Alan Fine

This review first appeared on my blog: http://jewelknits.blogspot.com/2010/11/you-already-know-how-to-be-great-by.html

I'm normally not too big on self-help books; my experience has been that they're not much help to ME, but I'm certain that they're a help to the writer's pocketbook! :)

BUT, this book is an exception, as the author clearly states that everything he is telling us is something we already know, but he can help us put it into action.

Initially, as I read the Foreword, I was immediately turned off by the corporate buzzphrase "paradigm shift" being used. I don't like buzzwords and phrases; they make my brain go into that "Oh, no, please, not THAT word again!" mode and my eyes glaze over. Then I saw that the foreword wasn't written by the author, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Not that there AREN'T any buzzwords in the book; but they are not overused and meaningless, so they didn't take away from my focus on what I was reading.

This book is about trying to improve your own performance as well as those you are trying to help, whether it's your daughter who won't clean her room or your employees not taking your guidance to heart. I liked this phrase near the beginning: "Most of the time, lack of knowledge isn't the problem", as it is really is true. We all KNOW what to do most of the time; it's something else that's keeping us from doing it.

The author describes this something else as interFEARance - whether it's fear of failing, fear of not doing it right, fear of what other people will think of us, and he aptly illustrates how to get rid of this outside interference and have the "Faith" (knowledge that we CAN do it), "Fire" (passion for getting it done), and "Focus" (not allowing the past to interfere by focusing on this present moment) to allow us to handle almost any situation. It could be learning a new skill; perfecting a skill you already have, public speaking, focusing your own words to that messy teenage daughter so that the chore you're asking her to do breaks down and becomes more attainable, or any of the myriad situations we run into every day.

There are reflective questions at the end of each chapter, sidebar quotes and inserted instances that help in reinforcing the main topic (although, and maybe you can color me slow, there was one - "The Flow Experience" - that left me scratching my head), and real-world examples in both the author's experience and others that illustrate how this principle can easily put to use in everyday situations. It's not preachy; it's not "I'm the King of the World and I know everything, so you should listen to me if you want to be a success" - it's none of the things that normally make me turn off on self-help books.

I think this one is going on my keeper shelf; because as I read, I could recall some recent situations where this advice would have aided greatly in changing my own course for the better.

QUOTES:

My invitation to you is to simply play with the ideas in these pages and use what's helpful to you. As you will discover, this book is less about gaining new knowledge and more about getting rid of what's keeping you from using the knowledge you already have.

More broadly, as managers, leaders, coaches, or parents, we're incredulous to think (or more likely, it never even occurs to us to think) that without our excessive instructing, regulating, controlling, directing, and intervening, people might actually be able to perform with greater confidence, more enthusiasm, and more effective focus.

It stands to reason that if we can chunk down the challenge into tasks that feel doable and then create a singular Focus on one or more critical variables of the task, we're far more likely to create the flow state that creates high performance.

(I received a complimentary copy of this title from Inside Out Development to facilitate my review)… (more)

I found You Already Know How to Be Great a pretty easy read considering it is non-fiction and often seemed aimed at people in the business world. It is written in a very conversational tone and Mr. Fine uses a lot of examples to illustrate his points. I found these examples very helpful to understanding the concepts he was discussing.

Chapters are split into shorter sections and there are many text boxes along the way with great information to back up what Mr. Fine is saying. He also gives reflective questions at the end of each chapter which can be used to think through the ideas on a personal level.

I have already used his G.R.O.W. process to think through an issue that was overwhelming me and I have been able to break it down to a more manageable level. Although I have not solved it completely, I am seeing measurable progress which is more than I had before reading this book.

The only thing that I did not like about this book, and I think it was mainly because I was not expecting it, is the focus on coaching others. Based on the title and description, I thought this would be a book on finding a way to reach my own personal goals. While that is certainly one component of this book, it felt like there was a greater focus on helping other people to reach their potential by guiding them through this process.

This review is based on a paperback Advance Uncorrected Proof copy, sent to me for review by InsideOut Development. All opinions stated here are entirely my own.… (more)