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Be the Best at What Matters Most: The Only Strategy You Will Ever Need
Winners in business aren't the ones who do the most things; the winners are the ones who do the most important things Be the Best at What Matters Most is about the one essential strategy for business leaders, entrepreneurs, owners, managers and those who want to be one. Simplify, focus, and win by outperforming all your competition on those things that create real value for the customer. This is about substance, not flash, and the ultimate "wow" factors of high quality performance, consistency and relentless improvement.Thought provoking questions, activities, and action steps are built into every section of the book Author Joe Calloway, an International Speakers Hall of Fame inductee, has been a popular business speaker for thirty years and worked with hundreds of companies to help them create and sustain success Be the Best at What Matters Most will help you and your team focus on taking the actions that maximize results, growth, and profit.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2013
20 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 15, 2015
This whole book could be summed up in one sentence - just read the title. How Joe managed to make it an entire book is the real impressive lesson. The advice is good though - be the best at what matters the most and that will make you a success in business and life.
October 10, 2014
It was good. In business sometimes we forget what we should focus on. What is most important? It is good to look at what matters most. Great book to read for someone starting a new business or wanting a new look at your old business.
November 27, 2013
Joe Calloway's book is an important reminder to veteran businesses and relatively new ones to focus on customer expectations as priority one and to be sure that everyone in the company understands their contributions to that. Tom Peter's in his book, In Search of Excellence, wrote about businesses first "sticking to your knitting" instead of distractions like diversification that meant taking the company's eye off the core business. Calloway's message is about the perils of not staying focused.
Because I've read a lot on business and spent so many years in corporate management where I've seen many of Calloway's concepts in practice (both successfully and unsuccessfully), I liked it but perhaps would have rated higher under other circumstances.
It is a very easy read. He advocates keeping things simple in business and follows his own advice in the approach taken with his writing. There are plenty of examples to help ground his concepts and useful questions at the end of each chapter from which to begin planning.
As a member of the 12 Books - Author Led Business Book Group on Goodreads, I got to participate in a one-hour on-line call featuring the author. It was fantastic. So thanks to oganizer Jacob Paulsen for this great opportunity.
Because I've read a lot on business and spent so many years in corporate management where I've seen many of Calloway's concepts in practice (both successfully and unsuccessfully), I liked it but perhaps would have rated higher under other circumstances.
It is a very easy read. He advocates keeping things simple in business and follows his own advice in the approach taken with his writing. There are plenty of examples to help ground his concepts and useful questions at the end of each chapter from which to begin planning.
As a member of the 12 Books - Author Led Business Book Group on Goodreads, I got to participate in a one-hour on-line call featuring the author. It was fantastic. So thanks to oganizer Jacob Paulsen for this great opportunity.
November 15, 2013
The words that come to mind in this book are simple and powerful.
Be the Best At What Matters Most implies that we must first discover what is the thing that matters the most in our marketplace, and then be the best at it. Win at the basics.
I agree with the author than too many marketing strategies are built around doing too many things and building too many gimmicks that ultimately are designed to make up for poor performance where it matters most.
The book gives several good examples that help to illustrate the point. Here are some of the keys that I took away from my reading.
Only you can know what matters most to you, to your team, and to your customers. Ignore other feedback and get to the bottom of that as quickly as you can.
Keep it simple and keep it you. Mission and value statements can move people but does yours? Make it yours and keep it simple. Influence comes from a focus on the core. The core is the basic simple thing that matters most to you and your customers.
This is a book that you can read quickly and still walk away with a clear plan of action to apply the principles that will make up the foundation of your success.
Be the Best At What Matters Most implies that we must first discover what is the thing that matters the most in our marketplace, and then be the best at it. Win at the basics.
I agree with the author than too many marketing strategies are built around doing too many things and building too many gimmicks that ultimately are designed to make up for poor performance where it matters most.
The book gives several good examples that help to illustrate the point. Here are some of the keys that I took away from my reading.
Only you can know what matters most to you, to your team, and to your customers. Ignore other feedback and get to the bottom of that as quickly as you can.
