Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness

The Start-Up of You by Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha

The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha.

So much change: education, jobs and careers along with related transition between them. Authors Reid and Ben (R&B) suggest that to navigate in the new world of work, we tap into our inner entrepreneur and adopt the start-up mindset along with the its necessary skills. Basically, it's our job as individuals to take responsibility for our work and career and sail our own ship. 

B & R devote the first chapter to setting up the change and where we are today. They liken the demise of Detroit to where our careers could be now or are going to. And then they describe the Silicone Valley way:

Take intelligent and bold risks to accomplish something great. Build a network of alliances to help you with intelligence, resources and collective action. Pivot to breakout opporunity.

The Silicone Valley way is the essence of the entreprenuerial way. The lads suggest applying it to our career. And the rest of the book is about just that.

Develop a Competitve Advantage

In order to survive and thrive, we need to be able to stand out from every Tom, Dick and Sally. The way to do that is found at the nexus of our, assets, aspirations / values and market realities. 

Assets - We have two types. Hard and soft.

1. Hard - Our money and physical possesions
2. Soft - Our knowledge, connections, skills, brand, strengths, etc

Our asset mix is not set in stone. It's up to us to develop them.

Aspirations / Values 

1. Aspirations - Our deepest wishes, ideas and goals.
2. Values - What is important in our life.

Our Pole Star - Like navigating by the North Star, our Pole Star is a combination of our aspirations and values and helps to keep us on track. 

The authors talk about how our identity emerges as opposed to us digging inside to uncover some hidden and yet-to-be identified meaning. I love this part. Thinking about how way leads onto way, our aspirations are actually changed by our actions and experiences, according to the lads. 

The Market Realities

This is being real. Are people willing to pay money and or attention for your products and services? We can have unlimited passion and we can be really, really good at something, but if the market isn't willing to pay we're going to have a problem.

P 40 - Reid digs informational interviews.

P 42 - Matt Cohler and the importance of being a wingman.

P 42 - LinkedIn's founding belief - Individuals should own and manage their identities.

Plan to Adapt

If you were to ask me about important books in my life, I say What Color is Your Parachute? ranks high on my list. R&B illustrate how the primary purpose of this and other career advice books doesn't work today as we sail in a sea of chaos. The primary message of Parachute and other similar books is to listen to your heart and follow your passion. Create a mission and then develop a long term plan for its implementation. A fine plan for the 1960 or 70's. Not today.

Today, survival and thrival depend on our ability to plan, move forward, read the environment, tinker / adjust, move forward, repeat. In other words, adapt.

ABZ Planning - R&B's methodology to adapting.

1. Plan A - What you're doing now. You learn and iterate regularly.
2. Plan B - What you pivot to change course.
3. Plan Z - Your fallback position. If everything you're doing now falls apart, Plan Z is what you fallback to.

Learn - If business start-ups do not learn, they die. Simple as that. Same for you and your potential career. 

Do - Arguably the heart and soul message of The Start-Up of You. The lads say, "...actions not plans, generate lessons that help you test your hypotheses against reality."  

This is where Parachute takes the other fork in the river. As much as I love Dick Bolles and his teachings, I'm following R&B down their river channel*. Basically we can put great effort into planning our route, even build in contingencies. But once the ship gets into a part of the river that you had not anticipated, or realized that you were too far down the wrong channel, you're at a disadvantage. 

If instead, you just Do, just sail down your channel, and learn / make adjustments as you go, you're in a far better position to reap the benefits of your chosen path (not to mention how much you learned along the way).

P 64 - Maintain an Identity Separate from Specific Employers - Precious, precious advice!

p 76 - Create your own personal career policy. Explore, discover, learn, develop and cultivate an interest outside of your day job. R&B look at this as what could evolve into your Plan B. I view this as something you do when Exploring.

It Takes a Network

R&B:

What you are doing - what you should be doing - is establishing a diverse team of allies and advisors with whom you grow over time.

And if we need another way to view networking - cause of its association with sliminess, we've only to look at P 91: Build Genuine Relationships. The lads suggest we see the world from the other person's persepective and to think how we might be able to help and collaborate with them - as opposed to sizing up the other person and what we can get from them.

