HBR Guide to Your Professional Growth

This is really a must have if you're serious about a corporate style career, but may apply to others as well. Just has so much actionable advice, examples, studies, etc. I will use this throughout my career, and focus on a few items at a time. There's just too much in here to tackle everything at once, even though it really motivates you and overwhelms you at the same time. At the end of the day you really need take action to make improvements. Simply reading a book is not going to cut it. This basically gives you all the advice you need in an quick and easy to read format without any BS.

The book is written in plain English and provides practical suggestions and solutions for managing your career. I would recommend to anyone who would like a blueprint on what they should do to get what they want out of their career.

I was very excited about this book because I felt it would help me as I start an internship/career, but boy did it let me down.Pros: -It did contain some general good career advice such as seeking feedback, getting mentors, and continually learning.-The book feels great in your hands.Cons: -It isn’t so much a book as it is a collection of online articles that someone decided to put together slap a $10 price tag on.-They have sections based on a subject, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it becomes repetitive when the articles don’t flow and work off one another.Save your money and just spend time asking for career advice as you network.

Lots of good articles on the topic. Can't meet as with the HBR stuff

Fantastic read. Definitely helped me in terms of what I’m planning to do in the coming year. Recommend to all mid career switchers.

I loved the insightful guidance from amazing leaders. It was interesting and easy to read.

As you probably know already, most of the volumes in the “HBR Guide to” series are anthologies of articles previously published in Harvard Business Review in which various contributors share their insights concerning a major business subject such as Better Business Writing, Getting the Right Work Done, and Project Management. In this instance, the focus is on professional growth.As is also true of volumes in other such series, notably HBR Essentials, HBR Must Reads, and HBR Management Tips, HBR Guides offer substantial value in cutting-edge thinking from 25-30 sources in a single volume at a price (each at about $15-20 from Amazon in the bound version) for a fraction of what article reprints would cost.What we have in this paperbound edition are 28 articles previously published by Harvard Business Review. If purchased separately as reprints, the total cost would be about $260. Amazon US currently sells this volume for only $13.36.The material is organized within six sections. The individual essays in each section address specific issues related to a general objective.For example, in the Section One:o Robert Steven Kaplan explains how to reach your potential by defining success.o Brian Fetherstonhaugh asserts it's never too late to develop a strategy for life of meaningful labor.o Dorie Clark explains how to think strategically about your career rather than leaving it to chance.Material in the other five sections provide equally valuable information, insights, and advice with regard to HOW TOAssess yourself and obtain feedbackSet goals for yourselfBecome a better learnerGain new skillsMove ahead in order to move upHere's what Heidi Grant discusses in her article, "Nine Things Successful People Do Differently" (Pages 103-109):1. Get specific.2. Seize the moment to act upon your goals.3. Know exactly how far you have yet to go.4. Be a realistic optimist.5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good.6. Have grit.7. Build your willpower muscle.8. Don't tempt fate.9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won't do.Yes, I realize, it's easy to make a list of what to do. Grant also explains HOW. To varying degree, other contributors also focus on the WHAT and WHY as well as on the all-important HOW.I also hold in high regard Stephen Covey's discussion of the habits of highly successful people. Here they are:1. Be proactive2. Begin with the end in mind3. Put first things first4. Think win-win5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood6. Synergize!7. Sharpen the SawLong ago, Aristotle said this: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” More recently, Warren Buffett suggested, "Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken." By all means cherish your high hopes and great expectations  but meanwhile keep in minds this observation by Thomas Edison: "Vision without execution is hallucination."Each of us is a work in progress. Years ago, I realized that as well as the fact that personal growth and professional development may have different objectives and different challenges but really are interdependent. The information, insights, and advice provided in this book can help almost anyone to achieve both personal and professional objectives. Ultimately, however, the value of the material will depend almost entirely on how effectively each reader uses it.Assuming you hope to achieve great success, I commend to your attention this comment by Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're probably right."

As a contributor author to this guide, I was excited to flip to my article and another article where I was interviewed. However, I found myself reading this book cover to cover and learning from a large number of experts. Their diverse viewpoints, singular focus on practical ways to grow professionally, and straight-to-the-point approach made this a fast read with long-lasting impact.

Average

Good one