Book Study: The No Complaining Rule by Jon Gordon

[Susan : )]

For our Grand Finale, let's go out of 2011 in style and go into 2012 brand new!!

During the next 8 weeks, we will be studying  The No Complaining Rule.  

Purchase your book now or request it from your library,

and begin readying it now so you can be prepared for the discussions!

 

We studied a few of Jon's books in the last few Vaults.

You can find The Energy Bus Book Study here in the Common Area. 

This is available for purchase through the RFR Amazon Store, click here!

Check out what Jon has to say:

"When I speak to leaders and managers not surprisingly everyone can identify those who are negative. What is surprising, however, is that many leaders and managers don’t know what to do with them—often allowing them to breed and fester within the organization.  

 

And even worse they have no idea how much these negative people, I call Energy Vampires, are costing their company by sabotaging morale, performance, productivity, customer service and sucking the positive energy and life out of the organization.

 

As Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNab said regarding Terrell Owns, “One guy can’t make a team but one guy can break a team.”

 

To build a thriving, high performing company it is essential then to address the issue of negativity at work and eliminate the Energy Vampires from your organization. Not with stakes, silver bullets or garlic but with a positive approach I surprisingly garnered, not from other business experts or professors, but from a gardener and a college football coach.

While talking to my new organic yard guy one day I asked him how he was going to get rid of my weeds and make my lawn look great without using pesticides and chemicals. He said, “Well, I just create an environment that nurtures the soil and allows the good grass to grow healthy and strong to the point where the good grass crowds out the weeds and makes it impossible for the weeds to grow.”

My other conversation took place with Pete Carroll, head football coach of USC. When I asked Pete his secrets for winning two national championships and recruiting the best players in the country he told me that positive energy is ingrained in their systems, processes and everything they do. Practices, meetings, gatherings in the locker room are all infused with positive energy. It’s ingrained in their culture and habits.

Applying these lessons to the business world, it is very apparent why negativity sabotages so many companies despite the overwhelming evidence and recent literature demonstrating the benefits of positive work environments.

 

Most companies deal with negativity by either ignoring it or firing negative people but like a lawn if you don’t address the environment new weeds will always pop up. While pink slips will always be necessary, the best way to reduce negativity is to create a positive environment and culture where your processes, systems and people are infused with positive energy making it impossible for energy vampires to grow and multiply.

 

Encouraging managers and employees to read positive books won’t accomplish this alone. Holding conferences on becoming a positive company won’t work by itself. Meetings where you encourage everyone to be positive won’t do it.

To truly create a positively charged culture you will want to conduct an energy audit of your company and identify the people and the gaps in your processes that are contributing to negativity. You will want to address these gaps and incorporate positive strategies and best practices that are proven to hire, develop and fuel positive, engaged people and teams.

 

For example most companies have every intention of hiring skilled, hardworking, positive people. However, what a majority of them lack is a screening and hiring process that screens for optimism and a positive attitude and screens against negativity.

 

PPR, a health care recruiting recently voted one of the best places to work, for example, has implemented an intensive hiring process filled with surveys, interviews and tests that weed out negativity. They know that building a positive high performing company begins with getting the right people on the bus and so they spend time, energy and resources to create a hiring system that accomplishes this.

 

The fact is, every company will have to deal with issues of negativity to define themselves and create their success and when it comes to building a positive culture one solution does not fit all. I advise leaders to meet with their leadership teams and discuss the results of their energy audit and create a road map and vision for the road ahead.

With vision and an action plan you can begin to cultivate positive energy within your people and engrain it into your process, systems and culture—neutralizing the energy vampires, lowering the cost of negativity and fueling your business and profits."

 

----Susan here:

As you have probably noticed, we place considerable focus on keeping our attitudes in check here at the Hab. This is because Penni and I strongly believe that this is significant element that positively supports the lasting change that we're seeking in our lives.

 

Although so much of what happens in this life is beyond our control, we always have the ability to choose our attitude and how we react to the circumstances surrounding us.  Optimism brings an energy that can brighten our lives and that of others. Choosing to positively re-frame our thoughts is a skill that can be developed with practice and it enhances the journey of life making it much more joyful and pleasurable!

 

I invite you to focus on assisting us in creating an environment of encouragement and positivity.  We are from all over the globe here.  It is our desire that you take this home with you into your world!  Apply this to your life, in your family, your home, your workplace...wherever you go!

 

Sign in here and let us know that you are reading along with us!!!

Come be a part of this life transforming discussion!

The No Complaining Rule by Jon Gordon Index

We also have 2 other book studies going on...check them out

 Book Study: Get on The Energy Bus with Susan Index

   The Seed Book Study

 

[Jo]

I need to see about buying it so that I can read it. Just reserved it from the library and see that it is due back today but there is another hold in front of me. They only have 1 copy of the book. Will see if I can get it from Paperbackswap.com or the used book store first.

[Susan : )]

Great!  Glad you are joining us Jo! : )

[Libbi Corson]

I am going to do this!! Hope I can download this onto my Nook!!

Perfect way to end the year!

[Susan : )]

Great, Libbi!

Libbi Corson said:

I am going to do this!! Hope I can download this onto my Nook!!

Perfect way to end the year!

[Kelli]

I am definately on board!  I always look forward to your book studies Susan!! Thank you.

[Susan : )]

Looking forward to your participation!

Kelli said:

I am definately on board!  I always look forward to your book studies Susan!! Thank you.

[Mae Jardine]

Oh!  I'm so happy you are doing another book study, Susan.  The last two enriched my life and I shared what I learned with anyone willing to listen.  It seems I learned as much from what others shared in the discussions as I did reading the books.   See you at the Book Study!

[Susan : )]

This will change your life if you let it!

Ginette said:

This couldn't come at a better time! I'm struggling with work - I need to find a way to be more positive and make this job more enjoyable - so I hope this book can shed some light for me! Sign me up!!

 

[Susan : )]

This book changed me soo much!  Excited to do the study along with all of you!

Mae Jardine said:

Oh!  I'm so happy you are doing another book study, Susan.  The last two enriched my life and I shared what I learned with anyone willing to listen.  It seems I learned as much from what others shared in the discussions as I did reading the books.   See you at the Book Study!

[Tulip Smile]

I'm working on my positive rhyming limmericks ;0)

2011 is just like Heaven, and

2012 is when we love ourselves! 

xoTulip

[Susan : )]

OOOoooo....I LOVE this!

Tulip Smile said:

I'm working on my positive rhyming limmericks ;0)

2011 is just like Heaven, and

2012 is when we love ourselves! 

xoTulip

[Jo]

I ordered my book this morning from Barnes & Noble. I found out interesting news to me that I hadn't realized. If I order the book to be sent to the house, it is actually quite a bit cheaper than if I go into the house. The funny thing about it is that is better for me since we have about a hours drive to get to Barnes & Noble and I should have it in 4 - 5 days.

 

Jo