Never Wrestle With A Pig

Never Wrestle With A Pig

By Mark H. McCormack

 

Date Review Posted: March 12, 2013

Authors:  Mark H. McCormack

Release Date:  2000

Web Site:  http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?S=R&wauth=Mark+H+Mccormack&cm_mmc=sem-_-Google-_-authors-_-na&gclid=CI_NvrWj9bUCFQynnQodJDcAHg

FIVE THUMBS UP!  (A case could be made that I would only review the best of the best because if while reading a book it does not hold my interest, I would not finish it and therefore would not review it.)

Format:  McCormack writes as if he were sitting across a table from you sharing a cup of coffee and discussing his experience in the world of Business and Sales.  Very easy and worthwhile read.

Reason For Reading THIS book:  Fell in love with the title; had to read the book; one of my better decisions.

Number Of Times I Have Read This Book:  Once

Brief Summary of Content:   The book is written in a format that enables the reader to read just one chapter at a time; the chapters are not necessarily inner-related meaning each one can stand on its own.  Each chapter is only 3 to 4 pages in length thus making this a great daily reader.  In fact the book contains so much critical information, I would strongly recommend reading just one chapter then ask yourself the following questions:

1.     What can I learn from this chapter?

2.     How does this chapter apply to me and my business?

3.     What can I implement in my business or avoid in my business?

t     You will also find some really great quotes throughout the book on almost every page.  It contains some very critical understandings about conducting business and/or sales that you might not have otherwise thought of.  

The book is divided into 9 sections which are titled:

1.     Giving Yourself A Realty Check

2.     Speed, The Defining Factor

3.     Giving The Workplace A Realty Check

4.     Office Politics

5.     Acquiring A Power Base

6.     Promotions, Demotions, and Other Career Hiccups

7.     Rules for Deal Makers

8.     When You Are In Charge

9.     Etiquette For The New Millennium

The following are individual chapter titles contained in the above sections.  You can learn a great deal by just reading the chapter titles.

·       The Person Who Will Change Your Life Is Not In It Now

·       Beware the Small Defining Moments

·       Measure Your Mental Yardstick for Personal Success

·       Don’t Be Deluded About Your Priorities

·       A Goal Is More Achievable If You Break It Down Into Its Most Manageable Parts

·       Letting Things Go Is A Good Goal, Too

·       People Who Count On Luck Rarely Get Lucky

·       Be As Creative With People As You Are With Your Ideas

·       Get A Crossover Skill (I like this one a lot)

·       Your Job Is Just Another Project

·       Know When To Make An Exception To The Rules

·       Don’t Lower The Bar For Yourself

·       It Is Better To Be A Racehorse Than A Plow Horse (Another personal favorite)

·       End Your Day On Time

·       Pick Up The Pace With The Little Tasks

·       Don’t Bet Against Yourself

·       Put Parkinson’s Law Into Reverse

·       Never Wrestle With A Pig, You Both Get Dirty And The Pig Loves It  (Ten rules to follow)

·       People Who Say They Can Keep A Secret Usually Can’t (or, The Ten Most Toxic Lies in Business)

·       Mistakes Are Not Like Doritos

·       You Don’t Need Ten Good Reasons To Make A Decision

·       How To Recover From A Bad Decision

·       The Goal Is More Work, Not Less

·       Make Friends With Fear, Ignorance, and Sloth

·       It Pays To Overestimate Your Competition

·       Don’t Be Seduced By Big Ideas

·       The Best Ideas Can Be Stolen

·       Don’t Let Brainstorming Kill Your Creativity

·       Find Out Who’s On Your Team

·       Control Your Story Before Others Control It For You

·       It’s Nice To Have Friends In Low Places

·       Feed Your Enemies

·       You Are Being Judged At Every Meeting

·       Winners Know Whom To Trust and Whom To Avoid

·       Don’t Be Afraid To Tackle The Impossible

·       Lose Your Learning Disability

·       Develop A Knack For Good Timing

·       Your Success Depends On How You Take In and Send Out Information

·       It’s Okay To Rub People The Wrong Way  (I’m getting better at this one)

·       Know When To Say “It’s None Of Your Business”

·       Don’t Let Your Brains Become Your Biggest Liability

·       Thinking In Hypotheticals Sharpens The Mind

·       Your Resume Doesn’t Always Reveal The True You

·       Get Paid For Thinking Rather Than Doing

·       Know Your Super Bowl Sunday

·       Don’t Let Your Values Work Against You

·       Every Number One Needs A Loyal Number Two (or, How To Be A Good Lieutenant)

·       Losing Your Boss’s Loyalty Is Never About Business

·       Promotions Are Not About Fairness

·       Don’t Be Demotionally Challenged

·       Stay In The Game When You’ve Been Passed Over

·       Even The Most Tarnished Reputation Can Be Saved

·       A Crisis Doesn’t End Until You Learn From It

·       If Your Client Is Changing, You Should Too

·       What’s Your Talking-to-Listening Ratio

·       People Will Love Your Product If You Let Them Sample It

·       Time In Front Of The Customer Is The Best Time Of All

·       The Best Route Is The Most Direct Route

·       No One Likes Surprises

·       Not All Deal Points Are Created Equal

·       Love Or Leave The Low-Hanging Fruit

·       Customers Need Even More Managing After The Sale

·       Look Beyond The Resume

·       Don’t Let Colleagues Take Each Other For Granted

·       Be Wary Of Unanimous Agreement

·       Co-opt Your Rivals, Don’t Crush Them

·       Don’t Be Afraid To Send Your People To The Penalty Box

·       Unlearn One Acquired Habit A Year

·       The Costs You Can Control Are The Costs That Always Get Out Of Control

·       Some Problems Are Not Worth Knowing

·       Know When To Leave Your Worries Alone

·       Pay Attention To The “Intangibles”

·       Coffee Should Taste Like Coffee

·       Think Like A Parent

·       It’s Okay To Talk To Yourself

·       The Bean Counters Have More Power Than You Imagine (and That’s All Right)

·       Not Every Budget Deserves Your Respect

·       Think Twice Before You Splash Someone (or, Why Every Business Is Like A Small Town)

·       Shrink Your World Into A Small Town

·       Be Nicer To The People Below You, Tougher On The People Above

·       Friends Don’t Ask The Impossible Of Their Friends

·       Develop A Genius For Friendship

·       Reading People Requires More Than One Reading

·       A “Heads-Up” Has Consequences, Too

·       The Boss Can Ask A Stupid Question (and Not Sound Stupid)

·       Learn The Art Of Picking Up The Check

·       You Don’t Need To Tell The World You’re Networking

Who Should Read the Book?    People in business.  People in sales.  People who want to be in business and/or sales. 

Final Test:  Would I read the book again?  ABSOLUTELY.