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Career coaching
Tips for taking your job from good to great REVIEWS BY STEPHANIE GERBER January is the time of year for performance appraisals, promotions and pay increases. Whether you're on the fast track or what feels like no track at all, we've rounded up several new books that will motivate you to take charge of your career. Star implosion
Instead of requiring a personality overhaul or listing new skills to learn, Goldsmith identifies 20 simple day-to-day behavioral habits—including playing favorites, not listening and displaying too much negativity—that damage relationships. He advocates using the 360-degree feedback technique that gathers input from bosses, peers and direct reports to find the blind spots of behavior that others see and you don't. Once you're aware of the issues, Goldsmith explains a three-step process to fix the problem, starting with apologizing. His advice is straightforward and easy to follow with concrete suggestions like fining yourself for every sentence you start with "but." Losing a few bucks might hurt, but you'll see results whether you're a CEO or just getting started.
By Marshall Goldsmith Hyperion, $23.95 256 pages ISBN 9781401301309
Supersize your life
The best-selling author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a master at pumping up the energy and motivation with his easy-to-read meditations on greatness in both the professional and personal realms. And while some chapters leave you wishing for more depth, The Greatness Guide feels like you're having a conversation with the author, leaving you inspired to live every day to the fullest.
By Robin Sharma Collins, $21.95 240 pages ISBN 9780061229886
The gift of time
Fortunately you won't have to spend much time digesting the tips; you can read each one in less than 120 seconds, which is the amount of time Levine suggests for most daily interactions. Instead of hanging out in doorways engaging in time-consuming chatter, you can get in and get out without rehashing last night's episode of "Lost." Then teach others to do the same, by hanging a "no loitering" sign if necessary. Start reclaiming your time by getting clear about your purpose, whether in work projects or life, and quit multitasking so you can focus. The advice for work centers are creating and maintaining structure. Don't have a meeting without an agenda—walk out if there's not one. Get to work on time, spend the first 20 minutes organizing your day and reclaim your weekend by tying up all loose ends before leaving on Friday. You'll feel the weight lift when you quit worrying about consensus and start teaching others how to use your time. The last page includes a Cut to the Chase Calendar with sample tips that will get your 2007 off to a fast, productive start.
By Stuart R. Levine Currency/Doubleday, $19.95 224 pages ISBN 9780385516204
Get back to work
Winget, the self-described "pit bull of personal development," starts off by warning readers that parts of his book will make them mad, and sure enough, it's not a lot of fun to be called a slacker. But it's hard to argue with the logic that working hard and achieving great results will lead to greater success. His simple, no-holds-barred take on business is refreshing—no sacred cow is left standing—and his clear sense of personal integrity and ethics are a much needed refresher in today's business climate.
By Larry Winget Gotham, $26 256 pages ISBN 9781592402267
A midlife crisis at 25
That experience lets Dorsey connect and empathize with his audience without sounding cynical. None of his concepts are groundbreaking, but Dorsey puts old ideas into today's language. He gets readers motivated to wake up every morning by creating a "future picture." Networking becomes "plugging in" and chapters end with "instant messages" that detail specific actions to start immediately. Included throughout are examples of self-defeating thoughts that "bounce" ("My happiness is out of my hands.") and motivational ideas you can take to the bank ("How I feel about my life is determined by how I choose to live my life.") For "boomerangers," the restless grads who have moved back home with their parents and are awaiting pointers toward a new life, Dorsey's message should serve as an emphatic kick in the butt.
By Jason Ryan Dorsey Broadway, $14 256 pages ISBN 9780767921831
Stephanie Gerber is a marketing executive in Louisville.
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Is it possible to be too successful? Yes, says popular executive coach Marshall Goldsmith. It's all too common for a company's brightest stars to fade—or even implode—because the behaviors that helped them climb the mountain keep them from reaching the top. Companies pay Goldsmith big bucks to teach their best and brightest how to get rid of the everyday behaviors that drive their officemates nuts and sabotage their success. It's an investment that often costs $250,000. Fortunately, he captures his thoughtful advice in What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful.
Support your 
Robin Sharma lives by the philosophy that "the person who experiences the most wins." The modest author (don't call him a guru), who is cool enough to list Bono and Diddy as role models, explains how to get the most out of life in The Greatness Guide: Powerful Secrets for Getting to World Class. The 101 mini two-page chapters are written more like diary entries with personal advice that often comes from his everyday interactions. His coaching on staying positive and seizing life might seem simple, especially when he touts the wisdom of SpongeBob SquarePants, but it requires daily discipline. Sharma's approach makes time for a "holy hour" of reflection to stay on course by getting up at 5 a.m. each day. Other to do's on Sharma's best practice list are a bit easier: weekly massages and conversations with interesting people.
Even those of us who don't stand a chance of getting up at 5 a.m. can still increase our productivity by picking up Cut to the Chase. Stuart R. Levine, author of the bestseller The Six Fundamentals of Success, has compiled 100 immensely practical ways to speed up, be more direct, meet smarter and find the elusive work/life balance.
The title of Larry Winget's new book is a clue that he isn't your ordinary touchy-feely motivational speaker. It's Called Work for a Reason! Your Success Is Your Own Damn Fault is a follow-up to the bestseller Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life. Starting to get the picture?
For the disillusioned 20-somethings who are dissatisfied with work, life and love, Jason Ryan Dorsey has a wake-up call. More than a career guide, My Reality Check Bounced: The Twentysomething's Guide to Cashing In on Your Real-World Dreams tackles the ennui that many college grads feel after hitting the real-world rut of overtime and credit card bills. Dorsey's message is one of empowerment: Stand up and create your own life. NOW. That's what Dorsey did when he dropped out of college to self-publish his first book, Graduate to Your Perfect Job, now required reading at 1,500 schools.