Whale Done! The Power of Positive Relationships FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Ken Blanchard's talent for articulating accessible solutions to the complex problems of the workplace has propelled his many books, including Gung Ho! and Raving Fans, to the top of bestseller lists everywhere. This book, as the subtitle suggests, focuses on the importance of motivating others through positive feedback, an idea Blanchard develops by drawing an analogy between the essentials of human performance and that of the killer whales at SeaWorld.
The story (the book is told as a kind of parable, a method familiar to readers of Blanchard's work as well as that of his One Minute Manager coauthor, Spencer Johnson) begins when Wes Kingsley, disappointed in the relationships he has developed both at the office and at home, tries to discover how the SeaWorld trainers are able to coach such extraordinary work from their animals. Wes's first guess, that the whales know they will be denied food if they don't meet certain expectations, neatly summarizes his attitude toward others: He comes from a school that gives plenty of attention to catching people's failings but doesn't really attempt to feed their natural hunger for attention and recognition. Wes's last name also expresses his character. He's a king, accustomed to dominating, judging, and ruling -- activities that leave little space for the kind of positive relationships that nourish and sustain high levels of performance.
Whale Done! continues to chart Wes's progress toward a happier, more productive mode of connecting himself to others. He learns that the secret to training the whales lies in redirecting their focus away from negative behaviors and toward desired achievements; he meets management expert Anne Marie Butler (unlike a king, a butler is a facilitator and a guide), who teaches him the ABC's of helping people achieve their goals; he improves his home life by teaching his family how to catch each other doing something right; and finally, he learns to take control by working with people instead of simply berating them. Admirers of Blanchard's earlier books will appreciate this easy-to-read but pithy fable, which offers a powerful formula for positive and effective engagement with the other folks in our lives. (Sunil Sharma)
FROM THE PUBLISHER
What do employees and coworkers have in common with a five-ton killer whale? A whole lot more than you think, according to the mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and his coauthors from SeaWorld. Whales respond best to positive reinforcement. So do humans. In this moving and inspirational new audiobook, Blanchard explains how using the techniques of animal trainers -- specifically those responsible for the killer whales of SeaWorld -- can supercharge your effectiveness at work and at home.
When gruff business manager and family man Wes Kingsley visited SeaWorld, he marveled at the ability of the trainers to lead huge killer whales in performing acrobatic leaps and dives. Later, talking to the chief trainer, he learned their techniques of building trust, accentuating the positive, and redirecting negative behavior -- all of which make these extraordinary performances possible. Kingsley took a hard look at his own often accusatory management style and recognized how some of his shortcomings as a manager, spouse, and father actually diminish trust and damage relationships. He began to see the difference between "GOTcha" (catching people doing things wrong) and "Whale Done!" (catching people doing things right).
In Whale Done!, Ken Blanchard shows how positive reinforcement and redirection can help increase productivity. These techniques are remarkably easy to master and can be applied equally well at home, allowing listeners to become better parents and more committed spouses and have happier personal lives.
FROM THE CRITICS
AudioFile
Here's another quick-fix corny book by the author of the ONE MINUTE MANAGER. Even with Tony Roberts's professional skill, this text sounds contrived. There's a lot more to business and family relationships than pats on the bac—let's get real. Roberts sounds middle-aged and reads slowly. But he sounds noticeably skeptical—you can hear the doubt in his voice—and his portrayal of the management consultant who espouses this plan is just too bright and chirpy. The value of this too long production can be reduced to two words—praise everyone. A.G.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
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