William Byham

The first question to determine the success of any business book is “Did I get some new ideas/approaches?” This book achieves that. Question number 2, “Does it build on those ideas to provide significant new approaches?” This book does not achieve this. Question number three, “Is it relevant to me or to a broad reader group?” Strike two. The final question (and one that is true of any book) “Does this book drive me to keep reading it?” Strike three and this book is out.

I came in excited and, within the first chapter, had self-generated a couple of good ideas – new ways to identify and develop people. And it was all downhill from there. This book is either trying for too much, or just doesn’t care if it achieves anything. It instantly loses readership by implying that this is geared for upper (and I do mean upper) management. That is not necessarily bad, even when a book focuses on high-level individuals, us peons should still be able to derive learnings. But I am hard-pressed to believe a high-level person will care about this detail. And what detail there is. Way too much. An instance of someone trying to look like they have written an “important book” while delivering nothing. And the exhibits and examples may be the biggest waste in this book. Most are far too elementary – nothing new – and the rest just seem to repeat what was in the prior ones.

If your criteria are to look through a book to help you generate ideas, then you might check this out of a library. If you want something concrete that will really help, keep looking.… (meer)