Adversity Quotient @ Work: Make Everyday Challenges the Key to Your Success--Putting the Principles of AQ Into Action Hardcover – September 19, 2000

Why do some individuals quit, maintain status quo, get comfortable or continue to pursue dreams/purpose/goals? Focus on adversity and how individuals respond is a significant determining factor on whether their drive/motivation leads them to continued success or settle for something less. AQ includes many of the known success factors but identifies the difference responding to adversity plays into the equation. Supportive and practical information is included.

Great book

I picked up this book after hearing Dr. Stoltz give a presentation on the topic of overcoming adversity, because his talk rang true with me. The idea that you can improve how you approach adverse situations for yourself and your team was clearly explained and walked through.

'AQ@Work' is aimed at consultants, students, or those in business who want to create a structured reaction mindset (initially consciously incompetent, to unconsciously competent) to performing better individually and in teams in the workplace.The attractively illustrated action-oriented chapters span: Expanding your capacity- the human operating system (Quitters, Campers & Climbers); The science of AQ; Measuring Your AQ; The CORE of a climber (Control, Ownership, Reach, Endurance); Developing Response-Able Climbers (LEAD= Listen to Response, Establish Accountability, Analyze the Evidence, and Do Something); Coaching and Mentoring Climbers; Defining and Finding Climbers; Hiring Climbers; Building Climbing Teams; Building A Climbing Culture.Strengths include: the presentation (illustrations, tables, summaries, action lists); the lively engaging style; interesting "humans as computers with software" analogies; the usability of materials for in-company training; and the credibility of AQ itself (data set and application group spanning over 100,000 people Worldwide across cultures, sectors, and professions).Weaknesses include: the lack of references; a need more anecdotes or tabulated quantified success stories (rather than repetitive, almost consulting sales pitch); needs 25% less page count for content; dull 2nd half becomes a "verbatim training notes doc" (to this reviewer); lack of depth to "science" (e.g. misses many credible individual/ team motivation/performance models e.g.2 misses communications models & significance to team performance); offers unsubstantiated contradictions with standard psychology view to internalizing/ externalizing problems and subsequent personal growth (or not); and anecdotes sometimes abstract/remote from complexities of real work environments. Interestingly, Cypress Semiconductor is hailed here as a success story, and as a failure in Pfeffer's recent OK "Hidden Value" and OK "Knowing Doing-Gap" texts.Alternatives include: Pfeffer's efforts; Goleman's OK "Working with Emotional Intelligence"; and Schwartz's inspirational "Magic of Thinking Big". At the "quality-end" look at: the superb "First to the Future- on Active Leadership" by Willi Railo (rigorous proven methods to coach & lead Olympic-standard people, applicable to all) (ISBN82-991169-5-3 Norbok A/S 1995); and Jensen's punchy 'Simplicity' (ISBN 073820210X 2000). More peripherally look at: "The Time Management PocketBook" and "Yoga for Dummies" offering approaches for motivation, focus, and action to being better balanced as well as corporate citizens.Overall 'AQ@Work' is only worthwhile- but it could be amongst the best with more rigor & science, less words, and more success statistics.

Adversity Quotient @ work should be required reading for all business students and required application for business leaders in any industry.

Great condition

In the era of swift change and unremitting uncertainty, the challenge for executives and entrepreneurs is not only how to avoid crisis, but mainly how to weather and defy adversity. Dr. Stoltz shows that success in converting adversities into profitable opportunities is related to our ability to move forward despite what appears to be insurmountable obstacles. Thus, navigators of large enterprises or entrepreneurial startups should read this book for it provides theory-based accounts on how to develop and harness human perseverance. Such personal determination affects not only career choices but also the success with which actions are pursued and executed, which in turn fortifies one's own AQ. My empirical research in the area of innovation management validates and provides scientific support for this theory. Higher AQ is not a fad; it is associated with higher personal success.- Gideon D. Markman, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship Lally School of Management & Technology Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Stolz (1997, 2010) is the reason why I am doing my dissertation on adversity quotient. The CORE dimensions as well as the elements adversity quotient (AQ) are invaluable to anyone who is alive and works.