Our network consists of professional allies, weak ties and acquaintances. 

Professional Ties - This is someone we go to for regular advice; share and collaborate on opportunities together and as an ally, someone we promote to others.

Weak Ties & Acquaintances - People who we don't spend that much time with but we do connect with them on occasion. 

The fascinating subject of weak ties was covered by sociologist Mark Granovetter in a 1973 paper titled The Strength of Weak Ties. Malcolm Gladwell cited Granovetter's research in his book The Tipping Point.

Here's the thing about weak ties. If you have weak ties with people in your field, they are not particularly valuable. Why? Because you're likely to have access to the same knowledge, resources and connections that they have. Weak ties' value increases when they transcend your industry. 

How many people can you stay effectively connected with? On P 108, R&B cite Robin Dunbar and the magic number of 150.

P 111 - The lads talk about six degrees of separation and both Stanley Milgram and Duncan Watts's related work. They say that connecting with people who are within three degrees of you is most effective. Based on Reid's affiliation with LinkedIn, I'd say they are speaking from experienece here.

R&B:

The value and strength of your network are not represented in the number of contacts in your address book. What matters are your alliances, the strength and diversity of your trust connections, the freshness of the information flowing through your network, the breadth of your weak ties and the ease with which you can reach your second or third-degree connections.

In order to strengthen our network, we must do things for others. This is about sharing knowledge, wisdom and ideas in addition to connecting people who could be of value to each other. For further insight into this I recommend the most excellent book Give and Take by Adam Grant.

A Foot In the Door: Networking Your Way Into The Hidden Job Market

A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way Into The Hidden Job Market by Katharine Hansen, PhD. 

A Foot in the Door is a book about the role networking plays for job seekers. Kathy, the author, story tells and teaches how networking turbo boosts job seeking efforts, smokes online resume submitters and produces positive results.

Networking is the process through which you get connected and build relationships with people who can help advance your career

A Foot in the Door is anchored by the most powerful and least known tool for job seekers - the informational interview.

The informational interview helps Explorers:

• Build confidence
• Build a rich resource network
• Learn how to converse with those with more experience
• Learn about various jobs and careers
• Learn how to become successful in various jobs and careers
• Learn how to interview

Chapter one though six are devoted to the What, Why, How, Who, Where and When of networking. Chapters seven through fourteen address the basics of networking:

• psychology of asking people to help you
• get your network to work for you
• help for those of us who are shy
• do's and don't of networking
• promoting yourself
• networking in a diverse culture
• keeping track of your network

In chapters fifteen through seventeen, Kathy covers networking on the Internet. Personal branding and social media come into play here. 

All things informational interviewing are seared into the last ten chapters. Sample topics are:

• what is informational interviewing?
• how to find and choose interviewees
• how to set up and prepare for interviews
• what questions to ask
• how to optimize the interview experience
• how to track and analyze informational interviews
• following up and networking with contacts

Do you believe there are people in the world who enjoy sharing wisdom, knowledge and information? Sure there are! But it's up to us to seek them out and ask for their help. A Foot In The Door is the perfect navigational guide to do just that.

I created this mind map for easy access to resources surrounding Kathy's book A Foot in the Door. 

Feel like making a comment on this post? Have a suggested link for me to add to the mind map? Follow this link to our Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness  Facebook page and look for the post on this review dated 12/12/2013

Isa Adney: Community College Success

I reviewed Isa Adney's book, Community College Success at Cultivating Awe.

Isa flat out embodies everything we're trying to do here at Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness. Not only that, but she articulates it better. It's almost like I don't need to write the Standing Out book. Almost.

I believe that every high school student should read Isa's book Community College Success and become familiar with the vast wealth of her resources. As most of my readers are not in high school or community college, I encourage those who care about our young adults to pass this information along. 

In order to help you with easier access to Isa's resources, I created this mind map. Enjoy!

By the way, if you feel like commenting on this, head over to the Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness Facebook page here and look for this post dated 11/15/2013.

The Start-Up of You

The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha. I need to review this book but I don't have to wait till then to tell you; this is a must read! I missed this book's launch by one year due in part to my narrow view of LinkedIn. Although I've been a member of the LinkedIn community since nearly its inception, I viewed it more of a place to go and get a job than that of a relationship building community. The Start-up of You shines a beacon of light on relationship building and the near limitless value of LinkedIn.

