Books2Wealth is the premier internet source of FREE book
reviews and other materials to help you find success and Create True Wealth.
|
|
|
IN THIS ISSUE
Featured Book Reviews by Daniel R.
Murphy
QBQ – The
Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller
Flipping the
Switch by John G. Miller
Featured Article by Daniel R.
Murphy
Exclusive B2W Interview with John G.
Miller
Guest Article
QBQ on
Negotiating by John G. Miller
Read the Creating True Wealth Blog
|
|
Successful
people read – Reading leads to Success!
|
|
What you can learn from John
G. Miller
This issue is dedicated to the work of author John G.
Miller. He has written some great books and I review two of them here. His newest book,
Outstanding!, was reviewed in the last issue, is on our
website at Outstanding!
In his first two books, reviewed in this issue, Miller
focuses on what you can do to change your approach and thinking to become more effective and
successful. His newest book translates that to how an organization can become
outstanding.
I also include here my exclusive interview with Mr.
Miller and finally his article on the QBQ approach to negotiating.
Miller’s books are easy to read and full of great
thinking. As he reminds us in all his books they bear rereading often to instill the lessons.
Reading them once and putting them on the shelf will not likely do much good. This is good
advice, not only for his books but for all good books.
I hope you enjoy this material on a great
author.
Wishing you success,
Daniel R.
Murphy
Books2Wealth.com
Visit my blog at:
Blog: http://books2wealth.blogspot.com/
Send your questions and
suggestions to me at:
Email: info@books2wealth.com
Visit our website
at:
http://www.books2wealth.com
|
|
Learn from a Legend!
The late Jim Rohn is a
legend in the personal development field. For over 50 years he taught and inspired millions of
people to succeed and exceed their expectations. His philosophy of personal development is
fundamental and proven. Read more about Mr. Rohn and his timeless wisdom here.
|
|
Inspiration in a few words:
Let no man imagine that he has no influence. Whoever he
may be, and wherever he may be placed, the man who thinks becomes a light and a power. – Henry
George
|
|
Featured Book Reviews by Daniel R.
Murphy
Category: Success / Personal Development /
Leadership
Title and Author: QBQ! – The Question
Behind the Question by John G. Miller
Synopsis of Content:
Miller begins
by identifying all those frustrating questions that people ask that lead them nowhere useful,
like “why do we have to learn this stuff” or “who dropped the ball” or “who is going to solve
this problem”. Then he explains how the questions need to be reframed to find solutions and make
progress.
The positive
and solution oriented questions that are the Question Behind the Question, focus you on taking
responsibility for your own situation and for solving the problem. They include questions such
as, “How can I adapt to a changing world”, “What can I do to develop myself”, “How can I help”,
etc. They focus you back to finding ways so that you become part of the solution instead of
simply a complainer.
The gist of
this book is about accepting and acting on personal responsibility but it includes gems on
better communication, procrastination and how it can be helpful in the right situation, and the
need to focus on action.
At 115 pages
this book is full of useful ideas on how to become more effective through asking the right
questions and can be easily read in a day or two.
Readability/Writing Quality:
This is a very
readable book. Chapters are short, usually not more than 8 to 10 pages in length and cover a
single primary subject. Miller uses stories and illustrations to demonstrate how the QBQ can and
should be used and how it has helped others.
Notes on Author:
John G. Miller is the author of QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, Flipping the
Switch - Unleashing the Power of Personal Accountability and Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your
Organization Exceptional. He is founder of QBQ, Inc., an organizational development firm based
in Colorado, dedicated to "Helping Organizations Make Personal Accountability a Core Value." A
1980 graduate of Cornell University, John has been involved in the training and speaking
industry since 1986.
Related Website:
www.QBQ.com
Three Great Ideas You Can
Use:
1. You can
make better choices in the moment by asking better questions – questions coming from a clear
sense of personal responsibility.
2. Begin
useful questions with What or How, not with Why, When, or Who.
3. If the
questions are aimed at finding solutions the answers are in the questions.
Publication Information:
QBQ! – The Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller
Rating for this
Book
Overall Rating for Book: Very
Good
Title and Author: Flipping the Switch by John G. Miller
Synopsis of Content:
The sub
heading for this book is “unleash the power of personal accountability using QBQ” which is an
excellent summary of the book. Miller focuses on how to use the QBQ method set out in his first
book, QBQ – The Question Behind the Question, and then focuses on five keys to success.
