Shaping for Mediocrity

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Author :
Publisher : John Hunt Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1803417978
Total Pages : 243 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (34 download)

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Book Synopsis Shaping for Mediocrity by : David Harvie

Download or read book Shaping for Mediocrity written by David Harvie and published by John Hunt Publishing. This book was released on 2024-08-30 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2021, as part of a programme called Shaping for Excellence, bosses at the University of Leicester made redundant numerous scholars in what was simultaneously an attack on academic freedom and trade union organisation. The authors of Shaping for Mediocrity not only had front-row seats in the campaign against these mass redundancies, they were in the ring - both as targeted employees and as trade union officers and negotiators. Shaping for Mediocrity tells the inside story of these attacks and the campaign against them. It situates this story within a longer history of struggle to make the university a place where critical thinking is possible, showing how events in Leicester are both reflective of higher education in the UK following four decades of neoliberal 'reform' and a particularly egregious instance of the increasingly authoritarian management of public institutions such as universities.

Good Enough

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Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674504623
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (745 download)

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Book Synopsis Good Enough by : Daniel S. Milo

Download or read book Good Enough written by Daniel S. Milo and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2019-06-18 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this spirited and irreverent critique of Darwin’s long hold over our imagination, a distinguished philosopher of science makes the case that, in culture as well as nature, not only the fittest survive: the world is full of the “good enough” that persist too. Why is the genome of a salamander forty times larger than that of a human? Why does the avocado tree produce a million flowers and only a hundred fruits? Why, in short, is there so much waste in nature? In this lively and wide-ranging meditation on the curious accidents and unexpected detours on the path of life, Daniel Milo argues that we ask these questions because we’ve embraced a faulty conception of how evolution—and human society—really works. Good Enough offers a vigorous critique of the quasi-monopoly that Darwin’s concept of natural selection has on our idea of the natural world. Darwinism excels in accounting for the evolution of traits, but it does not explain their excess in size and number. Many traits far exceed the optimal configuration to do the job, and yet the maintenance of this extra baggage does not prevent species from thriving for millions of years. Milo aims to give the messy side of nature its due—to stand up for the wasteful and inefficient organisms that nevertheless survive and multiply. But he does not stop at the border between evolutionary theory and its social consequences. He argues provocatively that the theory of evolution through natural selection has acquired the trappings of an ethical system. Optimization, competitiveness, and innovation have become the watchwords of Western societies, yet their role in human lives—as in the rest of nature—is dangerously overrated. Imperfection is not just good enough: it may at times be essential to survival.

Mediocre

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Author :
Publisher : Seal Press
ISBN 13 : 1580059503
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis Mediocre by : Ijeoma Oluo

Download or read book Mediocre written by Ijeoma Oluo and published by Seal Press. This book was released on 2020-12-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race, an “illuminating” (New York Times Book Review) history of white male identity. What happens to a country that tells generation after generation of white men that they deserve power? What happens when success is defined by status over women and people of color, instead of by actual accomplishments? Through the last 150 years of American history -- from the post-reconstruction South and the mythic stories of cowboys in the West, to the present-day controversy over NFL protests and the backlash against the rise of women in politics -- Ijeoma Oluo exposes the devastating consequences of white male supremacy on women, people of color, and white men themselves. Mediocre investigates the real costs of this phenomenon in order to imagine a new white male identity, one free from racism and sexism. As provocative as it is essential, this book will upend everything you thought you knew about American identity and offers a bold new vision of American greatness.

The Mediocrity Paradox

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Author :
Publisher : Conrad Riker
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 178 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis The Mediocrity Paradox by : Conrad Riker

Download or read book The Mediocrity Paradox written by Conrad Riker and published by Conrad Riker. This book was released on 101-01-01 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you tired of the constant pressure to excel in high school and beyond? Are you struggling with accepting that you're not exceptionally talented or gifted? If so, this book is for you. "The Mediocrity Paradox" is not just another book about high school and societal expectations. It's a wake-up call to those struggling with the harsh reality of not being the best. This book explores: - Why mediocrity is often seen as negative and how society views it - The pressure to excel in high school and the reality of not being the best - The psychological journey of accepting that one is not exceptional or gifted - How society defines success and the unrealistic standards set by media and social expectations - Examples of cognitive biases that lead people to believe they are better than they actually are - The phenomenon where winning can actually be detrimental, especially in high school - The statistical theory of averages and its application to high school performance and life - Each person's strengths and weaknesses, and how they can be used effectively If you're ready to redefine your understanding of success and stop letting societal expectations dictate your self-worth, then "The Mediocrity Paradox" is the book for you. It's time to understand the reality of mediocrity and embrace it. Order your copy today.

