Rating: 
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Full Steam Ahead! is one the best book I've read. I passed it on to my boss, and then got copies for everyone in our department. As a result, we've had some very interesting discussions about our work, the values that guide us and our pictures of success. We're creating a vision that is not some fluffy feel-good activity. It's exciting and energizing and the quality of our work has improved significantly. Full Steam Ahead! is a delightful book to read. I read it in one sitting-couldn't put it down. It's a well-written story that keeps you involved. But beware! Once you read this book you start to find all kinds of places in your life you want to apply the ideas.
This book helps you understand what vision really is and how to use it in your life. I highly recommend it for anyone, any age, anywhere.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Full Steam Ahead! is one the best book I've read. I passed it on to my boss, who then got copies for everyone in our department. As a result, we've had some very interesting discussions about our work, the values that guide us and our pictures of success. We're creating a vision that is not some fluffy feel-good activity. It's exciting and energizing and the quality of our work has improved significantly. Full Steam Ahead! is a delightful book to read. I read it in one sitting-couldn't put it down. It's a well-written story that keeps you involved. But beware! Once you read this book you start to find all kinds of places in your life you want to apply the ideas.
This book helps you understand what vision really is and how to use it in your life. I highly recommend it for anyone, any age, anywhere.
Rating:
Summary: Highest Praise for Full Steam Ahead!
Review: I read this book in one day having been totally absorbed in the journey that Jim Carpenter and Ellie embarked on to discover a mission statement for the insurance agency. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and liked the style of writing that made me feel as though I was overhearing someone's conversation. The most poignant part of this book was a telephone message by Jim that said, " ...if you think your self-worth is a function of your performance plus the opinion of others, then you're caught in a trap that leaves your self-esteem up for grabs every single day. But if you're playing to a higher audience or higher set of values, that's a different thing. Now you can do what is right because you know it's the right thing to do, instead of being driven by other people's opinions of you. It's what allows you to act with integrity." Another key point which stuck me from Full Steam Ahead is that it's vital to be in the present, to start living your vision once it becomes conscious, acting on what you know. I found this book extremely helpful not only on a professional level but also on a personal level.
Rating:
Summary: Well Written, Well Worth It!
Review: If you're like me, and have spent countless hours in countless meetings trying to develop a "vision statement" for your organization without ever really getting to the point, then this book is for you. Blanchard (The One Minute Manager) and Stoner have skillfully crafted an allegorical tale of Jim and Ellie, one a successful but uninspired business owner, and the other a recently-hired employee who serves as a sounding board and confidant. In their conversations, Jim confides to Ellie that running the insurance company his father created just isn't all that exciting anymore. Notes Jim: "When my father was president, everything here was full steam ahead." He goes on to say that his father really inspired the employees - they felt like they were doing important things at work, and there was real joy in the agency then. When Ellie asks whether "full steam ahead" means being reckless, or moving ahead blindly in the face of danger, Jim responds, "No, I think it's the opposite. It means having vision - being so clear about your purpose, so committed to it, and so sure about your ability to accomplish it, that you move ahead decisively despite any obstacles." This characterizes the tone and sentiment of the book - discovering the ability to unleash transformative power by developing a clear vision of where you want to take your organization and your personal life. The authors delineate the three elements of a successful vision: significant purpose, clear values, and a picture of the future. This last element, what the future will look like, resonated especially strongly for me as I read the book- the idea that you know you're on the right path when you can see a clear picture of what it's going to look like when you reach your goal. Examples abound here: JFK's vision of putting a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, Soviet athletes' technique of "mental rehearsal" in the 1976 Olympics, even skiing down a difficult hill. Using Ellie as a creative muse, Jim comes to realize that his insurance company does have purpose (peace of mind) and values (ethics, relationships, success) which permit him to develop a picture of the future where employees look forward to coming to work each day and strive to provide unparalleled customer service. Of course, the process of creating the vision is perhaps as important as the vision itself - working together to develop a common theme invests members of the organization as stakeholders, and that can build cohesion and a common sense of purpose. In the final analysis, this book is extremely well-written, engaging, and hard to put down!
Rating:
Summary: Highest Praise for Full Steam Ahead!
Review: If you've ever been on a team or committee, you know how challenging it can be when people disagree on how to proceed. Full Steam Ahead! shows that these kinds of issues can be easily avoided when everyone on the team shares the same vision. Blanchard and Stoner show us how to help our teams create an energizing vision that provides direction and focus. The book can be easily read in one sitting. It's in an enjoyable story format that holds your interest. Full Steam Ahead! was recommended to me by a friend. It's the most helpful book I've read in a long time! Now I'm passing that recommendation on to others. It will help you not only at work, but also in your personal life!
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended!
Review: Like Jim, in the book, I've been trying to get the "sparkle" into our office. Full Steam Ahead! showed me what I've been doing right and also showed me what else I need to do. I got a copy of the book for everyone in the office. Everyone thought the book was great and it provided a basis for some great discussions on our vision. The story itself is well-written and enjoyable-it has much more depth than any of the current parable-type business books. In fact, it reads like a good novel. However, more importantly, it is packed with insights and useful information. I listened to the tape twice and am still thinking about it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book--not just for business
Review: My husband was reading this book for work and I picked it up. I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting. This is a wonderful book that can help people create the lives they desire. We're applying the ideas in the book to our own family--creating a family vision.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended reading
Review: There's something about this book that's different. Other business novels I've read often seem light and superficial--motivational but not practical. There is nothing superficial about this book. The authors' messages are powerful and can easily be applied. Instead of just telling you how important it is to have a vision, they show you how to create one. I was impressed that I could learn so much from a short, enjoyable to read book.
Rating: 
Summary: All Fluff
Review: This book is just more fluffy nonsense that doesn't work in the real world. Managers, including me, would appreciate more practical guidance. I would like to see more management books written by MANAGERS!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: This book will definitely help you both in your personal and professional life. I finished reading it two weeks ago. I keep thinking about it and finding new ways to apply the learnings. I'm going to read it again. It is filled with practical ideas and useful concepts that can be applied everywhere--at home and at work. I was deeply touched by the story. It is extremely well written. Blanchard and Stoner have written a book that is deceptively simple, yet filled with significant insights. I think this is possibly the best book Ken Blanchard has co-authored yet! You don't have to be a business person to benefit from the wisdom in this book!
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