BOOK REVIEW: Powerful by Patty McCord

The nature of business in the modern digital and information overload age is ever-changing. The foundation of Patty McCord’s book Powerful – Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility is that the as workplace progress, so should human resources.

The author challenges the old, traditional corporate HR that include annual performance reviews, retention plans, engagement programs, etc. She clearly speaks her mind in the early chapters that these activities and actions are a mere waste of time and resources and why the modern day companies, irrespective of their number of employees should not practice them.

I liked this ideology. I feel this is the most positive point in the book. All that corporate mumbo-jumbo is a distraction and I have experienced it myself while working full time in previous years. It does stop an organization’s development process. Patty McCord’s pragmatic suggestions in managing a company are discussed in detail throughout this book.

Although the book starts stating that it is not a memoir, after reading it, I’d say that it is. It is written from the perspective of the author and her experiences in the organizations she worked. Especially, at Netflix. Another thing I did not like while reading is that the writing style is plain and it failed to create any enthusiasm in me as a reader and a learner looking to get something out of this book. While the practical insights shared from her own experience at Netflix in the book are a must-read, the way they are presented is not an ideal one.

3 out of 5