Chatty, little "quick-answer" books can often rub the wrong way, with their underlying assumption that all problems can be solved with the same type of solution, and that you, the reader, are a little slow not to have gathered this already. Working against the odds, Act on It comes out on top of the vast and growing pile of these books, being informative, inspiring, and packed full of intelligent content written in a clear, consistent style. Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman don't presume to think they've got 101 answers for you. What they do presume, however, is that if you've gotten to where you are already, then you've got the smarts and the stamina to meet your own challenges... and you may just need a little help in analyzing them, choosing the best strategy with which to meet them, and then tracking the outcome of your strategy. And that's what these authors provide: 101 ways to ACT (analyze, choose, track) for 101 different challenges. They've organized these challenges into nine different sections, including areas such as personal effectiveness, communications, employee accountability, leadership, and, of course, a section on the boss. The specific challenges include everything from "How can I cope with an overwhelming workload?" to "What should I do if an employee says, 'Match this offer or I'm leaving'?" and "How can I build my credibility?" Each challenge includes a list of suggestions on how to analyze the situation, either by way of questions to ask yourself or others (and answer), alternative options or methods to consider, or behaviors to assess. This list is then followed by a forthright statement on how to choose the right path and an encouragement to keep focused on getting the best results from that choice. Many of Deep and Sussman's suggestions are matters of commonsense, but they aren't all as obvious as one might assume. When compiled, they provide an impetus to step back, reexamine one's goals, refresh one's vision, and move forward with purpose. All in all, Act on It is a refreshingly smart and balanced tool to do just that. --S. Ketchum
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