An Uncommon Sense Look at Guy Kawasaki’s New Book Enchantment
People are organic, fluid and emotional, while companies are structural, rational and linear (and oftentimes lack a soul). C-suites are acutely focused on the rational, practical, metric outcome side of running a business. Oftentimes they do so without a balance and appreciation for the human side of business—people and relationships between people. While there’s extreme pressure to deliver practical results, people crave guidance to grow as individuals and connect with co-workers and the customers they serve. And if people grow, companies grow. If people connect, relationships are formed and magic can happen.
Enchantment shares an approach to building relationships in meaningful and purposeful ways. Guy explores the tools needed in business to build purposeful, passionate and practical relationships to transform results. He lays out very clear examples of how to apply the learning in practical steps to launch a product, purpose or a cause. He’s reframed emotional intelligence and made it simple for the reader to use these tools to approach relationships in business and in life differently. Guy’s advice is practical and relevant so it can be applied it in day-to-day life, from setting and managing expectations, to effectively using social media and technology to build meaningful connections with people.
Guy makes a compelling case for emotional connections and, unlike most business books, his recommendations and gentle guidance are easy to adopt. He weaved his own experiences and stories into relevant sections of the book without being indulgent or self-interested. As a writer, Guy has empathy for the reader, and writes with humor and a tinge of irony. His subtle references to Apple and his general expertise as an entrepreneur, investor and world traveler add welcome and credible breaks throughout the book. He’s done a really nice job of deconstructing a lot of practical issues we face in business and made them about people first.
In today’s process-hungry world, complexity and over complication seem to govern the way most organizations operate. I believe the biggest opportunities can be realized, and the most complex challenges can be solved by using a powerful combination of simplicity, common sense and determination. This lens of Uncommon Sense is what Guy is using to teach the most important lessons contained in Enchantment:
- Make business personal. Invest time to connect with the people you work with.
- Manage your audience’s expectations. Whether it’s your boss or your wife, understand what people want.
- Plan and prepare. Design what success looks like before you start.
- Be an amazing storyteller. Make the stories you tell interesting, relevant and memorable.
- Be you. Above all else be authentic, passionate and engaged.
Enchantment is a personal, practical and purposeful guide for anyone in business and uses real people and situations from a wide variety of industries and backgrounds to support each chapter. And if you like tests, there’s a simple one at the end of the book.
