Nine Lies about Work: A Freethinking Leader's Guide to the Real World

The word lies in this book's title is eye-catching, but a more accurate word would be misconceptions. Buckingham (researcher, ADP Research Inst.; Win at Work) and Goodall (senior VP, leadership and team intelligence, Cisco) believe nine business practices in particular are well-intentioned, yet ineffective because they are not necessarily grounded in reality. For example, regarding rating employees, the common attempts to do so use abstract notions (e.g., "analyzes issues" or "fosters teamwork") that can neither be defined with any precision nor measured with any accuracy. The authors contend that the nine lies or misconceptions downplay the individuality and uniqueness of employees and don't boost their strengths, even though this would be a better way to achieve organizational goals. The authors do not simply evaluate and criticize widespread business practices but offer alternatives. For example, instead of rating employees, they suggest focusing on the rater's own reactions or attitudes toward the employee. Using case studies, they prove that this approach is humble, realistic, and pragmatic.