Smysluplná práce: Manifest pro týmy v 21. století

by Seth Godin, Jolana Navrátilová (Translator)

Přehodnocení toho, čím může být práce a vedení, z hlavy vizionáře, známého autora a myšlenkového vůdce Setha Godina. Proč má práce zrovna takovou podobu, jakou má, proč je čím dál tím víc vysilující a co můžeme my všichni – zejména lídři – udělat, aby měla novou, lidštější podobu?

Ekonomická nejistota spolu s nárůstem práce na home office jsou příčinou toho, že se cítíme více odtržení od významu práce, kterou vykonáváme. Manažeři vyvedení tím z míry reagují tvrdšími podmínkami a sankcemi, propouštěním, zvýšenou kontrolou a povinnou účastí na schůzích. Zaměstnanci častěji opouštějí své pozice anebo odvádějí jen přesně tolik práce, kolik je nezbytně nutné. Vzdej se svých snů a své duše, přesvědčujeme se navzájem, a můžeš si koupit pár věcí, které ti zajistí status a spokojenost. ALE TAKHLE TO BÝT NEMUSÍ.

Seth Godin, autor legendárních knih o podnikání a marketingu, se ve 144 slokách dotýká příčin toho, co je na práci jak pro pracovníky, tak pro management tolik bolestivé. Ukazuje, co stojí za těmito trendy a jak lépe a smysluplněji práci pojmout.

Stojíme před jednoduchým rozhodnutím. Buď participovat na kocovině, kterou průmyslový kapitalismus prochází, dál uvažovat o lidech jako o nahraditelných součástkách stroje a účastnit se marného soutěžení s umělou inteligencí, alias závodu ke dnu. Nebo se propojit v zájmu vystavění organizace, která má větší význam, než jen generování zisku, ve které bude mít každý své místo, účel a důvěru, díky níž ze sebe bude moci vydávat to nejlepší – bez ohledu na to, z jakého místa práci vykonává.

Tato kniha je určena ke sdílení se šéfy a kolegy, k diskuzi a k použití v praxi. Ať už zaujímáme jakoukoliv pozici, máme možnost něco změnit. Neboť, jak píše „LIDÉ NEJSOU ZDROJE. NEJSOU NÁSTROJEM. JSOU SMYSLEM.“

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Management, Audiobook, Productivity

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Seth W. Godin, also known as "F. X. Nine", is an American author and a former dot com business executive.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The vast majority of people who work simply want to know that their work/effort matters, and they want to work for people who care.
Seth Godin’s The Song of Significance covers 144 points related to how we can do better, work better, and heck—maybe even be able to one day say your job is the BEST one you’ve ever had.

Don’t be fooled by the small book’s appearance because this short read really packs a punch!

My favorite points that were most relevant to me personally were #105 on connection and #115 - #122 on meetings.

A big thank you to Portfolio Books, as I was lucky to win this gem in a Goodreads Giveaway!

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most meaningful books I’ve read about work and leadership. It is very short and aphoristic but immensely wise.

“Management is the hard work of getting people who work for you to do what they did yesterday, but faster and cheaper. It requires authority—a hierarchy that gives the manager the power to insist. Leadership is voluntary. Voluntary to perform and voluntary to follow. It’s the work of imagining something that hasn’t happened before and inviting people to come along for the journey. Without voluntary enrollment, it’s not leadership, it’s only management.”

[simona.citeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nota 10 pentru ideea pe care o transmite și pe accentul pe care îl pune pe oameni.

Partea mai grea e la nivel de practică și tocmai asta poate face cartea să pară o fantezie.
Se adresează în special corporațiilor și echipelor care lucrează la proiecte, eu m-am regăsit foarte puțin aici dar am empatizat cu idealul descris.

Merită citită pentru o perspectivă proaspătă în ceea ce privește munca și relevanța acesteia.

Cartea este tradusă la editura Publica cu titlul Cântecul relevanței.

[Hanie Noor · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s no such thing as a perfect job or dream job.

