Book Description
In many cases, people select a career for all the wrong reasons, and find their responses to the workplace are incompatible with their true values. This situation results in feelings of unrest and discontent and in lost productivity. To help people avoid these problems, the newly-revised Career Anchors is designed to help people uncover their real values and use them to make better career choices. This revised edition includes two new sections, "Major Stages of the Career" and "Career Movement, Progress, or Success." Instructions and other components have been revamped for clarification, the references have been updated, and the contents have been rearranged for more convenient usage in classes and workshops. Career Anchors can help you think through your career options and give you a clear understanding of:
* Your own orientations toward work
* Your motives
* Your values
* Your talents
The Career Anchors Instrument and Trainer's Manual provide a systematic way of exploring how you perceive yourself, based on your own experiences. The instrument is divided into three parts?the orientations inventory, the career anchor interview, and the conceptual material. Career Anchors will help people:
* Define the themes and patterns dominant in your life
* Understand your own approach to work and a career
* Provide reasons for choices
* Take steps to fulfill your own self-image
Customer Reviews:
Horrbile!.......2007-02-12
I ordered this book on the 9th of January and I have not received it yet, nor have I got notification of its current status. So I will be requesting my money back and will order all of my future text books from other online sellers. I will also tell the several hundred classmates that use amazon about my experience.
Thank-you,
Finally, a ray of light!.......2004-09-30
More than a detailed analysis of the book, this is about my experience with it.
Having taken various aptitude and interest tests, personality type tests, and career counselling, I was still without a clue as to what work would be satisfying for me. I have been told that with my broad range of aptitudes, broad knowledge, and variety of skills, that I "could do anything". I have been told that my abilities are both a "blessing and a curse" because the ones I'm not using will demand expression. So, I've had this tortured search for satisfying work. Meanwhile, I've done a bit of everything: technical writing, designing and building computer hardware and software, systems analysis, I even ran a factory for 5 years! But I've always wondered "where is this all getting me"? "Career Anchors" was recommended to me as a way to answer my question, and I got the book without expecting much.
But to my surprise and delight, I found that the author is the ONLY writer I've found who sees the most important factor in finding one's work is your own internal motivators. His point is that you do best what you have the most motivation to do. In my own words: when you get up in the morning, what is it that you look forward to? What gets you up and going? (He's not so informal.)
I found that my motivation is Pure Challenge!! Did anyone ever identify that anywhere else?! Now I understand why my "career" has been all over the map - everything I've tackled has been deemed by others as impossible - and I've enjoyed tackling and overcoming these challenges. That's been the thread and my motivator. Knowing this makes it much easier to evaluate opportunities and decide whether or not to tackle them.
This is not a difficult book - you can read it in two hours - but what is explained in it is so clear and easy to understand that I'm sure there is value to everyone. And nobody else that I know of is looking at careers this way. It is truly refreshing.
The worksheet exercises are comprehensive, and if you do them carefully, could take 4 to 6 hours. But the value and the benefit will be a permanent help in your job search.
Don't expect this book to solve everything, but DO expect to gain valuable insight about yourself not offered by other writers.
Discover Your Career Anchor.......2000-03-21
After reading this book and taking its quizes, I found that it was mildly informative. It provided a good start for self-insight. There wasn't a major or deep revelation for me about my career anchor or why I was so disatisfied with my present job role. This book will help you determine what your career anchor is (what motivates and stimulates you) and then it will end there. You are left in the dark with how to develop your career around your anchor. The book, however, is true to its subtitle "Discovering your real values"-- but doesn't delve into what to do after this discovery.
Discover what you want!.......1999-02-04
Have you ever wondered if you're in the right career? Well I am a trainer in a 13,000+ staff company & 10% of them don't really know why they're not satisfied with their job. Well, it's because they're in the wrong job. This book gives you exercises to help you understand more about your values and gives suggestions on how to change that. If you're in career consultant business, this is a classic book to read and adopt to your existing tools.
Customer Reviews:
More Relevant than "Color...Parachute".......2003-01-13
I read this books three years ago, and it still is the basis for how I approach not only my career but every single project I get on as a consultant. This books focuses on self-diagnosis of one's skills as it relates to the business world (whether you are above/below average in the quants area, creative area, etc.) and essentially reveals what your core strengths are vis-a-vis the universe of other business-people (over 5,000 or so high achieving MBAs and executives). I have since focused on taking on work that capitalizes on these core strengths and the results have been amazing. It's like reviewing a diet program three years after you experienced it -- if I still think it is great, there must be a reason. Buy the book. It may be the only one you need.
