Miller’s Bolt – A Modern Business Parable
By Thomas Stirr
Miller’s Bolt is a fictional story of Jim Manion, one of the top performers at his company who is in danger of being fired due to his poor interpersonal relationships. With just three months to change himself, he takes the help of a friend, Peter Miller to turn himself around.
Author Thomas Stirr offers Miller’s Bolt, a simple, yet great tool which reminds Jim that performance is never static – that we are getting a little better and moving up the threads on our blot, or getting a little worse and moving downward every day. In addition, the book offers several perspectives and insights to bring about change in one self.
With Miller’s guidance, Jim rebuilds his relationships, meets the challenges of tense board meetings, lagging sales and a manipulative co-worker successfully. By taking responsibility for his perceptions, relationships and performance, Jim gains the ability to learn and grow. Through Jim’s story, Miller’s Bolt offers us practical skills needed in the business world.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
By Stephen R.Covey
This international best-seller, named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 10 most influential management books, offers clear and compelling advice to lead successful personal and professional lives. With great insights presented through interesting anecdotes, it helps us adapt to change by giving us the wisdom and power to take advantage of opportunities that change creates.
With the view that true success lies in the balance of personal and professional effectiveness, the book offers insights into both areas of one’s life. A change in how we perceive and interpret the world becomes essential before we can adopt the 7 Habits. Covey guides us through the change, the “paradigm shift” as he terms it, helping us act through initiative rather than react.
The habits deal with self-mastery, teamwork, cooperation and communication, taking us from dependency to independence to interdependence while helping us work towards continuous improvement. Each of the habits is a great insightful lesson in itself, helping us move towards leading a fulfilling personal and professional life.