Every job comes with its own challenges and benefit—pros and cons, like everything else. Even acknowledging this, most of us still feel burnout from working. It’s stems in how we perceive ‘work’ and it’s the ‘work’ culture. Why is that? Is there really no way to get around it?

In ‘The Song of Significance’ serves as Godin’s manifesto for creating ‘work that works’. It delves into the various difficulties encountered by enterprises that persist in adhering to outdated industrial frameworks, thereby impeding their progress and growth. Through his masterful narrative, Godin imparts invaluable wisdom and illuminating perspectives on the art of metamorphosing workplaces into thriving ecosystems, whereby employees are rewarded with a sense of purpose and significance. Through his masterful narrative, Godin imparts invaluable wisdom and illuminating perspectives on the art of metamorphosing workplaces into thriving ecosystems, wherein employees are rewarded with a profound sense of purpose and significance. The book aptly emphasises the critical importance of prioritising significance over safety, thereby fostering an environment conducive to significance, and achieving a seamless transition from managers to visionary leaders. The juxtaposition lies between industrial capitalism, characterised by the pursuit of profit through the exertion of power, and market capitalism, which attempts to address societal challenges in exchange for profit. The book advocates it as essential for organisations to prioritise concepts of significance, trust, collaboration, and purpose-driven work in order to cultivate workplaces that are both meaningful and impactful.

Some important points I'd like to highlight with regards to issues in conventional work models and the actionable strategies offered to create workplaces of significance:
* Choose Significance over Safety: highlights the importance of engaging in purposeful work, demonstrating their profound impact on enhancing productivity, fostering creativity, and nurturing contentment within the workforce. It also draws parallels to the intricate workings of honeybee colonies, wherein the significance of each individual's contribution holds utmost importance.
* Create Conditions for Significance: the notable distinction between industrial capitalism and market capitalism is aptly emphasised. The former sets its emphasis on the acquisition of power and the pursuit of profit, whereas the latter is dedicated to provision of solutions. Through the adoption of market capitalism and the cultivation of empathy and creativity, organisations have the potential to foster a conducive environment where significance can thrive.
* Transition from Manager to Leader: a profound journey that encompasses the art of creating significance. The exploration of the disparity between managers and leaders explores the essence of leadership, in which leaders display the remarkable ability to empower their subordinates, wholeheartedly embrace change, and ingeniously foster mission-driven environments within the workplace.

The book unique format of concise and sequentially numbered statements, makes it more accessible to busy managers and executives. Its profound insights on 'significance', leadership and the implementation of innovative workplace practises, make it a compelling and thought-provoking read serves as an avenue for reflection. It offers solutions and guidance to those who aspire to transform their organisations' work culture that is not only purposeful but also create a meaningful work environment.

[Edmund Schaefer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The theme is interesting, but it felt a bit too abstract at times. This is more Seths mode of writing which I can respect, but it made it more difficult for everything to click with me. It's a short book though and still worth a read, I will probably revisit it in a few months. From experience I have noticed that reading these types of books can be a bit of a timing issue, whether or not you can get a lot out of them.

[Chintushig Tumenbayar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Сет Годиний Акимбо подкастийг олон жит сонсож явахдаа шинэ гарсан энэ номыг нь олж унших юмсан гэж бодож явсан таллаар боллоо. Өнөө үед утга учиртай ажлыг хүсэх болсон. Харин ажлаа хэрхэн олох, хаанаас нь эхлэх хэрхэн таних зэрэг ажилтан, хамтрагч, бизнесмений хуваарь мэдэж авах сонсох юм ихтэй ном болжээ

[Jung]

Work that works.

The current model of work? It’s not working.

If you’re a boss, or an employee, you probably already knew that. If you work a typical job, you probably don’t give it your all. You probably leave at the end of each day feeling a little more depleted than you did that morning. You probably don’t think you’re doing anything significant or world-shaking. And here’s the kicker – you probably blame yourself, at least in part, for all of this negativity.

