Rating: Summary: From cynicism to positive action Review: When I was first introduced to this book,I was put off by the title. The phrase "Corporate Nirvana" felt like an oxymoron and arose immediate cynicism in me. I thought, "Great, another step-by-step management book that tells me if I just do "A, B, and C" then "D, E,and F" will happen; and if "D, E, and F" don't happen, then obviously I have done "A, B, and C" wrong. Yet, because the person who gave me the book was someone I highly respected and trusted, I felt I needed to give the book a try. By the end of the first chapter, my cyncism quickly gave way to curiosity, appreciation, and hope.Rather than "telling" me anything, Ms. Anderson shares her personal stories about nurturing and growing her Self in order to better nurture and grow others in the workplace. Her stories peeked my curiosity as I could see myself in similar situations. Was this what I was experiencing? Was this what others around me were experiencing? Are these the feelings that were driving the behaviors I or others exhibited? Was this how I was blocking my own and others success? I began to question "What place am I operating from? Who am I truly trying to serve? And why?" I appreciated Ms. Anderson's willingness to make herself vulnerable to readers and to talk frankly about her fears--to describe them in detail--what they looked, sounded, and felt like, and the processes she used and continues to use to address them. Her descriptions and processes helped me to take action and start on my own journey of examining and addressing my fears and taking a frank look at how I enhance and hinder my own and others effectiveness in the workplace. Ms. Anderson's book also gave me new found hope which continues to grow daily. Through her stories, I found new learning and new ways of being, which as I put into action, are getting different results--for both myself and my clients--moving all of us to greater success in the workplace--greater productivity, effectiveness, and self-satisfaction in the workplace. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in serving their clients better, producing greater results for their organization, developing a high-performance workforce, and bringing personal joy into the workplace and the work that one does.
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