Great Work - Book Summary

Unlock the secrets to workplace excellence and how you can leave an impact.

Ever wondered what distinguishes ordinary employees from those who leave an enduring impact with their work? The author, having meticulously studied about two million examples of commendable performance across various global organizations, shines a light on this fascinating question.

Throughout this audio journey, you'll encounter intriguing stories of both individuals and organizations that have transformed their work environment, fostering a culture where passion and productivity thrive.

These extraordinary performers share five noteworthy skills — they know how to ask the right questions; they prefer to witness situations firsthand; they broaden their conversations outside their immediate circles; they continuously strive for enhancements; and most importantly, they make an impact that resonates.

As we delve into these narratives, you'll discover that the secret sauce to achieving great work and making a real difference lies in doing something that you genuinely love.

Are you ready to spark a change that people will cherish? Are you prepared to maintain this momentum throughout your professional journey? If yes, join me in unravelling the fascinating tales behind some of our most beloved creations.

In this listening adventure, you'll get to know:

- The intriguing narrative that birthed the timeless classic, 'The Cat in the Hat';

- How Instagram, one of today's social media behemoths, evolved from a single feature of a drastically different application; and

- The genius thought process behind the invention of instant photography that culminated in the iconic Polaroid camera.

How does the way you perform at work impact others?

Envision yourself convalescing in a hospital room after a surgical procedure. You are presented with two choices — a janitor who finishes his cleaning routine noisily and swiftly, disrupting your much-needed rest, or a janitor who respects your discomfort and performs his duties quietly and diligently. The preference here is quite clear. This analogy underscores a critical concept — the way you carry out your job invariably affects those around you.

We often immerse ourselves so deeply in our daily tasks that we fail to acknowledge the wider implications of our work life. For instance, the janitor isn't intentionally being inconsiderate. He is simply focused on completing his task within the stipulated time.

Nonetheless, by raising our heads and broadening our perspective, we can truly revolutionize our approach to work. This concept, referred to as 'job crafting', involves altering our perception of work from merely being a necessity, to a medium through which we can positively influence others. In the janitor's case, this would mean modifying his routine to minimize the noise and disturbance caused to the patients.

However, job crafting alone is insufficient. 'Reframing' — a process of making a cognitive connection between your job and a larger purpose — can help you explore how your work can benefit others.

Reframing requires you to analyze the impact your work has on others and encourages you to discover a deeper purpose beyond just the immediate objectives of your job. For instance, a hospital janitor might discover he has the potential to elevate a patient's mood simply by engaging in conversation or subtly rearranging their room.

By reframing your role, you too can elevate your work beyond the mundane checkboxes of a to-do list.

The recipe for great work involves refining existing good work.

If asked to name a remarkable inventor, many would point to the individual who invented the wheel, but have you ever considered the person who introduced the axle? Wasn't that innovation just as crucial?

While creating the wheel was indeed a notable achievement, it merely laid the groundwork. Truly extraordinary work involves taking a good idea or invention and enhancing it until it's transformed into something exceptional.

This concept is poignantly illustrated in a quote by Carl Sagan: "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." The key elements — apples, wheat, and cinnamon — must exist first before they can be turned into a delectable apple pie.

However, when you restrict yourself to using only what's already available, you inevitably impose limitations on your potential achievements. But here's the silver lining — these constraints often spark extraordinary creativity.

Consider the story of illustrator Ted Geisel. When he was tasked with revolutionizing the way children learn to read, his options were significantly limited — he had to weave a story using only the 225 words that every six-year-old is familiar with, majority of which were two syllables long and lacked verbs.

Rather than being discouraged by these restrictions, he saw them as a challenging puzzle to solve. His eureka moment arrived when he spotted two words on the list that rhymed — "cat" and "hat." His creative solution was unveiled in 1957 with the publication of the first edition of "The Cat in the Hat," which led to a transformative shift in children's literature. Today, you might recognize Geisel by his pseudonym — Dr. Seuss — and his works continue to delight children worldwide.