But it’s not you. It’s work. It’s time to move beyond the current paychecks and productivity model of work to empower workers to find real significance in their day-to-day employment.

A revolution in how, and why, we work is possible. And it starts with us.

-

Choose significance over safety

Finding meaning in work can spur you and your team to reach targets and drive innovations beyond anything you ever thought possible. This is a promise. But before we explore that, let’s talk about honeybees. Sounds off-topic, but it is relevant.

In every hive of honeybees, when winter reaches its end, the Queen Bee lays a new, fertilized egg. Inside this egg, a new Queen is waiting to hatch. The worker bees will furnish the hive with a surplus of pollen. Inside a specially constructed egg cell, the Queen’s maidens will feed the egg with royal jelly. Just before the new Queen is born, the old Queen and her most experienced workers will leave, flying away in a swarm, leaving a hive well-stocked with food for the new, younger team to take over. The old Queen and her workers huddle together for warmth. They can only survive a few days huddled like this before they perish. Scouts will scope out locations for a new hive and, once they have found it, the bees will work overtime to construct their new home. This process is known as the increase.

It’s inspiring, isn’t it? How those bees embrace the challenge and the possibilities of the unknown, how they work collaboratively to build something new.

Humans, on the other hand, seem increasingly disinclined to leave the safety of their metaphorical beehives. And that’s understandable. We live and work in a culture where stress, burnout, and dissatisfaction feel almost inevitable. The global pandemic and the current climate of geopolitical unrest and economic instability have prompted us to value the security of the known over the unpredictability of new possibilities. And conventional corporate culture – with stifling key performance indicators (KPIs) and schedules stuffed with pointless meetings – encourages us to seek safety over new challenges.

When work matters, though – when you and your team feel like you are making a meaningful contribution – you can move from a mindset of safety to a mindset of increase.

But how do we do that? How do we inspire ourselves and others to choose significance over safety? We’ll get into that in the next chapter.

-

Create the conditions in which significance can thrive

Okay – you probably know what capitalism is, right? But you might not be aware that there are two different types of capitalism – and that one kind of capitalism creates the conditions for significance, while the other actively stifles them.

It’s time to get acquainted with industrial capitalism and market capitalism. Industrial capitalism is all about using brute power to drive profits. It originated in the Industrial Revolution and became the dominant mode of production when Henry Ford introduced the concept of the assembly line. Industrial capitalism is all about using machine power to scale up production and achieve profitability at all costs. Whether workers feel connected to their work is kind of beside the point. As tech, and in particular AI, continues to develop rapidly, the industrialist capitalist method encroaches further and further still on what little agency and dignity workers have left. Think of workplaces where employees are `surveilled by machines and expected to reach production targets that even a literal robot would find challenging.

Market capitalism, on the other hand, makes its profits through identifying, then solving, problems. While industrial capitalism values productivity as a resource, market capitalism valuest the far more human qualities of empathy and creativity.

If you want to do significant work, it’s time to set yourself free from the objectives of industrial capitalism. There’s no point trying to do significant work while also trying to produce, automate, standardize, and micromanage like industrial capitalist outfits do. Here’s the hard truth: significance is not streamlined or optimized. It is fundamentally incompatible with the industrial capitalist model.

The good news? When you free yourself and your team from the impossible goal of trying to straddle these two models of capitalism, you can lean into all the best bits of market capitalism, and truly create the conditions in which significant work can be conceptualized and carried out.

Okay … so, what are these conditions exactly?

Here’s a taster:

Management is collaborative. You manage with your direct reports, not at them. No KPIs, no checklists – just a conversation about how the two of you might work together to get where you both want to be.

Workers have ownership of their whole project. The traditional hierarchical management style sees a boss apportioning parts of a project among their team members. Workers labor in silos, unaware of how their piece of the puzzle fits into the whole project. As a result, their focus isn’t on How can I do the best job possible? Instead, they want to know, How can I make myself look as good as possible? It’s easy to lose sight of a project’s significance when you never had that project in your sights to start with.

