodall provide plenty of examples to illustrate their position.
I also enjoyed LIE #8: “Work-life Balance Matters Most.” Yes, it’s important to attend to both work and life after work. But, as Buckingham and Goodall show, work tends to require more attention and energy than non-work life. And, more rewards. I loved my job. Yes, there were annoyances but nothing I couldn’t handle. Because I enjoyed my job and earned a reasonable amount of money, my non-work life was enriched. If you want to understand how work, organizations, and people should operate for best results and maximum satisfaction, I recommend Nine Lies About Work. How do you feel about work? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction 1
LIE #1 People care which company they work for 7
LIE #2 The best plan wins 33
LIE #3 The best companies cascade goals 51
LIE #4 The best people are well-rounded 77
LIE #5 People need feedback 105
LIE #6 People can reliably rate other people 133
LIE #7 People have potential 163
LIE #8 Work-life balance matters most 181
LIE #9 Leadership is a thing 207
Truths 235
Appendix A: The ADPRI’s Global Study of Engagement 237
Appendix B: Seven Things We Know for Sure at Cisco 247
Notes 261
Index 267
Acknowledgments 277
About the Authors 281
