Unstuck: A Tool for Yourself, Your Team, and Your World

I definitely found the content of this book very unique and worthy of a review. If UNSTUCK is one thing, it's different. The organizational model, presented at the start of the book, is beautiful in its simplicity and pertinence to business. The writing throughout the book is cogent. The page design is top-notch - and very much adds to the concepts presented throughout the book. I really enjoyed this book. I am already turning to it for ideas.

I've actually read the book twice since receiving it as a gift (from my boss!). The first read took me cover to cover. On the second read, I "navigated" the book based on our organization's current challenges. I got the sense that this is how the book was written by the authors. For example, almost every page in the second half of the book contains 2-3 suggestions of where to go next based on how and why you are stuck. One of the final pages, cites "Recommended Paths" the authors have chosen for various types of being stuck. It's a brilliant book - whether you read it from start to finish or jump around. I recommend both!

I found out about UNSTUCK when a friend mailed me a photocopy of page 58 - a first for me. Unfortunately, the authors did not put folios on each page - so I had to track down the book (oops!). It was worth all the effort. Since reading UNSTUCK, I find myself returning to the book every few days for ideas. The book is a very unique take on solving business problems (from idea generation to team dynamics) and I now recommend the book to colleagues in my industry and beyond. The tone and the design of the book are provocative and written to get people thinking. About strategy. About purpose. About teamwork. I love the fact that no one page in the book is the same. Some are filled with illustrations, others contain graphs and diagrams. When is the last time you saw photography in a business book? It's definitely worth the $15.

I have not stopped returning to Unstuck since I read it 2 weeks ago. In very clear terms, the book helps you craft a road map to get your team (or your entire organization) on track. The first quarter of the book walks you through a series of diagnostic tools in which you assess your predicament. You leave with a clear diagnosis of how you're stuck - or, at the least, important insight into some of the "root causes." The authors call these the Serious Seven. The remainder, and majority of the book, provides dozens of tools, ideas, and examples for the reader to weave together based on their goals. Each page is a refreshing look at leadership, problem-solving, and system dynamics. Unstuck provides no overall panacea (read: if you need someone to tell you what to do, Unstuck is probably not for you). Rather, it presents the reader with a fresh, inventive toolkit to approach the all-to-familiar snags in work and life.

I have to say I was a bit skeptical when I heard "innovation in business literature" and "fun" in the description of UNSTUCK. When a colleague shared her advance copy of the book with me, I was ready for critique. Let's just say I haven't been this impressed with a business title in years. The books design is refreshing and playful, while the content is founded on theory, case studies, and historical examples... just what you'd expect from a Yale professor and renowned designer. For anyone that's been leading teams for 10 years, it's virtually impossible to avoid exhaustion. UNSTUCK is a re-charge-filled with ideas, perspective, and suggestions to keep my team engaged and doing great work. It reminds me why doing this in the first place. A strong recommend.