A fabulous book.......2001-11-30
Perhaps the person who gave this book one star is not really among the intended audience. The insights are based on a high-achieving and high-profile group: business executives and students that the authors have encountered at Harvard Business School. This sample is not your typical slice of the population, which is what makes their analysis so good. They have analyzed this very high-achieving and intelligent group to find out what motivates them and what interests them. If you find yourself at a crossroads in your career, questioning how you got where you are or why you do what you do, the tools for self-analysis provided here may be very useful.
While there was some redundancy, I have found this to be typical of books of this type in which not all sections are applicable to every reader. It is also not really appropriate to read it through beginning to end in the manner of a novel; if you do, you'll be reading a lot of variations of the same themes. Focus on the parts that are relevent based on the included profiling tool and your own self understanding. It was helpful to me in recognizing career paths I may not have considered, and also in affirming strategies for success that I had formulated on my own but not tested. If you want to avoid simply falling into a career that may or may not be what you want, this book can help you better consider what will make you happy and what your real goals are, without too simplistic an approach.
Don't bother.......2001-03-02
This book was a waste of time. The authors were too wordy. They spent a lot of time boosting their egos - telling you the things they had done, even though it didn't help the reader at all. Throughout the book they recapped too much. Each chapter wasted 2 to 5 pages describing what was coming in the chapter. Points and paragraphs were continually restated and repeated. The book could have been 1/4 of the size. There were way too many case studies, and very few were of any help. This book was a waste of money and a waste of time.
EUREKA!!, FINALLY THE DIRECTION I NEEDED.......1999-05-11
I have read several books pertaining to career development. This book is the most effective tool i have found in determining my carreer path. Bravo!!
One valuable part of a career discovery process.......1998-11-25
I found the diagnostic (on disk) as well as the text of the book very useful in exploring careers in business. Clearly it deals with only part of what you need to know about yourself to chart your career - your interests. But you ignore these at great peril to your happiness and your success, so it is a great place to start. Jump in and do the diagnostic, otherwise you may be deterred getting started. Much of the latter part of the book was very well written. The early chapters are a bit slow.
Book Description
What do you really want to do?
Finding the perfect career isn't easy, but it's certainly attainable. This guide offers readers the chance to trade in their unsatisfying jobs for fulfilling careers. This book helps them by providing a process of self-assessment that includes questions on personality, talents, values, interests, and goals; advice on how to make a smooth transition from one career to another; and an action plan to take the steps toward landing the perfect career.
-According to The Conference Group, only 48.9% of working Americans are satisfied with their jobs, the lowest level of job satisfaction since pollsters first began surveying the topic in 1995
-Career self-discovery books are among the best-performing in the career category
Customer Reviews:
Didn't really like this........2007-02-23
I'm still searching for my perfect career, so I purchased this book after I read the reviews. I don't think it gave any real good answers. I'm still looking for a good career book now.
Helped me define what I was looking for ..........2006-07-22
The Idiots Guide to Discoverying Your Perfect Career was very helpful. It's clear language and easy to use exercises really helped the reader define what he is looking for in a career.
It's About a Career, Not a Job.......2006-03-31
There's probably no one who wouldn't find this book helpful, no matter their career or job status. Not everyone will go cover-to-cover, but there are sections of benefit to us all. The book takes first things first, focusing on self-knowledge as a foundation for finding and creating the "perfect career". It offers a rich array of tools to help in the quest, and points to a wealth of resources to help carry the search further. Carew has performed the service of organizing and amplifying the full range of questions whose answers provide the backdrop to any successful career and manages to not be the least superficial despite the wide angle through which "career" is examined.
matchmaking in the career world.......2006-03-28
Some of us are searching for the perfect mate, some of us for the perfect work. In this book, Rene Carew guides us gently but firmly towards the promised land of finding the best fitting career for each of us. It takes plenty of introspection and honesty, as well as determination, but she knows the steps to take. I found the book extremely welcoming and well-organized. You can proceed at your own pace, always working towards seeing yourself in relation to the great big world of careers. In order to find real fulfillment in work, we need to understand the "in here" as well as the "out there." This book enables us to do just that, and I am grateful for it.
Helpful at any age.......2006-03-18
This book can be extremely useful to anyone from high school age to senior citizen. Especially helpful to me were the boxed Insider Tips and the Least You Need to Know bullets at the end of each chapter. As a retired teacher I intend to use all the information I've gathered to launch my next career.
Book Description
Written by a noted career coach, author, speaker, and radio personality,
Coach Yourself To A New Career can help you discover your ultimate career.
