Now, Discover Your Strengths (book)

Even if the book just had the cover with no contents it would still be work the price. Most team leadership and management seminars I've attended teach the same worn out - non-working - concept: be committed to helping your employees improve in their weak areas. They don't always say it right out, but that's the gist of their message. I don't think they are consciously aware of it, but their motivation seems to be selling more training based on all those weaknesses.

Think about it, we go to training (professional development/self-help anyway) to improve on our weak areas: time management, communication skills, organization skills, assertiveness, etc. What if we capitalized on our strengths and stuctured our organizations so people were doing things they are either gifted or developed in already? Imaging the productivity.

Instead of sending people to weakness training, we could make them members of "best practices" committees working with others talented in the same strenghts to get even better. I understand that we must improve in some areas of weakness, but the self-improvement movement seems to have carried it to an extreme.

Again, I have to give kudos to Marcus for this timely and useful book. I think it will prove useful for years to come.

One note: I would read this book in the following sequence:

-First, Break All the Rules
-Next, Discover Your Strenghts
-The One Thing You Need to Know

It will make for a phenomenal educational program in this sequence.

While I work in a human resource environment, often it is frustrating to blend all personalities. I was drawn to this book through referral so I feel a referral to read/listen to it is appropriate. I bought the CD version so that after I listened to it I could give it to my son to enjoy. It was new information for me, not what I found taught in school and I sure did want to take the quiz after listening but gave it to my son (dutiful mother that I am) so that he could benefit from the quiz. He has a business and I thought he'd just love it too. Little did I know he felt it was the kind of thing he's heard before...so didn't I just say, bring that back up to me so I CAN take the quiz.

The long and short of it is, you can't listen to this information and not learn how to be a better human being. Regardless of whether you pursue the quiz (because even the library code has been used).. you just "get it" about different strengths and talents and it helps. Every little help, in my humble opinion, makes a difference. This was a good one!!

I read the book and listened to the CD twice now. Haven't taken that quiz yet!!

Enjoy, Jayne

PT Barnum had it right when he said there is a sucker born every minute. It seems that many of those poor suckers have wasted their time and money with this nonsense. The contents of the book are hardly any better than plain old astrology. Strictly psuedo science.

I was ordered to buy this book by my employers corporate higher ups that had been duped in to thinking there would be value for their employees to devote their time reading the book and taking the online evaluation test.

The book is designed to be a cash cow from the gitgo! You pay way too much for it in the first place, and the code that is required to take the online test is good only for a one time use. So, if you want your spouse or other family member to engage in their testing nonsense you'll have to go waste a bunch more money on another book for each new person to take the online test.

If you need personality evaluation insight look elsewhere and save your money for anything else.

I wish I had my time and money back!

I enjoyed this book and learning about my strengths. My company is using it on a daily basis to help people learn how to work better together and increase productivity. The test was really interesting and I wasn't surprised at all by the results. Focusing on the positive definitely keeps me motivated to do even better!

This book made so many things clearer. Why some people to "just not get it" and why others know what I want before I ask. Gave me better understanding of how to handle different styles of people.