I picked up “Cut to the Chase: and 99 Other Rules to Liberate Yourself and Gain Back the Gift of Time“ on the recommendation of Personal MBA reading list. It’s a quick read, containing 100 short (< 2 page) tips on professional behaviors that reduce wasted time.

In the spirit of cutting to the chase, I’ll summarize with a few bullet points:

Pros:

  • A quick read
  • The short chapters make it easy to pick up when you have a few minutes
  • The lessons are good, and tend to reflect the habits of effective senior management
  • Feels like the kind of book you could pick up once a quarter to glance over the Table of Contents as a reminder to focus on what’s important
  • If you’re new to the professional world, reading this will definitely give you an insight into the type of behavior you’re likely to encounter when interacting with senior management; And it should help you prepare for the type of communication styles expected of you

Cons:

  • If you’ve been in business for while, you probably should know this stuff already
  • If you’re new to the professional world, you may have fewer opportunities to practice this stuff (though better to get started now then not know how to manage your time when you are tasked with greater responsibilities)
  • Depending on your work environment, the lessons may be a little too “harsh” — ie., these are techniques for efficient time management, not for making friends

Overall, my reaction is positive. There were certainly a few lessons in there that I look forward to applying to my working style.