Unstuck - Keith Yamashita

I am currently using this book to try and solve some problems where I work. At first glance, the book catches your eye for its bright cover, and inside as you leaf through it, it boasts unique images and in addition to the typical black and white, they employ a light green to add interest and help stimulate the senses as you work through the book.

The book can be used in a number of different ways. You can read it like any other book from front to back, or you can use the extensive Contents to find specific areas that appeal to you and go from there. This book definitely is non-linear. It is very well organized and the ideas and concepts are linked together very creatively. Everywhere you go in the book, there are links to other parts of the book that may help in solving your problems. There are two distinct sections of the book, but again they end up linking back to each other. The first section is the how and why. Identifying that there is a problem and finding the reasons for it.

They describe these as: ?Step 1: Admitting you?re stuck? and

?Step 2: Diagnosing why you are stuck?. This is done by giving illustrations of a well oiled organization and allowing you to figure out where your shortcomings are in relation to it. Then it goes on to describing the ?serious seven? reasons that teams get ?stuck?. You can start here and identify which of the serious seven apply to you. For each of the seven, they then point you to pages that can help you fix that specific problem. The second section of the book is all about getting unstuck. They describe this as:

?Step 3: Getting unstuck?. In a very interesting and appealing way, they give you advice for how to solve any of the serious seven. Some of these ideas are interchangeable, some will work for more than one of the seven, and others will work together to a single problem. Each of their solutions has a unique name that catches your attention and makes it interesting to read. Also including is some unique imagery to help your creative juices flow.

They also often use examples of major companies who had problems and used a particular solution that they list to solve their problem. I enjoyed reading the anecdotes about particular companies and what they did to improve themselves. The language of the book is pretty down-to-earth. It is not written like a business textbook.

It is clear and to the point and the authors often use some colorful phrases to describe things in order to keep your attention and get you motivated. The images are quite unique, and like some of the language they use, interesting and motivating.

They make you want to open the book and keep turning the pages. I?ve been using this book for about a week now, trying to implement some things at work. I?ve found it to be very helpful at identifying the problems. They hit the nail on the head quite a few times and sent me searching through the book to Step 3 to find the solution.

I am having a little harder time applying the solutions. They are fun to read and easy to understand, but I do have to translate some of them slightly to fit my situation. I work in a small Professional Service type business with fewer than 20 employees. Most teams consist of 2-3 people but often only 1-2 people.

Some of their solutions do at first glance seem oriented towards larger businesses, so if you are in a situation similar to mine, it will take some translation in order to affectively apply the solution. But, it can be done with a little effort and thought, and at worst case it is merely a spring board to get you moving in the right direction and at best it effectively provides you with the means to solve your problems.

There is another aspect of the book that I have begun exploring and that is using it to help you not only in the business world, but in life in general. It is not a stretch to turn the word ?team? into the words ?family? or ?friends? and apply it to your everyday life. I?ve learned quite a few things about the way I interact with my friends and family that could use some adjustment because of this book. I?m still in the early stages, but I definitely see potential for using this book as a guide in all aspects of my life. Again, it is not black and white to apply the principles in this book to your personal life, but with a little thought and motivation it can be done, and you will certainly have some fun along the way. I recommend this book for anyone really, whether you are a CEO of a fortune 500 company or an entry level clerk at a small company. If you are the type of person who can be motivated to make things better, you find this an interesting read and you might even help improve other aspects of your life. Don?t think though, that it will be easy.

As fun and easy as it is to use the book and find the solutions to your problems, it takes motivation and commitment to implement the solutions. The book alone won?t fix things, but it is a nice road map to help you get where you want to go.