There’s trust. Managers trust their teams to get their work done – there’s no tallying of bathroom breaks, no tracking how often they move their computer mouse. What’s more, managers trust their employees know how to get their best work done: nightowls don’t have to be sat in their chairs at nine in the morning for appearance’s sake, and activities like walking, napping, and doodling are recognized as legitimate creativity- and productivity-boosters.

More isn’t a metric of success. Better is. Think about it – a hundred years ago, output and productivity were functional measures of success. These days, as tasks are increasingly outsourced and automated, it's futile to try to be the most productive – we’re killing ourselves in a race certain to be won by machines. What we need to do is redraw the boundaries of the playing field – make business a game where doing the most won’t make you the winner, but being the best will.

Industrial capitalism was born during a revolution. But the Industrial Revolution took place over 200 years ago. We’re on the cusp of a new revolution now – a revolution of significance.

-

Don’t be a manager, be a leader

Management is using authority to get what you want – or at least what you think you want: to maximize efficiency, to boost profits, to squeeze the most value out of your employees. Managers try to sell their reports on the idea that if those reports turn up and do as they’re told, they’ll be rewarded. But more and more workers are realizing this is an empty promise.

Leadership is the art of creating significance. And a leader has to act very differently from a manager.

Leaders don’t see their workers as “human resources” from whom they need to squeeze value and profits. Leaders don’t see their customers as walking dollar signs. They create businesses that transcend the transactional to become significant. And they have the audacity to chase new possibilities and break old paradigms in ways a manager never could.

Ray Anderson, the founder of Interface carpets, is a leader. In the 1970s, his company was turning a huge profit selling carpet tiles to offices. But carpet production has typically been environmentally disastrous, burning through huge quantities of carbon. When a client raised environmental concerns, Anderson took them seriously. He assembled his team and told them that by a certain year, they were going to be fully sustainable. He told them to choose the year for themselves. Ray gave his team the power, and the responsibility, to completely overturn their business model and to do this in service of a hugely significant cause. Interface continues to be a profitable business. What’s more, their carpet isn’t just carbon-neutral, it’s carbon-negative. In its revamped production processes, Interface creates more energy than it uses.

Managers believe in maximizing efficiency and profit. But do their customers share these priorities? Rising Tide Car Wash is a chain that washes 150,000 cars a year and boasts extraordinary levels of customer satisfaction. Founder Thomas d’Eri started his first carwash as a place where his autistic brother Andrew could find work. Now the carwash hires people with autism, and creates a safe and empowered workplace for all its employees. Rising Tide doesn’t measure its success in cars washed – the carwash is the medium through which they achieve their mission: to give their employees dignity and independence. And guess what? Customers flock there repeatedly. Because they respond to Rising Tide’s mission.

If you visit the Canadian Museum of Natural History, you’ll see a large Indigenous bark canoe on display. Each traditional bark canoe is unique. They weren’t built to cookie-cutter dimensions. They were the result of an entire village’s collective labor. Each worker was given free reign to work on their section of the boat – but for the boat to come together, each worker needed to respond to what the rest of the group was doing. And guess what? The canoe in the museum isn’t just a unique work of craftsmanship. It’s seriously powerful. It’s thirty feet long. It can carry 6000 pounds. It can cover roughly thirty miles in a day. Impressive, right? That’s what you can achieve when you give a team collective control over a project that means something to them.

Think of the work you do as that boat. It’s not your boat. It’s not someone else’s boat. It’s our boat.

-

The organization goes first

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Tricky, right?

Okay – now try this one: Which came first, the workers dedicated to and excited by doing significant work, or the organization that’s committed to working significantly?

The organization, obviously!

All too often, when we contemplate shifting toward more meaningful work, we can become overwhelmed – it feels like a challenge with simply too many moving parts. How can we change management into leadership while actively enrolling previously detached employees in a new significance-based mission? Who needs to change first – the organization or its people? Happily, the answer is straightforward. The organization goes first. An organization that explicitly commits to significance will bring its employees with it.

Here are some of the promises that leaders and organizations need to make to themselves and to their workers to begin their shift toward significance.

Be committed to change. Be specific about the change you want to create, and make that the center of your mission. And let’s be clear – profit may be a byproduct of change, but it won’t be a measure of your mission’s success. You succeed when you implement the change you set out to make.

Be intentional. From now on, every element of work and workplace culture is underpinned by intention. Let’s take meetings as an example. No more meetings for the sake of meetings! Once a meeting has achieved its stated intention, it’s over. If a meeting doesn’t have a clear intention, it’s canceled.

Stress is bad; tension is good. Stress occurs when people reach breaking point – when they’re being pulled in too many directions at once. Tension is the friction that propels change forward.

Mistakes are good. You can only avoid mistakes when you stick to the systems you know: failure is a step on the road to change.

Critique the work, not the worker. In conventional office settings, critique is a threat – do better, make the numbers, or your job is on the line. In a significant workplace, feedback on projects – not people – is what spurs innovation.

The pivot is the point. We’re conditioned to see a pivot as a tacit admission of failure. But pivoting can open up new possibilities. Starbucks just used to sell coffee beans until they pivoted to beverages. In fact, let’s stop calling it a pivot – let’s start calling it “pathfinding.”

-

People power instead of human resources

It doesn’t matter whether your mission is big or small, world-shaking or quietly revolutionary – working with people will always be among the most significant things you’ll do. What’s more, you’ll never achieve significance unless your people are on board with your mission.

How do you bring out the best in your people – and bring your best people with you?

Focus on enrolment, not coercion. Conventional management strategies are based around coercing people to do what you want – whether by coaxing employees through promises of promotions and raises, or blackmailing them with the threat of demotions or firing. But the best, most innovative workers aren’t phased by the threat of losing their jobs. They’re the type of workers who have options open to them – they work for you because they choose to. Amplify your workers’ sense of enrolment in your mission. Don’t coerce them into compliance.

That sense of enrolment starts with culture. It’s up to leaders to create a culture of affirmation and connection. Center your workplace culture around the things that can provide your workers with intrinsic motivation – give them freedom, agency, the chance to develop skills or learn new ones, the sense that the work they do matters.

Encourage imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome occurs when people feel they don’t have the skills or qualifications to do the tasks assigned to them. It’s typically viewed as a negative, but why not flip the imposter narrative on its head? The truth is, if you’re doing pathbreaking work, your people should feel like imposters – after all, they’re tackling totally new challenges. Encourage them to improvise. There’s nothing wrong with faking it till you make it!

Finally, hire, don’t date. It makes sense to date people you like, people who share your values, beliefs, and sensibilities. But hiring is a different story. The best hires might not look the best on paper. The most creative, passionate hires might not give a polished performance at an interview. And the hires who bring the most productive tension to the team may not be the most likable.

People aren’t resources or commodities. But a great team, enrolled in a shared mission, is more valuable than gold.

-

The old, industrial-capitalist models of work aren’t really working. But there is an alternative. Workplaces focused around significance, rather than safety and profit, are creating pathbreaking change and innovation – and they’re bringing their workers and customers with them.

[Aleś Karoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

ENG → БЕЛ

My team lead, Jason, recommended that I read The Song of Significance by Seth Godin, and I'm very thankful to him for this.

While most books about team management focus on how to control people and make them do what the manager needs, this book focuses on creating the best possible environment where people want to create significant things.

If you notice that your potential line manager likes this book, it's a green flag. Consider giving this book to your manager if he hasn't read it yet. Organizations that embody the culture described in this book are the best places to work.

For now, it is the best book about collaborative work that I have read.

·

Мой кіраўнік Джэйсан параіў мне прачытаць гэтую кнігу, і я вельмі ўдзячны яму. Яна сапраўды надыхае. У арганізацыях, апісаных у гэтай кнізе, хочацца працаваць, такія арганізацыі хочацца ствараць, да такіх каманд хочацца далучацца.

Большасць менеджараў глядзяць на людзей як на рэсурс, які трэба выкарыстаць. Кніга крытыкуе гэты падыход і прапаноўвае альтэрнатывы. Не абавязкова гуляць у індустрыяльную гульню, асабліва, калі хочаш стварыць нешта сапраўды значнае.

Гэта сапраўды маніфест, тут няма дэталёвага апісання, як дасягнуць такой арганізацыі. Але я не ўпэўнены, што такое апісанне можна стварыць. Але ўзяць гэтыя прынцыпы за базу вельмі карысна кожнаму лідару.

[Joana Alves | Juca Mindscape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foi um livro interessante, um livro curto com algumas temáticas e chamadas de atenção pertinentes.
Contudo, sinto que faltaram exemplos mais práticos e um aprofundamento maior de alguns tópicos.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Song of Significance (2023) is business thinker and creativity expert Seth Godin’s manifesto for leveraging teamwork and collaboration to build radically meaningful workplaces. Traditional models of work are under threat from encroaching AI technologies – why not dismantle them altogether, Godin asks, and build something better in their place? 

Key ideas about this book:

* Choose significance over safety
* Create the conditions in which significance can thrive
* Don’t be a manager, be a leader
* The organization goes first
* People power instead of Human Resources

I enjoyed this book and even though it is a small book it is written in the same format as The Practice- a series of numbered short statements, almost like blog entries. If you are familiar with his observations around "managers vs. leaders," you can imagine this book as a more detailed series of thoughts around that theme.

One thought provoking distinction Seth makes is between industrial capitalism and market capitalism: 

Industrial capitalism (industrialism) seeks to use power to create profits. 
Market capitalism seeks to solve problems to make a profit.  

I choose not to agree or argue with anyone’s interpretation of any economic system or ism. Time has a way of blurring or distorting those conversations. It is apparent, however, that we are still trapped as a society in an industrial age mindset—to the extent that industrial and developed are still interchangeable ways to describe economies. But Seth’s underlying point about the desirability of these systems seems obvious to me: that organizing around solving problems is far more humane and constructive than using power to coerce people and consolidate industries.

I think that because of his style of writing, the short but impactful blog posts, I’ll pick this book back up in the future as there was a-lot to un-pack. Who knows, maybe even apply them to my own career.

Cheers
J

About the Author
Seth Godin is an entrepreneur, cultural analyst, and the author of 19 best-selling books on topics around creativity, productivity, and business strategy. He is the founder of the wildly popular altMBA program and online seminar series The Akimbo Workshops.

*Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.*

[Richard Mulholland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Seth Godin a lot, but this just did not resonate with me at all. He'd be fine with that, he'd say, "I didn't write this for you." The problem is I don't know who he wrote it for as the people that probably should read it absolutely wouldn't. At best he's preaching to the choir. And good grief is he preaching. This book comes across as so preachy, to the degree of being idealistic. As such it just didn't feel practical or even like good advice.

The main drum that this book beats is that all employers are bad, and all employees are good. This is of course nonsensical.

The core metaphor doesn't stand up either, bees are the antithesis of autonomous creatures. They have one job and stick to it.

I found this very hard to read and it just felt like it said nothing that could not be summed up in a very short article. I read this as part of my morning reads, reading a few pages every morning, but each day felt a bit like groundhog day.

If you are keen to read one of Godin's books, I'd highly recommend The Practice instead.

[Anton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A punchy summary and a rallying cry to advance ideas introduced in:
- Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
- The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?
- The Practice: Shipping Creative Work

And closely kindred to:
- The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit
- The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
- Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Business and leadership author of 10 books of high common sense, Seth Godin provides well-founded nuggets in the form of 147 provocative and uplifting aphorisms backed by his research. This book is a masterful composition celebrating the power of collaboration and purpose-driven work. Godin once again demonstrates in this book his expertise in inspiring and guiding individuals to reach their highest potential as part of a team. Through a thought-provoking blend of captivating storytelling and practical advice, Godin unveils the key principles that can transform ordinary teams into extraordinary ones. He emphasizes the importance of fostering an environment where each member feels a sense of significance and where their unique talents and contributions are valued. Godin makes it easy for readers to absorb and apply his ideas. He seamlessly weaves together anecdotes and real-world examples illustrating the impact of effective teamwork. These stories range from small startups to large corporations, showcasing how teams of all sizes can thrive when they align their goals and work towards a shared vision. One of the book's strengths lies in Godin's ability to convey complex concepts with simplicity. He breaks down the barriers that often hinder teams from reaching their full potential, encouraging open communication, collaboration, and a culture of trust. Godin's insights are particularly relevant in today's fast-paced and interconnected world, where the success of any endeavor depends on the collective efforts of a team. The book also delves into the significance of individual purpose within the context of teamwork. Godin emphasizes that each team member possesses unique talents and aspirations and that it's the leader's responsibility to tap into and nurture these qualities. By aligning individual purpose with team objectives, Godin suggests that teams can achieve exceptional outcomes while fostering personal growth and fulfillment. Godin's expertise shines through his compelling storytelling and actionable insights, leaving readers with a renewed understanding of the transformative power of collaboration. This book serves as a timeless anthem for those looking to create lasting impact and significance through teamwork.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t often review books, but felt I’d make an exception here — largely because of the gap between my appreciation and the average review score.

I find this book extremely validating, as someone who strives to create working environments that celebrate genuine collaboration, shared and diverse perspectives, and regular refinement.

This book is somehow both concise and airy. It’s organized in a way that you get your quick hitting info, but with enough expounding to let it actually sink in.

I really appreciate how the core message here (or, at least, what resonated most with me) is to break the industrialization of [most] work to find opportunities to infuse legitimate creativity and innovation.

I’m confident that I’ll be revisiting this one.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so much better and helpful than any of the books work requires us to read. People could actually benefit from reading this.

[Kimia · Rating 2 out of 5]

برداشتم این بود بیشتر از اینکه راه حل بده با نگاه آرمانگرایی مسئله رهبری و تیم ورک رو بیان میکنه که چیز جدیدی هم نیست شاید.

[Synthia Salomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choose significance over safety

Finding meaning in work can spur you and your team to reach targets and drive innovations beyond anything you ever thought possible.

The old, industrial-capitalist models of work aren’t really working. But there is an alternative. Workplaces focused around significance, rather than safety and profit, are creating pathbreaking change and innovation – and they’re bringing their workers and customers with them.  

[Muhammad Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely powerful. Jabs for people to deeply reflect on the future of work, industrial capitalism mindset, doing work that matters, working with humans, getting real and contributing to significance. An eye opener. Highly recommended.

[Rodrigo Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Clear Statement

Following the thinking lines of Seth, this easy to read book gives a beautiful comparison between bees work and the work we should seek to do; it forms a coherent, non conventional point of view.

I enjoyed the reading, now it is time to put the exposed ideas in practice, in order to have healthier and modern companies, according to the post industrial era that we have the privilege of being in.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book fell short. After hearing the author interview, I ran to the Booksmith to find a copy. I I found the short prompts to be tough to string together and often missing meaning. I am not sure I understood the bee/ leadership analogy and found the idea distracting to the idea of significance. I kept waiting for a more concise explanation of what significance means in life, in work, in relationships, but it never came or perhaps not clearly enough. I know Godin is heralded as a patriarch of narrative non-fiction but this book felt like a missed opportunity.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like a grab bag of anecdotes for tech bro wannabes and people who bow at the altar of Tim Ferris. Overall it’s just another flowery book of ideas and criticisms with no solutions or impact. Not a bad read but certainly not an impactful or “significant” one.

[Michał · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give it 4,5, but since there's no option like that I go for 5.

This book is part manifesto, part rant in good Seth Godin style. He gets me inspired every time.

If you're familiar with previous work by Seth, then this book is kind of like a combination of the Linchpin and Tribes and other concepts by Seth.