The five keys
to success are familiar to anyone well read in success and business books. They include
Learning, Ownership, Creativity, Service, and Trust. In each of these areas Miller discusses the
questions to ask and not ask to find solutions. QBQ
is the tool, each of these areas is the key area of focus to get you to where you want to be.
Readability/Writing Quality:
Like all of
Miller’s books this is an easy read. At 127 pages you can easily finish it in one evening.
However no one should think they can get full value from it in one reading. As the author takes
pains to point out in each of his books to get the value from the book you must re-read it a
number of times and implement what you learn.
Notes on Author:
John G. Miller is the author of QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, Flipping the
Switch - Unleashing the Power of Personal Accountability and Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your
Organization Exceptional. He is founder of QBQ, Inc., an organizational development firm based
in Colorado, dedicated to "Helping Organizations Make Personal Accountability a Core Value." A
1980 graduate of Cornell University, John has been involved in the training and speaking
industry since 1986.
Related Website:
www.QBQ.com
Three Great Ideas You Can
Use:
1. No
organization ever provides enough training. We each must assume responsibility for our own
education, training and learning. Those who succeed most are those who practice continual
learning as a personal discipline. They do not wait to be trained.
2. The blame
game solves nothing. Taking ownership of the problem leads you to ask the questions focused on
finding the solution.
3. Service is
an essential goal for all business. Asking how you can better serve all the time improves
service and improves your relationship with customers. This leads inevitably to more sales.
Publication Information:
Flipping the Switch by John G. Miller
Rating for this
Book
Over all Rating for Book: Very Good.
|
|
Featured Article by
Daniel R. Murphy
An
exclusive interview with author, John G. Miller by Daniel R.
Murphy-
Murphy: You have recently published your
third book, Outstanding! – 47 Ways to Make Your Organization
Exceptional. As you know there are lots of books out there on
organizational performance. How is Outstanding! different from the rest? What
can the reader expect from it that will not be found in other books on the
subject?
Miller: Well, I’m think “practicaly.”
Because of my background as a salesperson of training programs, I realize
there’s no sense writing or teaching content people can’t use. As one reads the “47 ways,” one can really ask
how am I doing in this area and what can our organization do better here? And
because there are the 47, there’s truly something for
everyone!
Murphy: You have published two other best
sellers in this subject area: QBQ! The Question Behind the Question and
Flipping the Switch: Five Keys to Success at Work
and in Life. How is Outstanding! different? What does it offer
that the first two do not?
Miller: Allow me to
quote my own publisher, who said, “This book will do for organizations
what QBQ! and Flipping the Switch have done for individuals:
Make them better.” So the difference is, the first two were more personal
and the new “O” book is broader, focusing on what people can do to enhance the
organization. Yet, there is still a theme of accountability, because nobody
should wait for others to be outstanding. It always begins with
me!
Murphy: Many people in the so called lower
levels of an organization often do not see their role as enhancing
organizational performance. They see that as a management role. How do these
principles apply to every employee of an organization regardless of their
role?
Miller: Truly, employees are often not
accountable. Now, I am no apologist for senior management, but seriously, why
isn’t it everyone’s job to “improve the place”? That’s not just the boss’ job,
that’s MY job too! Of the 47 ways, at least 40 can apply to
anyone!
Murphy: In Outstanding! your chapters are concise and
have a punch to them. Was that deliberate and why did you adopt that writing
style?
Miller: Thank you. Yes, it’s deliberate.
People learn better when given small bites, to chew on, not a 7 course meal! And
stories are the best vehicle for content as they make it memorable. When we
recall the story, we can recall the idea—and then apply
it.
Murphy: We all know that in this global and
I might add faltering economy, having a competitive edge is essential to success
for an individual and an organization. Can organizations or individuals really
succeed and effectively compete today without striving for outstanding
performance?
Miller: I’d say this: Companies can survive,
but why not thrive? In good times and bad, the outstanding firms continue to
win. In fact, by applying the 47 ways, we are better prepared for the inevitable
downturns all economies suffer.
