I read this book as part of the Leadership Transformation Team effort at the company where I work. In a nutshell, the idea is that an executive picks a business book that is meaningful to him or her and leads a cohort of employees through several hours of discussions on the book. Of the different options available, this cohort was the most appealing to me both because the book promised actionable advice and because I admired the executive who chose it.
In the four Fridays that my cohort discussed the book, I grew to really appreciate it. The first half of the book seems to applicable to anyone who works in an intense environment. These chapters cover balance, happiness, and health, among other generally useful topics. The later chapters are more geared toward managers of people, covering giving feedback, setting expectations, and the like. Through our discussion, we gleaned some learnings from these chapters that could be applicable to individual contributors as well. The last chapter tied everything together with annual planning and quarterly planning activities.
Each chapter focuses on a particular habit and is structured in three parts. First, there is a page or two of narrative that explains the habit and its importance. Then there is a page or so of anecdote that describes how one of the author’s clients employed this habit. Finally come the section with the “Steps to Mastery,” or the exercises that talk the reader through how to technically employ this habit in his/her life.
The exercises in the book were my favorite part because they were really challenging and forced me to take a critical look at my thoughts, my actions, my feelings, and so forth. In doing the exercises, I realized that there are things - both little and big - that are in my power to change to have a more productive and fulfilling work life right now. That realization was well worth the time spent reading, thinking, and discussing.
In general, I recommend this book for anyone who is feeling blah about where they are with their work life. It requires some serious introspection to do right, but it is worth it.