Keep it simple and keep it you. Mission and value statements can move people but does yours? Make it yours and keep it simple. Influence comes from a focus on the core. The core is the basic simple thing that matters most to you and your customers.
This is a book that you can read quickly and still walk away with a clear plan of action to apply the principles that will make up the foundation of your success.
Want to read
July 20, 2015good
December 16, 2024
كتاب نصايح ف ريادة الأعمال
خفيف ولذيذ
مفيهوش اختراع العجلة يعني بس نصايح وخلاص
خفيف ولذيذ
مفيهوش اختراع العجلة يعني بس نصايح وخلاص
September 11, 2021
This book serves well for those planning to start a business. People sometimes overthink and go to the complicated path when all we need is simplicity to succeed. Be great at the basics before the gimmicks.
Listened to the audio book copy.
Listened to the audio book copy.
November 26, 2023
In a customer service industry? Be the best at what matters most. There are pages full of gems you can mine from this quick read like "be so good at the basics that you're cutting edge" and "more isn't better; better is better "
April 10, 2018
اعتقد أن عنوان الكتاب مخالف لما هو مضمون الكتاب، من وجهت نظري أن الكتاب موجه لأصحاب الأعمال والمشاريع وليس لحياتك اليومية.
December 30, 2018
الافضل من يستطيع ان يجعل حياته افضل. فسعادة قرار.
January 26, 2022
Foco... medir lo que importa
August 19, 2015
Substance over style[return][return]Joe Calloway is unimpressed with the increasingly common idea that, in order to compete successfully, you must think outside the box to come up with some "wow factor" to make your business unique and set it apart from all your competitors and amaze and delight your customers. On the contrary, his basic premise is that most businesses would benefit from spending more time thinking inside the box, focusing on the handful of things that are truly most important for your business to do (including, but not limited to, important to your customers), and getting so good at the basics that you're cutting edge...because when you win on the basics, you win it all.[return][return]Take Southwest Airlines, one of the many excellent examples Calloway discusses throughout the book. Sure, they have singing flight attendants, videos of whom have gone viral via social media. But that's not why Southwest is one of the top most trusted brands among both men and women (which is remarkable, considering the airline industry in general is not known for its satisfied customers). Southwest succeeds because it has low fares, great service, and gets there on time...in other words, it wins on the basics. The fun flight attendants are pure gravy.[return][return]Calloway also applies this basic idea to other areas of running a business. My favorite chapter, for example, is the one on culture. Even business leaders skeptical of the idea should take it seriously, Calloway argues, because culture drives results, and "You can't not have a culture. The only question is whether your organization's culture was created by accident or created with intention." A business's culture is "what matters most to you internally, as a team", how what you and your people actually value is expressed in the actions of everyone in the business. I found this extremely helpful, in that it's analogous to character on an individual level, and it helped deepen my understanding of culture in general on a broader, societal level. And as with character, to cultivate your business's culture you need to think about what your basic values are, and make sure they are applied consistently across the board.[return][return]The only minor drawback is that Calloway seems a bit wishy-washy in places, avoiding getting too specific as to what actually matters most. Partly this is just being context-sensitive, recognizing that different things may legitimately work better for different businesses, which is fine. But he walks a thin line between that and a more pragmatic, anything goes as long as it works for you approach. I can interpret that in a way that's okay if you really understand what will actually work for you, but it also leaves the door open for his concept to be misunderstood and misused.[return][return]But on the whole, this book is chock full of valuable insights and useful information. You might also enjoy Jay Baer's Youtility, which takes a similar anti-bells and whistles, style over substance and instead providing real value to the customer approach applied more specifically to marketing in today's social media environment.[return][return]http://www.amazon.com/review/R3FCP0P8...
November 24, 2013
What's the secret to constant, ongoing success worth to you?
According to renowned performance expert Joe Calloway, success isn't easy to obtain.
But achieving it isn't complicated.
There is a secret to gaining success, and to keeping it once you've got it.