Murphy: We read and hear a lot lately about
individuals being free agents and having multiple jobs and careers throughout
their lives. If someone does not see their position with an organization as a
long term commitment what motivation is there for them to work hard to make the
organization outstanding?
Miller: Not much. ‘Nuf
said.
J
Murphy: What did you learn, or what most
importantly did you learn in the process of writing this book?
Miller: I always learn when I write. Always.
It sharpens my thinking, forces me to crystallize my thoughts. It makes me a
better speaker. What I learned this time around is I had so much more to say
beyond QBQ! and Flipping the Switch. I’ve been in the training industry since
1986 and it was time to share this collection of ideas. I also learned that
unlike my other books, the new “O” book is a team study book. Certainly,
individuals can read it and grow, but I’ve discovered it’s best used by a team
to explore and discuss together.
Murphy: What were the most important
experiences in your career that taught you the lessons you write about in the
book?
Miller: From 1986-1995 I sold training to
execs in Mpls/St. Paul, MN. These years are the foundation of all that I write.
Certainly, I’ve seen things since then that are in the “O” book, but amazingly,
that decade of selling and facilitating leadership training for 10,000 hours
over a decade is still the foundation of what I know. Also, just being a
consumer myself—one who buys things—gives me experiences to share in the new
book.
Murphy: Readers often go through a book
like this, read all or most of it, and then put it on a shelf and forget about
it. I know an author may not like to hear that, but I think you know it is often
true. How would you recommend that readers use this book to help them and their
organizations become more outstanding?
Miller: Team study. Absolutely. This is the
way to go. Read it alone, that’s fine. And go back to your favorite 8, 10, 12
chapters and work on those. Great. But still I believe one gets most out of this
new book by talking about it with others. The 47 ways can definitely create
discussion, disagreement, and dialogue—all healthy for any organization. And
remember, as we say in the QBQ! book, repetition is the motor of learning! One
read is never enough.
Murphy: Was this book difficult to write?
How long did it take? I ask that because it is well written and for many the
idea of writing a book like that is daunting.
Miller: This book was surprisingly easy. The
content was all in my head and the minute we decided to “Go!”—it came flowing
out of me. We wrote out first chapter in May and we were done by Labor Day. It
was an outstanding summer!
J
Murphy: You say the principles in your book
apply equally to nonprofit and government institutions. They do not operate on a
profit basis. How can nonprofits remain customer oriented and why should they
when their customers often do not pay them anything for their
service?
Miller: Any organization can be “fired” by its
constituents, non-profit or for-profit. We work closely with the Denver Rescue
Mission who serves the homeless every day. They need donors to keep supporting
them and the CEO and his team know those donors are their customers and they
work hard to keep everyone of them. Regardless what an organization does, it can
be fired by its customer base.
Example: I have 6 post offices I can choose
from and believe me, there is one I will drive right past and never use due to
unhappy employees and long, slow lines. Since I have a choice, I fire that PO
weekly and use another—all on purpose! What the “O” book is really all about is
being so exceptional that our customers never do fire
us.
Murphy: You discuss this in your book, but
can you tell us here in a few words how do you motivate a team to stay dedicated
to excellence and to strive to be outstanding on a day to day basis?
Miller: It all comes down to one cornerstone
idea: Belief. People are who passionate, excited, “on fire” and all that,
believe in the institution they represent, what is stands for, the products and
services it offers, and the people they work with. When belief is high, great
things happen. When it’s low, we see cynicism, grumbling, complaining, blame,
etc. Keep the belief high!
Murphy: Are you working on a new book, and
if so what will it address? When might we expect it out?
Miller: Nope. Too busy selling and teaching
the content from QBQ!, Flipping the Switch, and Outstanding! Nothing else
planned right now. We do many things at my organizational development firm in
Denver, Co! We speak at events, sell books, and license training to clients to
use in-house. Your readers can learn more at www.QBQ.com and www.OutstandingOrganization.com .
Murphy: Thank you so much Mr. Miller for
sharing your thoughts on this subject and your book. I hope we will see more
from you soon.
Miller: Dan, thank you for helping us spread
out message of how to be outstanding!
|
|
|
Guest Article
Category: Success / Personal Development / Wealth
Building
Negotiate to Be
Outstanding!
