Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining
Review: "Winning Ways" by Richard I. Lyles is about a recent computer science graduate who is having people problems with his coworkers. His manager introduces him to a football coach who claims to know the "Winning Ways" -- the secrets of getting along with other people. Over the course of several meetings, the coach teaches our hero four principals of working well with others: Making others feel stronger, collaborating with others, avoiding two-valued thinking, and influencing for the future.The book is easy reading, however, I recommend you check the book out of your local library before purchasing it. It's useful for recent college grads who are having problems dealing with other people.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: "Winning Ways" by Richard I. Lyles is about a recent computer science graduate who is having people problems with his coworkers. His manager introduces him to a football coach who claims to know the "Winning Ways" -- the secrets of getting along with other people. Over the course of several meetings, the coach teaches our hero four principals of working well with others: Making others feel stronger, collaborating with others, avoiding two-valued thinking, and influencing for the future. The book is easy reading, however, I recommend you check the book out of your local library before purchasing it. It's useful for recent college grads who are having problems dealing with other people.
Rating: 
Summary: Winning Ways is already giving us good results
Review: A friend who knew about my "challenging" work situation recently gave me a copy of Winning Ways. This engaging and extremely practical book is already helping my work group. After taking the "short" one hour to read it, I immediately purchased copies for my coworkers. The author, Dick Lyles, explained some complex concepts in a very easy to understand business parable. But, the story hit close to home. Very close to home. I have two "Alberts" in my work group. The 4 secrets in the book were discussion items that helped move us out of "interpersonal" squabbles and refocus our energies toward our work. People who avoided each other before reading the book are now working together collaborately. The book helped us all realize that we needed to solve problems for the future instead of for the past or the present. It also helped us realize we all had different strengths and needed to share what we were doing with each other. The secret about Camels are OK was particularly helpful, because it allowed us to move on without having to have everything perfect all of the time. It's still early but my group's negative performance trend has definitely been reversed. Surprisingly, not everyone at work was taught these four fundamental secrets in school or earlier in their careers. But, with Winning Ways, those who needed to, learned them quickly. And the rest enjoyed the helpful reminders. All will reflect upon what they are doing. And be mindful going forward in the future. Winning Ways will motivate anyone who reads it. It's that good!
Rating: 
Summary: Exception to the Blanchard team¿s typical excellence
Review: A simple, easy to follow book about building teamwork and advancing your career through 'soft' skills. However, I thought the book fell far short of the quality and rigor Blanchard's more popular works on management and team building. While Lyles' ideas work on some level, they seem to fall short when looked at analytically through tested and effective management models. For example, "Make people feel good about themselves" sounds good on the surface. But what if someone is engaging in unacceptable behavior at work? The assertion "Make people feel good about themselves" is a weakened version of the very effective advice offered in the 'One Minute Manager:' "Be tough on the problem, easy on the people." What about the advice to 'build camels,' with consensus ideas being better than individual ideas? In my experience, a team's ideas are often better than an individual's. But, think of pork-barreled legislation, and camels seem less appealing; there is a little known clause in the Homeland Security Act that absolves drug companies currently producing the MMR vaccines, linked to childhood autism, from lawsuits springing from its faulty product. So, to vote against the bill because of this clause would make a senator seem un-American, even if it were a vote against pork-barreled protection for unethical drug companies. I have loved Blanchard's ideas for years, and this one a rare exception to the team's typical excellence. For a better treatment of teamwork, pick up"Gung-Ho,"another book from the Blanchard management training mill.
Rating:
Summary: Exception to the Blanchard team?s typical excellence
Review: A simple, easy to follow book about building teamwork and advancing your career through `soft' skills. However, I thought the book fell far short of the quality and rigor Blanchard's more popular works on management and team building. While Lyles' ideas work on some level, they seem to fall short when looked at analytically through tested and effective management models. For example, "Make people feel good about themselves" sounds good on the surface. But what if someone is engaging in unacceptable behavior at work? The assertion "Make people feel good about themselves" is a weakened version of the very effective advice offered in the `One Minute Manager:' "Be tough on the problem, easy on the people." What about the advice to `build camels,' with consensus ideas being better than individual ideas? In my experience, a team's ideas are often better than an individual's. But, think of pork-barreled legislation, and camels seem less appealing; there is a little known clause in the Homeland Security Act that absolves drug companies currently producing the MMR vaccines, linked to childhood autism, from lawsuits springing from its faulty product. So, to vote against the bill because of this clause would make a senator seem un-American, even if it were a vote against pork-barreled protection for unethical drug companies. I have loved Blanchard's ideas for years, and this one a rare exception to the team's typical excellence. For a better treatment of teamwork, pick up"Gung-Ho,"another book from the Blanchard management training mill.
Rating:
Summary: Winning Ways
Review: At my work, we read this book to enhance our skills as a company and as individuals. I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it to others. What this book said to me, was that in order to work efficiently, one needs to work well with others. Positions do not necessarily matter, as long as everyone feels that he or she is contributing all he or she can into the project. People need to be on the same wavelength as far as the goal for the project, because everyone can have different ideas on what the goal is. Another thing is to work together, not compete. If two people have different ideas in mind, they would both more likely succeed if they combined efforts. Lastly, if you boost each other's self esteem you will feel more comfortable working together.
Rating:
Summary: Winning Ways
Review: At my work, we read this book to enhance our skills as a company and as individuals. I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it to others. What this book said to me, was that in order to work efficiently, one needs to work well with others. Positions do not necessarily matter, as long as everyone feels that he or she is contributing all he or she can into the project. People need to be on the same wavelength as far as the goal for the project, because everyone can have different ideas on what the goal is. Another thing is to work together, not compete. If two people have different ideas in mind, they would both more likely succeed if they combined efforts. Lastly, if you boost each other's self esteem you will feel more comfortable working together.
Rating: 
Summary: A Real Treat
Review: I found this a pretty quick & easy read. It reminded me a lot of Spencer Johnson's best seller "Who Moved My Cheese". Although all of the characters in Dick Lyles' book are human, the "lessons" are given in a story format & offered up in small easy-to-handle bites. I found the main character appealing though his storybook ending was a little overly cute. The basic principles of teamwork are spelled out really well in this book. As a staff trainer, I would find this little book a real gem. It provides instant lessons in team building that could be used successfully both with individuals & on a small group basis.
Rating:
Summary: A Loan Officer from North Carolina
Review: I found this book to be very informative. It definitely makes you think about how to win people over. It not only tells you how to win them but it points out things you shouldn't do. The 4 secrets for getting great results by working well with people has already helped me increase my business. Big things do come in small packages. This is a quick read book but it is packed with lots of good information. Thanks Dick Lyles, great book.
Rating:
Summary: Very enlightening!!!
Review: I just loved reading this one. I have already started using the winning ways at the office with great results! I was even surprised when I found myself using the tips for my personal relationships (wife, parents, friends). Everyone should read this one.
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