Betterness

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Publisher : Harvard Business Press
ISBN 13 : 1422186725
Total Pages : 87 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (221 download)

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Book Synopsis Betterness by : Umair Haque

Download or read book Betterness written by Umair Haque and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2011-12-15 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Betterness: Economics for Humans is a powerful call to arms for a post-capitalist economy. Umair Haque argues that just as positive psychology revolutionized our understanding of mental health by recasting the field as more than just treating mental illness, we need to rethink our economic paradigm. Why? Because business as we know it has reached a state of diminishing returns—though we work harder and harder, we never seem to get anywhere. This has led to a diminishing of the common wealth: wage stagnation, widening economic inequality, the depletion of the natural world, and more. To get out of this trap, we need to rethink the future of human exchange. In short, we need to get out of business and into betterness. HBR Singles provide brief yet potent business ideas, in digital form, for today's thinking professional.

"Mediocrity (A mental state of limitation)"

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Author :
Publisher : Pencil
ISBN 13 : 9362637324
Total Pages : 43 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (626 download)

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Book Synopsis "Mediocrity (A mental state of limitation)" by : Julian Lomotey

Download or read book "Mediocrity (A mental state of limitation)" written by Julian Lomotey and published by Pencil. This book was released on 2024-06-27 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mediocrity is a state of mind characterized by the lack of great ambitions and expectations, which leaves one satisfied with ordinary achievements as opposed to the achievements of the extraordinary. This book is a MUST-READ for anyone aiming for mind-blowing success in his personal or professional life. NUGGETS FROM THE BOOK The potential within a man is his real worth Anyone who will achieve an accomplishment that is worthy of note must first and foremost recognize his unique abilities and have full confidence in them Every great achievement is first cooked up, nurtured and achieved in the mind before it finds expression in the external world around us

Shaping for Mediocrity

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Author :
Publisher : Watkins Media Limited
ISBN 13 : 1915672333
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (156 download)

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Book Synopsis Shaping for Mediocrity by : Gibson Burrell

Download or read book Shaping for Mediocrity written by Gibson Burrell and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2024-05-14 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An insider account of the struggle for the soul of the university. In 2021, as part of a programme called Shaping for Excellence, bosses at the University of Leicester made redundant numerous scholars in what was simultaneously an attack on academic freedom and trade union organisation. The authors of Shaping for Mediocrity not only had front-row seats in the campaign against these mass redundancies, they were in the ring — both as targeted employees and as trade union officers and negotiators. Shaping for Mediocrity tells the inside story of these attacks and the campaign against them. It situates this story within a longer history of struggle to make the university a place where critical thinking is possible, showing how events in Leicester are both reflective of higher education in the UK following four decades of neoliberal "reform" and a particularly egregious instance of the increasingly authoritarian management of public institutions such as universities. Who makes the university and how? And what is the university for? These questions run through Shaping for Mediocrity. The book provides lessons for anyone who believes that workers have a right to organise, that employees must be allowed to question their employers, and that the university must be a critical institution.

Political Philosophy

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Publisher : Polity
ISBN 13 : 0745652379
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (456 download)

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Book Synopsis Political Philosophy by : Adam Swift

Download or read book Political Philosophy written by Adam Swift and published by Polity. This book was released on 2014 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bringing political philosophy out of the ivory tower and within the reach of all, this book provides us with the tools to cut through the complexity of modern politics.

Resurrecting Excellence

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Publisher : Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9780802832344
Total Pages : 206 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (323 download)

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Book Synopsis Resurrecting Excellence by : L. Gregory Jones

Download or read book Resurrecting Excellence written by L. Gregory Jones and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2006-03-09 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Resurrecting Excellence aims to rekindle and encourage among Christian leaders an unselfish ambition for the gospel that shuns both competition and mediocrity and rightly focuses on the beauty, power, and excellence of living as faithful disciples of the crucified and risen Christ. Drawing on ancient traditions and on contemporary voices, L. Gregory Jones offer both a theology of excellence and portraits of pastors, lay leaders, and congregations that embody "a more excellent way."--Publisher's description.

