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The Power of Small
The authors of the national bestseller The Powe of Nice once again tackle conventional wisdom with a provocative and counterintuitive book about the importance of sweating the small stuff in our lives and in our careers. Our smallest actions and gestures often have outsized impact on our biggest goals, say Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. Did you double-check that presentation one last time, or hold the elevator for a stranger? Going that extra inch - whether with a client, customer, family member, or friend - speaks volumes to others about our talent, personality, and motivations. After all, if we can't take care of the small details, how can we be counted on to deliver when it really matters? In today's challenging times, bigger isn't always better. In fact, it's often the baby steps that put us on the path to delivering a true competitive advantage. The real secret to getting ahead in life and in our careers is to refocus our attention on the small details that, if disregarded, can sabotage a multimillion-dollar ad campaign or undermine your most important relationships. Kaplan Thaler and Koval show how to get more of what you want with surprisingly less than you'd imagine. Written in the same entertaining, story-driven style that made The Power of Nice the go-to book for finishing first, The Power of Small demonstrates how all of us can harness the power of small to improve and reinvent our lives. It's the ultimate guide to shrinking your outlook to broaden your horizons. Get SMALL and get going!
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
71 people are currently reading
853 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
December 28, 2020
To me, The Power of Small (ironically) felt like it could have been revised down to the length of a blog post without losing the important points. I found the book redundant, and sometimes (although it could have been unintentional) it seemed like it was written partially to promote the authors' advertising agency, which I found distracting. I did still enjoy bits here and there, but I don't personally feel I learned anything new or groundbreaking.
This one may be a better choice for a fan of self-help books who's looking for a relatively quick source of motivation or a reminder to refocus on the little things, especially if they appreciate a lot of examples and anecdotes.
This one may be a better choice for a fan of self-help books who's looking for a relatively quick source of motivation or a reminder to refocus on the little things, especially if they appreciate a lot of examples and anecdotes.
April 24, 2020
A very good reminder that the little things, the details, the finer points - they all do matter. The best way to get to the big picture is with each small piece of it. Enjoyed this book.
May 18, 2015
This has been a fabulous, quick read, to fill in time while travelling, that has offered up some great ideas as I ponder some new business ventures and seek encouragement to make some necessary lifestyle changes. Packed with inspirational little snippets and examples of people who made just the smallest changes, or focussed on the little things, that then lead to fantastic - HUGE - successes. We've been taught not to sweat the small stuff - so instead, we are all busy getting totally overwhelmed by the big stuff - and I suspect we might just have gotten it around the wrong way. This has definitely encouraged me to refocus on some short lists of achievable goals. And that feels great!! And I have to tell you : the treadmill trick - of starting with 10 minutes, then doing anther 9, then 8, then 7 .... to break up a 45 minute (yuck) workout, into short bite size chunks, that actually 'seem' to get easier - is my new favourite brain trick EVER! Short, sharp and very likely, one of the smallest books, packed with some of the smartest ideas I've read in a while!!
September 8, 2019
A perfect antidote against the meritocracy all or nothing madness we live in nowadays. This book makes a clear point about how much we need to reconnect with our humanity to make the changes we need in our lives. Beyond the models, steps, formulas and other typical elements that are expected in this kind of self-help books, the real contribution of the authors is the guided reflection they invite the reader to do.
Full of activities, tasks and exercises, it can get overwhelming by the end to have to do yet another exercise before moving into the next chapter. However, I think they found a balance between length, content and engagement that really lets the reader go in depth into a topic before moving into the next thing.
A book to continuously revisit in times of great changes or challenges, it is worth marking the important parts for future reference.
Full of activities, tasks and exercises, it can get overwhelming by the end to have to do yet another exercise before moving into the next chapter. However, I think they found a balance between length, content and engagement that really lets the reader go in depth into a topic before moving into the next thing.
A book to continuously revisit in times of great changes or challenges, it is worth marking the important parts for future reference.
Read
March 31, 2025DNF. A decent message worth a brief discussion but reads like an extremely long infomercial for the authors' company.
January 18, 2018
Start small and the bigger things follow. I enjoyed reading this one.
May 26, 2021
Audiobook.
Nothing earth shattering here. Can be summed up in saying:
1) Little things can matter so take the time to notice the details.
2) Funny niche anecdotes x 100
3) The end.
Nothing earth shattering here. Can be summed up in saying:
1) Little things can matter so take the time to notice the details.
2) Funny niche anecdotes x 100
3) The end.
August 3, 2009
"The Power of Small," written by two advertising executives, used a lot of business anecdotes to convey the idea that little details can make or break you.
I found the part about niche marketing to be pretty inspiring because it talked about people who basically came up with a cool idea and made some money by starting small businesses doing the things they love (i.e. making greeting cards featuring Stella the dog or creating a line of decorations for Crocs).
