Flipping the Switch...:
Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability Using
the QBQ!
by John G. Miller
Asking the right kind of question is
only the first step to becoming fully engaged at
work and in life.
In his bestselling book QBQ! The Question Behind
the Question, John G. Miller revealed how
personal accountability helps to create opportunity,
overcome obstacles, and achieve goals by eliminating
blame, complaining, and procrastination. The result?
Stronger organizations, more dynamic teams, and
healthier relationships.
Now Miller takes readers to the next level to show
how they can use the power of the QBQ! and personal
accountability every day.
When a light switch is flipped the flow of energy
that is released reaches the light bulb in an
instant, bringing it to life. Similarly, asking the
right kind of question-a QBQ-is the first step to
empowering what Miller calls the Advantage
Principles-five essential practices that will lead
to a richer experience in every aspect of life:
- LEARNING: live an engaged and energized life
through positive personal growth and change
- OWNERSHIP: attain goals by becoming a
solution-oriented person who solves problems
- CREATIVITY: find new ways to achieve by succeeding
"within the box"
- SERVICE: build a legacy by helping others succeed
- TRUST: develop deep and rewarding relationships
With compelling real-life stories and keen insights,
Miller demonstrates how anyone can find success and
satisfaction by "flipping the switch."
Reviews from Barnes & Noble
customers [visit
www.barnesandnoble.com]
 A
clear path to personal accountability-- no question
about it
Rolf Dobelli
(rolfdobelli@getabstract.com), Founder and
Chairman of getAbstract, 10/03/2006
If you like
your self-help advice in a quick-to-read,
easy-to-digest format, you’ll enjoy this sequel to
the book, QBQ! The Question Behind the Question. In
his first book, author John G. Miller explained that
instead of whining, 'Why does everything bad happen
to me?' you should take responsibility and ask
yourself, 'What can I do to improve my situation?'
That’s the QBQ, and asking it stops you from blaming
and complaining, and empowers you to find your own
solutions. In this book, Miller takes personal
accountability up a notch, and teaches you how to
improve your relationships at home and at work by
adopting the five 'Advantage Principles: learning,
ownership, creativity, service and trust.' At times,
the book can get a bit preachy, but the examples are
entertaining and the advice is simple, clear and
solid. If you’re looking for a fast shot of
effective, feel-good self-help advice, we recommend
Miller’s accessible program. Or to pose the question
his way: if your QBQ is, 'What can I read to learn
how to solve my own problems?' this book is your
answer.
Flipping Great
K. Lowenstein, A reviewer, 01/08/2006
The perfect
follow-up to QBQ! Whoever reads this book will be
able to relate to what John is saying, and see how
taking personal accountability can really change
ever facet of your life. Please, argue with me that
Leadership, Ownership, Creativity, Service and Trust
and not the cornerstones of success in life, I dare
you. In this book, John straight-forwardly explains
how to truly build upon each of these aspects by
doing something as simple as asking better
questions. In Flipping The Switch, John takes the
insights, values and philosophies introduced in The
Question Behind The Question and applies them to
these five principles which he terms “the Advantage
Principles." Allow me to share a few morsels that
have had great impact: “Learning brings forth
energy, enthusiasm, and a zest for life that’s
lacking in those who…have ceased to learn." “Blame
never solves any problems…without Ownership, nothing
gets done, nothing is fixed, and nothing improves."
“Our goals become unreachable only when we stop
reaching…Be creative. Keep reaching. You’ll find a
way." “Service strengthens relationships and builds
trust…most important may be the feeling of personal
satisfaction and pride that come from rendering
Service to others." Also, “Organizations don’t serve
people, individuals serve people." “…spinning the
message is a Trust Killer. Telling the truth, even
if it stings, is the best approach. Where there is
truth, there is trust." These are just a few of the
many gems that you will find in this easy-to-read,
inspirational and powerful book. As with John’s
QBQ!, he supports his insights with powerful,
easy-to-relate-to stories. Buy it. Read it. Review
it. Re-Read it. Work to live it. I’ve only just
begun living the QBQ! way and it’s a lot of work
it’s also truly rewarding. I am truly grateful to
John for taking what he has been talking about in
his training seminars and putting it on paper for
all of us to read. John, thanks, Ken.
Also
recommended: The Question Behind the Question
(Miller) The Lord is My Shepherd (Kushner) The
Experience Economy (Pine & Gilmore)
A quick and easy way to change your thinking
with excellent results
A reviewer, book reviewer from Texas., 01/05/2006
In his
previous book, QBQ! The Question Behind the
Question, John G. Miller shows how to change our
thinking by asking questions in a different way. In
Flipping the Switch, Miller provides more examples
on how to ask questions to hold ourselves
accountable in work and life. Doing this leads to
five advantages Miller calls the Advantage
Principles: * Learning * Ownership * Creativity *
Service * Trust The book takes only an hour to read
and quickly pulls someone out of the doldrums and
changes them into a ball of energy, hence Flipping
the Switch. Asking QBQ helps us avoid becoming
defensive and pointing fingers and changes a
person's thinking from 'It's her fault' to 'How can
I fix this?' This follow-up book divides the
examples into the five advantage principles to
demonstrate how each principle works. It's not
necessary to read QBQ! before reading this one as
the concept is easily recaptured, but QBQ! is also a
fast and enjoyable read and seeing more examples
gives you more ideas on how to ask the question in a
different way. Whenever you feel down or frustrated,
grab this book and get instantly energized, ready to
tackle anything that comes your way. Changing habits
usually doesn't happen quickly, but QBQ can. Spend
one hour with this book and save hours of needless
aggravation and wasted time on handling things the
wrong way.
About John
G. Miller
John G. Miller is THE expert on
Personal Accountability! And personal
accountability is an idea whose time has come!
John Miller's book titled "QBQ! The Question Behind
the Question" - a self published best seller of over
300,000 copies - has just been purchased by
Putnam/Penguin, publishers of "Who Moved My Cheese?"
and is being relaunched in Sept 2004 as a hardcover!
In his "Fast, Frank, and Fun" keynote presentation,
Miller provides us with the QBQ!, a tool for
leaders. The Question Behind the Question (QBQ!) is
a method of leadership thinking enabling all to
choose the path to Personal Accountability, which,
John believes, is clearly the high road.
Have you ever heard questions like:
- "Why do we have to go through all this change?"
- "When is someone going to train me?"
- "Who made the mistake?"
- "When is that department going to do their job
right?"
- "Why don't they communicate better?"
- "When will somebody share the vision?"
- "Why don't others understand and appreciate me
more?"
- "When will we get more tools to do our job?"
If you have then "Personal Accountability and the
QBQ!" is right for your audience and organization.
It's an idea enabling all of us to ask "What can I
do to make a difference?" and "How can I contribute
today?" QBQ! is a practical idea that works!
The QBQ! message of accountability eliminates three
problems facing all
organizations today: Blame, victim thinking and
complaining, and procrastination. It's just as
simple as that!
John travels the nation to serve major organizations
as a keynote speaker. His clients include but are
not limited to: AmEx, Oracle, Novartis
Pharmaceutical, Kraft Foods, Philip Morris, Verizon
Wireless, Wells Fargo, Merck Pharmaceutical,
American Express Financial Advisors, Farmers
Insurance, Mass Mutual, ProStaff, Cargill, National
Feed Association, and Home Depot!
John is a 1980 graduate of Cornell University and a
native of Ithaca, N.Y. After five years with Cargill
Inc. as a commodity trader, he entered the training
industry in 1986 as a salesperson who sold and
implemented leadership development programs. Nine
years later he left that organization to serve as a
presenter of an idea that makes a difference for
organizations and people: Personal Accountability!
John now lives in Denver, CO with his wife Karen,
six daughters, one son, two ferrets, a couple of
Huskies, several boa constrictors, 7 tropical
parrots and a very scared Shih Tzu puppy!
No wonder he travels so much!
|
|
|
|
