Got the Power
7 Tools to Produce the Work Life You Want
There are any number of inspirational books that include various “systems” for improving one’s work situation. Many of these books, however, are either too vague in the advice they convey, or too complex in the way they suggest implementing a particular strategy.
Cie Murray’s Got the POWER is refreshingly different. In a concise, easy-to-read format, Murray puts together a package that offers both inspiration and “Empowerment Tools” to help the reader make specific beneficial changes in a relatively easy way. Each tool encapsulates a call to action, motivating the reader, for example, to “uncover your best self,” “make the right moves,” or “discover your motivators.”
The first tool, “Empowerment Tool of the Believer,” (Chapter 1) addresses one’s need to believe in herself. This chapter makes a key point: the only fair self-assessment an individual can make is not to compare herself to others, but rather to make a comparison “between me as I am and me as I used to be.” That chapter also includes three key impediments individuals will face in the process of building confidence.
The second tool, “Empowerment Tool of the Thinker,” is perhaps the most intriguing and eye-opening of the seven tools because it includes a unique Thinker Locator Profile the author developed as part of her coaching practice. Made up of “seven motivational thinking work traits,” the reader goes through the simple exercise of selecting characteristics that best apply within each of the traits. Based on the scores, the reader can readily identify with one or more of the traits. Most importantly, Murray includes specific career choices that are most closely associated with the traits, so the reader can map her trait scores to the most appropriate career paths.
Other tools incorporate useful pearls of wisdom, such as “10 commandments for workplace empowerment,” a “work vision table” to help create a vision of what one wants in a work life, and the “top ten occasions for using the Thanker tool” (a tool that helps the reader learn what to be thankful for).
While Murray’s terminology may take a bit of getting used to, it is in part what makes this book unique. Once the reader begins to grasp the conceptual nature of each Empowerment Tool, and puts the engaging exercises to work, the true power of Cie Murray’s system will become clear. Got the POWER puts the power to change and make things better into the hands of anyone anxious to improve their work life.
Reviewed by
Barry Silverstein
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
