Lessons from the Hive : The Buzz on Surviving and Thriving in an Ever-Changing Workplace

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Summary: One of the best business books I've read yet!
Review: A fabulous read that is at once insightful, compelling and thought provoking.

Rating:
Summary: Much better than "Beans"...
Review: I have been a fan of this author since I read his excellent motivational book "Beans". This one is even better, as it has more believable characters, a story that anyone who has gone through organizational change will recognize, and a real plan for dealing with it (change).

One of the mysteries is that there is a self-help book at the center of this one that seems to have made a huge difference in at least two of the characters' lives. I don't know why the author doesn't name it, but it must be truly life-changing.

I used this book with my little team of nurses (the questions at the end of each chapter are excellent for sparking discussion) and even the most jaded among us seemed to recognize something the characters are doing that they reflect and that they could alter. It really is about "change your thinking, change your life." It seems like such a simple concept but hardly anybody recognizes it. Bravo for bringing it home so brilliantly!

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Summary: This book is unique
Review: I have read so many of these "business fables" with skepticism, but I saw this in a Barnes & Noble store and the jacket copy got to me. I have to say, as a staff psychologist for a major telecommunications company, this is the real deal.

I think we all know people who come to work every day with undiagnosed depression, as the main character, Dana, has in this book. Her behavior is absolutely deplorable in the early chapters, and I frankly thought she would be terminated. The self-help book she receives from her assistant (which I suspect is the famous book by Dr David Burns, "Feeling Good") makes a huge difference in her attitude, and thus her behavior. Every employee is reviewed on their behavior, but the "attitude" area is a very scary place for most managers to talk about with their employees. This book addresses attitude adjustment in probably the most non-threatening way I've ever seen. I think any manager with a problem employee (and vice-versa) can safely give this book to that person and let them figure out what the problem really is.

I think we all have known a Dana or two in our lives, and some of us have quit our jobs because they never sought any help. This book is as much a self-help book as a business book (perhaps more so) and I think it absolutely breaks new ground in treating depression in the workplace -- an enormous worldwide problem with toxic repercussions, for employees, customers, and the bottom line. It's also a damned fun story that you can read in two or three hours.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner
Review: I loved virtually every chapter of this book. Just when you think it's going to be a "feel better" book that's totally unreflective of business realities as we know them, the author pulls a pleasant surprise. For those who think they've "got a ping" on business change, you might want to check this book out. I think everyone will find something of use here.

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Summary: Should be a Best Seller.
Review: I think the publishers of this book should create a new dust jacket, change a few pages at the start of the book and take a run at the best seller list with this as a novel. It's really written that well.

Meet Dana Carswell, an old timer with a twenty year old candle company, a teenaged son at home (I could say troubled relationship, but with a teenaged son that goes without saying), and starting out a Monday morning of what promises to be Hell Week. The company has just been bought out and the new president tells her they are thinking of going into the personal care business. "With beeswax," Dana answers.

Dana is just one of the five different characters as they adjust to new jobs, unfamiliar products, perceived threats and unclear loyalties and the brash new CEO who wants to forge a new path to greatness.

Every once in a while one of these little books comes along that while having a lot of fun while opening whole new trains of thought. Wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: A book that helps you openly talk with your team
Review: It takes courage to survive in the workplace today. HIVE invites you to walk through the life of another team and see yourselves. It puts the sensitive subjects on the table, making them safe to discuss. It helped us focus on what we could do together during this time of transition for our company. The discussion questions are very helpful.

Rating:
Summary: The best
Review: OK, I admit it. I didn't think this author would be able to "get" the underlying message of this book, even though he was the co-author of one of the best business books of all time, "Beans." It is an absolutely superb and inspiring book, made all the better by the fact that it's based on a real company. I am going to adapt the messages into my own discussions with my eager staff. If the author could come and inspire us to a higher level, I am happy to welcome him.

Rating:
Summary: A Look in the Mirror
Review: This book resonated with me strongly. The main character could have been myself, and it was a relief to understand that many emotions elicited in the business world are quite common. Furthermore, the author demonstrates that by understanding these feelings, we have the ability to be free of negative or self destructive reactions to them.

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Summary: Perfect gift for employees surviving change
Review: When a company or industry is in major flux, sometimes, as a manager, you may find that your toughest assignment is convincing your team to embrace the new way. Even you might not be certain the change makes sense. But you've got to get the word out. Sometimes a book comes along that says it for you... and serves the role of helping others see that they can either be the barriers or the leaders of necessary change. Lessons from the Hive is that book. Never preachy, filled with realistic human conflict...and a cast of characters that reflects us at our best and worst when the inevitability of change strikes. You'll breeze through it...but the characters and examples will stick with you for a long time.