Inside you will discover:
• How to locate your dream career
• How to find inner clarity and direction
• How fear can be used to your advantage
• How to create an action plan that gets results
• How to obtain your ultimate profession
While most career books concentrate on the logistics of finding the perfect career, this book focuses on uncovering what you were meant to do with your career from you.
“A systemic, well-thought out approach to identifying and determining one's career goals. A must have for anyone wanting to achieve career satisfaction." Linda Matias, JCTC, CEIP, President, The National Resume Writers' Association (2003), President, CareerStrides
"If you've suspected there's something more out there for you, a better career—one that will awaken you soul, your true interests, your true passions, then get prepared to be enlightened, to find your inspiration and to shift the course of your career. The exercises, wisdom, true-life stories and guidance contained in this amazing book can serve as the light at the end of the tunnel." Susan Eckert, MA, CCM, Principal, Advance Career and Professional Development
"In this book you will find warmth, guidance, support, and applause—a powerful catalyst for reaching your career goals." Siegmundo Hirsch, Ph.D., Career Coach and Counselor
Customer Reviews:
Book could be "Coach Yourself to a New Career AND A LIFE!!".......2004-02-03
The Title of Deborah's book, Coach Yourself to a New Career, could also have been titled Coach Yourself to a New Career and a Life.
Deborah Brown-Volkman gives some VERY thought-provoking questions in "Coach Yourself to a New Career."
Chapter Three contains a very profound sentence: "If you already cherish silence as a secret weapon, you're very fortunate."
Pages 38-39, Listening to Your Inner Voice, especially hit home with me because we need to listen to our dreams and our heart.
The Testimonials in Chapter Five on pages 57-58 and Putting Your Fears at Bay on page 58 are some of Mrs. Volkman's most powerful parts of her book. She poses the question of what your inactivity due to supposed fear has cost you.
What also is great about Deborah's book is that she adds some personal signs from the Universe that she WAS doing the right thing, such as the poem that she found in a gift shop in New Mexico while on vacation with her husband (page 72). She said that she knew that the poem was meant for her.
Brown-Volkman is also very pragmatic in her techniques to find a career (and a life) that you love.
She gives the reader a sense that our successes are a team effort on page 84 and that it IS okay to ask for help.
After being successful, Mrs. Volkman insists that we should share our gifts with the world on page 88. She is absolutely right on with the sharing concept.
Insistence on sharing our talents is also present among Brown-Volkman's colleague, Cheryl Richardson, who has also stressed the need to share our gifts and unique talents with the world.
Finally, Brown-Volkman includes five of her bonus articles from various publications. As a writer myself, I have seen some of her very well written articles in the Wall Street Journal and on several websites such as 6FigureJobs.com. I was very pleased to see some of her articles in the book.
Folks - It Doesn't Get Any Easier Than This!.......2003-12-16
For anyone who's wondered if they'd ever figure out what they really wanted to be 'when they grow up', the Cavalry has arrived in the form of Ms. Brown-Volkman's book "Coach Yourself to a New Career"!
This book is filled with a soothing, supportive voice (the author) who completely gets what you're going through. She also lays out a step-by-step, couldn't be easier plan to help the utterly confused figure it all out and then move forward to make it happen, a little at a time.
With a number of exercises designed to put you through your paces, at your own appropriate pace, you literally can't miss. And, just in case your idea of moving forward is to take a nap, Ms. Brown-Volkman has the characteristic challenging yet utterly understanding tone of a savvy, professional coach - you WILL make it happen!
Want to discover and design the ideal career? Buy this Book!!
Book Description
SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH YOUR LIFE?
“You should be a lawyer, a doctor, an accountant, a consultant, blah, blah, blah. Everywhere you turn people try to tell you who to be and what to do with your life. We call that the noise. Block it. Shed it. Leave it for the conformists. As a generation, we need to get back to focusing on individuality. Self-construction rather than mass production. Define your own road in life instead of traveling down someone else’s. Listen to yourself. Your road is the open road. Find it.”
—Mike and Nathan
*****
After college Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard had no idea what to do with their lives. All they’d been exposed to were standard career paths like doctor and consultant—roads that didn’t fit them at all.
To see what else was out there they took a roadtrip across the nation in a huge forty-foot RV to meet with people who had successfully defined their own paths in life—including the chairman of Starbucks; a lobsterman from Maine; the director of Saturday Night Live; the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic; the first female Supreme Court Justice of the United States; head stylist for Madonna; and the CEO of National Geographic Ventures. All told, one hundred and forty people candidly shared their stories about how they got from college to the present. Now in Roadtrip Nation, Mike and Nathan share the most compelling tales with you.