Art & Fear

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Publisher : Souvenir Press
ISBN 13 : 1800815999
Total Pages : 109 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis Art & Fear by : David Bayles

Download or read book Art & Fear written by David Bayles and published by Souvenir Press. This book was released on 2023-02-09 with total page 109 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'I always keep a copy of Art & Fear on my bookshelf' JAMES CLEAR, author of the #1 best-seller Atomic Habits 'A book for anyone and everyone who wants to face their fears and get to work' DEBBIE MILLMAN, author and host of the podcast Design Matters 'A timeless cult classic ... I've stolen tons of inspiration from this book over the years and so will you' AUSTIN KLEON, NYTimes bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist 'The ultimate pep talk for artists. ... An invaluable guide for living a creative, collaborative life.' WENDY MACNAUGHTON, illustrator Art & Fear is about the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. Drawing on the authors' own experiences as two working artists, the book delves into the internal and external challenges to making art in the real world, and shows how they can be overcome every day. First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic, and word-of-mouth has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity. Written by artists for artists, it offers generous and wise insight into what it feels like to sit down at your easel or keyboard, in your studio or performance space, trying to do the work you need to do. Every artist, whether a beginner or a prizewinner, a student or a teacher, faces the same fears - and this book illuminates the way through them.

The Decisions That Shape One's Destiny

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Author :
Publisher : AuthorHouse
ISBN 13 : 1456753177
Total Pages : 315 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (567 download)

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Book Synopsis The Decisions That Shape One's Destiny by : Lloyd N. Moffatt

Download or read book The Decisions That Shape One's Destiny written by Lloyd N. Moffatt and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2011-05-11 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every lesson, experience and obstacle that is part of life requires a person to make a critical decision that will shape his or her destiny. It is through those experiences that come from the lessons that life teaches and the obstacles that one must go through that defines truly where one's heart and purpose lies in this world. I wrote this book because I know how important decision making is in everyone's lives. There are people who like to make decisions such as finding the right career, the right person to marry, the right places to live and raise their children, even decisions that affect their overall dreams and goals. Each person was born with a purpose in this world. No one can exist in this life without one. God doesn't make any mistakes in who or what He creates. Therefore, because you are not a mistake and God created you with a purpose, you have every reason to tap into your abilities and capabilities to impact the world. If you are hungry to discover your true potential, passion and purpose in life, you will be an entirely different person after reading this book. You will have the mindset to accomplish every impossible dream and goal that many people thought you could never possibly attain.

The New Capitalist Manifesto

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Author :
Publisher : Harvard Business Press
ISBN 13 : 1422172341
Total Pages : 251 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (221 download)

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Book Synopsis The New Capitalist Manifesto by : Umair Haque

Download or read book The New Capitalist Manifesto written by Umair Haque and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2011-01-04 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this manifesto-style book, radical economist and strategist Umair Haque calls for the end of the corrupt business ideals that exemplify business as usual. His passionate vision for "Capitalism 2.0," or "constructive capitalism," is one in which old paradigms of wasteful growth, inefficient competition, and self-destructive ideals are left far behind at this reset moment. According the Haque, the economic crisis was not a market failure or even a financial crisis, but an institutional one. Haque details a holistic five-step plan for both reducing the negative and exploitive nature of the current system and ensuring positive social and economic growth for the future. Haque calls for a reexamination of ideals, and urges business away from competition and rivalries and toward a globally-conscious and constructive model--and a constructive future. Haque argues that companies must learn to orient their business models around: - renewal in order to maximize efficiency - equity in order to maximize productivity - meaning in order to maximize effectiveness - democracy in order to maximize agility - peace in order to maximize evolvability These new business ideals focus on the human element - not profit exclusively - and are easily tailored for any size or type of business, as long as they are willing to make bold and sustained changes to the current system.

It's Great to Suck at Something

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Author :
Publisher : Atria Books
ISBN 13 : 150119576X
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis It's Great to Suck at Something by : Karen Rinaldi