Mr. Calloway's contention is that the secret everybody seeks is quite basic.
Not only that, but it's something that should already provide the foundation for most any endeavor.
In fact, it's not really a secret at all.
(I read this book as a member of the 12books group.)
Joe observes the current trend of adding bells, whistles, and various other "extras" can be valuable
enhancements...but they certainly aren't substitutes for quality.
Despite the long title, Be The Best is a fast and easy read that emphasizes it's point lucidly.
The book provides an outline for how to sharpen your focus, while at the same time
perform an honest self-evaluation of various aspects of performance and production.
Joe carefully avoids getting too technical, or too specific in his analysis.
This allows for his instructions to be applicable to a great many situations/scenarios.
The opportunity for personalization of the concept is unlimited.
It applies equally to your business, your workout routine, or your meal preparation.
And pretty much anything else too!
Are there any "earth shaking" revelations in Be The Best At What Matters Most?
I'd have to say "no" emphatically.
But, is there sound reason and logic behind the premise of the book...Absolutely.
You might think (as I did) that the information Joe provides consists entirely of common sense.
Perhaps this stuff should already be common knowledge. And maybe it is.
But putting it into practice consistently, as in every time, all the time...day after day, is no small endeavor.
Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Being successful certainly isn't.
But Joe drives home the point that you don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to be successful.
What you do have to be is...a hard worker who's absolutely dedicated to taking care of the basics.
When you really think about it, if you really are being the best you can be (at anything)
...aren't you already successful?
According to renowned performance expert Joe Calloway, success isn't easy to obtain.
But achieving it isn't complicated.
There is a secret to gaining success, and to keeping it once you've got it.
Mr. Calloway's contention is that the secret everybody seeks is quite basic.
Not only that, but it's something that should already provide the foundation for most any endeavor.
In fact, it's not really a secret at all.
(I read this book as a member of the 12books group.)
Joe observes the current trend of adding bells, whistles, and various other "extras" can be valuable
enhancements...but they certainly aren't substitutes for quality.
Despite the long title, Be The Best is a fast and easy read that emphasizes it's point lucidly.
The book provides an outline for how to sharpen your focus, while at the same time
perform an honest self-evaluation of various aspects of performance and production.
Joe carefully avoids getting too technical, or too specific in his analysis.
This allows for his instructions to be applicable to a great many situations/scenarios.
The opportunity for personalization of the concept is unlimited.
It applies equally to your business, your workout routine, or your meal preparation.
And pretty much anything else too!
Are there any "earth shaking" revelations in Be The Best At What Matters Most?
I'd have to say "no" emphatically.
But, is there sound reason and logic behind the premise of the book...Absolutely.
You might think (as I did) that the information Joe provides consists entirely of common sense.
Perhaps this stuff should already be common knowledge. And maybe it is.
But putting it into practice consistently, as in every time, all the time...day after day, is no small endeavor.
Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Being successful certainly isn't.
But Joe drives home the point that you don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to be successful.
What you do have to be is...a hard worker who's absolutely dedicated to taking care of the basics.
When you really think about it, if you really are being the best you can be (at anything)
...aren't you already successful?
Currently reading
February 21, 2017i think if u a smart person this book will be helpfull not only for your business but also with your relationships
January 8, 2014
As a matter of disclosure I received this book as part of the 12 Books group with the expectation that I would participate in the discussion on Goodreads and post a review on that site, Amazon and my blog.
I found this an enjoyable book that is an interesting and concise read. Author Joe Calloway’s approach is short, bite-size and a lot of common sense. It really helps you focus on how to have a successful business. He raises thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter that enable the reader to get the most out of the concepts presented.
The thrust of the book is to simplify your approach to focus on those things that matter most. He does not present any shortcuts, because there are no shortcuts. Some of the main concepts in the book are:
1. Focus constant improvement on a few things create true value for your customers.
2. Be clear on your expectations and build a culture to achieve it.
3. Have consistently excellent service in place of random acts of “wow”.
4. Find where your business has become overly complicated and simplify it.
5. Find the triggers that most motivate your staff.
The last chapter lists a series of ideas that matter most. My favorites are:
“We don’t get hurt by what we don’t know. We get hurt by what we know and don’t do.”