Along the way, they explain how you, too, can get out there and meet people on your own. From making cold calls to asking stimulating interview questions, Roadtrip Nation will give you the tools to create a life that you’ll look back on and say: “I was true to myself every step of the way.”
Customer Reviews:
Trying to figure out what to do with your life.... this is the book for you!.......2007-01-06
I picked up this book when I graduated from college and had absolutely no idea where I was headed. This book is a quick, easy and enjoyable read. It includes interviews of people from a wide variety of professions. If you have ever looked at something that was successful and wondered how they got to where they are today... this book is for you too!
Get Out There and change your life........2006-07-02
This is an entirely different kind of career book by two guys who decided that all the standard career paths just weren't for them. So what did they do about? They didn't just buckle down and give up - no, they set out on a roadtrip to find out what else was really out there. The good news? You don't have to do the same thing...you can just benefit from their research.
Included in the book are interviews with a diverse group of business people - you've got everything from the lawyer that gave Erin Brochovich her start to the manager of the Michael Jordan brand (yeah, there's a guy who's job it is to do just that - who knew?). Each section includes the road map of the interview, which shows just how many options/choices each of us have. Some went to college; some didn't. Some did the expected; some didn't.
Also included are tips on how to get in and talk to people you thought you'd never have a chance at interviewing. Mike & Nathan give the scoop on how they did what they did...after all, you didn't think just anybody could pick up the phone to talk to the Chairman of Starbucks, did you?
Perhaps the best advice in the book comes from Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Computers. He says "Don't be afraid to fail because that's usually when you learn." But, you'll find many other tidbits of information that can help you on your way. I know I learned a few things, though I guess I'm lucky enough to actually know what I want to do when I grow up. ;-)
Recommended for readers aged 14 and up or anyone questioning their current career path. Yep, that's right - anyone can find the right road if they're willing to just get out there and do a bit of traveling.
Kimberly Pauley, The Young Adult Books Goddess @ YABooksCentral.com
Inspirational entrepreneurial stories.......2005-01-22
While promoted as a guide for college graduates, this book is truly an entrepreneurial bible for every age. Rather than delivering stale status reports from founders of companies like Barnes & Noble, Starbucks and Dell, you'll learn what drove these visionaries to buck the system, overcome objections, and follow their passions. For anyone who has ever woken up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night and thought "what the heck am I doing with my life?" keep this book by your bedside and your dreams at the forefront.
Insights from the fortunate few........2004-09-24
Its hard to argue with the notion that life is more fulfilling if you do something you like. So, if you are just starting out in life and have wealthy, supportive parents or you don't mind starving, by all means, go for it.
But the bottom line is that these people are exceptions to the rule. And they were lucky. If all it took was hard work and a dream there wouldn't be a dentist or a tax preparer in America.
Honestly, I don't know what the answer is. But I have noticed that many people who end up with dream jobs are folks who came from the wrong side of the tracks and thus had nothing to lose. If this describes you, well, you have nothing to lose.
So 3 stars for the entertainment but as a wise man once said "If you think you can't, you can't. If you think you can, you might."
This book will inspire you........2004-07-27
What do you want to be when you grow up?
It doesn't matter whether you're four, fourteen, or twenty-four years old --- the question never goes away. People say that you should be a lawyer, or a doctor, or a stockbroker, but they don't always consider that the goals and aspirations they've laid out for you may not quite match your own.
Authors Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard graduated from Pepperdine University in California, and realized that they were unhappy with their chosen fields of study. The problem was that they weren't sure what other career paths existed. But then they had an idea. They decided to go on a nationwide road trip and interview everyone who had a job that sounded interesting, from the CEO of Starbucks to Manny the Lobsterman. Thousands of phone calls, miles and dollars later, they put all of the interviews and their experiences together in a fascinating and often hilarious account of their talks with people from all walks of life.
Many of the successful people they interviewed were discouraged from pursuing their interests as children. They were told, "You'll never make any money dressing up your friends" (said to the woman who later became Madonna's stylist) or "If you don't go to college, you'll never get a good job" (said to the man who is now a senior vice-president at the Cartoon Network). All the people who were interviewed believe that being happy and doing what you want is more important than making a ton of money. If you're not sure what you want to do with your life, or even if you are, this book will inspire you to pursue the career of your dreams.
--- Reviewed by Carlie Kraft
Book Description
Here--at last--is the book that gives readers the scoop on how to find that perfect career. Offers practical techniques and no-nonsense suggestions on everything from identifying the "right" job and networking to perfecting a resume and interviewing.
