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Reviewer: R. Ashok.
The book talks about 12 qualities in people that hold them
back in their careers and personal relationships, and prevent
them from doing as well as they could otherwise. Though the
12 qualities are really well identified, I was left with the
feeling that the list is not quite comprehensive; but then,
the authors do not claim that it is comprehensive.
Written by authors who are directors of MBA career development
at Harvard Business School, this book carries a lot of authenticity.
It is written in a style which is clearly academic: at times
it appears repetitive and long-winded. Nonetheless, it is
very readable, especially the second time around!
The book is divided into two parts. The first part talks
about the 12 habits (one chapter for each), the behaviour
patterns by which they can be recognised, and the consequences
for the person with the (respective) habits in his/her career
and life. Each chapter also has a small section which talks
to the manager of the person who has the habit.
It is easy to relate to the book, even on a casual read,
because of the sheer relevance of the examples given.
I read the book in great detail the first time around, and
was able to see a clear fit between some of the habits and
some people that I know well. It is also easy to follow the
explanation of the underlying reasons for the behaviour pattern,
though at times the cultural context is a bit different from
ours. The section on helping the managers appears a bit too
simplistic. I am not sure if such deep-rooted patterns can
be solved by non-professionals. On the other hand, the section
on how each person can break his/her own pattern is full of
excellent advice that we can all follow.
The chapters on the ‘meritocrat’ and ‘always
swinging for the fence’ made a profound impact on me,
as I could see in them the reflection of people who are very,
very close to me. The meritocrat is someone who sees the world
in terms of ‘what should be’. He / she refuses
to take cognizance of ‘what is’, and refuses to
make the small real-life compromises that we all need in order
to move ahead. The person who is always swinging for the fence
does not invest in building things up the slow and steady
way, but instead dreams about making it big with one gigantic
leap. This person admires break-through successes such as
Post-it for instance, but fails to understand that there are
plenty of other successes that are neither so spectacular
nor so dependent on one brilliant idea
After the first read, I casually flipped through the book
again, wondering why I could not find myself in any of the
chapters!
Page 85 had this line: “Most of us are hoping we don’t
see ourselves in any of these 12 patterns. Never underestimate
the power of denial as an impediment.”
And so I began on my second detailed read; this time I found
myself an almost complete fit in one pattern, and a minor
fit in another.
I realize this review has strong personal biases in it; my
apologies for that. But I think it is a result of getting
involved with the book and trying to relate it to myself and
to the people around me.
TITLE: THE 12 BAD HABITS THAT HOLD GOOD PEOPLE
BACK
AUTHOR: James Waldroop and Timothy Butler
PUBLISHER: Currency Doubleday
PRICE: Paperback Rs. 490/-
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