( 5 reviews )
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Posted: Sep 8 2007
It can be easy to feel insecure about your performance in a highly competitive environment. Failure to receive immediate and visible affirmations of success, such as bonuses, promotions and awards, may lead to the belief that you have not succeeded. This book helps to keep you focused on things that lead to long term success. The idea of "detached impact" suggests that creating real value for yourself and your organization will always lead to reward, but not always immediately.
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( 2 of 3 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jan 5 2007
This book offers great insight into behaviors that create an extraordinary career. However, it would have been nice if Mssrs. Citrin and Smith had come down from the ivory tower long enough to do more research in fields other than business. All of the examples in the book are taken from the business world but, contrary to reviewer Chuang's opinion below, I believe these principles work equally well in technical and artistic fields. Most of the examples are Harvard Business School alums who started in consulting (Bain, McKinsey) or investment banking and then moved over to the client side. There are far more examples that could and should have been explored other than the execs the author's firm handles.
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Posted: Nov 17 2006
To be clear, 5 Patterns is not a job hunting guide, nor will it help you figure out what career is right for you. What the book does offer are approaches/ways of thinking about your career that are valuable for those early in their careers. This book is aimed at those in the business world, as all of its examples and much of its guidance focus on success stories in business (like Lou Gerstner of American Express/IBM fame). The themes are general enough to be applicable in other fields, but I don't think the book would have the same impact for someone pursuing other types of careers, such as the arts, teaching, or research. The book explains the value of choices early in your career - the importance of going "blue-chip" with highly recognized and respected companies in early jobs, the value and costs associated with advanced degrees such as an MBA, focusing on culture fit and passion for the work in a job rather than just looking at the short-term compensation issues, and how to stand out and guide your career as a leader. For those in mid-career, it's helpful to review it now and then as a reminder to keep thinking about what things to be doing to be happy and successful, and what kinds of oppportunities should be next.