The parts that pissed me off involved people who got ahead in business based on little tiny interactions with their superiors. One Navy officer got a commendation from an admiral just because the lost man he helped in the hall turned out to be the admiral. What about giving commendations to people for years of devoted work instead? I hate it when suck-ups get rewarded more than the hard workers! Another guy gets noticed by the head of his department by asking her what "schlep" means. I guess if he hadn't asked that, she would have brushed him off while he went and did his job invisibly. The message I'm getting here is that being HARD-WORKING is not rewarded as much as being REMEMBERED. If I found out my boss was rewarding suck-ups over good workers, I'd have a fit.
In this book, sucking up is sugar-coated into something that you have to do to get ahead. They are probably right but it still seems wrong, wrong, wrong.
God, I hate networking. I need to go wash off my nose now.
I found the part about niche marketing to be pretty inspiring because it talked about people who basically came up with a cool idea and made some money by starting small businesses doing the things they love (i.e. making greeting cards featuring Stella the dog or creating a line of decorations for Crocs).
The parts that pissed me off involved people who got ahead in business based on little tiny interactions with their superiors. One Navy officer got a commendation from an admiral just because the lost man he helped in the hall turned out to be the admiral. What about giving commendations to people for years of devoted work instead? I hate it when suck-ups get rewarded more than the hard workers! Another guy gets noticed by the head of his department by asking her what "schlep" means. I guess if he hadn't asked that, she would have brushed him off while he went and did his job invisibly. The message I'm getting here is that being HARD-WORKING is not rewarded as much as being REMEMBERED. If I found out my boss was rewarding suck-ups over good workers, I'd have a fit.
In this book, sucking up is sugar-coated into something that you have to do to get ahead. They are probably right but it still seems wrong, wrong, wrong.
God, I hate networking. I need to go wash off my nose now.
September 15, 2009
You can gain more control over your life by paying closer attention to the little things. Emily Dickinson
Dog poop girl p.14
Robin offering Linda her half of the muffin
Punch holes on electrol ballot so close- 2000 election
Scott Frimple offering to help admiral spontaneously.
Become a mini-tasker
Appreciate the little things
Make small impressions
Power of small talk with Mueller and Schmidts in Nazi Germany
When complete a task tell yourself that you still have a minute left.
Kaizen: small imperceptible changes fool the amgydala into thinking that no real change is occuring.
Stealth cleaning: put away 3 things in the morning and 3 at night.
The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you hear what is sounding outside. Dag Hammarskjold
Remember that there is no small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. Scott Adams
Schoendorfer seeing disabled woman being abused. Now vision for 20 million wheelchairs to give away free in majority world by 2010.
To react to something that may not be obvious: slow down
p.99 Don't be afraid to ask: schlep word
Dog poop girl p.14
Robin offering Linda her half of the muffin
Punch holes on electrol ballot so close- 2000 election
Scott Frimple offering to help admiral spontaneously.
Become a mini-tasker
Appreciate the little things
Make small impressions
Power of small talk with Mueller and Schmidts in Nazi Germany
When complete a task tell yourself that you still have a minute left.
Kaizen: small imperceptible changes fool the amgydala into thinking that no real change is occuring.
Stealth cleaning: put away 3 things in the morning and 3 at night.
The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you hear what is sounding outside. Dag Hammarskjold
Remember that there is no small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. Scott Adams
Schoendorfer seeing disabled woman being abused. Now vision for 20 million wheelchairs to give away free in majority world by 2010.
To react to something that may not be obvious: slow down
p.99 Don't be afraid to ask: schlep word
May 7, 2009
The Power of Small reminded me a lot of John Miller's QBQ series. I haven't read the previous book, The Power of Nice, but I would imagine the message is much the same. All in all, Thaler and Koval are sending the message that just one small action in your life can have momentous or serendipitous consequences. By taking a moment to thank someone for a job interview, you could be setting yourself up to be chosen over a more qualified candidate. Or by escorting an old man to a room he's looking for, you could be escorting your boss's boss and thereby leaving a (favorable) memorable impression.
The point of the book is this: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's the Golden Rule. Everyone knows it but not many actually follow it. Follow it and you will be rewarded in spades.
The point of the book is this: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's the Golden Rule. Everyone knows it but not many actually follow it. Follow it and you will be rewarded in spades.
December 10, 2012
I listen to this book on the way to my interview. I've done a lot in the past few months, but this was the one that I was offered and accepted. I'm not going to say this book pushed me over the top, but it did put me in a positive mood and got me excited to work for this new company, which is two orders of magnitude smaller than my last company.
It was really interesting to listen to the commercial campaigns I was familiar with, and remembering that nothing last forever. It's worth that extra day or hour of minute because it can pay off big time in the future.
It was really interesting to listen to the commercial campaigns I was familiar with, and remembering that nothing last forever. It's worth that extra day or hour of minute because it can pay off big time in the future.
