How to Order: Your Local Bookstore Amazon.com Barnes & Noble On-line Schwartz or call 800-236-7323 New research shatters the myths about what it really takes to shine in the workplace. HOW TO BE A STAR AT WORK Nine Breakthrough Strategies You Need to Succeed ISBN 0-8129-2676-5 Times Books / Hardcover PRAISE FOR THE BOOK A landmark -- an immensely practical study of how emotional intelligence-based skills pay off in star performance. -- Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence Ever wondered why the guy down the hall is moving up faster than you? This excellent book provides answers to that question that you won't find anywhere else. Robert Kelley's vivid descriptions of people performing at high levels are not only inspiring but provide concrete guidance for people in all stages of their career. -- Vinton G. Cerf, senior vice president, MCI Communications Success awaits the organization that can turn every worker into a star. Now, Robert Kelley has written a practical strategy for achieving that goal. His book should be read by managers and employees alike. -- Norman R. Augustine, chair, Lockheed Martin Corporation Robert Kelley's message -- star performers are made, not born -- applies equally to the person entering the business world as well as the seasoned pro looking for breakthrough ideas. -- William White, chair of the board, Bell & Howell Company This book can make a real difference in your life by helping you build a secure future and enhance your ability to both get and keep a job. Robert Kelley reveals the secrets of star performance that can boost your productivity and make you someone your company will fight to keep. -- Dr. William C. Byham, author of Zapp: The Lightning of Empowerment BOOK SUMMARY Whenever people hear about Robert Kelley's star performer work, they invariably want the 30-second sound-bite answer to ten years of research. "So, what's the big secret, Kelley?" they ask. "What really separates star workers from average performers?" Kelley, who consults for major corporations and teaches at Carnegie Mellon University, has found that most people have their own preconceived ideas about success. They believe instinctively that the most productive white-collar workers are the ones with the highest IQ...or the most self-confidence...or the smoothest social skills. But surprisingly, none of these answers is true -- as Kelley and his colleague Janet Caplan have proven through ten years of productivity research and training at real-world organizations like AT&T's Bell Labs, 3M and Hewlett-Packard. As Kelley explains in HOW TO BE A STAR AT WORK (Times Books/May 1998), being a star performer has little to do with your intelligence, creativity, sociability, or ambition. Once you exceed the minimum levels of these qualities needed for a particular job, there's no correlation between how smart or creative or social you are and how effective you are at work. Being a brain may land you on Jeopardy; being a schmoozer may get you invited to great parties; being a workaholic may earn you the sympathy of the overnight security guard. But none of these, even when combined into one human dynamo, necessarily create a star performer. What distinguishes stars are the strategies they use to do their own work and to work effectively with others -- strategies that allow them to double their productivity improvement rates while working less. The fact that stars are made, not born, is great news for anyone looking to boost his or her productivity, which translates directly into better jobs, higher salaries, and a wider range of career opportunities. Through his consulting practice and through the Breakthrough training program that he and Caplan customized for Development Dimensions International, Kelley has helped hundreds of workers. He notes that his strategies have proven to be particularly valuable to women and minorities, who tend not to have as many chances to learn these strategies on the job. Members of these groups have seen their productivity improvements rates soar as much as 400% after being taught more effective work strategies. In todays hyper-competitive business world, workers who can prove their value to the bottom line enjoy a tremendous advantage. HOW TO BE A STAR AT WORK shows you step-by-step how to do it. THE BOOK'S TABLE OF CONTENTS I. The Productivity Secrets of the Star Performers What Leads to Star Performers Stars are Born, Not Made Creating the Star Performer Model II. The Nine Work Strategies of the Star Performers Initiative: Blazing Trails in the Organization's White Spaces Knowing Who Knows: Plugging In to the Knowledge Network Managing Your Whole Life at Work: Self-Management Getting the Big Picture: Learning How to Build Perspective Followership: Checking Your Ego at the Door to Lead in Assists Small-L Leadership in a Big-L World Teamwork: Getting Real About Teams Organizational Savvy: Street Smarts in the Corporate Power Zone Show-and-Tell: Persuading the Right Audience with the Right Message Become a Star Performer: Making the Program Work for You III. Some Productive Last Words A Message for Managers: Productivity in the Brainpowered Economy The Rewards of Star Productivity Appendix I. The Research Story Behind the Book: The Hunt for Higher Productivity Appendix II. Resources for More Help If you are interested in the on-site productivity improvement program that is based on the star performer research, click here for Star@Work Program Series. To review another book, click on its picture. Home | What's New | Biography Books | Speeches | Consulting & Research Take Our On-Line Survey | Communicating With Robert Kelley   © Copyright 1998, 2002 by Robert E. Kelley and Consultants to Executives and Organizations, Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be used without express written permission.