O.P.E.N. Routine by Christopher Craft
Marketing (2013 - 105 pp.)
In O.P.E.N. Routine, Christopher Craft looks at his four elements of personal branding (Opportunity, Passion, Education, and Networking) in an easily readable, engaging little book. While the book does not cover much in the way of new ground, it sums up a lot of the current branding wisdom well, and also adds a lot of Craft's personal touches. (The Atlanta Falcons references are welcome to this football fan, for example.)
My favourite part of O.P.E.N. Routine is that it constantly forces the reader to look inward. What use is reading about personal branding if you aren't thinking about your own personal brand, after all? The six-part question on page 50, near the start of the "Passion" section, is one I answered in about two seconds, with the same answer for all six questions:
"1. What will keep you working through your body's desire to sleep?
2. What would you do every day without monetary compensation?
3. What activity makes you not care about your comfort zone?
4. What doesn't feel like work?
5. What feels right?
6. What's the one thing that makes you feel like nothing else matters?"
Quick, try to guess what I said. Similarly, there's an exercise at the end of the introduction imploring the reader to write a short essay and then email it to Chris. I did so and found it to be a fun exercise.
The "Networking" section can be underwhelming, although perhaps that should be credited to my pre-existing human resources training. Social media platforms are so new that any advice on how to navigate LinkedIn, Twitter and their ilk can only be preliminary no matter who is offering it. I knew most of what was in this section, more so than the others, although again, O.P.E.N. Routine is a pocket guide, not an atlas. Overall, it's a good read and a good way to spend a lazy day thinking without labouring.
Ease of Reading: 10
Educational Content: 5
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