Be a Shortcut

72 pp. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2009 Everyone knows what a shortcut is: a quicker, easier way to get somewhere. In Be a Shortcut, author Scott Halford uses the word in a slightly different sense: a Shortcut is that indispensible person in the workplace who is always available when needed; who can be counted on to do the job right without complaint; and who does the work for the satisfaction of doing it well, not just for the money. Shortcuts are the lifelines that allow busy people to manage too much information and too much to do in too little time. As a result, Shortcuts are the employees who keep their jobs in a tough economy while others are laid off. Be a Shortcut provides a practical formula for professionals hoping to become indispensible assets for their employers. All it takes is initiative, responsibility, a certain expertise, and the right attitude. Drawing on recent psychological, neurological, and operational research, the author analyzes the dynamics of Shortcuts-how they think, behave, and act-and explains what gives them such powerful influence and value in the workplace. In addition, Be a Shortcut provides a framework for raising employees and even entire corporations to Shortcut status. He argues that companies must offer training, not only in job-related skills but also in areas like emotional intelligence and negotiation. Shortcut companies also know the importance of implementing reforms at every level of the corporate structure. When each employee is encouraged to apply past experience to present conditions, the whole organization experiences creative, transformational, and sustainable growth.