April
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30

Must Read

Vital Friends

May 4, 2007

Posted by leah.jones

On my way to New York on Wednesday morning, I stopped into the airport bookstore to pick up something to read on the plane. Don't tell my boss, but I was looking for The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss. It wasn't available and none of the other books really piqued my interest.

After I picked up the Economist a book finally caught my eye. I picked up Vital Friends by Tom Rath and decided that it would be my plane brain munchie. By the time I landed at JFK I had finished the book. This isn't because the content was lacking, but because the content was engrossing.

Instead of focusing on the crowd (those people) or the individual (me, me, me), Rath focuses on the relationships between two people. How long has it been since you took checked the ROI on your friendships?

How long since you said, "This person is good for me, I am good for this person. But that person, not so much." "I need a friend who can help me navigate life's challenges or someone to energize me when I'm feeling down."

Rath and his team poured through studies and worked with Gallup to survey individuals on their relationships. If you have a best friend at work, you are significantly more likely to engage your customers, innovate and share ideas, and be more productive.

The first half focuses on personal relationships and workplace relationships. Both significantly effect the other and neither should be sacrificed. The second half helps the reader decide what roles her friends play in her life.

Who are your builders, collaborators, connectors, mind openers, champions, energizers, and navigators? Who expects you to be somebody?

Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

posted by leah.jones

Must Read

There are advantages!

November 27, 2006

Posted by leah.jones

The first time I took a Myers Briggs personality test, the results were very surprising. I found out that I wasn't an extrovert. Despite my willingness to take leadership roles, do presentations, and work in large groups, the test said I was a big ol' introvert.

Then I found out that introverts recharged by being alone, while extroverts recharged by being with people. That certainly made sense and wasn't the only revelation the typing caused.

I've been bouncing along, happily knowing that I'm an introvert for the last eight years or so. Then last week I took an online Myers Briggs and saw that I've drifted into extroversion, but I know that I still recharge with alone time. While I'm finding a balance, I'm certainly not a Big E extrovert, just a little e extrovert with a silent introvert in front of it.

It was timely, then, that I finally picked up a copy of Marti Olden Laney's book The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World. I think that PR is definitely an extrovert world and as an (intro)extrovert, I had many "ah ha" moments reading this book.

One is that it's okay not to mingle at a big networking thing. Marti gives seven tactics for surviving parties and one is the Sea Anemone. Exactly how it sounds, you plant yourself in a comfortable corner and people will come to you. Some will float by and some (likely other introverts) will sit down and join you.

She has included chapters about work, relationships, parenting, and friendships. She also included plenty of scientific, rational explanations that introverts love so much. If you aren't an introvert, you probably work or live with one, so the book would be great for you too.

Either pick up a copy of The Introvert Advantage or visit Marti's site by the same name. The introvert in your life will be thrilled.

| TrackBack (0) | Permalink

posted by leah.jones

What's Talkshop

TalkShop is a blog about word-of-mouth and the Me2 Revolution, published by Edelman and hosted by Phil Gomes, the company's Senior Counsel, Online Communications. This blog pulls in thoughts and opinions from members of the worldwide Edelman network.