November 3, 2015
One small action can sometimes lead to big consequences, positive or negative, in your life. A single act can lead to serendipitous and unimaginable results. The authors cite examples such as saying thanks and appreciations to a colleague, helping out a stranger and simply spend one minute to review your work or email before you send it out can sometimes have profound impact. The motto? Sweat the small details!
This is a quick read (listen). I borrowed the downloadable audible version from the library and read it during my commute.
This is a quick read (listen). I borrowed the downloadable audible version from the library and read it during my commute.
September 8, 2024
If I were back in high school, I think this would have been more impactful, because maybe, the ideas that the little things matter and ultimately lead to bigger things would have been new. At this point in my life though, this is so obvious that it feels as if they took a handful of aphorisms or folksy sayings, turned them into a talk (which I'm sure would have been a good one), and then decided to turn that talk into a book (which was a step too far).
February 15, 2011
I'm a fairly detail-oriented person to begin with, so there were no major revelations to be had by reading this book, but "The Power of Small" is still worth noting--if only as a general reminder to (sometimes)sweat the small stuff--because often "little things" can "make or break you" in the worlds of business and relationships.
December 27, 2012
I listened to this just after A Perfect Mess. They make a good pair, dealing with two sides of the same coin.
The Power of Small talks about the importance of the little things, and shares stories of times when small acts have unexpectedly large consequences - such as marriage, job offer, etc.
My "take-away" is that the little things are important - especially in relationships with people.
The Power of Small talks about the importance of the little things, and shares stories of times when small acts have unexpectedly large consequences - such as marriage, job offer, etc.
My "take-away" is that the little things are important - especially in relationships with people.
August 15, 2010
A very inspiring book about why one should not neglect "small" things. In fact you might come away from reading this book by thinking that, considering what can happen from "small things", nothing is a "small" thing. I look forward to reading their other book "The Power of Nice."
June 16, 2009
This book changed me. Simply, it convinced me to pay attention to a level of detail in life I hadn't considered before, and provided some convinced anecdotes to support its assertions.
July 1, 2009
Good basic reminders about the importance of the little things in life. Now to go write some thank you notes!
August 14, 2009
A philosophy worth adapting to life.
September 25, 2009
pay attention-I've heard this before. But the small details matter and it serves me well to pay attention to that.
July 28, 2011
Meh. Too much name-dropping, nothing new, read the first bit and then skimmed.
October 16, 2018
Our smallest actions and gestures often have the most impact on our biggest goals. Bigger isn’t always better and taking baby steps can be a competitive advantage. Steps like holding an elevator for a stranger make a difference in our lives and shape how we approach other things. The book’s message is that if we can’t take care of the small details, how can we be counted on to deliver when it really matters?
Bigger isn’t always better and the real secret to getting ahead is to refocus our attention on the small details. Thaler and Koval show how to get more of what you want with less.
Thaler says: “we often find our best clues to what a client may like or dislike during the small talk before we sit down to a formal meeting… Our point: Small talk is anything but idle chatter. In fact, it’s the glue that cements so many relationships. Yet when we make small talk, too many of us tend to turn the subject of the conversation quickly back to ourselves, a subject infinitely less interesting to the other person.”
The authors comment on what others have written about the delusion of multitasking saying: “We may be the first generation to find that more information is actually making us dumber, and less productive.” The increased use of digital devices “thwarts our best intentions to focus on and complete the job at hand—much less overdeliver… By not fully paying attention to the other person and his or her needs, we deny ourselves the opportunity to create empathy and an emotional attachment with the other person.”
The book sums up the thoughts presented saying, “that little thing you do that is special and shows what makes you different, what sets you apart from somebody else. It is often the small act that shows you care, that proves the project or other person matters to you. It affords you a chance to show off your initiative. This can be especially important when you’re meeting someone for the first time.”
For more on this book see www.connectedeventsmatter.com
Bigger isn’t always better and the real secret to getting ahead is to refocus our attention on the small details. Thaler and Koval show how to get more of what you want with less.
Thaler says: “we often find our best clues to what a client may like or dislike during the small talk before we sit down to a formal meeting… Our point: Small talk is anything but idle chatter. In fact, it’s the glue that cements so many relationships. Yet when we make small talk, too many of us tend to turn the subject of the conversation quickly back to ourselves, a subject infinitely less interesting to the other person.”
The authors comment on what others have written about the delusion of multitasking saying: “We may be the first generation to find that more information is actually making us dumber, and less productive.” The increased use of digital devices “thwarts our best intentions to focus on and complete the job at hand—much less overdeliver… By not fully paying attention to the other person and his or her needs, we deny ourselves the opportunity to create empathy and an emotional attachment with the other person.”
