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Reading Group Guide

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Description

Journalist, author, and speaker Suzy Welch explains 10-10-10: an innovative approach to thinking about -- and resolving -- any problem in your life. By considering all your options and projecting the outcome in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years, you can make informed choices and create the future you want. Perfect for men and women alike, this revolutionary idea can be applied to decisions at work, in relationships, as a parent, a child, a friend -- 10-10-10 can help you resolve virtually every major life decision so you can finally take control and change your life for the better.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. Suzy describes the story about how 10-10-10 came to be, when she decided to bring two of her children on a business trip to Hawaii. She says "With one clever plan, I had finally cracked the work-life balance code, all while putting money in the bank! Or so I had 'decided.' Hooray for me." Have you ever tried to "do it all?" or balance several major aspects of your life at once? How did that experience turn out?

2. In her explanation of the human mind, Suzy discusses hyperbolic discounting, or the idea that "people tend to act as if the future doesn't exist or will be ideal." Do you agree with this idea? Can you cite instances where you exhibited this behavior?

3. Suzy talks about the "wisdom" of gut instinct as an imperfect science at best. In what instances did your gut instinct turn out to be correct? Incorrect? Which happened most often? Did your decisions leave you feeling in control of your life?

4. A key element in 10-10-10 is identifying values. After reading this book, can you identify yours? Were you aware of all of them before? Take out a pen and paper and list your values in one area of life: love, friendship, work, parenting, etc. Have your values shifted or changed over time? If so, how?

5. On the topic of work, Suzy explains that "no job or profession will ever be right for you if it requires you to work with people who don't share your values or appreciate you as you are. You spend most of your life at work -- a point well worth factoring into any 10-10-10 career dilemma. You have to like your colleagues -- and feel authentic around them -- if you are ever going to have a career you like." Identify examples of jobs where the values of your co-workers were both in line and not in line with yours. How did the overall job experiences differ?

6. Have you ever experienced a career stall? How did you solve the problem? If you had used 10-10-10, would the outcome have been different? How so?

7. Did any of the personal stories particularly relate to you? Explain why.

8. Have you ever stopped a friendship or had a friend stop one with you? Discuss ways 10-10-10 might help you reconnect with that person (or decide that you don't want to after all).

9. Try to create your own "Happiness List" of people or couples you know who are really happy.

10. Identify a parental dilemma experienced by you or someone you know. Did guilt play a major role in hindering the decision process? How was the problem finally resolved? Were the children allowed to participate in the process? In what ways could 10-10-10 have been used to affect the outcome?

11. Do you have to balance work-life issues? How can you use 10-10-10 to create better communication with everyone involved?

12. Before you knew about 10-10-10, how did you typically approach difficult decisions? How would those outcomes have changed had you used 10-10-10?

Tips to Enhance Your Bookclub

Check out Suzy's website: www.SuzyWelch101010.com and post a 10-10-10 story of your own.

Suzy is a regular contributor to O: The Oprah Magazine - in fact, she first wrote about 10-10-10 in an O article. Go to www.oprah.com to read this or one of Suzy's many other articles.

Together, Jack and Suzy Welch have written several books, including the bestselling Winning. Find out more on www.WelchWay.com and select one to read.