I sold leadership training in the Twin Cities of
Minnesota from 1986 to 1995. One of my favorite clients was St. Jude Medical (maker of heart valves
and more) in St. Paul, Minnesota. The VP of Operations, Bob Elgin (now retired), and I not only had
an outstanding working relationship, we became friends. He also taught me a great deal. One of his
"Bob-isms"—those wise and pithy one liners that I still remember—was this:
Everything in life is negotiable, but not
everything is worth negotiating.
It's a statement that has always made me think.
Now, if we want to pick it apart, the truth is not everything is negotiable. When I go to
buy gas, the station owner isn't going to lower the price just for me. But, it is true that not
everything is worth the energy—some might call it the hassle—of negotiating.
And, quite honestly, that's healthy. I mean, if
we tried to barter, debate, and persuade every single time we held a conversation with another
person, that would become quite tiresome, wouldn't it?! Here's how it would look:
Spouse #1: "Honey, I'm wondering if you could
pick up Char from volleyball practice tomorrow?"
Spouse #2: "Hmm, well ... if I do that, Dear,
will you wash my car and do the next grocery run?"
You see what I mean? Though we could negotiate
here, most wouldn't. Not if we want to maintain healthy relationships!
However, many people don't negotiate at all, and
that's not healthy either. It it's a financial negotiation, we lose dollars. In a relationship, the
cost might be feeling like a door mat, being taken advantage of, experiencing anger and frustration
with no outlet. That is, until we explode, screaming and yelling, while the other person stares at
us incredulously thinking, Holy moly, where did this come from!?!?
The truth is, negotiating is a valuable life
skill and it's not always about money. Most don't work on getting better at it. In fact, according
to Don Hutson and Dr. George Lucas, authors of a
great little book called
The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better
Agreements, many people suffer from "Negotiaphobia": the fear of negotiating. For
many, negotiating is akin to arguing, being disagreeable and unpleasant, and a quick way to upset
another person. So some folks just avoid it altogether. I agree with Hutson and Lucas completely,
yet it's surprising that we adults fear it so much, since children are some of the best little
negotiators around and we were all children!
One exception to this rule, though, would be
daughter, Molly, now a twentysomething. When she was little, here's how her negotiating went:
Dad: "Mol, bedtime in 15 minutes."
Molly: "Can I stay up longer, Daddy?"
Dad: "OK, Sweetie, 20 minutes."
Molly: "10!"
Dad: "Fine, bedtime in 10 minutes."
Molly: "Thanks, Daddy!"
If you want to become a better negotiator at
work and at home, listen to the new Be Outstanding! Show available right now at http://outstandingorganization.com/podcasts/ and http://webtalkradio.net/shows/be-outstanding/. My guests are Don and George as
we explore their new book mentioned above.
Meanwhile, here are a few "Miller-isms" on
negotiating. To negotiate well, one must practice what I call "The Five Willings." We must be:
1. Willing to ask. I am always amazed how
infrequently people ask for what they want for fear of offending someone. My mantra of "It never
hurts to ask!" is one that has served me well. Of course, as a salesperson since 1986, I know the
value of "asking for the order." There is great value in simply being willing to ask for what we
want.
2. Willing to walk away. If we want
something so much that we cannot walk away from it, we'll never negotiate well.
3. Willing to let the other person
win—something. I find that when each person gets something out of the negotiating that
they didn't start with, they feel better about both themselves and the other person. This helps
long-term, for sure.
4. Willing to be realistic. Obviously,
this is subjective and situation specific. But if someone asks me for an apple and I in turn ask
for a four-course meal served to me twice daily for the next 30 days in exchange, I've taken the
"realism" out of the conversation.
5. Willing to treat the other person like a
person. Of course, this is the way we should always act, right? In
Outstanding! we teach a very unique concept in a chapter
titled: Treat Vendors
Like People. This is what outstanding organizations do, recognizing how badly they
need suppliers. And this is what outstanding people do, recognizing the value of the other
human being with whom they are bargaining. It's not a war to win, where we beat up those we need
and leave them bleeding on the battlefield.
Just some practical tips on negotiating.