Steer towards greatness by posing the right questions.

In 1944, a three-year-old girl innocently asked her father why she couldn't instantly see the photo he had just taken of her.

Her father explained about film development and the process of chemical baths in a darkroom. But the little girl didn't understand, and her father realized he didn't like his answer either. So, he decided to do something about it.

Striving for greatness often means stepping back, questioning our circumstances, and identifying what's lacking. Every tool, device, and service we utilize in our daily lives was borne out of a question — how can the status quo be improved?

Returning to the story, three years after the little girl’s query, her father, Edwin Land, co-founded the Polaroid Corporation. He gave the world a remarkable gift — instant photography, thereby forever altering the landscape of photo development.

When wrestling with pivotal questions, keep the following three principles at the forefront of your mind:

1. Embrace challenges. Problems are disguised opportunities, so confront them head-on! Edwin Land refused to accept the initial response he offered his daughter, and instead examined the question from different angles.

2. Leverage your strengths. Identify what you excel at and incorporate it into your solutions. Land had previously collaborated with scientists to invent a polarizing filter for sunglasses, and this expertise proved invaluable when he was seeking answers to his daughter’s question.

3. Dare to dream. Let your imagination run wild! Consider what people would love if anything was feasible.

By asking the right questions and adopting a forward-thinking mindset, you have the power to instigate significant, positive change in the world.

Peer through the lens of your unique perspective to fuel exceptional work.

These days, Netflix is a ubiquitous presence in homes across the world. However, it's easy to forget that during its formative years, the company faced significant obstacles.

Their original business model, which involved mailing DVDs to their customers for rental, was marred by a recurring problem: mail sorting machines routinely damaged DVDs packaged in standard envelopes.

This issue was costing Netflix an immense amount of money. But a simple visit to the sorting office by co-founder Jim Cook prompted a clever solution: designing a cost-effective, sturdy "Netflix Envelope" capable of protecting DVDs during transit.

So what's the key takeaway from this story? The most impressive work often emerges when you take it upon yourself to explore the issue firsthand.

Each of us perceives the world in a distinct way, filtering our observations through our unique amalgamation of ideas and personal experiences.

However, gaining perspective isn't solely about scrutinizing your immediate environment. It also involves delving into the past.

Companies like Amazon and iTunes regularly mine your search history and previous purchases to deduce your current interests. You can adopt the same strategy, sifting through patterns from the past to glean insights for the future.

One of Whirlpool's standout products came to fruition by retrospectively studying trends. After carefully analyzing the evolution of washing machines over time, they opted to reintroduce the top-loading model. This decision proved to be a blockbuster, earning its place as one of Whirlpool's most successful endeavors ever.

Conversation: Great ideas sprout when we extend our dialogue beyond our usual circle.

Did you know that the majority of our daily conversations — 80% of the approximately 16,000 words we exchange each day — are held with a familiar cluster of five to eight individuals?

This means we're left with a mere 3,000 words for those outside this comfortable inner circle. Ironically, it's precisely these 'outsiders' who can most significantly spark our creativity. Engaging in dialogue with people outside our typical sphere can unleash fresh ideas that we might not conjure independently.

Our close network provides a safe, reassuring platform to express our aspirations and float our ideas. Yet, their similarity in thinking, inherent supportiveness, and aversion to hurting our feelings can compromise their objectivity, potentially doing us a disservice.

Contrastingly, the people in our outer circle — the ones we don't regularly interact with — often bring divergent thinking, unexpected queries, differing viewpoints, and additional expertise to the table.

These people aren't afraid to question or contradict your ideas, and that’s an advantage because it helps you to spot flaws in your concepts or approach.

However, it's vital to ensure that this contradictory feedback is of high quality. Achieve this by presenting your thoughts in a manner that ignites their desire to contribute their opinions.

