You Already Know How To Be Great

While the purpose of both books is to help people achieve their goals, the authors take different approaches. Executive coach and trainer Fine, writing with Merrill (coauthor, The Speed of Trust), offers the GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward) system to help readers unblock "Faith, Fire, and Focus." Simply put, he works from an inside-out system to help readers get rid of the many distractions that prevent performance and creativity. Fine is definitely on to something, and his teaching can help employers better motivate their staff as well as assist coaches to help students succeed. If one can get past the overuse of acronyms, there is solid advice to be found. Halvorson (psychology, Lehigh Univ.) holds that an individual's mode of thinking (the abstract whys and concrete whats) can help or hinder achievement of goals. She points out that different strategies are needed for different types of goals of prevention and promotion. Most of the book concentrates on examining and setting goals, and concrete suggestions are offered for staying on course. Halvorson, similar to Fine, devotes a chapter to helping the reader help others. Both books offer quality material. Fine's is more achievement oriented, while Halvorson's would be helpful in that regard as well as in kicking a bad habit.