MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED AT WORK: How to Get Ahead at Work Using Everything You Learned in High School

by Ed.D. and Jack Dougherty Wilma Davidson, Jack Dougherty

Do you want to get ahead at work-and perhaps even enjoy it? Are you looking for a job that is rewarding, both personally and financially? The workplace can be stressful, complex, and disappointing, but you might be surprised to learn that you've already successfully navigated just such an environment. It was called high school.

High school is never truly over. Dig deep into your teenage years and you'll discover that work is simply high school for grownups, complete with the Class President in the corner office, the Party Animal entertaining clients, and the Gossip telling everyone about so-and-so's divorce. After all, isn't everyone still flattering, backstabbing, envying, charming, and passing notes around during meetings? And aren't you typecast now, as you were then?

Don't let that discourage you. Whether you're the Know-It-All, the Underachiever, the Geek, the Activist, or the Loner, it's never too late to reinvent yourself or to find new ways to deal with your officemates.

With this book, you'll learn how to use your experience in the classroom and the cafeteria to reinvigorate your image, downplay traits that hurt you, and pump up the skills that will help you get ahead. Identify your core communication strengths and weaknesses. Find out whether you-and your boss-rank at the top or the bottom of the class.

Discover how to adopt and blend the traits you most admire from all the personality types in your class-that is, in your workplace. The Party Animal looking to strengthen his credentials might take a page from the A Student's book, while the Rebel who needs to solidify her new promotion with better team play should study the Cheerleader or the Jock for ideas. Because, unlike high school, your career can offer you a second chance to improve your image and reputation, and to make the most of your natural style.

Genres: Writing, Business, Reference, Nonfiction, Self Help

Hardcover

First published August 15, 1994

Reviews

[Lorrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book to assist me in writing a curriculum for a course I was teaching. I found the concepts to be relevant and it was very thorough. I'd recommend using this book if you need more direction on how to write emails, memos, and other writing that is required for business communication.

[Hind Mohmmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a perfect book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about how to write good emails.

[Biblioteka Wydziału Neofilologii UW]

N.15997, N.15998

[R.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I was provided a free copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.)

Very clear, informative, and helpful book for those who aren't sure how to get their point across in a business environment or who have picked up some bad habits along the way. It addresses how to be clear, concise, and grammatically correct. There are chapters on how to figure out what you need to say, on how to organize the information visually to make it easier to read, and how to frame and tone your message depending on what you'd like the recipient to do. There were suggestions on how to be concise without being short, how to be polite but not too polite, etc. The book covers a lot of the basics but also includes a lot of the 'tricks' that I often use at work (bulleted lists are your friend, start off with your main point, etc.) The book provides a lot of examples, with revisions, which I think is helpful to allow the reader to see what the author's advice looks like in practice.

The book is a tiny bit dated, as it was obviously written back when "memos" were done mostly on paper rather than electronically, but updates have been made to keep the advice relevant and applicable to an email culture. The pictures are a bit dated and hokey, as well as extending the page count, but they also help to break up the content and keep the book visually interesting. In some places the author's voice comes through a bit too strongly (using an incorrect construction when talking about that construction, for instance, as a joke...this is fine if someone already knows the rule and just needs a reminder, but I don't think you can assume that for all readers, and if they miss the joke, then they might be confused by seeing the wrong construction used.) The section about using humor in writing also struck me as a bit too contrived, but maybe that's just because humor in my workplace writing should only be used very gently and sparingly. In general, a few more suggestions of how to assess your office's existing and accepted "writing tone" and then adapt the book's advice for that tone would have been welcome.

Overall, this is a great book for someone who needs a little help with business writing, and I think that anyone can take away some points from it. I'm going to recommend it to a friend for whom English is a second language, because I think she'll find it helpful. I have found myself giving her a lot of the advice that this book gives!

[Novi Bobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has many good examples. Many of the examples and some of the points in the book is presented in a witty, funny way. I know some of you will roll your eyes after reading my next statement, but it makes it more fun to learn Business Writing. I use this book and Kitty Locker's Business and Administration Communication for my Business writing reference.

[Tinea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed. This is just a very basic 'how to write' book for those who really feel they can't communicate well in writing. There is some insight on tone and writing to deadlines, and the difference between good ideas and good writing and the importance of both, but also a lot of filler.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of this book is what I consider common sense. It's utility lies in the section of each "chaper" that explains how to deal with your boss of whatever personality type. It's is also a good aid to start learning about self improvement. There are probably better books for these points though.

[Martin Bihl · Rating 1 out of 5]

really superficial.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm using this as the textbook for a writing class I'm teaching - I like the style of this. It's very easy to read and has a lot of stuff people can use as reference.

[Frank Corriveau · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty insightful. Some food for thought. No great secrets.