Steve Herz

The book is basically two broad thoughts in the book. First is kind of what I call the foundation for change, right? And the foundation for change is this idea of don't take yes for an answer. And my thesis is that there's been, I would say, a pretty significant change in American society in the past 30 years. And I don't,

say this politically at all, and I don't intend it that, and I don't think it's a millennial thing. I think it's just what's happened. Some of it is just people meant well, whatever, but there's always another unintended consequence of things. So those three things are, one, you've had great inflation. Two, you've had this what I would call participation trophy culture morphing into MVP culture.

say this politically at all, and I don't intend it that, and I don't think it's a millennial thing. I think it's just what's happened. Some of it is just people meant well, whatever, but there's always another unintended consequence of things. So those three things are, one, you've had great inflation. Two, you've had this what I would call participation trophy culture morphing into MVP culture.

say this politically at all, and I don't intend it that, and I don't think it's a millennial thing. I think it's just what's happened. Some of it is just people meant well, whatever, but there's always another unintended consequence of things. So those three things are, one, you've had great inflation. Two, you've had this what I would call participation trophy culture morphing into MVP culture.

And then the third is HR departments in many, if not most American companies, really acting as a adjunct to the legal department and not wanting to get sued and not in talent development as it might be thought of. And so they don't fire people. They don't really want to tell you what you're doing wrong. They just want to get you out. And go quietly.

And then the third is HR departments in many, if not most American companies, really acting as a adjunct to the legal department and not wanting to get sued and not in talent development as it might be thought of. And so they don't fire people. They don't really want to tell you what you're doing wrong. They just want to get you out. And go quietly.

And then the third is HR departments in many, if not most American companies, really acting as a adjunct to the legal department and not wanting to get sued and not in talent development as it might be thought of. And so they don't fire people. They don't really want to tell you what you're doing wrong. They just want to get you out. And go quietly.

And so what I say in the book in terms of setting up the foundation is that if you get the artificial A that should be a B that was 30 years ago, you get the participation trophy culture and you seem like you think you're an MVP. And you've had the job and you never even got fired.

And so what I say in the book in terms of setting up the foundation is that if you get the artificial A that should be a B that was 30 years ago, you get the participation trophy culture and you seem like you think you're an MVP. And you've had the job and you never even got fired.

And so what I say in the book in terms of setting up the foundation is that if you get the artificial A that should be a B that was 30 years ago, you get the participation trophy culture and you seem like you think you're an MVP. And you've had the job and you never even got fired.

You were lucky you got fired because now you would have gotten downsized or reordered and they would have told you, it's not you, it's me. You were great, blah, blah, blah. So what ends up happening is that you, the individual-

You were lucky you got fired because now you would have gotten downsized or reordered and they would have told you, it's not you, it's me. You were great, blah, blah, blah. So what ends up happening is that you, the individual-

You were lucky you got fired because now you would have gotten downsized or reordered and they would have told you, it's not you, it's me. You were great, blah, blah, blah. So what ends up happening is that you, the individual-

who's on the wrong end of this equation, and you mean well, you work hard, but no one's ever told you what you could do better, you get caught up in the vortex of mediocrity. And how do you get out of that? You can't get out of it if you're not reading the signals of somebody saying to you, Heather, you can do better. Heather, you're fired. Heather, do something else. Or Steve, get out of the law.

who's on the wrong end of this equation, and you mean well, you work hard, but no one's ever told you what you could do better, you get caught up in the vortex of mediocrity. And how do you get out of that? You can't get out of it if you're not reading the signals of somebody saying to you, Heather, you can do better. Heather, you're fired. Heather, do something else. Or Steve, get out of the law.

who's on the wrong end of this equation, and you mean well, you work hard, but no one's ever told you what you could do better, you get caught up in the vortex of mediocrity. And how do you get out of that? You can't get out of it if you're not reading the signals of somebody saying to you, Heather, you can do better. Heather, you're fired. Heather, do something else. Or Steve, get out of the law.

You stink at it. Okay, fine. You can do something with that. It's actionable. But that doesn't exist for a lot of people anymore. So there's not a mindset to think about change.

You stink at it. Okay, fine. You can do something with that. It's actionable. But that doesn't exist for a lot of people anymore. So there's not a mindset to think about change.

You stink at it. Okay, fine. You can do something with that. It's actionable. But that doesn't exist for a lot of people anymore. So there's not a mindset to think about change.

So assuming you can get past the first third of the book that sets up the idea, then you'll be able to understand what the signals are that you need to read for change and not get caught up in this echo chamber of yes and then the vortex of mediocrity. And this isn't just for people on the lower end of the scale in terms of their career.