Customer Reviews:
GOOD REALITY CHECK.......2005-10-09
This book - is outstanding - it will give you some very effective tools to really focus on "Finding out what you Love". I would recommend it to anyone whether you are in a career transition or just entering the job market.
Empowering!.......2000-09-08
EVERYONE should read this book. While you read it, you'll be reminded that we all have choices in life and that all of us can and should be 'doing work that we love.' I found this book very empowering. The text is easy-to-read and follow, the exercises are very insightful, and the "Aphorisms and Reminders" at the back are extremely empowering. I found myself jotting them down in places I could see them, and I still review them to keep me motivated. I felt so empowered by this book that I made the decision to leave my job in search of Work That I Love and I have never looked back. Cheryl Gilman provides a forum for you to explore your own options, be it staying where you are, or moving on...the CHOICE is up to you! A big THANK YOU to Cheryl Gilman for guiding me along my journey in rediscovering who I am and what I want to do in life. An exceptionally good book.
A must-have for Workplace 2000.......2000-03-01
Cheryl Gilman has written a career classic that ought to be handed to every high school student and college freshman to enlighten them about the importance of finding work you love. In an easy to read style, Cheryl highlights the key elements of career development in a practical format that anyone can relate to. She invites you to value your life and take charge of it! By giving you the lowdown on the new workplace, Cheryl gives you the tools and the insights to help you find your true place in it.
Everyone with or without a job should read this book!.......1999-07-21
A great read. It gives you lots to think about and I recommend it to anyone and everyone, whether you have a good job, a bad job, or no job at all.
If you are unhappy with your job/career then read this book........1999-02-16
Doing Work You Love is an excellent book. I highly recommend it to anyone who is not happy in their current profession. It is inspirational and motivational at helping you to discover what career you really want to have in life. It is easy to read and understand. It also dispels many common myths and fears about job searches and changing careers.
Book Description
Part of the Understanding Yourself and OthersTM Series
Character and Personality Type will change the way you look at personality type and development.
Contains Dr. Nardi's long awaited 64 character biographies-4 for each type with illustrations-gives you a new look at the differences within personality type.
This book provides the user with . . .
* a brief overview of temperament
* an introduction to Dr. Nardi's Life-Themes
* an interactive process to help individuals discover differences within their same type.
* worksheets to help individuals better understand themselves and others.
* 64 Character Biographies with Cartoon Illustrations
* a snapshot for each type pattern
* appendices for a brief overview of the Essential Qualities of the 16 Type Patterns.
* frequently asked questions with answers.
* notes for the facilitator using the MBTI, MBTI Step II, and the Strong Interest Inventory (SII).
Customer Reviews:
Character and Personality Type: Discovering Your Uniqueness.......2000-03-11
This is another booklet in the Understanding Yourself and Others series developed by Temperament Research Institute. Dario Nardi co-authored a previous booklet, The 16 Personality Types, with Linda Berens. In this booklet the author is looking at the many expressions of Temperament and Type, giving numerous examples to use to compare with our own journey.
The author has us consider eight life-themes: Physical and Creative (Artisan-like themes), Establishment and Community (Guardian-like themes), Academic and Entrepreneurial (Rational-like themes), and Political and Growth (Idealist-like themes). In each he gives a specific example showing how these can overlay a specific temperament. Each of us has access to all the temperaments, and we often focus on an aspect of another temperament that is not our own. Each life-theme is accompanied by a description of possible pitfalls, showing how being rigidly caught up in the theme can have negative consequences. These are also excellent vignettes to use when clients complain that Temperament and Type just put people into pigeonholes.
The next section devotes two pages to each of the sixteen personality types. Four short biographies of each type are given. These are based on actual people who are very confident of their Type. Often when we think of a type and its components of preferences, we get caught in viewing them in a stereotypical manner. These vignettes show how varied people can be and still express their True Self. The emphasis here is on the various flavours of a specific Type rather than emphasising the underlying Temperament or Type Preferences.
The readers are asked to integrate all that they learned about themselves so far in terms of their temperament, life-themes, best-fit type pattern, and the biographies that matched. Then they are asked to look at the flavours of style. Are they participative or independent? Do they have a local or global perspective? Have they a soft or hard demeanor? Is their attitude mainstream or counter-cultural?
With this information you should be able to locate yourself on your career map: What are your aspirations? How have you actualized your skills? How committed are you to the long haul that may be ahead? Will what you do make a contribution to others?
The topic of relationships referred to in the title is given directly on two pages, but is referred to throughout the booklet. There is also a relationship map with key questions to answer: Is the relationship more than chemistry? How compatible are you? How do you balance intimacy with needs to develop the self? How strong is the commitment to accept the other person as he or she really is?