Download or read book It's Great to Suck at Something written by Karen Rinaldi and published by Atria Books. This book was released on 2019-05-07 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover how the freedom of sucking at something can help you build resilience, embrace imperfection, and find joy in the pursuit rather than the goal. What if the secret to resilience and joy is the one thing we’ve been taught to avoid? When was the last time you tried something new? Something that won’t make you more productive, make you more money, or check anything off your to-do list? Something you’re really, really bad at, but that brought you joy? Odds are, not recently. As a sh*tty surfer and all-around-imperfect human Karen Rinaldi explains in this eye-opening book, we live in a time of aspirational psychoses. We humblebrag about how hard we work and we prioritize productivity over play. Even kids don’t play for the sake of playing anymore: they’re building blocks to build the ideal college application. But we’re all being had. We’re told to be the best or nothing at all. We’re trapped in an epic and farcical quest for perfection. We judge others on stuff we can’t even begin to master, and it’s all making us more anxious and depressed than ever. Worse, we’re not improving on what really matters. This book provides the antidote. (It’s Great to) Suck at Something reveals that the key to a richer, more fulfilling life is finding something to suck at. Drawing on her personal experience sucking at surfing (a sport she’s dedicated nearly two decades of her life to doing without ever coming close to getting good at it) along with philosophy, literature, and the latest science, Rinaldi explores sucking as a lost art we must reclaim for our health and our sanity and helps us find the way to our own riotous suck-ability. She draws from sources as diverse as Anthony Bourdain and surfing luminary Jaimal Yogis, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Jean-Paul Sartre, among many others, and explains the marvelous things that happen to our mammalian brains when we try something new, all to discover what she’s learned firsthand: it is great to suck at something. Sucking at something rewires our brain in positive ways, helps us cultivate grit, and inspires us to find joy in the process, without obsessing about the destination. Ultimately, it gives you freedom: the freedom to suck without caring is revelatory. Coupling honest, hilarious storytelling with unexpected insights, (It’s Great to) Suck at Something is an invitation to embrace our shortcomings as the very best of who we are and to open ourselves up to adventure, where we may not find what we thought we were looking for, but something way more important.

MEDDICC

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Author :
Publisher : Meddicc Limited
ISBN 13 : 9781838239701
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (397 download)

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Book Synopsis MEDDICC by : Andy Whyte

Download or read book MEDDICC written by Andy Whyte and published by Meddicc Limited. This book was released on 2020-11-25 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do the world's most successful enterprise sales teams have in common? They rely on MEDDICC to make their sales process predictable and efficient. MEDDIC with one C was initially created by Dick Dunkel in 1996 when he was at PTC. Since then MEDDIC has evolved to be better known as MEDDICC or MEDDPICC and has proliferated across the world being the go-to choice for elite enterprise sales organizations. If you ever find yourself feeling any of the following symptoms with your deal, you could benefit from MEDDICC: Your buyer doesn't see the value of your solution? (aka they think you are expensive) You are unable to find, articulate and quantify Pain You don't have a Champion or at the very least a Coach helping you navigate and sell You find yourself unable to gain access to people with power and influence You don't know how the customer makes decisions You don't know who is involved in the decision-making process You find yourself surprised by things that come up in the sales process The decision criteria seem to move throughout the process, and you're constantly playing catch up Your Competition is landing strikes against you that you neither see coming nor are able to defend You lose track of where you stand in your deals Whether you are an individual contributor or a sales leader embracing MEDDICC will help you to beat those symptoms and take back control of your deal. Historically, learning MEDDICC has relied upon hands-on training, but now you can learn MEDDICC from an expert who uses it every day. The Book deconstructs MEDDICC into easy to understand and implement steps. Breaking down every letter of the acronym into actionable insights complemented by commentary on how MEDDICC can help sales organizations to revolutionize their sales execution and efficiency. In the words of the original creator of MEDDIC, Dick Dunkel: Whether you are an individual contributor or sales leader, my advice is that you should start to implement MEDDICCinto what you do straight away. Embrace MEDDICC, and you and your team will more clearly understand the WHY to yourprocess, and you'll begin to execute your customer interactions with more purpose and achieve better results.And like so many others before, you will begin to reap the rewards of having a well-qualified pipeline of opportunitieswith clearer paths to success. - Dick Dunkel, MEDDIC Creator.

Edward Gibbon and the Shape of History

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Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191014907
Total Pages : 209 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Edward Gibbon and the Shape of History by : Charlotte Roberts