“You are using a flamethrower when you should be using a blue-tip flame from an acetylene torch.”
“It it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing wrong.”
“Bells and whistles wear off, but usefulness never does.”
I recommend this book for anyone who is either struggling with their business becoming overly complicated or those who want to prevent it from happening.
I found this an enjoyable book that is an interesting and concise read. Author Joe Calloway’s approach is short, bite-size and a lot of common sense. It really helps you focus on how to have a successful business. He raises thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter that enable the reader to get the most out of the concepts presented.
The thrust of the book is to simplify your approach to focus on those things that matter most. He does not present any shortcuts, because there are no shortcuts. Some of the main concepts in the book are:
1. Focus constant improvement on a few things create true value for your customers.
2. Be clear on your expectations and build a culture to achieve it.
3. Have consistently excellent service in place of random acts of “wow”.
4. Find where your business has become overly complicated and simplify it.
5. Find the triggers that most motivate your staff.
The last chapter lists a series of ideas that matter most. My favorites are:
“We don’t get hurt by what we don’t know. We get hurt by what we know and don’t do.”
“You are using a flamethrower when you should be using a blue-tip flame from an acetylene torch.”
“It it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing wrong.”
“Bells and whistles wear off, but usefulness never does.”
I recommend this book for anyone who is either struggling with their business becoming overly complicated or those who want to prevent it from happening.
January 30, 2020
I've read this book twice, and it was more profound the first time through, of course. The entire theme of the book can be summarized in the title of one of its chapters (chapter 20): When everything is pursued, the important is neglected. This is a similar theme to Gary Keller's book The One Thing and Brian Tracy's book Eat That Frog (2 I also recommend reading). It's about staying focused on the most important goals and tasks. It's so easy to get distracted. Rise above the crowd by staying focused and always prioritizing the most important thing(s). Don't worry about crossing a ton of items off your to do list. If you get at least the most important thing crossed off, you've won the day.
Secondly, remember the basics. It can be easy to want to grow and change things up, but you have to have a strong, high-quality foundation to build upon. Pick a really simple core to focus on - it will make it easier for your team to stay focused, too. One great example (of many) in this book is the concept of G3 - Greet, Guide, Gratitude. Greet every customer warmly, guide them toward doing what it is you want them to do, and then be grateful to them. It seems basic, but it's so much more effective than a "mission statement" with 20 different components that no one on the team can actually remember.
Be the best at what matters most. Don't fall into the trap of buying into all the hype.
Check out my live YouTube review at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANimR...
Secondly, remember the basics. It can be easy to want to grow and change things up, but you have to have a strong, high-quality foundation to build upon. Pick a really simple core to focus on - it will make it easier for your team to stay focused, too. One great example (of many) in this book is the concept of G3 - Greet, Guide, Gratitude. Greet every customer warmly, guide them toward doing what it is you want them to do, and then be grateful to them. It seems basic, but it's so much more effective than a "mission statement" with 20 different components that no one on the team can actually remember.
Be the best at what matters most. Don't fall into the trap of buying into all the hype.
Check out my live YouTube review at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANimR...
December 30, 2019
Review from 2016: A little redundant, but right on the money with the concepts. I like his writing style. Clear, concise and to the point. "Filler" and redundancy solidify the importance of what he's teaching.
2019 update: You can fly through this book by reading mainly the headings. Stop and dig deeper on what catches your eye. Do the exercises at the end of each chapter. The moral of this book is to prioritize and focus on the most important things. I love the title of chapter 20: When everything is pursued, the important is neglected.
Get clear on what’s most important in your business and make sure every person working in your organization is clear on it, too. Set clear and consistent expectations. Simplify, focus, act.