The book sums up the thoughts presented saying, “that little thing you do that is special and shows what makes you different, what sets you apart from somebody else. It is often the small act that shows you care, that proves the project or other person matters to you. It affords you a chance to show off your initiative. This can be especially important when you’re meeting someone for the first time.”
For more on this book see www.connectedeventsmatter.com
July 9, 2017
The power of small
The biggest rewards are almost always rooted in the smallest gestures.
As Jay Leno says you can either say, "close the damn window" or "is it cold in here?"
Asking a question that people can respond to works better.
You're also making it the other person's idea
Ask, what do you think we should do to improve this? Listen to their input and if it's decent or add to-able, say, "I never thought of that!" Then they own it and are 100% behind it.
What makes my heart race is something more humble.
I'm living my passion. Living a more modest life with purpose. Find something you love to do and you'll never work another day in your life.
The biggest rewards are almost always rooted in the smallest gestures.
As Jay Leno says you can either say, "close the damn window" or "is it cold in here?"
Asking a question that people can respond to works better.
You're also making it the other person's idea
Ask, what do you think we should do to improve this? Listen to their input and if it's decent or add to-able, say, "I never thought of that!" Then they own it and are 100% behind it.
What makes my heart race is something more humble.
I'm living my passion. Living a more modest life with purpose. Find something you love to do and you'll never work another day in your life.
December 31, 2019
“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in the room.” - The Dalai Lama. This was an interesting book with many good points about how the seemingly small things can make a big difference in our lives. The authors gave many good stories of business deals, relationships and much more on how the small things make all the difference. I enjoyed the reminders that put an exclamation point on how little details matter and make the difference in life. I appreciated this quote and many others that were in the book “We cannot all do great things, but can do small things with great love.” - Mother Teresa. This is a relatively short book with much good information and tips for living a good, successful life.
May 10, 2017
An interesting book that changed my perspective. In short this book covers how small things can...
make ok things turn great!
make great things become terrible.
make relationships stronger.
make changing and adapting easier and more sustainable.
be more important than many "big" things.
Not a life-changing book in the least, but it was filled with interesting stories. It has motivated me to change the balance of focus on the "big" and "small" things. It is all too easy for the small things to fall out of focus. But they deserve our attention.
make ok things turn great!
make great things become terrible.
make relationships stronger.
make changing and adapting easier and more sustainable.
be more important than many "big" things.
Not a life-changing book in the least, but it was filled with interesting stories. It has motivated me to change the balance of focus on the "big" and "small" things. It is all too easy for the small things to fall out of focus. But they deserve our attention.
April 22, 2018
Một cuốn sách với rất nhiều case study về ý tưởng những việc tưởng chừng như nhỏ nhặt có thể làm tiền đề để tạo nên ý tưởng lớn. Tuy nhiên, sách cũng dấy lên câu hỏi: liệu việc gì cũng chăm chăm để ý những chi tiết nhỏ thì có khiến con người ta tiểu tiết quá không? Liệu ta có khiến cơ thể ta kiệt quệ khi phải để ý đến từng chi tiết nhỏ xung quanh không? Đổi lại, sách cho ta tin tưởng vào bản thể cá nhân, một cá nhân nhỏ cũng có thể làm nên điều lớn lao bằng cách góp nhặt những việc nhỏ, hay đôi khi những hệ quả tích cực lớn lao sẽ tới một cách không ngờ từ những việc nhỏ ta làm.
August 24, 2019
If you have ever wondered how small things could make a big difference, then this book has plenty to explain that. Real-life case studies and examples is the strong point of this book. The book is straightforward in its approach and the stories connect the dots exceedingly well. The book may not boast of tips and tools to integrate the concept on out lives but leaves the reader with plenty to work around and make it a part of their life.
July 21, 2021
I quickly lost interest in this book. It may have been more engaging if the chapters were organized differently. For example, business and personal anecdotes mixed in made for unfocused and repetitive reading and did not make for very compelling sub arguments.
The information shared was all in all straight forward. Overall, a good reminder on the little things in life mattering but no other takeaways for me.
The information shared was all in all straight forward. Overall, a good reminder on the little things in life mattering but no other takeaways for me.
February 26, 2019
Good advice on simple things we can do like saying thank you, opening the door for someone, appreciating others that can make a lot of difference to ourselves and others. In addition breaking up goals into small achievable tasks.
Not earth shattering but a good reminder in this age of entitlement, (un)social media. My soul cries for some good old fashion courtesy sometimes. Yes, I am old.
Not earth shattering but a good reminder in this age of entitlement, (un)social media. My soul cries for some good old fashion courtesy sometimes. Yes, I am old.
April 1, 2020
We always think that in order to make a difference or change our behaviours we need a big step in the right direction or big effort to effect that change but this book argues that small changes are where our attention should be focused. Reminded me once again that i should pay attention to the smallest oft-disregarded things in my life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews