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Dare to Prepare: How to Win Before You Begin
Over the course of a forty-year career in the worlds of law, sports, business, and politics, Ron Shapiro has worked with and advised an incredible variety of people. What he’s found is that the secret ingredient for getting into the winner’s circle is simply the discipline of methodical that old-school, step-by-step way of having all your ducks in a row, whether you are an executive getting ready to do a deal or make a speech; a pitcher studying the traits of opposing hitters and keeping a meticulous notebook of their strengths and weaknesses; an international trade negotiator who knows all about the issues and the people on the other side before sitting down at the table; or a surgeon who rehearses like a classical musician.
Deep down, you know you should do it. But how often do you wing it and fly by the seat of your pants because “Gosh, I don’t have time . . . I’ve done this before . . . I know what I’m doing”? It is obvious that you have to get ready for whatever game you’re playing, but all too frequently methodical preparation is the missing ingredient in today’s world of instant analysis, easy access to information, and glibness that sounds good at first but is unconnected with the reality at hand.
In Dare to Prepare , successful people such as wine guru Robert Parker, investment legend Bill Miller, pianist Leon Fleisher, Goldman Sachs partner Lisa Fontenelli, broadcaster Bob Costas, firefighter Ann Marie Tierney, New York Mets manager Willie Randolph, and many others share the way they apply discipline in preparing for career-changing games, deals, meetings, and interviews. Cal Ripken Jr. played thousands of games in the major leagues but prepared for each like it was his first. NPR host Liane Hansen has interviewed countless people but approaches each interview with the same meticulous research time and time again.
Make sure there are no slips “twixt cup and lip” as you get ready for your next personal or professional challenge by daring to prepare.
Deep down, you know you should do it. But how often do you wing it and fly by the seat of your pants because “Gosh, I don’t have time . . . I’ve done this before . . . I know what I’m doing”? It is obvious that you have to get ready for whatever game you’re playing, but all too frequently methodical preparation is the missing ingredient in today’s world of instant analysis, easy access to information, and glibness that sounds good at first but is unconnected with the reality at hand.
In Dare to Prepare , successful people such as wine guru Robert Parker, investment legend Bill Miller, pianist Leon Fleisher, Goldman Sachs partner Lisa Fontenelli, broadcaster Bob Costas, firefighter Ann Marie Tierney, New York Mets manager Willie Randolph, and many others share the way they apply discipline in preparing for career-changing games, deals, meetings, and interviews. Cal Ripken Jr. played thousands of games in the major leagues but prepared for each like it was his first. NPR host Liane Hansen has interviewed countless people but approaches each interview with the same meticulous research time and time again.
Make sure there are no slips “twixt cup and lip” as you get ready for your next personal or professional challenge by daring to prepare.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 1, 2009
In his book Dare to Prepare: How to Win Before You Begin Ronald Shapiro gives us the secret, the open secret, to success… You have to do some work for it!
Actually, he makes it that simple. If you wanna win, you have to practice and you have to prepare in advance. And Ronald Shapiro should know. He is a lawyer, an arbitrator, a negotiator and he owns a very successful professional sports agency which has represented major nationally and internationally known athletes. Shapiro gives us the reason to prepare, that thing we don’t want to see… Money, talent, brains? They are all leveled by the guy who puts in the hours in advance. By preparation a lesser athlete, negotiator, businessman, politician, or what have you, becomes the equal or the better of their competitor who doesn’t spend the required effort.
Now that Ronald Shapiro got that through our head he spends the rest of the book giving us illustrations of how we should spend our time preparing and he uses real life examples of businessmen, educators, coaches, journalists, politicians, fire fighters, lawyers, doctors and even priests have made themselves successful by preparation. Each section of Dare to Prepare takes the reader through a phase of preparation that is vital to master in order to obtain the edge. And each of these phases are illustrated with true life examples of the famous and not so famous who are masters of these skills.
What I gained from Dare to Prepare was that preparation isn’t just a planning stage before the game, the presentation, the court case, etc. Preparation is an immersion. There is scripting to be done. Role playing to go through. Time lines to be made and adhered to. And one of the best bits of advice in preparation, which I think is oft overlooked, is that we should seek out those who have succeeded before and learn their lessons. (That seems like the most common sense thing to do? You’d be surprised at how many of us don’t take the time!)
The style of the book was very easy to read but the stories it contained were even easier to grasp – not because of the style per se, but more because these were stories we could relate to. On the one hand there were the people who we have heard of: Charlene Barshefsky, Bob Costas, Shirley Franklin, Ken Singleton, Bill Walton… But these were the minority. Shapiro went out of his way to give us stories of the people who were not so famous but were very successful in their fields due to their prior preparations. These are people who are making a difference in society everyday. Dare to Prepare is an enjoyable read, not just from the writing but rather from the fact that we know it is food for thought is good for the digestion and will help you get past the valleys and plateaus of life to achieve more of the peaks.
Actually, he makes it that simple. If you wanna win, you have to practice and you have to prepare in advance. And Ronald Shapiro should know. He is a lawyer, an arbitrator, a negotiator and he owns a very successful professional sports agency which has represented major nationally and internationally known athletes. Shapiro gives us the reason to prepare, that thing we don’t want to see… Money, talent, brains? They are all leveled by the guy who puts in the hours in advance. By preparation a lesser athlete, negotiator, businessman, politician, or what have you, becomes the equal or the better of their competitor who doesn’t spend the required effort.
Now that Ronald Shapiro got that through our head he spends the rest of the book giving us illustrations of how we should spend our time preparing and he uses real life examples of businessmen, educators, coaches, journalists, politicians, fire fighters, lawyers, doctors and even priests have made themselves successful by preparation. Each section of Dare to Prepare takes the reader through a phase of preparation that is vital to master in order to obtain the edge. And each of these phases are illustrated with true life examples of the famous and not so famous who are masters of these skills.
What I gained from Dare to Prepare was that preparation isn’t just a planning stage before the game, the presentation, the court case, etc. Preparation is an immersion. There is scripting to be done. Role playing to go through. Time lines to be made and adhered to. And one of the best bits of advice in preparation, which I think is oft overlooked, is that we should seek out those who have succeeded before and learn their lessons. (That seems like the most common sense thing to do? You’d be surprised at how many of us don’t take the time!)
The style of the book was very easy to read but the stories it contained were even easier to grasp – not because of the style per se, but more because these were stories we could relate to. On the one hand there were the people who we have heard of: Charlene Barshefsky, Bob Costas, Shirley Franklin, Ken Singleton, Bill Walton… But these were the minority. Shapiro went out of his way to give us stories of the people who were not so famous but were very successful in their fields due to their prior preparations. These are people who are making a difference in society everyday. Dare to Prepare is an enjoyable read, not just from the writing but rather from the fact that we know it is food for thought is good for the digestion and will help you get past the valleys and plateaus of life to achieve more of the peaks.
August 27, 2012
This just in: preparation is important. Yes, this is something we already new but it's good to be reminded. Even better, it is good to be given steps to better refine our processes.
Overall, it's a timely and helpful topic. It's just not fun to read, by the end of the book the anecdotes of people who exemplify the steps outlined in the book grew tedious.
Overall, it's a timely and helpful topic. It's just not fun to read, by the end of the book the anecdotes of people who exemplify the steps outlined in the book grew tedious.
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June 17, 2019What's your goal and why you want to accomplish it? Clarify your objectives
Find/analyze precedents.
Find the interests of other involved parties such as clients, counterparts, the other side on negotiation table.
Analyze alternative approaches.
Determine a strategic approach--> don't jump to deciding a strategy without preparing for it.
Develop a timeline and use it to keep you working on it consistently. Be flexify.
Scripting with devil's advocates. Scripting is a process of marshaling the facts, developing a theme and make you more prepared for talks, toasts, negotiations, updating with team members.
Find/analyze precedents.
Find the interests of other involved parties such as clients, counterparts, the other side on negotiation table.
Analyze alternative approaches.
Determine a strategic approach--> don't jump to deciding a strategy without preparing for it.
Develop a timeline and use it to keep you working on it consistently. Be flexify.
Scripting with devil's advocates. Scripting is a process of marshaling the facts, developing a theme and make you more prepared for talks, toasts, negotiations, updating with team members.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2020
The book is a series of stories of how to prepare. When you're a reporter which interviewing celebrities and have to impress or playing a world series game as well as in a new job, the prep really plays an important role on how someone can win with prestige just by having a little margin of work in advance.
April 24, 2018
Great examples of how to follow steps for better immersion into preparedness. However, the examples left little for me to relate to. That said, it broadened my horizons in realizing just how much more I have to learn to accomplish the results I want in my life.
June 23, 2019
Interesting access to great stories but the text is dated and the introductions are forced.
April 17, 2022
didnt really stick
June 1, 2008
Preparation: "the system for getting long-term results in our short-term world." I'm a believer in being prepared; that's why I read the book.
The author reinforced the value of preparation through his eight principles. He also introduced the reader to 38 individuals who have succeeded in their careers by applying one or more of the eight principles.
I didn't find many of the 38 career examples compelling, in part because they hailed from a wide array of career disciplines which I had a challenge relating to.
I also struggled with my own experiences of not finding clients or employers who value preparation. In the short-term world preparation is something I have been doing for free in order to deliver quality results. I guess what I really need to do is attend the author's Negotiation Institute!
The author reinforced the value of preparation through his eight principles. He also introduced the reader to 38 individuals who have succeeded in their careers by applying one or more of the eight principles.
I didn't find many of the 38 career examples compelling, in part because they hailed from a wide array of career disciplines which I had a challenge relating to.
I also struggled with my own experiences of not finding clients or employers who value preparation. In the short-term world preparation is something I have been doing for free in order to deliver quality results. I guess what I really need to do is attend the author's Negotiation Institute!
March 5, 2015
In Dare to Prepare, Ronald Shapiro introduces us to people from all walks of life who share the way they apply discipline in preparing for career-changing deals, meetings, games, and interviews. Shapiro explains that the primary ingredient for their success is simply the discipline of methodical preparation. He explains that this is essential whether you are an executive getting ready to do a deal or make a speech; a pitcher studying the traits of opposing hitters and keeping a meticulous notebook of their strengths and weaknesses; an international trade negotiator who knows all about the issues and the people on the other side before sitting down at the table; or a surgeon who rehearses like a classical musician.
September 22, 2012
People have common excuses as to why they fail to plan: 1. They don’t have time, 2. They’ve done it before and 3. They already know how. By making these assumptions you will often end up showing how unprepared you really are. Use the preparation checklist at the end of this book to make sure you know what you are after and how you will address the concerns and questions of others. The benefits you will gain by being prepared are self confidence, effectiveness and satisfaction.
December 14, 2009
I read this book while in the middle of interviewing for jobs, post graduate school. Shapiro paints a black and white picture of successful preparation and inspires action to thoroughly prepare before any meaningful task. I give this book five stars because without it, I perhaps would not have been as prepared for the opportunities I have today.
December 4, 2012
Seemed pretty straight-forward. Basic advice on planning. Set a goal. Know what's been done before. Build a team. Get the team to buy in. Strategy. Time line. Prepare scripts. It has lots of "real world" anecdotes from businesses. It's not for me.
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August 3, 2011Good book with some helpful hints. Now if I could only find time in my 10 hour work days to spend time preparing.
March 29, 2013
A should-read book on career management.
November 19, 2015
I trusted the source...and felt good about the material.
Not a bad stack of paper : ]
Not a bad stack of paper : ]
July 25, 2016
Preparation is getting ready for opportunities for success.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews