What's the quickest way to ruin a friendship? Can bosses actually learn
something from marriages? Are very close friendships in the workplace
such a bad thing?
These are just a few of the questions that #1 New York Times
bestselling author Tom Rath asked when he embarked on a massive study of
friendships. Along with several leading researchers, Rath pored through
the literature, conducted several experiments, and analyzed more than 5
million interviews from Gallup's worldwide database.
His team's discoveries produced Vital Friends, a book that challenges
long-held assumptions people have about their relationships. And the
team's landmark discovery -- that people who have a "best friend at
work" are seven times as likely to be engaged in their job -- is sure to
rattle the structure of organizations around the world.
Drawing on research and case studies from topics as diverse as marriage,
management, and architecture, Vital Friends reveals what's common to
all truly essential friendships: a regular focus on what each person is
contributing to the friendship -- rather than the all-too-common
approach of expecting one person to be everything.
The book gives the reader access to the Vital Friends Assessment and
website at www.vitalfriends.com. This groundbreaking test reveals which
friends play each of the eight vital friendship roles in your life.
Tom Rath's fast-paced and inviting storytelling takes a mountain of
important research and makes it remarkably accessible and applicable. By
the time you finish reading Vital Friends, you'll see your family,
friends, coworkers, and significant other in a whole new light.
