Description
Product Description
In his bestselling book
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, John G. Miller revealed how personal accountability helps to create opportunity, overcome obstacles, and achieve goals by eliminating blame, complaining, and procrastination. The result? Stronger organizations, more dynamic teams, and healthier relationships.
Now Miller takes readers to the next level to show how they can use the power of the QBQ! and personal accountability every day.
When a light switch is flipped the flow of energy that is released reaches the lightbulb in an instant, bringing it to life. Similarly, asking the right kind of question-a QBQ-is the first step to empowering what Miller calls the Advantage Principles-five essential practices that will lead to a richer experience in every aspect of life:
- LEARNING: live an engaged and energized life through positive personal growth and change
- OWNERSHIP: attain goals by becoming a solution-oriented person who solves problems
- CREATIVITY: find new ways to achieve by succeeding "within the box"
- SERVICE: build a legacy by helping others succeed
- TRUST: develop deep and rewarding relationships
With compelling real-life stories and keen insights, Miller demonstrates how anyone can find success and satisfaction by "flipping the switch."
From Publishers Weekly
Leadership guru Miller expands on the anti-buck-passing principles of his QBQ: The Question Behind the Question in this winsome volume of business homiletics. The QBQ methodology aims to replace plaintive, querulous thoughts of "Why is this happening to me?" and "When will others do things right?" with more constructive questions like "What can I do to contribute?" This shift in perspective, he contends, short-circuits the unhelpful behaviors of blaming, complaining, procrastinating and "thinking like a victim," and empowers people to solve problems themselves instead of whining about them. The ethos of personal accountability, he continues, reinforces other virtuous habits, including learning, creativity, service and trust, and imbues organizations with a cheerful, cooperative, can-do spirit. The author conveys these truths in a plainspoken style, replete with business anecdotes on such topics as great (or sullen) customer service, the importance of delegating and the demoralizing effects of e-mail flame wars. Miller's credo of personal accountability is not a sufficient moral code; sometimes it licenses unreasonable-and somewhat ironic-demands for customer pampering, as when Miller wishes a hotel clerk would make himself personally accountable for shining his scuffed shoes. Still, Miller's call for active engagement instead of passive resentment is a useful one that readers will find easily digestible and mildly inspiring.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
John G. Miller is the founder of QBQ, Inc., an organizational development company dedicated to making personal accountability a core value for organizations and individuals. QBQ, Inc. has worked with hundreds of Fortune 500 and other companies and governmental and non-government organizations internationally. Miller, who appears frequently on national television and radio, is the author of the bestselling
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question and
Flipping the Switch: Five Keys to Success at Work and in Life. He lives in Denver.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
¥ Chapter One¥
The QBQ! Advantage Principles
I've seen firsthand the difference personal accountability can make. I recently had my first year-end evaluation from my new boss. In our organization-a large financial and insurance firm-the highest rating anyone can achieve on their performance review is an "Exceeds." My boss began the meeting by saying he had not awarded an "Exceeds" to anyone in fifteen years! "But your performance has been stellar and I'm giving you an 'Exceeds' rating for the year.
Features
- Putnam Publishing Group