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Vital Friends: The People You Can't Afford to Live Without
by
Tom Rath (Goodreads Author)
What's the quickest way to ruin a friendship? Do great friendships have anything in common? Are close friendships in the workplace such a bad thing? These are just a few of the questions that bestselling author Tom Rath asked when he embarked on a massive study about the impact of friendships. His team's findings -- including the landmark discovery that people who have a "...more
Audio CD, 0 pages
Published
November 21st 2006
by Simon & Schuster Audio
(first published June 29th 2006)
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The best books usually come from recommendations made by friends! This book is no exception. A close friend handed the book to me last week. Author/researcher Tom Rath explores the way in which friends can enrich your life and how fostering friendships at work can make an organization even more productive. According to new research, finding friends at work can make employees feel more connected to their jobs and the ideal situation is where the people you work with are "like family." H...more
This book is a terrific testament to the fact that strong friendships are vital to our health. What was really amazing to have affirmed was that friendships @ work are very important and should be cultivated. How many times have we heard that we SHOULDN'T socialize with people from work? How many times have we heard colleagues say that they don't want to socialize with people from work? This book was so interesting because it asserted that refraining from building friendships @ work is a BAD ...more
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I thought this was an interesting take on a business book. We all spend so much time honing our professional skills, but in a lot of cases, data seems to indicate that we make the greatest advances as a result of our relationships with others--- they offer us opportunities, help us see the best parts of ourselves, really take us beyond what we can do on our own.
I listened to the audiobook, and though it says it's unabridged, I was left with doubts about the validity of the research....more
I listened to the audiobook, and though it says it's unabridged, I was left with doubts about the validity of the research....more
This is a description of one researcher's scientific findings about the effects of having close personal friends. It also describes the eight main types of friends you have and why you need some of each. Much of the focus is on the workplace and how much a good friend there enhances your experience and output. Given the survey results, I'm surprised that all employers aren't hiring groups of sorority girls. I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, it's just that being able to have friends at wor...more
Who knew that people who have a "best friend at work" are seven times as likely to be engaged in their job?! This book offers this and other statistics like it. While I enjoyed taking the online assessment of the people in my life to discover exactly what their contributions are, in general this book just was an easy read with a simple not too surprising message--we are people who need people, and different people bring different things to our lives, and we should capitalize on those ...more
book and on CD
2CDs 2.5 hours
from the library c2006 text
this book is so important that I should copy out sections of text for
ADP start with part 2 beginning and go forward and backward from there
8 vital roles: builder, champion, collaborator, companion, connector, energizer, mind opener, navigator
• Builder (motivator)
• Champion (sing your praises)
• Collaborator (has similar interests, passions)
• Companion (always there for you) ...more
2CDs 2.5 hours
from the library c2006 text
this book is so important that I should copy out sections of text for
ADP start with part 2 beginning and go forward and backward from there
8 vital roles: builder, champion, collaborator, companion, connector, energizer, mind opener, navigator
• Builder (motivator)
• Champion (sing your praises)
• Collaborator (has similar interests, passions)
• Companion (always there for you) ...more
Jillian
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Managers, lonely people, those looking to expand their circle.
Shelves:
self-help-how-to-s,
psychology
I liked this, although I think the information in this book has been repeated so many times in women's magazines that it's almost repetitive at times. I thought the studies of the homeless and their lack of friends was really interesting since like many people I thought substance abuse or mental illness was the main cause of homelessness. The information about why it was important to have close friends at work was pretty interesting too-and would be helpful for managers. I liked what it said a...more
A close friend recommended this book to me and I couldn't have been more pleased by Tom Rath's insight to friendships throughout life and in the workplace. 'Vital Friends' has a section where you can take a quiz to see what strengths your friendship with X provides in your life. I really enjoyed that section and found it helpful with how I relate to specific people in my life and what I can do for them in return.
A very enjoyable & easy read.
A very enjoyable & easy read.
John
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Cavedwellers, especially those with no friends
This book speaks to the Gallup question, "Do you have a best friend at work." The book is interesting, but I did not find it very useful. The book starts with an overview of why you need a friend. Nothing new there, unless you're a cave dweller. Most of the book speaks to relationships, and categorizes those relationships: Builder, Champion, Collaborator, Companion, Connector, Energizer, Mind Opener, and Navigator. It's possibly useful to think of your relationships that way. Maybe mor...more
I learned the value of friends, and particularly friends at work, through Rath's insightful research. I didn't get as much out of the "How to" (find a friend/keep a friend) part of the book, nor all the categories of friends he says one needs. Either I don't think in those categories or I'm just really impoverished.
All based on extensive research and polling by folks with Gallup, examines the roles our various friends play. In particular, focuses on the value of having a best friend at work, claims that we are 7 times more engaged and likely to succeed when we have a best friend on the job.
This book looks at the science of friendships and the impact they have on our lives. Easy read, great examples based on solid research from the Gallup organization.
Rath asserts what Solomon said long ago, "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
Rath asserts what Solomon said long ago, "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
Since I love friends, this was totally a book for me! I enjoyed the classifications of how each friend category is unique and valuable. I personally seek to be able to be all 7 types and know that I have a bounty of people who fulfill and enrich my life.
Quick, easy read I picked up from my boss. It makes so much sense and a lot of it is what I already knew, but maybe I didn't spend this much time labeling it. As I was reading, I just started to name my "vital friends" and realized how lucky I am.
This book seemed too mushy HR-friendly to it, even though it was discussing HR-nonfriendly things like MAKING FRIENDS in the workplace. Has some good tidbits but mostly forgettable.
I read this book on a break at work and shared it with co-workers. We had a great discussion! Find out who your vital friends are and why you need them at work.
I think that I must have read that book in a matter of minutes because I couldn't get to the meat of it. And when I was done I determined that it was all milk.
This book deals with the necessity of having vital friends. It categorizes frinds by type (builder, navigator, collaborator, etc.) It is worth scanning thru.
Meh. Dull and not incredibly useful.
Worth reading, but fairly obvious.
Read NOV 2006
Friends have always been important to me, and Rath reinforces why.
My dad once told me, "If you can count your true friends on more than one hand, you're fooling yourself." Rath uses the term "best friend", and adds that you need at least four best friends.
Looks like my dad was ahead of his time.
My dad once told me, "If you can count your true friends on more than one hand, you're fooling yourself." Rath uses the term "best friend", and adds that you need at least four best friends.
Looks like my dad was ahead of his time.
Guess what? Good friends are good for business. "Having a best friend at work is a strong predictor for being a happy and productive employee." Mr. Rath is a genious! who'd a thought!
The Gallop Poll sent this book to me FREE because I regularly take their surveys. Maybe I'll stop.
The Gallop Poll sent this book to me FREE because I regularly take their surveys. Maybe I'll stop.
very interesting look at relationships and how different relationships can help you. I also really enjoy the online participation
I enjoyed this quick and easy read. Bottom line, it's ok to like the folks you work with.
recommended by my sister Meadowlark, I found it very insightful, especially as a business person.
I got this from Gallup. It's really quite interesting but sometimes quite simple.
Friends in workplace. Interesting corporate-book...
An interesting perspective on the importance of Friends in the workplace. I liked it.
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