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Good Is Not Enough: And Other Unwritten Rules for Minority Professionals | 
 enlarge | Author: Keith R. Wyche
Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $12.18
You Save: $12.77 (51%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 37929
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 1591842107
Dewey Decimal Number: 650.108
EAN: 9781591842101
ASIN: 1591842107
Publication Date: July 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! NEW Book! May have remainder mark. Most orders ship within 1 BUSINESS DAY with ORDER CONFIRMATION.
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Product Description
A no-nonsense guide for minorities in business who want to make it to senior management
In recent decades, corporate America has gotten better at recruiting minority talent. But despite their education and hard work, too many African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans still find unique obstacles on the path to senior management. And there are too few minority mentors available to help them understand and overcome these challenges.
Keith R. Wyche, a division president at a Fortune 500 company, is the perfect mentor for ambitious minority businesspeople at all levels. His book is filled with thought-provoking insights and practical advice based on his own experiences and those of the many people he has counseled. He discusses the importance of:
Understanding corporate cultureand the impact it has on your career
Being visiblebecause you cant get ahead if nobody knows who you are
Staying currentwhy minorities must be continuous learners
Good Is Not Enough also includes anecdotes from prominent CEOs such as Ken Chenault of American Express, Richard Parsons of Time Warner, and Alwyn Lewis of Kmart.
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| Customer Reviews:
Mentor August 11, 2008
I gave this book as a gift. The recipient was elated during and after reading the book. He has been able to apply many of the concepts discussed and was truly thankful.
Great career advice for young business professionals July 4, 2008
23 out of 23 found this review helpful
This is a book that provides great career advice for young business professionals given as an experienced and supportive mentor might provide. Keith Wyche (and Sonia Alleyne) have written this for minorities, but I think almost all of it is fabulous advice for anyone trying to build some steam in a business career. As a middle-aged white guy, I obviously have never been a gender or racial minority, so I cannot really address those issues from their perspective.
The book has twelve chapters besides its brief introduction. I think the first chapter on the importance of corporate culture is a great place to start. There are many companies you where you, as a person, will fit in and others where you won't. We all experience this. You also need to know if your goals can be met at a given company. For example, if it is a small family firm with family members in the leadership positions, don't expect that you are going to displace blood. Is it seniority based company or do they actually reward merit? You will want to know this before you invest a couple of years bringing in record sales and are told that you will have to wait your turn because there are people ahead of you in the line. If you want to be rewarded for excellent performance match yourself to a company that rewards based on actual performance. And always keep a your resume shiny and developing possible next steps outside the company.
The other chapters advise you on the importance of managing how others see you. While you can't control it, how you present yourself and what you do have a big impact on it. You are also advised on how to properly make yourself visible, when to take a lateral promotion or not, when to leave your company for a new job or not, and warned about several career killers. Wyche points out that minorities don't often get second chances once a career gets derailed. So, this chapter can be critical advice.
The author also advises you to develop certain leadership skills so you can be seen as a leader. They are strategic visioning, execution, authentic leadership, flexibility and adaptability, awareness and political judgment, and personal accountability. I have seen many people of every background lack these qualities and misunderstand why they weren't given leadership positions. They blamed it on a lot of other factors other than their own lack of leadership qualities. Don't make that mistake.
Wyche also talks about the vital importance of being completely prepared, how to overcome gender bias, and the critical need to keep you skills fresh and up to date. The chapter on mentors and sponsors applies to everyone, but especially to minorities. This includes the importance of giving back and becoming a mentor and sponsor once you achieve success as a business professional. The last chapter advises you to never give up. The old saying is true; many battles are lost because one side gives up just before they might have won if they had pressed themselves a bit more. Tenacity is a wonderful quality in every part of life.
I like this book a great deal and can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to read it, but I understand why he focused it for minorities and think it is a terrific resource for them. In my view, though, most of it (nearly all of it) is simply fabulous advice for the up and comer.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
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