You know, I mentioned client, Bob Elgin. Well, I
can honestly say over all the years we worked together, he and I practiced the "Five Willings."
Maybe that's why we're now friends.
Remember, visit http://www.negotiaphobia.com/ and
http://www.donhutson.com/
John G. Miller
Author of ...
QBQ! The Question Behind the
Question®
Flipping the Switch ...
Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability
Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your
Organization Exceptional
Twitter: QBQGUY
Facebook
- Video message from author John G. Miller on
the theme of the Outstanding! book.
- Video messagefrom John on "Be Fast!"
- Video message on "Speaking Well to
Customers!"
- Video message on
"Coaching."
- New and cool "Be
Outstanding!" mouse pads, pens, and sticky notes here!
- Purchase the Outstanding! book
here or wherever books are
sold
- Stop
by QBQ.com to check out our speakers, training
program, and books!
- Subscribe to Outstanding! QBQ!
QuickNotes
- John
Miller on The Dave Ramsey Show on FOX exploring
QBQ!
- John
Miller on The Dave Ramsey Show on FOX exploring
Outstanding!
- And don't miss this
Brooks Group interview with John ...
here!
Be
Outstanding! show: Download
all of them here ... http://outstandingorganization.com/podcasts/
QBQ,
Inc.
Helping Organizations Make Personal
Accountability a Core Value®
Denver, Colorado, USA
303-286-9900
Fax: 303-286-9911
Email: info@QBQ.com
http://www.qbq.com/
http://outstandingorganization.com
QuickNotesmay be forwarded by email to others or printed in their
entirety for personal and group use with full credit given. © QBQ, Inc. 2010. All rights
reserved.
|
|
You do not have the time to read everything on the internet or in
books published in the past or today about success and self development.
Creating True Wealth reviews that material for you,
condensing it into concise bites you do have time for, and leading you to those books,
magazines, blogs and websites that will offer you more.
|
|
I hope you will find the information in the Creating
True Wealth newsletter useful. Future editions will highlight other books in the
fields of business, sales, motivational materials, self help literature, psychology and other
related fields. This newsletter is published weekly on Fridays. - Daniel R. Murphy, Publisher.
All content is written by Daniel R. Murphy unless noted otherwise.
Disclaimer:Nothing in this ezine is intended nor should be relied upon as professional legal, medical
or financial advice. If you need personal legal or financial planning advice you should consult a
licensed attorney, accountant or financial planner. If you need personal medical advice you should
consult your medical professional.
©
2010 by Daniel R. Murphy
All Rights Reserved. You
may use the content of this ezine in your publications if you include the following
acknowledgement:
"This
material is used by permission of Books2Wealth(TM) and Daniel R. Murphy and comes
from his ezine titled Creating True
Wealth.You can learn more
about creating true wealth at www.bookstowealth.com and you can subscribe to the
Free Creating True Wealth ezine at that
site."
Please notify me if you do
use any of this content at info@books2wealth.com . Thank you.
We respect your
privacy:
We never
sell or disclose our subscription lists. Your email address is confidential with us. We do not
use any form of spam. We consider spam and subscriber list selling unethical. We will never
sell, rent, trade, or share your email with any other organization.
If you have any
suggestions about how this ezine can be more helpful to you, or of what kinds of information you
would like to see, send an email to info@books2wealth.com
Creating True Wealth Newsletter
Albany Publishing
Company
PO Box 3151
Albany, Oregon 97321
021410
|
|
|
Read the Creating True Wealth Blog at:
CTW Blog
Books2Wealth:
Educating people for building wealth, adapting to a changing future and
personal development.
Learn Wealth Secrets from a
Millionaire
Would you like to learn how wealthy people think and build wealth? Read
more at Secrets
Daniel R. Murphy has now achieved Diamond Status on Ezinearticles.com and has been a featured expert author on
the Expert Author Showcase. 
|
Learn from a Master of
Success
- the late Jim Rohn.
No one has spoken to more audiences around the world or sold more
audio programs around the world than the great Jim Rohn.
He was a giant in the self development industry for half a
century.
Jim is no longer with us but fortunately his wisdom and teaching
does remain for us to use.
Learn more about this legendary self improvement teacher and the
fantastic educational materials you can obtain here.
|
|