George Anderson - Design Thinking for Tech: Solving Problems and Realizing Value in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself -- Hours)

George Anderson and I first met in 2011, when I became his colleague at Microsoft. It was my first job at Microsoft, and George had only been there a few months longer than I, but it never seemed like it. As I struggled with impostor syndrome and felt almost completely unable to cope with the demands and workload around me, George seemed to be able to calmly get things done. He was, how can I put it? Just in control.

It was hardly surprising that within a few short months he was my manager. As I learned more about him, I could never quite figure out how one person could just DO so much. He and I were close to each other in age, but somehow this guy had managed to squeeze in an MBA and PhD, regularly taught at university, volunteered at his church, and had written nearly a dozen books. Oh, and yes, somehow there was a wife and three kids in there as well. How infuriating!

Once Id got over my inferiority complex, I realized that I had the good fortune to be around someone I could really learn from. As we worked closely together, I was in a sense a George apprentice. While I never nailed it quite like him, I could do a pretty good approximation.

Over time, our careers at Microsoft diverged, and we moved from friendly colleagues to friends who would catch up for dinner when he was in town. I never stopped learning from every interaction.

Then around 2019, I realized something I never had realized before about George. Yes, he was remarkable, but remarkable in a different and accessible way. Meet a basketball great, and chances are you know 1) They are superb at what they do, and 2) You will never be as great as them, no matter what you do. But Georges particular version of greatness is completely approachable, completely accessible, and even attainable. I may have felt that I could never accomplish what he had, but through his personal interactions with me, his lived example, and through his written work he was literally giving me the roadmap to accomplish what he had accomplished in a practical and step-by-step kind of way. A master of empathy immersion, his written works served as roadmaps that we could all walk together.

This latest book provides you with a roadmap for navigating the complex and the hidden, from someone who has spent a lifetime focusing deeply on how he uses every hour of every day to get the most out of himself and make a difference in the world around him. My advice is to read it, absorb it, learn the techniques, perform the exercises, and expand your career and life. Its written for technology professionals, but just about anyone who is trying to figure out work and life will benefit from the read. Its like Georgesmart, but deeply approachable and practical.

In 2020, I left Microsoft and formed a company called BillionMinds. Our mission is to help a billion people master tough work environments through behavior change. Every day we work with people to develop a new set of skills, to become in a sense more like George. So, take it from me, it can be done. Change is not only possible but accessible through the kinds of techniques and exercises explained here. Use this book to help master the uncertainty in front of you and the ambiguity surrounding you. Dont let this be the book you get only halfway through and leave on the shelf. Let George help you as he has helped me and so many others, and you will surely be forever changed and, dare I say, grateful.