Lea Berman

My coworker Andy picked 2 books for our work book club to attract more participants. Woman in the Window was the fun one, Treating People Well is the more work-related one. It is written by the White House social secretaries for the Bushes and the Obamas. Although it is a little more self-helpy than I usually read, I liked the many anecdotes of White House guests, event mishaps, and ways they all tried to keep their lives in perspective, while maintaining the stature and dignity that the show more White House traditions required (or used to require...there are a few digs at the current administration without calling them out specifically). The book also made me even more aware that I would never enjoy nor be successful in an event planning career! show less

This is an interesting "how-to" guide to manners, a collaboration between two former White House Social Secretaries. I found it to be a balanced mix of suggestions and anecdotes.
While the focus is primarily professional, many of the pointers translate well to personal life, too.

Many of the chapter titles would seem to be just good common courtesy and common sense, but sadly those things are often lacking in today's world, even in a professional setting. Topics covered include the importance show more of confidence, consistency, calmness, listening, conflict resolution, taking responsibility for mistakes, and an eye for detail.

After reading this book, one gets the sense that very few jobs are as high-pressure as that of White House social secretary. Not only are there the high-stakes events to plan, there are the endless variety of personalities to welcome and work with. The authors do a good job of showing why it is so important to always handle people with respect and civility, and how it very often smooths the way to decent future relationships.
These are some vital workplace principles (and indeed, life skills). In this book, they are broken down into many manageable components and helpful examples.

*** I received an advance digital copy of this via NetGalley. Goes on sale January 2018. show less

I liked this book. It was charming, wise, and amusing. It was worth the time. I also appreciated the view of the humans who did their best among the typical gaffes, goofs, and issues that happen even in the most coordinated and secure events.