A Book Review on “The Go-Giver” Written by Bob Burg and John David Mann

In this blog, I will be reviewing a book entitled “The Go-Giver” written by Bob Burg and John David Mann. When I interviewed Leo King of Kings Fitness https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/a-leader-in-the-fitness-industry  he said he reads this book once a year to refresh the ideas and concepts that this book presents. In interviewing him and observing how he runs his business he does apply the concepts from this book and his gym business is very successful. And with all the other interviews that I have done so far, I would say that there is merit to the concepts that this book presents. This is why I decided to review it as it can give a person a fresher perspective on how to approach life and their careers.

The Go-Giver is fiction, it is a story or fable about a student (Joe) and a teacher (Pinder) and five key lessons that are taught over five days regarding how to conduct business which does convey over to how we live our lives.  I will provide examples in this blog, from these five key lessons from the book and from interviews that I have done.

Providing value is the first key point. Leo King does this by providing a space that is fun, friendly, and full of the latest training equipment in his gym Kings Fitness.   Another key theme from the book is serving as many people as you can and serving them well, will determine your compensation.  Chef Paul Rogalski is a good example of this. In the interview,   https://the-career-guy.simplecast.com/episodes/a-chef-that-is-continually-re-inventing-himself he admits that owning a restaurant and being a chef is not lucrative. However, priding himself and his staff in what they do, ensuring that they provide a good customer experience has enabled his restaurant called “The Rouge” to prosper in a very competitive market for over twenty years.  

Influence is another key point in the book. This is done by putting other people’s needs ahead of your own.  My interview with Teresa Mitchell https://the-career-guy.simplecast.com/episodes/a-renaissance-women-from-chef-to-financial-planner-to-a-coaching-services-and-a-podcaster is an example of this. As a financial planner, she needs to understand what her clients’ needs are in regards to their financial well-being. This can be challenging as well. We all have different values and want different things out of life. Understanding this without personal bias enables her to set up clients for financial success with their specific wants and desires.

Being authentic, giving of yourself is another key element discussed in the book. Megan Burns who works as a social worker https://www.thecareerguy.ca/episodes/an-inside-look-at-social-work  represents this. She works in drug addiction and mental illness and she points out that if she is not being honest with her patients, they will call her out on it. Also, dealing with this segment of the population is demanding, however, she wants to help people is why she still does and continues in this career regardless of all the obstacles and setbacks.  

Being receptive is another is the point in the book and is something that we overlook. Paul McNeil was working in northern Alberta in the oil sands and they discovered a remnant of a dinosaur. This opened up the possibilities for him to explore the idea of pursuing a career as a paleontologist, which he did. In the interview https://the-career-guy.simplecast.com/episodes/a-passion-for-geoscience-working-as-a-paleontologist, he also explains how he did his research which entailed keeping an open mind and letting the data tell the story. Too often we go into something such as (research) predicting the outcome - we already know what the result should be. In doing so we miss opportunities that are right in front of us because we are focused on something else, such as a predetermined outcome that we want.  In addition, being personable and approachable with people is an invaluable asset to have as we never will know who will bring a prospect to us which comes across in his interview.

The book is an easy read it can be done in an afternoon. It is light-hearted and can be entertaining. The main takeaway that I would like to point out is that opportunities will come to us, as long as we are honest with our efforts. In doing so we will add value to others, and with that, our customers or audience will grow and this is supported by all the interview examples I have listed in this blog.  This concept is counter-intuitive to the way most of us have been brought up and that is to chase opportunities. I do think that we need to find something we are passionate about and pursue it and in doing so learn about it as much as we can. This is how we develop our credibility and this is supported by all people that I have interviewed.  I hope this blog helps.   

 

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