2019 update: You can fly through this book by reading mainly the headings. Stop and dig deeper on what catches your eye. Do the exercises at the end of each chapter. The moral of this book is to prioritize and focus on the most important things. I love the title of chapter 20: When everything is pursued, the important is neglected.
Get clear on what’s most important in your business and make sure every person working in your organization is clear on it, too. Set clear and consistent expectations. Simplify, focus, act.
August 30, 2016
This is a quick and easy read: forget about bells-and-whistles, 'wow-factor', and thinking outside-the-box and just focus on what you actually do. Identify your culture, embrace it, and use that to direct your energy to where it matters most: the basics.
For example, it doesn't matter if a delivery company has nice, clean vans; friendly delivery people; gives away doughnuts, etc. It only matters that the product is delivered on time, safely and for a reasonable price. Customers will always value those three things over everything else, so don't waste your time on the other stuff. If you're the best at the important things, it doesn't matter how many doughnuts the other companies give away.
For example, it doesn't matter if a delivery company has nice, clean vans; friendly delivery people; gives away doughnuts, etc. It only matters that the product is delivered on time, safely and for a reasonable price. Customers will always value those three things over everything else, so don't waste your time on the other stuff. If you're the best at the important things, it doesn't matter how many doughnuts the other companies give away.
May 31, 2013
EXCELLENT READ! If you want a book that will help you FOCUS so that you can pursue with passion what matters MOST...then read this book. The most challenging thing is to get your thinking "clean enough to make things simple." I also liked this from Peyton Manning: "Pressure is what you feel when you don't know what the hell you're doing."
Again, this book will help you FOCUS and challenge you to stay focused on what matters MOST! Do that...and you'll be successful. A simple concept I needed to hear.
Again, this book will help you FOCUS and challenge you to stay focused on what matters MOST! Do that...and you'll be successful. A simple concept I needed to hear.
August 27, 2014
I think everyone can use common sense to see the title of the book is something you need to concentrate on in business and in life. What the book does is hammer it in for you. Mr. Calloway's book gives advice on specific ways you can shift focus from the extras and wow factors and get back to basics. The basics being your break and butter and what actually makes a company money and what makes your life worth living.
June 12, 2013
I just met Joe Calloway. So this was the first of his books that I read. I loved the power of his statements, the stories he told and the real world excamples of how companies did just what Joe suggests "Be The Best At What Matters Most" Valuable for all companies, yet really valuable for start ups or early stage entrepreneurs.
December 5, 2013
Hot damn this book delivered a well needed punch in the junk to me. I really really suggest all business owners read it (or give it a listen as the case was here).
So why only 4 stars? It would have been 5 stars it was a third shorter, by the end it started to drag a bit with the old mission vision and values stuff.
So why only 4 stars? It would have been 5 stars it was a third shorter, by the end it started to drag a bit with the old mission vision and values stuff.
January 6, 2014
I read business books as self-help books, ways to improve myself. This book is right up there with the best of them. You don't need to be a business person to gain value from reading it. The point, in our mad, multitasking world, is simple: you can't be the best at everything. You need to focus on up to three things, and then concentrate on one of them.
December 12, 2013
What an excellently simple treatment of an important topic...how to do what is absolutely most important to YOU. The reality is that it is more than just being competitive in your field but "actually winning on the basics." Simple and basic is best.
July 7, 2014
WOW, this book really helps you think about ways to create impact - not by doing one-time, flash-in-the-pan things, but by being the best at what you do. Joe hits the nail on the head about why competence comes first... and flash can be added later.
December 4, 2013
Great book, super fast and easy to read providing the good insights to simplify your mind and get thing done!
December 3, 2013
This is a great book focusing on the basics of business.
December 19, 2015
Very good book with very little fluff. Worth a quick read.
August 11, 2016
A much needed read
Provides practical guide on clearing up clutter of thought and focusing on things that makes one stand apart. This is a good primer on how to move forward
Provides practical guide on clearing up clutter of thought and focusing on things that makes one stand apart. This is a good primer on how to move forward
January 2, 2017
Don't go for the wow factor, do the basics and do them well
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews