Leading and developing a dynamic team is tough in any business field. Many people move from job to job and never gain critical depth. The organizational ladder used to reflect the “true path” towards career growth, but organizations are much flatter than they used to be. This means that career development needs to be rethought for new situations. In this book, Kaye and Winkle Giulioni try to help managers think about how to have these conversations, with the goal of retaining the base of their workers.

Most organizations have a yearly or semi-yearly performance review where managers attempt to provide a forum for employees to discuss professional aspirations. These conversations are often quickly forgotten as work continues. The authors want to reorient these discussions to be more common in everyday work so that adjustments and vision happen constantly, instead of once or twice a year. The hope is that employees will be better engaged in their work instead of growing disconnected and moving on to another job. For the organization, this can mean better retention rates, which promises lower costs and higher productivity.

The authors posit a new paradigm/framework for ongoing/continual career development. They want to explore hindsight (where they employee has been with her/his skills) with foresight (where the organization and market are going) and how these can combine into insight (what actions can be taken practically in the near term). They want these to be a part of everyday work conversations to steady workers while reaping benefits for the organization. In a dynamic business environment, a successful business’s culture must meet with an equally (if not better) dynamic response.

This book is extraordinarily short, even in a “revised and expanded” second edition. The unabridged audiobook spans just under 3 hours, and the print version is around 160 pages. The book is thus a very quick read – helpful for managers cramped for time. However, only so much material can be explored in such short confines. In a second edition, I’d like and expect a little more depth than is present – perhaps exploring how to have these conversations relationally without awkwardness.

This book is primarily geared towards managers whose responsibilities consist of leading their teams, but this topic can possibly be expanded to meet the needs of ambitious new employees. Many younger workers want to have an impact instead of merely running to the top of an org chart, and these authors could address their needs, too. That opportunity of expansion was a route not taken in this current edition, however. I see a lot of potential in the topic, but at such a short length, it’s hard to meet multiple potentials. ( )

This is a short read. It has many pages with little content. The contents of the books could be summarized in a few paragraphs. The message of the book is good and I think it is valuable. I will try to implement it in my management practice. ( )