The value of The Start-up of You to Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness can best be summed up by its relativity to this blog's categories. It pertains to every single one here.

The Start-up of You Resource Page

 

 

Dan Pink: To Sell Is Human

Dan Pink is offering an outrageous deal for folks who pre-order his new book! Here's what you get:

1. A free 20-page PDF workbook, based on To Sell is Human, giving you a two-week plan to get better at selling and a head start on those who won’t have the book until January.
2. A free New Year’s Day webinar – with an exclusive look at the ideas, people, and publications I’ll be watching in 2013 and a chance to ask me questions. (We did this for the launch of Johnny Bunko a few years ago – and it was one of the best-received events I’ve ever done.)
3. A free customized Field Notes memo book – my favorite notebook of all time, printed in a (very) limited edition batch commemorating publication of the book. Check out the sample above.
4. A free To Sell is Human bookplate, signed and numbered, to slap inside your book.
5. A free audio download of a one-hour special edition of Office Hours (which won’t be available anywhere else) featuring exclusive interviews with Robert Cialdini, author of the classic book, Influence, and Adam Grant, the Wharton professor whose not-yet-published study is one of the biggest pieces of news in To Sell is Human.

Go to this link. Towards the end of Dan's article it says: What You Need to do. Follow these directions.

Many people only need hear Dan's name mentioned along with new book and it's fore gone conclusion. Bought. For others, here's what To Sell Is Human is about. I can feel Dan's new book will mesh well with the Standing Out in a Sea of Samenss culture.

In order to stand out, we need to go out and talk to people. While exploring careers of interest and enhancing pathways chosen, we need to both learn and articulate our position in the Universe.

I actually pre-ordered my book on Aug 7. All this free stuff is like just icing on the cake. I cannot wait to get my hands on Dan's new book, not to mention the field notes and workbook.

The Art of Possibility

The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander & Ben Zander

Note: This post is longer than one of my normal reviews. It is a Cliff Note type of experiment designed for Explorers who either don't have the time to read the whole book or choose not to.

There are many different ways to look at a situation or problem, right? You know that. But how often do you consider more ways than one, namely, the first one that comes to mind?

The Zanders' premise behind this book is that most often the framework of assumptions we place around circumstances block us in our daily lives. Change the framework and possibilites are possible. 

The book is written around twelve practices designed to transform our outlook, perceptions, beliefs and thought processes. An Amazon reviewer recaps the practices here. 

To guide us into a receptive frame of thought and set the book's tone, the Zanders begin with:

A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region in Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying: Situation hopeless Stop no one wears shoes. The other writes back triumphantly: Glorious business opportunity Stop they have no shoes.

Moving forward here and at Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness I  am going to slowly assemble a library that consists of foundational books that I believe to be of importance to the Explorer. The Art of Possibility is the first book that I am placing into this collection. 

Of the twelve practices designed to transform our perception, I feel a strong connection with the Explorer to the following five:

1. It's All Invented
2. Giving an A
3. Being a Contribution
4. The Way Things Are
5. Creating Frameworks of Possibility

To be real, any or all of the twelve apply. These are the ones that resonate in my framework of the Explorer creating a universe of possibility.

It's All Invented - The world is. Our perception of the world is created by life-long programming or mental maps. Our mind percieves and or constructs based upon what it knows. This is what Ben and Roz mean by it's all invented. They go onto suggest that we might as well invent a framework that enhances our quality of life then. Here's their process:

First ask yourself:

What assumption am I making, that I'm not aware I'm making, that gives me what I see?

Then ask:

What might I now invent, that I haven't yet invented, that would give me other choices?

Do you see a hopeless situation where no one wears shoes? Or do you see a big opportunity?

 Giving an A - The Zanders reference Michelangelo when they say, "inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess material to reveal the work of art within."

They then bring this concept into a child's education. Chip away at the stone. "...getting rid of whatever is in the way of each child's developing skills, mastery and self-expression." When a teacher presents the child with an A upfront, the child does not have to live up to a measurement of some preset standard, it gives them room to evolve from inside the block of stone. It focuses the teacher on chipping away at that stone as well. And, it focuses both on the outcome...the beautiful statue within. 

