Vital Friends: The People You Can't Afford to Live Without

Tom Rath's Vital Friends will be considered a controversial book by some and common sense by others. The work is based on Gallup polling data that indicates increased satisfaction and effectiveness among those that can count one or more close friends at work. I'm certain that I fall into the "this is common sense" camp while I've known a significant number of managers that would contend that close friends at work tend to waste time and possibly build cliques or alliances that are not conducive to good business.The poll results indicate a connection that is pretty much undeniable but without direct evidence of a cause-effect relationship. Mr. Rath's division of friends at work into eight vital roles provides convincing reasoning on how positive work relations positively impact the work experience. Builders, Champions, Collaborators (in the positive sense of that word only), Companions, Connectors, Energizers, Mind Openers, and Navigators are described and guidelines are provided for identifying such friends, developing them, and developing yourself into each kind of friend.While I find the work compelling and interesting, I'm not sure how easily some of it can be put to use. The "art" of friendship is somewhat overlooked in favor of a comparatively sterile look at the means that can be used to cultivate and take advantage of your friendships. To be sure, no part of the book countenances "politics" or "using" friends for gain. I was still left with a slightly uncomfortable feeling at the thought of consciously taking advantage of my friendships rather than just thoughtlessly enjoying the benefits.I wish the book had more information on the negative impact of some friendships and tips on countering them.Overall, I found Vital Friends an interesting read and a valuable addition to my library.

This book is a real eye opener about the need for vital friends in our lives. It will cause you to re-examine your life in a positive way.

This book raises some great points that really make one think, both about friendships in general, and also their place in the workplace. One must be careful though as the author appears to confuse correlation with causation in several places. Fortunately, these points are irrelevant to the focus of the book.In terms of friendships at work, the author shows this to be a win-win situation for employees and employers, improving both happiness and productivity. A case is made, therefore, that employers should take action to encourage this. Unfortunately, the author completely avoids the downside to this - namely its putting all the eggs in one basket - if one leaves or loses one's job, one loses, or it least becomes more distant from, one's friends. This can also make it more difficult to leave companies that head in a bad direction, inhibiting them from "getting while the getting is good." I'm not saying that having friends at work is bad, just that the negative consequences should be acknowledged.Finally the book talks about eight distinct roles of friendship, and how expecting one friend to cover all roles is not only unrealistic, but damaging to the friendship as well. By thinking of your friends in the role(s) they fulfill for you, and you for them, it helps one decide whom to see for what purpose. This is original and very useful information.

Tom Rath offers an insightful way of understanding friendship in our lives. As is often the case, most of us live with a general understanding of the various things that make up our lives. But when we take time to really think about the significance of so many of the things we often take for granted we discover that there is a deepness or richness to our lives we often simply miss. Rath's exploration of friendship gives you a new way to think more deeply about the significance of friendship for you exploring the variety of types of friendships we can cultivate in our lives.The accompanying web site gives you a means to identify who your various friends are and what role they can play in your life and which types of friends you may need to seek out and cultivate.

I'm just about done with this book and I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by how great of a read it turned out to be. It's definitely an eye opener, one that made me realize the importance of my small but worthy circle of friends. Having a few close friends is truly vital and I will strive to be to them what they have been to me.

I'm not much of a book reader during my busy hiring season. I work for an employment office, so we get inundated with OT and take home work. The audio book helped me get through the book for a class project, so it was a godsend. I could easily find the chapters that I needed to revisit.

This book is a revelation on the importance of friendship in your life. It's no surprise that people end up homeless when relationships break down. This book is well worth the read.

Read in 2 or 3 days! It's thought provoking, and a great conversation starter with friends. I like being able to see how I can further enrich relationships I already have... and this book helps you think through how you can do that. Great!

It has good and positive approach, but by the end of the book it is just about advertise his own webpage. It's a pity!

本の内容は満足できるものです。経験談からどのようなことが考えられるかが述べられています。しかし、国内本屋からの郵送ではないため、購入時は余裕を持った納入計画を立てる必要がある。

The book is outstanding. When it comes to friends, its truly an eye opener. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I now measure people through a whole set of different lenses. Simply amazing !

Voici un livre qui présente une thèse simple et étonnante, étayée par des chiffres spectaculaires issus des enquêtes Gallup.Selon Rath, nous sous-estimons dans de nombreux domaines - santé, motivation au travail etc. - l'importance d'avoir des amis.Exemple de conséquence concrète, pour un employeur : pour développer l'attachement des salariés à l'entreprise, il faut en priorité renforcer l'attachement des salariés entre eux !