Never Split the Difference is an amazing book. I use what I learned from that everyday, and I've coached people (successfully) to get out of bad situations with management using those techniques. It is literally one of the most helpful books I ever read.
"Never split the difference" has made a huge difference for my communication style.
Reading that book represented a step change in my productivity, because I learned to communicate in a way that better prioritized my tasks. I've read it three times now.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. This relatively short book has made more of a difference to my personal livelihood than maybe any other pice of literature or advice.
You really don’t realize how much negotiating you do in day to day life. Its good to be comfortable with it.
Really, this book changed how I view communication and negotiation forever. It will definitely impact your life positively.
2) The Lean Startup
A classic, but worth re-reading. Everytime I read the book, it leaves a greater imprint on how I think.
3) The Obstacle is the Way
How to turn obstacles into solutions. This book is a great treatise on Stoicism via examples. I read the book at the start of the year which to mentally set the right tone for the months to follow. The book "coaches" the reader in the basic tenets of the Stoic philosophy by drawing examples from history and sports, by the end of the book you are left with a more intuitive and practical understanding of Stoicism than an academic one.
1. 'The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully' I was put off for a decade by the click-bait title but this is a profound little book that helped me get perspective on problem solving in my work and myself.
2. 'Becoming a Technical Leader' The text is great; working the exercises for yourself will make you a stronger thinker.
3. 'An Introduction to General Systems Thinking' One of his densest, driest books, but a great summary of the highlights of the field with plenty of thought problems in the exercises and plenty of pointers for digging deeper.
Chris Voss says that the approach on this book used to work until they figured out that it is outdated.
The basic idea there, is to prevent confrontation and trying to be rational.
However, people are not rational and emotions play a huge part in our lives so it should not be ignored and should even be leveraged.
Never split the difference is the book that builds on it and add tons of stuff about negotiation. It isn’t easily one of the best books I read (actually heard) and I highly recommend it.
I've found that a rough version of GTD has really helped me focus on "getting things done" when I feel i need structure because I am pulled in many different directions.
Don't worry about all the self help material, it really is a simple workflow:
From an overall "how to think and act effectively" philosophy, the original is still the best IMO: "The Effective Executive", by Peter Drucker, written in 1967. It contains very simple ideas, but I've found them to be tremendous life lessons on how to do the right things, rather than just doing things right.
I'm partial myself to two books from the Harvard Negotiation Project (Douglas Stone, Shiela Heen, et al): Thanks for the Feedback (on how to receive feedback), and Difficult Conversations (on how to give feedback). I imagine books about the topic tend to all provide similar frameworks, I happen to like these two because they're very structured and I do well with that.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. I love this simple framework. It's all about how to enjoy learning and improving at things. The author applies it to a wide variety of things, from art appreciation to surviving the holocaust. It really resonated with me. I believe learning anything can be fun.
Atlas Shrugged: I like this book because it attempts to show how things some people think are virtuous can be bad, and visa versa. The protagonists have a sort of honor code to them that defies common ideas of morality.
Don't Shoot the Dog: Describes how to do positive reinforcement training on dogs, horses, and even your children. People don't seem to realize how similar we are to other animals. Also, it's nice to know that positive methods can be more effective than punishments and dominance tactics.
1. Choose Yourself! by James Altucher
2. CRUSH IT! by Gary Vaynerchuk
3. Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
4. Let Go by Pat Flynn
Reminds me a lot of the book Never Split the Difference. If you enjoyed this post, I highly recommend that book. It's fantastic and really opened my eyes to all the areas I could improve my ability to relate to other people and negotiate more effectively.
Someone recommended Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss here recently. I read it and found it invaluable.
Packed full of quality advice and techniques that you can use out of the box. The real-life stories he had from his FBI negotiating days make it an easy read.
From someone who hated negotiation books and didn't want to "win" negotiations, this was a true life changer. Listen with empathy. Find the thing your counterpart really wants. Put them in your shoes by asking how you can do [x thing they're asking]. Fundamental things that have improved my relationships with many people in my life.
2. Radical Candor by Kim Scott
This book helped me understand how to care for someone while still challenging them and asking for their best work. I truly believe that people are happier and more fulfilled when they feel challenged by their work and empowered to rise to that challenge.
3. Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
Selling anything is about understanding that the buyer is the hero of their own story, and your job is to sell them the tool helps them succeed. The buyer is Luke, you're Obi Wan, and you're selling them the Lightsaber. This has been endlessly applicable working with entrepreneurs.
4. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
A seminal text on why small businesses often fail and how they can create systems that work and create ongoing success.
5. Non-violent communication by Marshall Rosenberg
This one literally changed who I am as a person and how I show up for others. Realizing how much judgement is embedded in our language, how often we express that judgement to other people, and how that makes them feel was eye-opening. I strive to both feel and express radical non-judgement, and to listen to and communicate with people in a way that allows them to feel heard and safe.
I have strong, loving relationships with some people in my life that I never would have expected 10 years ago, in part because this book helped me grow.
Never Split the Difference, its about how to negotiate in life
The Pyramid Principle for learning how to structure your ideas and write logically.
Getting Things Done, the 2001 version on how to apply a simple workflow to managing all the tasks you have both personal and professional.
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