In 'Nine Lies about Work,' Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall challenge conventional wisdom about workplace productivity and management. They reveal that many widely accepted beliefs—like the importance of employee engagement and the need for constant feedback—are actually misleading. Instead, the authors advocate for a more personalized approach to work that prioritizes individual strengths and real-time insights. Through engaging anecdotes and compelling research, this book redefines what it means to thrive in a professional environment. Prepare to question everything you thought you knew about work and discover a more effective way to lead and collaborate.
By Marcus Buckingham, Ashley Goodall
Published: 2019
"The truth about work is not to find the right answers, but to ask the right questions and discover the potential that lies within us all."
How do you get to what's real? Your organization's culture is the key to its success. Strategic planning is essential. People's competencies should be measured and their weaknesses shored up. People crave feedback. These may sound like basic truths of our work lives today. But actually, they're lies. As strengths guru and bestselling author Marcus Buckingham and Cisco Leadership and Team Intelligence head Ashley Goodall show in this provocative, inspiring book, there are some big lies--distortions, faulty assumptions, wrong thinking--running through our organizational lives. Nine lies, to be exact. They cause dysfunction and frustration and ultimately result in a strange feeling of unreality that pervades our workplaces. But there are those who can get past the lies and discover what's real. These are freethinking leaders who recognize the power and beauty of our individual uniqueness, who know that emergent patterns are more valuable than received wisdom, and that evidence is more powerful than dogma. With engaging stories and incisive analysis, the authors reveal the essential truths that such freethinking leaders will recognize immediately: that it is the strength and cohesiveness of your team, not your company's culture, that matters most; that we need less focus on top-down planning and more on giving our people reliable, real-time intelligence; that rather than trying to align people's goals we should strive to align people's sense of purpose and meaning; that people don't want constant feedback, they want helpful attention. This is the real world of work. If you embrace each person's uniqueness and see this as key for all healthy organizations; if you reject dogma and engage with the real world; if you seek out emergent patterns and put your faith in evidence, not philosophy; if you thrill to the power of teams--if you do all of these, then you are a freethinking leader, and this book is for you.
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“The truth about work is not to find the right answers, but to ask the right questions and discover the potential that lies within us all.”
Nine Lies about Work
By Marcus Buckingham, Ashley Goodall
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Marcus Buckingham is a leading global researcher and author known for his expertise in strengths-based development and employee engagement. He is the co-author of the bestseller 'Now, Discover Your Strengths' and the author of several influential books including 'The One Thing You Need to Know' and 'StandOut'. Buckingham's writing style is characterized by its practical application of research, blending empirical studies with actionable insights, making complex psychological concepts accessible to a broad audience. He is also a prominent speaker and thought leader, frequently sharing insights on how individuals can leverage their unique strengths in personal and professional contexts.
Ashley Goodall is an acclaimed author and thought leader known for her insightful explorations of leadership, organizational culture, and human potential. With notable works such as "Reinventing Performance Management" and "The New Leadership Playbook", Goodall combines empirical research with practical insights, offering readers a fresh perspective on navigating the complexities of modern workplaces. Her writing style is characterized by clarity, engagement, and a commitment to evidence-based practices, making her a sought-after speaker and consultant in the fields of management and organizational development.
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