Although Ben uses an example from his classroom where he actually did give students an A based on them carrying out his instruction, the idea of giving an A transcends the classroom to our dealings with one another. And by giving the A we speak to the recipient's passion. The Zanders say, "This A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into."

Being a Contribution - Ben and Roz set the stage for this chapter with the Starfish Story. (Make sure you watch the short video at the end of the post!). 

The Process:

Declare yourself a contribution

Throw yourself into life as someone who makes a difference, accepting that you may not understand how or why.

I particularly like Ben's outlook on redefining his work. Instead of viewing it as an arena for success he looks at it as a place of contribution. I think those of us who've struggled finding success at work and more so confronting agonizing frustration, can look at it in the same light. Focus on contributions to be made.

At the end of the day or week ask yourself, how have I contributed? Or better yet, involve a friend and ask each other this question.  

The Way Things Are - Be present to the way things are. This includes our feelings about the way things are. Be present to what is happening and be present to your reactions. The Zanders say be present without resistance to the way things are. Without resistance we free ourselves to explore possibilities.

Our perceptions, assumptions and feelings could be very different from the true reality of the situation. If we can separate our preconceived notions and conclusions from what is actually happening, we give possibility time to open up. 

Ben and Roz use the example of should be. You know, when confronted with a situation we overwhelm ourselves with should be's. When we do this we lose our power to act effectively. In addition to clearing should be's it's recommended that we clear judgements as well. 

By refusing room for possibility, we talk in a resigned sort of way, a downward spiral. And the spiral perpetuates the more attention is placed on it. But by speaking in possibility we create a reality for how we define things and a framework for life to unfold. (I attempted to draw Ben & Roz's sketch from the book here).

Creating Frameworks of Possibility - This is about creating frameworks that allow possibility. The Zanders provide a powerful and moving story to demonstrate creating frameworks. Here's the distilled and paraphrased version:

A second grader underwent chemotherapy and lost her hair. She wore a scarf to school but some of the children pulled it off and made fun of her. Although she begged her mom to not make her go to school, she had to anyway. 

The next morning the teacher walked into class. She took off her coat and scarf, revealing a completely shaved head. All of a sudden a shaved head was cool and some kids began to come to school with shaved heads. 

The teacher had presented baldness as a possibility and created a framework to live with differences.

Here's a description of the practice:

1. Make a new distinction in the realm of possibility: one that is a powerful substitute for the current framework of meaning that is generating the downward spiral.
2. Enter the territory. Embody the new distinction in such a way that it becomes the framework for life around you.
3. Keep distinguishing what is on the track and what is off the track of your framework possibility.

Vision - the following are criteria that Ben & Roz say enable a vision to stand in the universe of possibility:

• A vision articulates a possibility
• A vision fulfills a desire fundamental to mankind, a desire with which any human being can resonate. It is an idea to which no one could logically respond, "What about me?"
• A vision makes no reference to morality or ethics, it is not about a right way of doing things. It cannot imply that anyone is wrong.
• A vision is stated as a picture for all time, using no numbers, measures, or comparitives. It contains no specifics of time, place, audience, or product.
• A vision is free standing - it points neither to a rosier future, nor to a past in need of improvement. It gives over its bounty now. If the vision is "peace on earth," peace comes with its utterance. When "the possibility of ideas making a difference" is spoken, at that moment ideas do make a difference.
• A vision is a long line of possibility radiating outward. It invites infinite expression, development, and proliferation within its definitional framework.
• Speaking a vision transforms the speaker. For that moment the "real world" becomes a universe of possibility and the barriers to the realization of the vision disappear.

In the spirit of small steps forward* which I will elaborate more upon here in the future, I suggest the Explorer chose one of the twelve practices, the one that makes the most sense, and really embrace it. In the grand scheme of beginning to build an effective and enjoyable life, this practice should be the foundation. I certainly encourage adapting more of the practices, but taking a small step and mastering one will pave the way to the others.  

*Video by  Dr. Robert Maurer author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life - The Kaizen Way. Video part II.