The book mostly talks about work that is worth doing. Not necessarily efficient, not necessarily productive in economic sense. Just one that _makes sense_, is significant.

I hope it helps building a different approach to jobs and building organizations.

[BreannaWithBanana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book that I received as part of a company book club. I definitely relate to a lot of things the author notices/points out about current corporations and their cultures. I liked a lot of the suggestions and would love to see a shift of company cultures towards a more human focus instead of focusing on industrialization and trying to gain the most profit with the least expense. Not sure if a lot of the book is very applicable to the day-to-day in terms of making change but I like the philosophy.

[Racer_rajesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Culture eats strategy for every time.. is the repeated theme in the book. The analogy with bees are good.

[Paul Triller · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his signature way of exploring and explaining how we can all do better, be better, and actually make a difference, Godin hits another home run-with the bases loaded.

[Bella Peardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The GODIN. Always, a good one.

I marked many pages!! Like. Many!!!!!!

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Per Seth style, writing is concise and insightful. I listened on Audible, which I probably wouldn’t recommend. Because there is no fluff or filler to Seth’s writing, I found it difficult to internalize the content beyond 15-20 minutes of listening. I think it’s probably best read in short increments allowing time for reflection and considered application.

[Elizabeth Zimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

or 4.5

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another thoroughly-enjoyable Godin book, no doubt, but heavy readers of his work, listeners to his podcast, readers of his blog will see a lot of familiar themes, if not specific entries here. That's no real objection, as it is all his "voice," for sure. This book is written in the same format as The Practice- a series of numbered short statements, almost like blog entries. If you are familiar with his observations around "managers vs. leaders," you can imagine this book as a more detailed series of thoughts around that theme.

Are you a creator who has never read Godin before? Start with The Practice!

[Neil Pasricha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth turns 63 in a couple of weeks and he’s evolved into a kind of enlightened Yoda of the business set. His conversations with Tim Ferriss are turning into after-the-music-goes-down by-the-fireplace style dinner chats and his blog posts, which he’s written daily without a day off for decades (and I thought 1000 was a lot!), are part siren-song, part orthogonal-made-you-think thoughts, and part dramatic call-to-action. Just before writing this book, he cobbled together a group of volunteers globally to create the wonderful The Carbon Almanac, and when I sent him a letter from my city councilor enthusiastically supporting my pitch to ban gas-powered leaf blowers (inspired by Seth!), he wrote back just so positively, so happily. “This is thrilling," he said. "My friend Dan Pink tells me they've already banned them in DC." Changing the world and seeming content while doing it? He's figured something out. Now: What’s the book about? Significance. In the post-AI world we’re going to need significance – meaning – to inspire, engage, collaborate, and perform at our highest level. Gallup reports that 87% of the global workforce is not engaged. “I don’t know where you work,” Jerry Seinfeld once said. “But I know you hate your job.” Seth surveyed 10,000 people in 90 countries to describe the conditions of the best they ever had and the top four results were “I surprised myself with what I could accomplish”, “I could work independently”, “The team built something important”, and “People treated me with respect.” (“I got paid a lot” was #12 on the list, right between “I traveled” and “I got to tell people what to do.”) He then puts forward a 2x2 with four kinds of work: bottom-left quadrant is “Low Stakes, Low Trust” Impersonal (AI, freelance marketplaces, ‘lowest bidder’ mechanical Turk stuff), top-left quadrant is “High Stakes, Low Trust” Surveillance (certification, verification abound), bottom-right quadrant is “Low Stakes, High Trust” Comfort (familiarity, the village, jam jars at the end of the driveway), and the ultimate top-right quadrant is “High Stakes, High Trust” Significance with work that “creates human value as we connect with and respect the individuals who create it.” Like most of Seth’s books, this one appeals to fractured attention spans (like mine) with 144 riffs spread across 187 pages. They read like blog posts enmeshed under a big bright light pointing the way forward for managers, leaders, and coaches of all stripes. A fantastic read.