Power of 2: How to Make the Most of Your Partnerships at Work and in Life - Hardcover

Wagner, Rodd; Muller, Gale

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 159562029X ISBN 13: 9781595620293

Publisher: Gallup Press, 2009

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Rodd Wagner and Gallup Vice Chairman Gale Muller explore the crucial dimensions of a successful partnership and the stories of famous pairs who epitomize those elements.

Many of the greatest accomplishments can only be reached by two people working together. Tenzing and Hillary were first to scale Everest. Malone and Stockton were the key to each other’s success on the basketball court. Eisner was never as effective at Disney without Wells.

But while some partnerships reach great heights, others fall short. Why do some people click while others clash? What do great pairs have in common? And what can you learn from the most powerful partnerships to strengthen collaboration in your work and personal life?

Based on Gallup’s groundbreaking research, Power of 2 details the eight elements that prepare partners to succeed in their most important endeavors. Gallup shares the science and the secrets of successful collaboration.

Mixing key insights about human nature, field-tested discoveries and inspiring stories of partnerships that reached the pinnacle, Power of 2 will change the way you think about working with someone else.

About this title

About the Author

Rodd Wagner is the New York Times bestselling author of the new book Widgets: The 12 New Rules for Managing Your Employees As If They're Real People. A contributor to Forbes, he is one of the foremost authorities on employee engagement and collaboration. Wagner's books, speeches, and thought leadership focus on how human nature affects business strategy. He currently serves as vice president of employee engagement strategy at BI Worldwide.

Wagner is a confidential advisor to senior executives on the best ways to increase their personal effectiveness and their organizations' performance. His work has taken him to a fiberglass factory in Brazil, a vehicle engineering facility in India, a paper warehouse in Poland, a home improvement store in Wales, a medical device design site in Germany, a pharmaceutical firm in Switzerland, the Pentagon, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, and the attack submarine USS California.

Wagner is author (with Dr. Gale Muller) of Power of 2: How to Make the Most of Your Partnerships at Work and in Life and author (with Dr. James K. Harter) of the book 12: The Elements of Great Managing. Wagner's books have been published in 10 languages and his work featured in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, ABC News, BusinessWeek, CNBC.com, and the Globe and Mail and National Post in Canada, and parodied in Dilbert.

Wagner holds an M.B.A. with honors from the University of Utah Graduate School of Business. He was formerly a principal of Gallup, the research director of the Portland Press Herald and WGME-TV in Maine, a reporter and news editor for The Salt Lake Tribune, and a radio talk show host. When not writing or consulting, he enjoys running, fly-fishing, and snowboarding.               

Reviews

Wagner and Muller, polling executives, set out to discover what elements are critical to developing a successful team. With thousands of polling results on working relationships, they identify and explore the following eight elements of a powerful partnership and devote a chapter to each—match those who are strong in one skill with another who is weak and vice versa; pursue a common mission; fairness; trust; accept the other’s idiosyncrasies; forgiveness; good communication; and unselfishness or valuing the other’s success. Interspersing their research findings with stories and case studies, Wagner and Muller make a compelling case for their view that in our culture, which honors individual achievement, good partnerships increase our well-being and business success. They note with dismay that 16 percent of the employees polled report that they currently have no partnerships at work and 25 percent indicate that they have never had a great partnership at work. The book offers thought-provoking information and ideas for all organizations and will be a helpful resource for many library patrons. --Mary Whaley

Edition details

• Publisher: Gallup Press
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 159562029X
• ISBN 13: 9781595620293
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256