Interesting anecdotes, backstories, and information. This is a book I need to go back to review and process my notes/highlights on though ... because I made a lot of them. Great information on the processes and ideas that it takes to make yourself "better". ( )

I thought this was a pretty good book, although much of the research in it is available elsewhere. But I found the chapter headings so useful that I thought of incorporating them into a meeting with myself every morning before I go to work. I get so distracted with a steady stream of demands on my time that I end up spending very little time during the day on long-term thinking, or taking concrete steps toward strategic objectives. For some years now I have carefully written up a To-Do list at the end of the day for things I must get done. This reduces anxiety at the end of the day and helps me sleep. But it does little to keep my eye on ongoing objectives for which there are many paths I must pursue. And it gets harder to do now in my early 60's.

Motivation. Teams. Focus. Goal Setting. Managing Others. Decision Making. Innovation. Absorbing Data.

I almost think I want to print these themes out and hang them on the wall. For me and for my employees. If I'm not doing this stuff, or, better yet, if what I do on a daily basis does not incorporate these things, I am probably accomplishing only only short term goals and not managing for the big picture.

Instead I stand there and do the easy stuff, stuff that doesn't much accrue to the value of the firm.

Perhaps the theme which struck closest to home for me was that of Absorbing Data. I think we spend so much time gathering good data that there is hardly any thought to using the data for anything other than transaction processing. It costs so much money to create the data (including staff time creating it, software licenses and maintenance fees, data storage and security, training time) I need to spend way more time using it.

What a waste of talent.

( )

Good stories to illustrate the suggestions on raising productivity. I really enjoyed the background on the making of Frozen, and especially the chapter on working with teams. ( )

Honestly pretty good, lots of great lessons packed into this book about how to be more motivated and productive with TONS of case studies to provide examples and takeaways. I really appreciate how often he provides counter examples going into details of when these strategies donā€™t work out and either how to overcome these issues or work around them so they donā€™t become too big. Iā€™ve read another of his books and he definitely is consistent. Overall would definitely recommend this book if this is a topic that interests you. ( )

Interesting book. I could draw parallels to what Dan Pink says in Drive and the APM model (Autonomy, Purpose and Mastery). I am quite motivated to apply these techniques after reading this. ( )