Getting Real

Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future by Kenneth Gray

Most of today's teenagers either drop out of high school, graduate and go right to work, go to college with around a half ending up with a four-year degree or graduate and not be able to find work commensurate with their degree*. The economics tied to these inefficiencies are mind-boggling. What's important is...what are the long term effects on our children? Janitors and waitresses are noble positions and are actually a thing of beauty to behold when those folks put their heart and soul into their work. But shouldn't we be helping teens to research their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, ability to research and make sound educational and career related decisions. It's one thing to pursue janitorial work, it's another thing tohave to do it.

Author Kenneth Gray does a masterful job in organizing this work. To begin with he explains his goal which in part is:

To stimulate efforts designed to develop a level of maturity - career maturity - among teens that allows them to make postsecondary plans that have a high probability of success.

The book is broken down into three parts:

1) To explore the state of career immaturity that is rampant among teens, the mindset of parents, the challenges presented by dropouts, and occupational stereotypes that tend to limit occupational choices of teens.

2) To provide an overview of labor market basics, occupational projections, and career development.

3) How to improve career maturity for all teens.

Postsecondary success is the goal.

Every student will graduate from high school having developed a postsecondary plan that is grounded in at least tentative career choices and has a high probability of success.

Career Maturity

Career maturity is as important a term to Mr. Gray's book as the binding that holds it together. He explains here:

"Career maturity is demonstrated by teenagers of high school age when they:"

1)  Understand the importance of narrowing career interests as a basis for postsecondary planning;

2)  Have, by the 10th grade, identified one or more career interests after an objective evaluation of their likes and dislikes, their aptitudes, and labor market projections;

3)  Have, by the end of the twelfth grade, engaged in activities to verify these choices; and

4)  Used these choices to make post-high school decisions.

It's a Process

Mr. Gray clearly and succinctly outlines a plan and process towards postsecondary success near the book's end. I think however, if one examines and puts into practice the following steps that he provides to get real, they'll see that it's also a process towards success in all other areas of our lives.

1)  Make a realistic personal assessment of individual likes and dislikes, as well as strengths and weaknesses as they relate to labor market opportunities;

2)  Make tentative career decisions based on this assessment; and

3)  Explore alternatives and plans for preparing to pursue these interests after high school.

Can You See the Train?

Are you a parent of K-12 kids or someone over the age of twenty-one? When you want to look up something on a person, place or thing you solicit the opinions of others (yes, that's another definition of Google). I suggest however, when you consider Kenneth Gray's book here, you solicit your own opinion. 

1)  As a middle school-er / high school-er, did you have a person of influence in your life who carefully guided you along educational and career discovery pathways?

2)  Is the line of work you're in today what you went to school for?

3)  Are you in debt for that education?

4)  Did you have a researched plan to follow after high school?

5)  Do you look back and wish you would've pursued education and career related decisions differently?

6)  Do you wish that you had someone to help you with these challenges at a young age?

If you feel as if you're in a position to see the train barrelling down the tracks on our teenagers today, why not get real, pick up Kenneth Gray's most excellent book and do something about it?

*I square up these numbers a bit at Rothacker Reviews.

What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20

What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 by Tina Seelig

Over a decade ago, the Stanford University School of Engineering, one of the most highly acclaimed and prestigious university programs in America, recognized that students needed an advantage in the business place. So they created the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP). It is the entrepreneurship center of the Engineering program. It strives to develop and instill the entrepreneurship skills needed to use innovation in order to solve real world problems. STVP's words more or less. I think it helps students get real with what it takes to thrive beyond the books.

In addition to teaching a class on creativity and innovation, Tina Seelig has been the executive director of  STVP for over ten years. An amalgamation of life as a teacher, entrepreneur, author, scientist and kid-on-her-own trying to make it, placed Tina in the cross-hairs of writing What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, which was based on a series of talks she began giving in 2006.

Professor Seelig states the book's goal is to provide a new lens to view obstacles encountered everyday while charting a course to the future. She goes on to use a bevy of anecdotes to support each chapter's lessons.*

Here's the thing that absolutely screams at me about this book, Stanford University and folks like Tina and those who endorsed this book, understand that in the fields of at the very least; health, technology, engineering and the environment, the typical four-year degree isn't getting it done. Students need an edge. And that's what Tina begins to address in What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20.

