Book Review: Whale Done by Ken Blanchard

          Ken Blanchard has written a number of best sellers.  Perhaps you have read his One Minute Manager series, or Raving Fans (how to make your customer a raving fan), or Gung Ho! which encourages your pursuit of excellence.  If you’ve read a Blanchard book you know that he is a master storyteller who makes his points by telling a story that is easy to read, entertaining, interesting, and most important of all, drives to the point he is making.

          Whale Done is no exception.  The book jacket explains that “both whales and people perform better when you accentuate the positive” and of course give people the much deserved, “Great job!”  The book follows a business manager/family man names Wes Kingsley.  As Wes reflects on his life—both personally and professionally, he realizes that things are not going well.  There is a great deal of tension in both arenas and while on a business trip he escapes to Sea world and watches the killer whale show.  As he goes backstage he learns that the trainer’s techniques of building trust, accentuating the positive, and redirecting negative behavior work together to create the extraordinary performances that we all witness.  

          The book’s story continues as Wes learns to apply these skills in his personal and professional life.  He, and his family, learn how to apply these technique and ultimately live a much happier and more fulfilling life.

          At C4K we promote the Big 3—building relationships, communicating formally and informally, and recognition for exemplary performance.  Working on the Big 3 will help you to build trust, focus on the positive and redirect negative behavior as you acknowledge good work. 

          Consider reading Whale Done! and also consider checking out the C4K videos on the Big 3.  Both are user friendly and insightful.