| February 19th |
"Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It" by Chris Voss with Tahl Raz
- This read was just a reminder that, as a Sr. PM, our job is essentially constant negotiation.
- One thing I learned the most is paying attention to responses when negotiating - "you're right" versus "that's right". Sometimes, you get into discussion and people seem to be aligned since your counterpart says "you're right" but in reality, they're trying to kill the conversation and do not have buy-in regarding your point of view. To ensure you have buy-in, look for "that's right".
- I found the book a little hard to swallow. For some of his suggestions, I did not feel they were professional or diplomatic. For some suggestions like saying "it seems like you want this project to fail", I would never say to a stakeholder.
- Definitely will make me look at my negotiations differently going forward. It's interesting that the author thinks that "fair" is the most powerful word in negotiations.
- The reading has shown me a unique way of thinking about negotiations and applicable examples to use in real life.
|
3.88 |
3.89 |
| April 16th |
"Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" by Simon Sinek
- I was surprised by how simply the concept of "why" was presented. While it resonated, it raised the question of whether creating meaningful buy-in can really be that straightforward in practice.
- The discussion around alignment stood out, especially how organizations can drift from their original vision over time. It reinforced the role of leadership in continuously realigning teams to a shared purpose, particularly in complex areas like AI where goals may not naturally align.
- A key takeaway was applying "why" on a personal level, especially during career transitions. Reflecting on purpose can help guide more intentional decisions around where to work and what to contribute.
- The reading highlighted that a company's stated "why" does not always align with its actions. This reinforced the importance of evaluating both what organizations say and how they operate in practice.
- Going forward, I plan to be more intentional about keeping the "why" visible in my day-to-day work. It's something I want to actively apply when managing projects and making decisions.
|
3.68 |
3.61 |
| June 18th |
"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie
- Definitely a multiple-read book. There are so many helpful principles that it's hard to digest them all in one read, but it's a great book.
- The book encourages you to treat other people with respect and shows what that looks like in practice, which ultimately helps you get what you want as well.
- Using the tips of the book is not straightforward. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to hammer out how to use the suggested principles. Even in the examples in the book, it took people multiple tries before they got what they wanted.
- Be clear, be intentional, and outline what the goals are that you're hoping to reach before conversations even start; and stay connected with others on common ground.
- Having "accountability buddies" can help cement use of the principles, which can be difficult to implement alone.
- People remember how you make them feel. If you treat people with respect and don't criticize them, you have a better chance of getting their cooperation. People will only take action when they want to, so arouse an eager want. You can't win people over by beating them.
- It gave me principles to think about when talking to people in my profession and made me more self-aware.
- I will be re-reading this book in the near future. It reassures what I have practiced in the past and gives me more confidence in my actions in the real world.
|
3.87 |
4.23 |
| August 20th |
"Personal Kanban: Mapping Work | Navigating Life" by Tonianne DeMaria & Jim Benson
- Personal Kanban brings clarity and growth through two fundamental rules: visualizing your work and limiting work-in-progress (WIP).
- It acts as an exceptional information radiator. Beyond keeping the active user organized, it gives passing stakeholders immediate, real-time visibility into project status without needing constant status check-ins.
- Immediate task capture is a game-changer. Logging action items instantly (whether in Jira or on a sticky note) clears mental clutter and keeps tasks from falling through the cracks before refinement.
- The system is highly customizable and non-prescriptive. You can tailor zones, parking lots, and visual symbols to fit your specific workflow—using physical sticky notes, digital boards, or a mix of both.
- Tracking progress visually creates frequent "small wins." Celebrating completed tasks along the way builds momentum and keeps you motivated, rather than waiting for an entire project to finish before feeling accomplished.
- On a team level, transparent visual boards prevent information hoarding, keep everyone aligned on the big picture, and streamline communication.
- An approachable, easy-to-read book that introduces simple practices anyone can immediately implement to tackle overwhelm in both professional and personal life.
|
4.33 |
4.66 |
