The Inner Game of Work: Focus, Learning, Pleasure, and Mobility in the Workplace

Very easy to read and full of insight, it deserves being one of the 'classics' in coaching literature. A must.

This is an extremely influential book. It is the source of the successful work of so many people who have gone on to refine and publish their methods for coaching and consulting in the workplace. It is easily understood and practiced, which is the whole point, really. It offers opportunity for development for anyone today, not just those engaged in change processes. It makes so much sense that you will be drawn into using the practices without knowing it.

Great book

This is the first Tim Gallwey book I have read and can thoroughly recommend it. Tim started his career in formal education and then found a new way of learning, that formal education missed. Working as a coach and raising awareness of the coachee, he found that learning was enabled from their own experiences and so was more relevant for the learner. There is lots of great coaching insights in this book.

All managers should consider this as essential reading when considering how to build effective teams that combine productivity with a good sense of the team and individuallity.

I know it's a best seller, and millions of people can't be wrong, but for me, this book is based on a very thin premise – that of a negative voice. This is expounded in the first 8 chapters – skip directly to Chapter 9 would be my recommendation. And unfortunately, thats almost the last chapter. Here things do start to get useful as we move into types of coaching conversations - for awareness; for choice and for trust. Great questions for my coaching toolbox.

Great book

In 1976 the author Timothy Gallwey, gained a remarkable insight when trying to coach tennis. He pondered whether he was aiding or preventing the learning experience. This revolutionary thought process was provoked when he discovered that by asking the learner to focus on the ball & not the shot - by stating out aloud what the ball was doing - immediately improved the person's ability to play the ball. In fact he found that the generally accepted method of providing advice as a coach on how to improve the shot was having the converse effect viz preventing the shot from being played correctly. This insight calls into question the role of the coach in the learning process. From this profound insight arose the concepts of Self 1 & Self 2 where Self 2 was the non judgmental & intuitive part of oneself whereas Self 1 was the judgmental part which was invoked or provoked by traditional methods. Typical training invoked the Self 1 which hindered the learning process. Evolving from this is the concept that in most situations the person had the innate ability to perform the task themselves. To prevent the Self 1 from automatically kicking-in, the role of the coach would instead focus on invoking Self 2. Gallwey then expands this concept & demonstrates into applicability in the world of work. His first assignment involves the improvement in the tedious job of call centre operator. Gallwey discusses how one can maximize one's enjoyment of even mundane tasks. By enjoying a task one is in a "state of flow" or "in the zone". Other concepts are also introduced viz STOP when "renewal" is required. This relates to STEP BACK, THINK, ORGANISE YOUR THOUGHTS & then PROCEED. This is also a powerful concept to employ when floundering under pressure. However what resulted in a score of a meager 3 is the attempt to philosophize. Maybe it's Mr. Gallwey's attempt to shed light on the application of these concepts, but instead I found them tedious & repetitive. The concept of Self 1 & 2 undoubted has wide applicability & will no doubt gain greater acceptance with quality of work life issues on the ascendancy in the Western world. This is useful book for the collection as one needs to "dip in" every now & then. Overall there are some powerful & appropriate concepts which can be learnt but it could have been covered in half the number of pages.

Dieses Buch geht von der zentralen These aus, dass jeder Mensch ein Ich-1 (Self 1) (dass unablässig bewertet - lobt und kritisiert) und ein Ich-2 (Self 2) (das für schöpferische Kreativität und die Einzigartigkeit jedes Menschen steht) in sich hat. Im weiteren Verlaufe des Buches arbeitet Gallwey heraus, welche Aspekte für die größtmögliche Befreiung des Ich-2 zu berücksichtigen sind (Awareness - Bewusstseinsmachung, Choice - Wahl und Vermeidung des Tunnelblicks sowie Trust - auf das Ich-2 vertrauen). Die Verknüpfungen der Aussagen im Buch zum Coaching sind vielfältig. So arbeitet Gallwey sehr gut den Unterschied zwischen Lehren (teaching) und Coaching heraus. Auch belegt er an vielen Beispielen, dass ein nicht-bewertendes Hinterfragen im Coachingprozess oft schon eine sehr heilende Wirkung auf den Coachee haben kann. Im vorletzten Kapitel erläutert Gallwey eine Methode, die in Veränderungsprozessen gut eingesetzt werden kann: den Wechsel der eigenen Perspektive in die Person gegenüber (Transposing). Auch aufgeführt werden in jenem Kapitel einige hilfreiche Fragen, die in den Veränderungsphasen Bewusstwerdung (awareness), Auswahl von Wegen und Methoden (choice) und Vertrauensbildung (trust) sehr gut eingesetzt werden können. Für alle Leser, die sich strategisch mit dem eigenen Arbeitsleben (und dem der Mitmenschen) beschäftigen möchten, kann dieses Buch ein echter Gewinn sein!

Highly recommended book for those looking to grow their professional status

It's a pretty deep analysis human interactions in work environment! Beyond that the author goes deep in mental strategies which can take us toward excellence!!!

Un gran libro de Tim Gallwey, te explica claramente los conceptos de "inner game" aplicable a negocios, pero sobre todo a como crecer uno mismo.

Ameno e interesante, arroja una luz original sobre el trabajo. Útil para coaching personal y ejecutivo. Se lee muy fácilmente.