How to Grow a Backbone

Backbone--it's that elusive quality that drives business success; it's the guts to speak up and to do things out of the box. Marshall's program is subtitled "10 Strategies for Gaining Power and Influence at Work." She laments ineffective meetings and lack of support from colleagues, and recommends taking notes and asking questions. Despite a valiant effort to add variation to her tone, Anna Fields, reading the script at an even, slow pace, fails to enliven a dull, drawn-out subject, although she improves some by the second half. A much shorter audio and a more animated narrator would greatly improve this book. A.G.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

August 12, 2002
Business consultant Marshall shares her advice from working with numerous businesses striving to improve their management structure. Focusing on the difficulties in today's business environment, she wants to help listeners learn how to succeed by building a stronger backbone, defined as a firm and resolute character, and the courage to make and stand by unpopular decisions. After a sound explanation of the three components of backbone competence, confidence, and the ability to take risks the author further develops these elements in her ten backbone-building strategies (e.g., turn meetings into discovery sessions, associate with others on purpose, determine the power sources, and decide and say what you think). The unique exercises strengthen this surprisingly refreshing addition to the overly burdened management genre. The steady narration by Anna Fields slows the pace at times and dulls the attention span, so look for the hard copy to be requested. Recommended for public libraries. Dale Farris, Groves, TX

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.