There are appendices that review some of the basic Temperament and Type theory, as well as answers to some frequently asked questions.
The booklet is useful to people who have gone through the temperament-type process as developed by the Temperament Research Institute. It is a resource booklet meant to be used by a facilitator leading a group or an individual through a career development process. It may help those who are still unsure of the Best Fit Type. This booklet goes beyond the usual way of looking at Type. It will be interesting to see how people respond to these very dynamic descriptions.
Fresh New Perspective on Personality Type.......2000-03-11
Dr. Nardi provides the reader with a fresh new perspective on personality type. He leads the reader through a process of uncovering your "whole type" rather than using the individualized letter-introduction of the type "code" ( although he uses the code for reference which is of great benefit to those of use who have been using the Keirsey test for a long time). Dr. Nardi begins by helping the reader identify which of the four temperaments you are by understanding four "intelligences" as well as understanding our "core needs" and "stressors and antidotes for stress" as they relate to our temperament. Immediately following he introduces us to his eight "Life-themes"-8 archetypal, universal perspective from which we all can come from - integrating them with the temperament theory. He then presents the reader with a page of 16 short descriptions with the assumption that by identifying your temperament and life theme you can quickly differentiate your personality type by reading the four descriptions within your temperament. He doesn't stop there though. To help the reader decide on their type and for further explanation he uses the page of descriptions as a bouncing off point to read his monumental "64!" character descriptions. I found the character descriptions in my type did not describe myself, but it helped my see the larger issue that there are a lot of different "types" within my "type"- ENTP. Anyway, I recommend that anyone interested in personality type should have this book. It contributes a healthy new perspective that strays out of the mainstream "box" that everyone seems to be stuck in.
Very useful and informative.......2000-01-28
Character and Personality Type was extremely useful in furthering my understanding of personality type. The life themes are a nice addition to the Temperament piece as to explain the variations within the types - especially because I was deciding between two similar types - or so it seems. The character cartoons really add flavor to an otherwise stale subject, they helped me get into reading a lot of the descriptions-there are 64! I recommend this title for anyone who has read Please Understand Me.
Book Description
Based on their work with the acclaimed Highlands Program, the authors reveal how to discover your natural talents and develop a rewarding vision for your career and your life.
Customer Reviews:
Valuable tool for everyone!.......2006-02-01
Genre: Self Help/business
Title: Don't Waste your Talent - The 8 Critical Steps to Discovering What You Do Best
AUTHOR: Bob McDonald, PH.D. and Don E. Hutcheson
This book is about identifying and using your talents. It is about The Highlands Program and The Highlands Personal Vision Factors-the structure and process we developed because we believe that people deserve to be on higher ground in their lives and careers.
From Introduction.
Do you want to use all of your potential in your career and your life? Do you feel that you are in a dead end job with nowhere to go? Does your work make you happy or unfulfilled? If you have asked yourself any of these questions, this is the book for you.
The first three chapters deal with The Lemming Conspiracy, the Stress Cycle/Balance Cycle and career/life expanding development over your entire lifespan from age 17-85+. The book discusses natural "Turning Points" that all of us experience. It teaches that with the use of the Personal Vision Factors to compose and begin your own Personal Vision or holistic map, you too can live life to the fullest.
Filled with actual true-life examples, readers move from chapter to chapter in a concise and methodical way, which enriches the experience. Turning points are discussed in depth, next we learn to identify our "hard wired" talents and assets, chapter 5 brings skills, personality and interests into the equation and finally values and goals. From here we learn about systems that have affected our lives such as the "Family of Origin" system, and the "Office System", etc and then how to create personal boundaries. After each chapter there is a Thought Experiment, which helps the reader move through the various stages. All that is required is a 50- page notebook and a lot of honesty and soul searching.
Well presented, easy to follow and comprehensive this reviewer was fascinated with the entire process of preparing the Personal Vision. An excellent tool for employees, corporations, students and even retirees, this book offers us a chance to change our world and how we live our lives for the better. Parents would be advised to give a copy to their children in order to help them make future choices.
Readers can order the Highlands Ability Battery from the author's website which works hand in hand with the book. Authors Bob McDonald, Don Hutcheson and second edition contributions by Lazar Emanuel and Thomas Tavantzis have produced an insightful and valuable tool for everyone regardless of age or career status.
Highly Recommended by Reviewer: Shirley Roe, Allbooks Reviews.