Here's the second thing that screams at me, students should not wait until they're in college to begin using these ideas. For instance, let's take a quick look at Tina's definition of entrepreneurship:

An entrepreneur is someone who is always on the lookout for problems that can be turned into opportunities and finds creative ways to leverage limited resources to reach their goals.

Couldn't this mindset be used by students and their parents to help identify tentative educational and career pathways...while still in middle school?

The third thing that I noticed, be it more subtle, is this book screams of design thinking without ever mentioning the ever popular buzz word - I really thought that was cool!

My last observation about Tina's work here didn't necessarily scream at me as much as it caused me to wince and double over in pain. Tina recounts a family friend whom she very much admired, totally dissing her when, as a fourteen year old, she went to him for advice. One of the most precious moments in life is when a youngster approaches an adult for advice. While I would like to see more kids take the initiative like Tina did, we as adults, need to seize and take advantage of these priceless teaching moments when they occur.

What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 should be required reading for every high schooler in the country. And also for every parent who thinks their kids might need an edge in both post-secondary education and their careers. 

*for a deeper look into Tina's lessons, check out Ewan McIntosh's most excellent review.

make things HAPPEN: The Key to Networking for Teens

make things HAPPEN: The Key to Networking for Teens by Lara Zielin

What are you going to be when you grow up? Lara says the answer should be, "I want to be happy and fulfilled." What brilliant and piercing insight.

Your career weighs heavily into the life equation that in part contains happiness and fulfillment. But how do you get there? According to Lara the key is to network. If you scrunch your nose and emit a healthy ewwwwe at the word network, relax, Lara's definition is the polar opposite of the slimeball salesman who readily passes out business cards looking to make a deal. 

Before I tell you about this book I have to get something off of my chest. In the context of the message and design directed towards its intended audience, this is one of the best books that I've ever read! Overall, this is one of the best books that I've ever read. If you were to ask anyone who is familiar with my bookreading habits you'd come away from the conversation thinking my middle name is Voracious. I am ever soooooooo troubled by the Amazon ranking of make things HAPPEN. The roadmap toward teen success (adults too!) is crisply coherent. The interior design marches to the steady drumbeat of sensible effectiveness. And the book's length dictates that you'd need another book to read on a plane ride from Miami to Atlanta. Why hasn't this book sold? I offer an idea below.

Lara wisely dispels stereotypical definitions for networking in the first chapter. She says through networking you may:

• Uncover information to map out your goals and life plans
• Get advice and information from leaders and mentors
• Obtain well-rounded information about a company or companies
• Make connections that can lead to career opportunities

Unfortunately, many people never understand networking for what it is: a process of uncovering more about themselves and their careers.

Each chapter contains neat devices to help the reader relate and understand. Case in Point refers to real life stories. The Reminder Balloon helps the reader remember. Ain't it a Fact captures a fact. Piece it Together connects two related terms. Chapter Highlights recaps major points. And Picking the Expert's Brain provides additional resources.

Lara goes on to help readers with the question, why network? Next is probably one of the most important parts in the book: learn more about yourself. The balance of the book is a logical and orderly walk down the networking path. Ms. Zielen covers the subject like a custom made blanket. 

If you're familiar with What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles you'll see a penetrating influence in Lara's writing. I am captivated however, by the Lara filter, her interpretation of describing one of the tools available to help teens discover what they were put on this earth to do. It's magnifecent.

This book is so well written that it altered the course of my own book. I was going to include ninety nine percent of what Lara covers. Quite frankly, there's no way I could improve upon it. No worries to self though, I'm just thankful that I found this book.

I suspect that Lara's book did not sell that well because she took a different direction with her writing. 

Update 8/28/2012 - In a recent communication Lara mentioned that the book is lacking info on the use of social media in networking and in general it's outdated. I get the feeling for this reason, she doesn't want too much attention coming its way. I get that. Lara is a sharp and intelligent woman. She wants her readers to experience her best.

I believe however, that make things HAPPEN stands on its own. I can't see much in this book that wouldn't pertain to any era. It's foundational. Grasp, understand and utilize the humanity in Lara's lessons here and then add in social media. Here's a suggestion for a comprimise. Buy this book used until Lara produces an updated version.