Glow
Following on from her 2007 bestseller Hot Spots, which demonstrated how companies should form teams that buzz with inspiration, Professor Lynda Gratton turns her attention to the role of the individual in the workplace.
There has never been a more pressing time to understand our role in an organisation - and where we can add true value. In times of recession and job uncertainty, this value comes through individuals that are sparky, energised, innovative and cooperative.
Lynda's book - the result of five years of research - shows us we have the opportunity to change how we work for the better. For organisations, this means fostering teamwork and knowledge share; for the individual, this means broadening our knowledge and skills base, and unlocking new ways of cooperating with colleagues and within our networks.
Work is how we increasingly define ourselves as people: it's what we spend the majority of our lives engaged in and each one of us deserves to live a fulfilling work life. We can do this by Glowing: by radiating positive energy that fosters a great working experience, and that excites and ignites others through our own inspiration, and delivers superior value through our work.
Only too often though, we think that to be invaluable means being first into the office and last out; working on our days off; and taking on every task asked of us. That just isn't the case any more: thanks to technology and cheap outsourced labour (as well as young graduates snapping at our heels in a shrinking job market), there is always someone who will do the task faster, quicker, and cheaper.
The book is full of real-life examples and case studies, as well as checklists and action points, focused around the three principles we need to Glow. Particularly topical is the book's suggestions as to how individuals can build and develop their social and business networks, in order to tap into others' expertise and ideas.
Glow follows on from Hot Spots, Living Strategy and The Democratic Enterprise, which all combine academic research with a conversational tone - the result of a career spent as a psychologist and then as one of the world's most influential HR strategists.
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Feedback on Glow:
"While reading Glow I was intrigued by the positive concepts of work. It changed my view on (my) working life and stimulated me to have fun, find and build lasting relationships with others and it helped me to inspire others.
I can really recommend reading the book, I'm up for the next, Hot Spots!
Thanks for enriching my life".
Morris Oosterling, IVA Policy Research and Consultancy