Enchantment: Enchanting THE Boss
Blog / Produced by The High Calling
We’ve reached the end of our journey with Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. It seems fitting that we end this book club with tips on How to Enchant Your Boss. Here at The High Calling, we hope our work enchants The Boss, and I had some fun examining Guy Kawasaki’s suggestions from this perspective. Some of them are remarkably applicable.
Take, Make Your Boss Look Good for instance. This is the best way to enchant your boss, according to Guy. In fact, he says, if you can internalize and implement this concept, you’re 90 percent of the way to enchanting your boss. Today I’m wondering—how do I make The Boss of the Universe look good? Is it even possible? Should I try?
Then there is this one: Drop Everything and Do What Your Boss Asks. Really? Everything? This is where I could get into big trouble with The Boss. After all, I have my own stuff to do. Guy says, no matter what the reason—and even if there is no good reason—do what your boss asks first. Am I the only one who needs work in this area?
Guy also recommends to enchant your boss, Form Friendships. Employees with many professional friendships are more enchanting, says Guy, because these relationships make them more effective employees and provide social proof of their wonderfulness. This wonderfulness creates a halo, he goes on to say, and if you’re popular and enchanting, people will assume your boss is popular and enchanting too. Who knew networking was the way to get a halo?
And then there is this one: Ask for Mentoring. But if you ask, cautions Guy, you must heed the advice you are given. How often have I done the opposite—picking and choosing whatever pieces of advice I want to follow? If you don’t follow your boss’s advice, Guy says, not listening can backfire on you. A-hem. Amen to that, brother.
Of course, Guy makes other recommendations for enchanting your boss that aren’t so neatly applied to faith. I don’t think it was his intention to create a “theology of enchantment”. But it has been interesting to see a thread of the Gospel weaved into many of Guy Kawasaki’s ideas throughout this book. It makes me wonder—when I am sharing my passions, trying to change the world for the better and working to transform situations and relationships through enchantment…could there be more at stake than the immediate agenda?
Guy concludes the book with a remarkable charge: Enchantment is a powerful skill, and with power comes responsibility. It’s your duty to use these skills in a manner that benefits all the parties involved, if not the world….
I guess some things are just naturally enchanting.
How about you? Share your thoughts on these chapters with us in the comment section or link up below to your thoughts at your blog.
This is the final post in a book club discussion of Guy Kawasaki’s Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. Joins us next week for some recommendations for good summer reading. We'll be starting our next book club on July 18th--enjoying the slow summer days with a journey through Luci Shaw's Breath for the Bones: Art, Imagination and Spirit: A Reflection on Creativity and Faith. I hope you will join us!
Image by Claire Burge. Used with permission. Post by Laura J. Boggess, author of The Wings of Klaio Series.
Related:
How to Change the World: A Book Club Introduction
Achieving Likability: Crows Feet and the Perfect Handshake (week one)
Don't Menschion It: How Trust Enchants (week two)
Telling Stories: How to Launch and Overcome Resistance (week three)
Push Technology: How to Make an Enchanting Presentation (week four)
The demands, pressures and stress of work can put a huge strain on relationships with our coworkers. This 4-day plan from Theology of Work Project and Workmatters provides simple steps you can take to be more loving to your coworkers that will transform those relationships and increase both joy and productivity at work.