Discover your abilities, use your talents.......2001-10-12
This book is for people serious about gaining more self-awareness of their own abilities. I say that because there are lots of principles and ideas shared in this book, but one of the most valuable parts of it are the thought experiments in every chapter which guide you toward personal application of the principles. When you buy this book, get a notebook or journal to go along with it. That will greatly increase the value of the concepts.
The authors have crafted what they call the Personal Vision Process, made up of eight components: your natural talents and abilities, skills and life experience, interests, personality, values, goals, family history, and your stage of life development. It is a very comprehensive model and draws on solid work in developmental psychology.
I think the previous review was off-base that called into question the authors' work. It's clear they have done their homework, and if you're looking for career direction, don't you want a guide that is fairly optimistic and supportive?
The authors have developed a CD called the Highlands Ability Battery that profiles your own ability pattern. I purchased this separately and completed the process. It was very helpful to do this with a trained consultant. The book has a self-assessment in it that you can complete, but I found the personal feedback from the consultant much more nuanced and customized to me.
Back to my first statement: this book is for those serious about gaining self-awareness of their abilities and setting their life/career direction. Except for the few rugged individualists, you will benefit most from working through the book with a friend, career counselor, coach, or a group that is providing support. For those seeking life direction, this is one of the best processes I've seen.
This book is mostly a waste itself.......2001-10-10
This book falls squarely in the self-help book genre and has all of the usual oversimplifications. One is urged to shed the various nefarious social systems which have operated on one since birth causing untold Stress, to find one's True Self, and to return to those very systems, mostly family and work, a new recharged and in-charge person. According to the authors, most simply need to go through a self-assessment process and thought experiments to reveal Personal Visions for the future.
Nowhere in the book do the authors discuss the power dynamics of the broader economy, society, and the polity and the impacts on persons. Managers are depicted not as powerful players in organizations who demand adherence to rules but as employee allies who want you to achieve your self-defined goals. Perhaps the authors could have reflected on the reason that labor unions formed. Or perhaps they could have pondered as to why social-democratic political parties exist in most democratic societies. The answer is most certainly not that corporations are interested in your True Self. Try the fact that workers and citizens need help against powerful players.
The authors operate a company that sells Whole Person Technology out of which comes a Personal Vision. Their customers are mostly large corporations which only adds suspicion about whom is to benefit. In fact, most of their individual customers seem to find happiness where they were previously unhappy. How convenient. For the readers of this book a battery of tests is available on CD for the tidy sum. The book has an unmistakable feel of being a promo for their self-help products.
In addition, the book is clearly intended for professionals, executives, managers, knowledge workers, etc. The book is loaded with snippets of case studies of such workers. Of course, they all found their Personal Vision. Apparently blue-collar workers don't have near the need to find a True Self.
Is the book completely bogus. No. It is Briggs-Myers on the cheap. Yes, distinctions between introversion and extroversion, specialization and generalization, logical and spontaneous, etc are minimally presented. If someone was hopelessly in the wrong job, perhaps that would be seen by reading this book ignoring the question of how he or she got there in the first place. But the book greatly oversimplifies the ability of individuals to make major transformations in their lives. I suspect that for most the costs and risks, resources and information available, and the power to affect change make real changes nearly impossible. And books that oversimplify the problems do not help.
.......Speackless.......2001-05-11
Great book. Didnt want to put it down!! These two quys figured my out, read me like a book! Im ready for success
Practical Help for Life's Turning Points.......2001-01-24
I enjoyed this book enough to read it several times and to give it to several friends. The authors weave years of experience and research findings into a plan book for discovering who we are and where we fit best. In doing so the book tackles head on the questions that so many of us have about fitting within the systems that surround us.
While most people would like to have life on their own terms, most are unclear on what those terms are. This book helps us uncover those terms through explanations, true stories and thought experiments that lead the reader through the interplay of one's core abilities, skills, interests, style, family background, values, goals and career development cycle.
This is a hands-on book-one that encourages active participation as well as simple understanding. It is inspirational without being glib; radical without sacrificing practicality. I recommend it to anyone who feels he or she is at a turning point.
Book Description
We all know people who jump out of bed every morning, eager to start the day, so fulfilled by their personal and professional lives that they wouldn't change a thing. What's their secret? Passion. We all have it, but we don't all use it to its full potential. In The Passion Plan, Dr. Richard Chang presents seven simple steps to discovering the things we really care about, deciding where we want them to take us, and developing a plan to get us there. Through clear explanations, insightful self-assessments, and inspiring stories of people both ordinary and famous, Chang shows how the power of passion can reshape our lives.
