|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
From Amazon
QBQ! by John G. Miller is a motivational primer aimed at purging the "blame, complaining, and procrastination" from the workplace. Miller believes that one of the hallmarks of today's business culture is a lack of personal accountability; he prescribes the cure in this series of short stories and personal observations drawn from his years of experience running his organizational development firm. His main point is that positive change begins with individuals changing themselves: "Instead of asking, 'When will others walk their talk?' let's walk our talk first." The result is choppy (39 chapters in 115 pages), and at times Miller's advice boils down to truism and cliché. Nevertheless, managers whose workplaces demand remedial, straightforward advice should find a useful tool here. --Harry C. Edwards
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
This is a quick but deep book that explores the role of personal accountability in one's work and personal life. In his own work experience, Miller found that many people look for others to blame their problems and conflicts on. He proposes that instead of asking who is to blame for the situation, we should ask, "What can I do to improve the situation?" Only by being able to ask this "question behind the question" can we take ownership of the problem and start working toward a solution. Throughout the book, Miller (who has consulted for major corporations with his firm, QBQ, Inc.) recounts real-world situations—in customer service, retail sales, personal relationships and the corporate boardroom—and the positive and not-so-positive ways they were handled. Each example reinforces the message that personal accountability and ownership of a problem not only leads to a resolution but also lifts people willing to take ownership and action above those looking to play the "blame game." From responsibility, says the author, comes leadership and greater career opportunities. In one's personal life, Miller says, ownership of conflict can also lead to enhanced relationships and greater enjoyment of daily life.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
It was a beautiful day in downtown Minneapolis when I stopped into a Rock Bottom restaurant for a quick lunch. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
It was a beautiful day in downtown Minneapolis when I stopped into a Rock Bottom restaurant for a quick lunch. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Question behind the Question is.. Why buy this book?,
By IB Analyst (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life (Hardcover)
After reading this book, and then going on Amazon and seeing the ridiculous amount of prise this book has received has forced me to review "What I can do?" to stop people from wasting money on this book.Please - I plead with all of you, individual and corporation alike spend your cash on higher return investments. The entirety of its message begins and ends with my short quotation, and is simply a short collection of "stories" that the author believes to be inspiring. They are not. In many cases, what is suggested as "personal accountability" is entirely unfeasible in a business setting. The very first "story" about the author dropping into an extremely busy restaurant, being disappointed that there was no Pepsi and his server, who being extremely himself, utilised "Personal Accountability" -- by sending his manager outside the store (at an incredibly busy time, I remind you) to purchase this one single customer a Pepsi. Great story. Managers everywhere, heed this, this story tells your staff that they can tell you to go do something for them if they feel that they are too busy. Satire aside, the premise is good, which is the problem. A book is not simply about a premise. No one praises a movie for its premise. Imagine it: "Wow, that movie's premise was really good. It could've been a really good movie. The acting, the script and the rest of the plot really sucked.. the direction was bad.. the effects were terrible.. but really! The premise! It _could_ have been spectacular! We should buy the DVD." I admitt now, in the spam of four lines, that I could not end my satire regarding this book. It really is simply fluff, and because of it, and its simplistic message, it will be embraced by upper management everywhere. Sadly, for any intelligent staff, it will have exactly the opposite effect -- they will truly feel their intelligence is being insulted by their own management. Before giving anyone this book, realize that the majority of the time, if you are giving it to your staff, it suggests to them that you are "blaming" them, or otherwise telling them they need to adhere to it. What message does that say about manage and their own sense of "personal accountability?" Again, please - I plead with all of you, individual and corporation alike spend your cash on higher return investments.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
QBQ! continues to work,
By Dick T. (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: QBQ! The Question Behind the Question (Paperback)
As a district mgr in a retail firm, I find it necessary to stay on top of my personal accountability game. It's easy - as John Miller writes in QBQ! - to slip into blame and victim thinking. We have big goals and quotas and we all want to win, but it's easy to ask the worng questions like "When will others carry their weight?" and "Why can't corporate support us more?" But then I work to create what Miller calls QBQs - questions that help me eliminate the blame and complaining. I begin to ask "What can I do?" and "How can I contribute?" and it's amazing how fast I am refocused. We are using the QBQ! training program with all our managers along with the book, and this whole concept of accountability is taking root. Our culture is changing and as we gear up for the end-of-year, it's apparent that people are asking QBQs and we will have better results. I know I will. Miller's book is a fast read, practical and humorous - I recommend it to any person or company wanting to really take personal accountability seriously.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Living mindfully.,
By
This review is from: QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life (Hardcover)
Normally, I have a fair amount to say after reading a book. In the case of this one, not so much. Mostly because it's stuff I've long believed, lived, espoused. (Although I do have my own version of how to approach things, RBR, or Reason Behind the Reason, which deals with causation and acting gracefully in response to someone's limitations.)The concepts are simple, and for me, summed up in the title of my review. Anyone who has any experience with yoga, who has entered into that philosophy needs no further explanation. Well done to Mr. Miller; this is a great contribution not just to the business world, not just to the self-help community, but to society at large; what's here is the sort of 'enlightenment' that was 'common sense and good manners' a century ago. Namasté. Personal rating: 9/10 (I'd have appreciated some more illustrations.)
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Business & Investing > Personal Finance > Money & Values
- Books > Business & Investing > Small Business & Entrepreneurship
- Books > Health, Mind & Body > Personal Health > Stress > Stress Management
- Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Success
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian Living
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