You're not simply pleading for them to solve your dilemmas, you're extending an invitation for them to participate in a constructive mission. This shared responsibility offers them a chance to channel their unique insights and abilities in a way that resonates with them.

Initiating dialogues with phrases like "Could I get your opinion on something?" "I have an idea but am unsure where to begin. Could you assist me?" or "Have you ever encountered a similar situation before?" can establish a groundwork for fruitful discussions.

So, remember to venture beyond your usual circles more often, and don't limit your discussions with outsiders to only those remaining 3,000 words!

Refine your concoction: Enhance your ideas before bringing them to life.

Up to this point, we've focused primarily on cultivating a mindset that fosters creativity and promotes the inception of innovative ideas. However, that's just half the story. For your ideas to truly resonate and captivate, they need fine-tuning before they make their debut into the world.

The hallmark of exceptional creators is their capacity to evolve their visions internally before manifesting them into reality. Your aim should be to simulate, tweak, and experiment with your ideas in your mind's sandbox before launching them. This strategy can significantly boost their probability of success.

There are three simple tactics that can facilitate this process.

Firstly, introduce an element of novelty. We are constantly surrounded by simple enhancements that have revolutionized everyday items: consider the invention of the rolling suitcase (a fusion of a suitcase and wheels) or the heated car seat (a merging of a car seat and a heater).

Begin with a brainstorming session that floods you with a deluge of ideas. Constantly challenge yourself: Do these additions enhance the product or idea? Will they be universally adored?

It's critical to remember that these embellishments should serve a practical purpose. In our race to innovate, we sometimes overcomplicate things with superfluous features. Reflect on your TV remote control: how many of its numerous functions do you actually use, and how many merely baffle or irritate you?

Secondly, sometimes less is more. When we contemplate improving something, our instinctive reaction is to augment it. Yet, additions don't always equate to enhancement.

In fact, subtracting elements can sometimes create a more profound impact. Take the iPod, for instance: by replacing a cluster of buttons with a simple scroll wheel, Apple not only simplified its MP3 player but also transformed it into a design masterpiece.

Essentially, scrutinize the features that lack popularity. Those are likely candidates for elimination.

Finally, harmonize your vision. Each element in your improvement plan should be interconnected. Ensure that all components collaborate smoothly, creating a symphony of innovation.

Delivering the difference: A remarkable product isn't defined by its production completion, but by the change it brings.

Once upon a time, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger developed an app called Burbn. This app was designed to enable users to share their whereabouts with their friends and post photos.

Doesn't ring a bell?

That's probably because it was a colossal flop. The app's "check-in" feature didn't spark users' interests. It was slow and bloated with excessive features.

Failures like Burbn are common with untested ideas. The distinction between typical creators and the great ones lies in how they respond to such setbacks.

High-impact work isn't finalized with the product's production completion. It culminates when it instigates a change.

However, shifting from the conventional definition of "completion" requires adopting a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset.

People with fixed mindsets perceive their achievements as outcomes of their inherent skills and intellect and often overlook negative feedback or learnings from their missteps.

Conversely, individuals with a growth mindset understand that success is not preordained — it's the fruit of persistent learning and failures. They are always receptive to improvements, driven by both positive and negative feedback.

Systrom and Krieger could have easily abandoned Burbn after its initial flop or merely patched its obvious flaws.

But they chose the path of growth mindset. They probed to find if their app offered a unique feature that users adored. They discovered that it was the "photo sharing" capability.

So, they enhanced the photo sharing feature by adding funky filters and borders. They enabled sharing across multiple social networks, and in 2010, they relaunched Burbn under a fresh, exciting name: Instagram.

Final recap

The central theme of this book:

With the right mindset and an adventurous spirit, each one of us holds the power to make a significant impact through our work. Mastering the five critical skills of questioning, observing, conversing, refining ideas, and creating impactful changes can enable you to make a difference that is cherished by all.