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Title: Radical Candor

Author: Kim Scott

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 250

Rating: 3/5

This is another one of the business books that I picked up and read because I had to write a spark notes style summary for a client. I actually listened to it on audio book first because that was what delivered to me, and then I had to buy another copy in paperback for my library.

The main issue that I had with this is that it felt as though there wasn’t enough here to fill the book. It’s the first book that I’ve read for this client so far where I’ve struggled to stretch the summary out to 2,000 words, although I do think that what Scott has to say is worth reading. I just think this could have been half the size and still communicated the core message.

The idea of radical candor is that people respect you more as a leader if you’re open and honest with them. One example of this in action is when Scott had an employee who was underperforming but who she also liked as a person. Instead of risking their friendship by confronting the employee, she kept on putting it off until eventually, his performance dropped to such a point that she had to let him go. Then, when she fired him, he was upset because he had no idea that he was doing anything wrong. It’s certainly food for thought.

Click here to buy Radical Candor.

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Laszlo Bock – Work Rules! | Review

Title: Work Rules!

Author: Laszlo Bock

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 406

Rating: 3.5/5

Laszlo Bock – Work Rules

This book was interesting, but it also dragged a bit and got a little tedious towards the end. In fact, the only reason that I picked it up is because I had to write a review of it for a client, although with that considered it was actually pretty good. Bock used to work for Google and spearheaded many of their innovative HR campaigns, and in this book he shares his secrets on how they approached people management.

It’s interesting because they ran all sorts of different tests to see what worked and what didn’t. Many of their findings were counterintuitive, which Bock explains by comparing it to aircraft design during the war. The designers noticed that certain parts of the plane such as the wings and the tail were more likely to be damaged on the aircraft that were returning from combat, and so they focussed their attention on reinforcing the cockpit. Why? Because the planes that were damaged in the cockpit weren’t returning at all.

Because of all of this, it’s a pretty interesting read. It’s a masterclass in thinking outside the box and has a bunch of great ideas on how to keep people happy and engaged in the workplace. I just think it would have been more enjoyable if it had been 100 pages shorter, and I don’t think that Bock’s writing style did it any favours. It’s not that he’s a bad writer, it’s just that writing isn’t his main thing. He does a good job of conveying information here, but I’m not necessarily convinced that it flowed well or that it built up and conveyed a sense of emotion.

Still, if you want to learn how Google does things then there aren’t any better books than this one to help you to understand the way their minds work. Bock also sources pretty much everything he says and so there’s also a comprehensive appendix at the end if you want to read any further on any of the topics that are covered. I just wouldn’t recommend picking this up as your main read because it might put you in a bit of a slump. I read it a chapter at a time in bed and it worked out just perfectly.You can make of this review what you will. Read it or don’t bother!