Book Review: Nine Lies about Work, By Buckingham, M., & Goodall, A.

Abstract

Marcus Buckingham’s great passion and strength lies in reminding us that we all possess a uniqueness—a set of strengths and abilities that no one else has ever possessed or will ever quite match. Here, Buckingham and his coauthor, Ashley Goodall, demolish what has become standard operating procedure in most organizations, including cascading goals, 360° feedback, programs for high-potential employees, emphasis on work–life balance and so on. Behind their logical, common sense arguments, the authors reference volumes of research and data collected over decades. In their book, Nine Lies about Work, Buckingham and Goodall implore you not to fall for the following nine lies about the workplace. Instead, do things that work to promote engagement, retention, innovation and better performance.