How To Be A Star At Work

How To Be A Star At Work
by Robert E. Kelly, Times Business, Random House, New York, 1999.

I don’t like small print and although I am a great believer in the power of telling stories, I get tired of real live case studies, one after another. That said this is a solidly researched book that presents important ideas in a straightforward and comprehensive manner. You may not always agree with some of the points, but if you bear with the book (and read it all – don’t skip) everything will hang together.

Remember, this book is about strategies – not a how to. For example, strategy eight, "Organizational Savvy" goes on to list a number of skill sets. One of these is managing conflict. This skill is awarded three pages in the book, but as we all know is a complex competency.

There is no right way for each and every one of us. I appreciated how differences and individual personalities are validated and reinforced in the book. Nor does the author downplay the potential pitfalls or possible negative consequences for adopting a strategy. Each one has its own risks.

I found two of the strategies presented particularly interesting. The first star performer strategy is initiative. "Initiative is the most widely misunderstood of all the star performer work strategies". The clarification between what is initiative versus what is just doing your job is an important concept for individuals to understand. The difference is well laid out in the material. Chapter 6 provides an insightful presentation on networking. In my experience, I find that individuals often misunderstand the importance of networking and what it really is. I am sure that each reader will find a particular chapter or two speaks to him or her.

Kelly states in his preface that "you should resist skipping around to chapters that seem more interesting… start at the beginning with the model and read through the work strategy chapter in the order presented." I suggest a couple of caveats. I skimmed the appendix first. I wanted to get a sense of the research behind the book. There on page 305 is a very important table. It is a list of seven factors that Kelly has discovered that create the perception or judgment by superiors that an individual shows high productivity and performance. After all aren’t these strategies and underlying skill sets on how to be a star all about being perceived as one by others?

Read chapter 14 on "Becoming a Star Performer" either after chapter two or four. I thought that this section provided some perspective to the book as a whole. It is short so you can reread it again when you come to it. I liked chapter 4 which responses to questions from interested readers and motivated me to read on. It did sound a little like a sales pitch at times.

Which brings me to my last beef. Kelly stresses that this book is based on lengthy and extensive research, particularly at Bell Labs and I acknowledge the contribution that he has made. Kelly and his group, Consultant to Executives and Organizations Ltd. have developed a program based on his model. This too has been researched and evaluated for its effectiveness that appears impressive. Unfortunately, I often got the impression that the book is a ruse for selling this training package. That is unfortunate. The book stands alone on its own merits as having something important to say to individuals who want to improve their organizational impact.

RFH (99/08)

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