I was visiting with some colleagues the other day and one of them asked me: “Read any good books lately?”
“As a matter of fact,” I piped up, “I just finished a very interesting book and I highly recommend reading it.”
The book is What a Job is Worth: How To Come Out on Top, written by Sylvester Stevenson. Aside from being enlightening and educational, it provides some sharp insight into surviving and thriving in the business world.
Stevenson is a veteran sales and marketing executive with more than 30 years of experience in the world of business. In his book, he shares the lessons he has learned to help others put the business world into perspective, set realistic expectations and understand the evolution of a career.
Stevenson offers some fundamental rules business people ought to follow in order to be successful. Plus, he talks about what their role should be in achieving objectives.
Early on in What a Job is Worth: How To Come Out on Top, Stevenson observes that in business: “It’s not enough to just do the right things. You must do them in the right way, as the methods in accomplishing the task at hand are as important as the work itself.”
Of particular interest to me were the mind “exercises” developed by Stevenson. These are methods for getting co-workers to act and think differently, and for getting a business person himself to act and think differently to prevail in the business world.
One of my favorite exercises was Stevenson’s “Zombies” game. (You’ll have to read the book to learn how this exercise is performed.)
A key message that I took away from What a Job is Worth: How To Come Out on Top is that life in the business world is not all about getting to the top, but more about enjoying the ride.
I would call this short, easily read and understood book a survival guide to bring reason into the workplace, especially with what’s going on nowadays.
What a Job is Worth: How To Come Out on Top is well worth the time to read it.
If you’re not a big reader, not to worry, the book is also available as an audio book.
What a Job is Worth: How To Come Out on Top can be found in many bookstores and through Tate Publishing (www.tatepublishing.com) or Amazon.