Customer Reviews:
DISAPPOINTING.......2007-05-09
If you have read any of my other reviews, you probably noticed a lot of 3 to 5 stars. That is because I usually do a lot of research to finD only the best books, DVDs or CDs. If you already know your passion, than this might be good for you. However, I was under the impression this would help me find my passion. It doesn't. If you want to find your passion, you might consider "The Passion Test, by the Attwood's or I think you will enjoy Barbara Scher to help you find your passion.
A Solid Effort!.......2001-06-01
Richard Y. Chang describes how to find your passion - what really excites you - and use that to guide your life. He emphasizes looking to your heart to discover what your passion is and then using your head to stay in touch with reality. The book presents some nice summaries and charts that highlight key concepts. But otherwise, much of this is well-trod ground that has been covered by many other writers in the self-improvement genre, in books such as Wishcraft or with titles like "love what you do." Chang adds enlivening personal touches and examples, but otherwise, much of the book seems familiar, and even repetitious. We [...] recommend this book to the unfulfilled employee or uncertain entrepreneur, the person still searching for a passion.
More silliness.......2001-01-28
An awful lot of people are making an awful lot of money dishing out what amounts to either common sense or drivel. Here the author requires almost 300 pages to state what could have been said in 5 to 10. If this is an example of what passes for substantive executive training than heaven help us. Borrow the book from a library if you must, skim a couple of the pages and you'll have all of it. Don't waste your money.
Direction at a crossroad.......2000-09-06
We all look for direction at some point in our life. But direction is never as valuable as when you are standing at a crossroad. Similarly with this book, its content will be useful to just about anyone, at any time. But if you are standing at a crossroad (just laid-off, moved to a new location, etc.) and have an opportunity to change direction, this book is definitely for you. The Plan is simple to understand and will work. Unless you want to, no major changes will be necessary. However, be prepared to be honest with yourself; be prepared to realize that you may not know (yet) what really excites you; but best of all, be prepared to find your way to happiness.
Interesting, but not what it claims to be.......2000-09-01
This book is not what it claims to be. If I know what my passion is, I will pursue it no matter what and I don't need Richard Chang to tell me how to do that. If I don't know my passion, this book sure is no help in finding it.
Book Description
In many cases, people select a career for all the wrong reasons, and find their responses to the workplace are incompatible with their true values. This situation results in feelings of unrest and discontent and in lost productivity. To help people avoid these problems, the newly-revised Career Anchors is designed to help people uncover their real values and use them to make better career choices. This revised edition includes two new sections, "Major Stages of the Career" and "Career Movement, Progress, or Success." Instructions and other components have been revamped for clarification, the references have been updated, and the contents have been rearranged for more convenient usage in classes and workshops. Career Anchors can help you think through your career options and give you a clear understanding of:
* Your own orientations toward work
* Your motives
* Your values
* Your talents
The Career Anchors Instrument and Trainer's Manual provide a systematic way of exploring how you perceive yourself, based on your own experiences. The instrument is divided into three parts?the orientations inventory, the career anchor interview, and the conceptual material. Career Anchors will help people:
* Define the themes and patterns dominant in your life
* Understand your own approach to work and a career
* Provide reasons for choices
* Take steps to fulfill your own self-image
Books:
- Case Analysis and Fundamentals of Legal Writing
- Cisco Field Manual: Catalyst Switch Configuration
- Contemporary Advertising (Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Marketing)
- Cost Accounting (12th Edition) (Charles T Horngren Series in Accounting)
- Dealing with Difficult People: How to Deal with Nasty Customers, Demanding Bosses and Annoying Co-workers
- Design for Six Sigma : A Roadmap for Product Development
- Does IT Matter? Information Technology and the Corrosion of Competitive Advantage
- Effective Small Business Management (8th Edition)
- Energy and Power Risk Management: New Developments in Modeling, Pricing and Hedging
- Essential Managers: Strategic Thinking
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Never Be Boring Again: Make Your Business Presentations Capture Attention, Inspire Action and Produc
- Finding Fish: A Memoir
- Blueprint for Corporate Governance, A: Strategy, Accountability, and the Preservation of Shareholder
- But What If I Don't Want to Go to College
- Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
- Fear No Evil: A Novel
- Grammar the Easy Way
- Flexible Work Arrangements in Cpa Firms: A Guide for Public Accounting Firms
- Capitalism and Material Life, 1400-1800
- Dolcissimo: Delicious Sweet Things from Italy
General
| Job Hunting & Careers
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Career Anchors: Self Assessment
Career Survival: Strategic Job and Role Planning (Pfeiffer Career Series)
Career Management (The Dryden Press Series in Management)
Self-Assessment Library (CD-ROM) (12th Edition)
Career Anchors: Facilitator's Guide Package