Download or read book Edward Gibbon and the Shape of History written by Charlotte Roberts and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-07-17 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Edward Gibbon's presentation of character in both the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and in his posthumously published Memoirs demonstrates a prevailing interest in the values of transcendent heroism and individual liberty, but also an insistent awareness of the dangers these values pose to coherence and narrative order. In this study, Charlotte Roberts demonstrates how these dynamics also inform the 'character' of the Decline and Fall: in which ironic difference confronts enervating uniformity; oddity counters specious lucidity; and revision combats repetition. Edward Gibbon and the Shape of History explores the Decline and Fall as a work of scholarship and of literature, tracing both its expansive outline and its expressive details. A close examination of each of the three instalments of Gibbon's history reveals an intimate relationship between the style of Gibbon's narrative and the overall shape of his historiographical composition. The constant interplay between style and substance, or between the particular details of composition and the larger patterns of argument and narrative, informs every aspect of Gibbon's work: from his reception of established and innovative historiographical conventions to the expression of his narrative voice. Through a combination of close reading and larger literary and scholarly analysis, Charlotte Roberts conveys a sense of the Decline and Fall as a work more complex and conflicted, in its tone and structure, than has been appreciated by previous scholars, without losing sight of the grand contours of Gibbon's superlative achievement.

From Impressed to Obsessed: 12 Principles for Turning Customers and Employees into Lifelong Fans

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Author :
Publisher : McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN 13 : 1264258798
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (642 download)

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Book Synopsis From Impressed to Obsessed: 12 Principles for Turning Customers and Employees into Lifelong Fans by : Jon Picoult

Download or read book From Impressed to Obsessed: 12 Principles for Turning Customers and Employees into Lifelong Fans written by Jon Picoult and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you’re aspiring to satisfy your customers, then you’re aspiring to mediocrity. That’s the fascinating premise of From Impressed to Obsessed, a book that will fundamentally change how you think about creating a successful, beloved business. Acclaimed customer experience expert Jon Picoult explains why building customer loyalty requires leaving indelible positive impressions on everyone you work with—not just shaping their experiences, but also shaping their memories. Picoult explores the cognitive science behind great customer experiences, pinpointing the breakthrough, psychology-based strategies that both industry leaders (like Apple, Disney, and Southwest Airlines) as well as fast-growing startups (like BILT and Framebridge) use to shape people’s perceptions and sculpt unforgettable impressions—thereby turning more sales prospects into customers, and more customers into obsessed brand ambassadors. Packed with intriguing case studies, engaging stories, and eye-opening research, the book details these proven principles and illustrates how they can be applied to almost any type of business or customer. Examples include cases that show how to: • Create Peaks & Avoid Valleys—leverage the science of memory to etch positive impressions in people’s minds, by creating greater experiential peaks and fewer experiential valleys. • Give the Perception of Control—the almost magical power of giving customers a sense of agency, via choice and expectation-setting, causing them to feel better about the experience a business is already delivering. • Make It Effortless—make interactions easy for customers, not just from a physical perspective, but also a cognitive one, to satisfy today’s demand for simplicity and convenience. • Stir Emotion—harness the power of emotion as a memory cue, by infusing customer experiences with emotional resonance, highlighting positive feelings while stemming negative ones. No matter what kind of constituency you serve—customers or colleagues, individuals or institutions, employees or employment candidates—this book will help you do it with distinction. Picoult’s message is particularly relevant for managers, as he shows the parallels between how great companies cultivate engagement with customers, and how great leaders accomplish the same with their workforce. From Impressed to Obsessed reveals the what, the why, and—most importantly—the how behind great customer experiences. Filled with actionable insights, the book provides an invaluable roadmap for becoming the company that everyone wants to do business with, the employer everyone wants to work for, and the leader everyone wants to follow.

The Shape I Gave You

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Author :
Publisher : Vintage Canada
ISBN 13 : 0307368386
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (73 download)

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Book Synopsis The Shape I Gave You by : Martha Baillie

Download or read book The Shape I Gave You written by Martha Baillie and published by Vintage Canada. This book was released on 2010-07-23 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ulrike Hugenot is a young pianist who arrives home to her Berlin apartment and discovers a fat envelope stuffed into her mailbox. She is astonished when she realizes that it is from her late father Gustave’s Canadian lover. “I am writing to you because my daughter has died,” writes Beatrice Mann. “But this explains nothing.” In the eighty pages of her letter that follow, Beatrice details her decades-long love affair with Gustave Hugenot. Grief, passion, fury, regret, fear, longing–Beatrice meticulously charts these emotions through the course of her life as she unburdens herself to the young woman she has only glimpsed a few times, many years ago. Why does she choose Ulrike as her confessor? And why now, seven years after Gustave’s death? Written with great sophistication and lyricism, Martha Baillie’s The Shape I Gave You compels us to place ourselves in the roles of its complicated protagonists, to hold up and scrupulously examine our own histories, our own loves and deceits, in a new and penetrating light.