Hola!

Here’s a small book I enjoyed: Revved was written by one of the authors of Fish [which we’ve already reviewed], and published in 2006 by McGraw-Hill. Harry Paul & Ross Reck, PhD follow a similar framework for their story using the example of an office worker looking for ways to change her impact on her environment, and with her staff. Whereas Fish focused on motivational principals, Revved moves further along this path with more practical advise, basically distilled down into these three steps:

1.     Win Them Over

2.     Blow Them Away

3.     Keep Them Revved

Here’s a short recap of the main points:

•  Win Them Overhas two sub-categories –

            a. Smile! Greet! Engage!

            b. Actively Listen


The idea behind this step is that if you put out a positive vibe with a smile and a sincere “hello”, while engaging in conversation and actively listening – you will begin to win the trust of the people you work with…“caring for people actually becomes your capital investment”(p. 1)

•  Blow Them Awayhas the “multiplier effect” of enabling you to begin to amass what the authors refer to as your own “personal army of advocates” (p. 49). By going beyond a simple email, or word of gratitude, and showing more than telling what an excellent job someone on your staff has done at all levels of your enterprise (in direct vertical lineage to the person involved), fills that person with immense gratitude, including feelings of reciprocity – leading to what every manage wants to hear: “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

•  Keep Them Revvedis basically all about nurturing your progress - don’t let things slide: Keep saying “hello” with a smile; and keep on being engaged, expressing gratitude, being inclusive, caring about the people around you. Don’t leave anyone “on the bench” (p. 55), and remember that “looking out for #2” (p13), really means that you’re looking out for number one: You!

Other neat things about this book are the 5-day Action Plan at the back of the book, and a couple of quotes I found inspiring:

            “Weak is he who allows his emotions to control his actions. Strong is she who allows her actions to control her emotions”- by Og Mandino (p11)

plus,

            “Far better is it to dare mighty things...than to live in the gray twilight...”

                                                            - by Theodore Roosevelt (p. 21)

Much Kudos,

~eleni