Book Review: Conquer Change and Win By Ralph Masengill

Conquer Change And Win:
Learn How To Embrace Change To Live A Happier,
More Fulfilled Life

Learn what 90% of Americans have no clue about.  Be the last person standing in the room by knowing how change affects our emotions and feelings.  Conquer Change and Win will show you how to control your reaction to those emotions and feelings that all change always causes. The result will be a happier and more fulfilled life.  This information will give you a leg up on making more money and having less stress in your life.

Every one of us is constantly affected by change. Change never stops, and no matter if it’s positive change or not, our first reaction is usually fear. The truly successful people of the world have a good understanding of change and how to make it work to their advantage. In his latest book, Conquer Change and Win, best-selling author Ralph Masengill gives readers an easy-to-read, fun book about the serious subject of change.

In forty-plus years as a consultant, coach, advisor and public relations strategist, Masengill has observed that successful people share two characteristics. First, they are willing to take a calculated risk and endorse positive change on a regular basis. Secondly, they have learned how change affects their emotions and how to overcome the fear of change.

“I believe the happiest and most successful people do not necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have,” Masengill says. He urges readers to choose change. “It is the path to true happiness and business success. Understanding how change works can alter your life for the better and give you a solid advantage.”

An advisor, coach, marketing expert, business consultant and public relations strategist, Masengill understands how companies work from within. He has the wisdom of one who has made the journey of sustained success himself, leavened by an ethics-based philosophy of helping others and the community around him. Masengill’s life story is one of personal challenge, tragedy, and triumph. His professional career has been defined by great success in both the private and public sectors. His agency, Masengill Marketing Associates, has won over 850 national and regional advertising and marketing awards.

One of the original change agents in the United States, Masengill and his team have been observing change and showing business leaders that embracing and understanding positive change is the sure route to effective quality improvement and substantial profit enhancement for decades. This extensive experience formed the basis for Conquer Change and Win, his second book.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Masengill’s postgraduate work includes the Dr. W. Edwards Deming course on quality and quality management. He and his wife Dianne live near the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee. They have four grown children, two dogs and a cat. Masengill enjoys woodworking, oil painting, sailing and helping with his favorite charities in his spare time.

For more information, please visit http://conquerchangeandwin.com

Conquer Change and Win
By Ralph Masengill
Available at fine bookstores everywhere, at the author’s website,
Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble
ISBN:  978-1515191872

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Reviews:

The Editors of CreateSpace, an Amazon.com company: “…As author Ralph Masengill Jr. observes, death and taxes aren’t the only things certain in life. Change is a given too. Understanding and managing change can help you succeed both at work and in your personal life. People who know how to deal with change are happier and less stressed out, and they make better decisions….In entertaining, jargon-free language…[Conquer Change And Win] demonstrates how to transform the way you think about change, become a better decision maker, and seize every chance for success.”

Richard H. Roberts, Tennessee Commissioner of Revenue, member of the Governor’s Cabinet: “…a valuable roadmap to the one thing in life that we are certain to experience….Change! The points in your book confirm my own experience; I wish I had been as organized in my thinking and understanding. The quotes and anecdotes were especially interesting, and kept the text moving….”

Chet LaFountaine, Retired, BASF Corporation: “…Ralph Masengill has truly captured the collective wisdom about ‘change’….Thinking back over my 35 years of industrial management experience, I quickly realize how this book would have been a tremendous help to me, personally, and to the process of our change efforts.  At whatever stage of life you are in, take time to read, enjoy and learn from this book.”

Raymond Clark, AIA, INCARB, KCP Architects, LLC.: “Human history, if nothing else, is a study in Change….yet we resist it, we fear it, we try to control it, we ignore it, and many times we try to pretend it doesn’t exist. This book, by Ralph Masengill Jr., takes us through all the fears and resistance and shows us how we can ride the waves of Change to the promised land of acceptance, success, peace and happiness.”

Brian Broyles, Director of Development, The University of Tennessee, The Haslam School of Business: “….Ralph is able to mix expertise, fact and even a little humor (some at his own expense) not only to teach, but to also tell a story to the reader. Time and time again I found myself having these ‘aha’ moments of clarity because Ralph was able to mold his principles into simple, constructive lessons. Each chapter builds on the previous ones, which makes for a simple, straightforward approach to implementing change – personally and professionally….[a] delightful read that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in improving their own life and/or their company’s well-being.”

Jeffrey C. Taylor, Lawyer and founder of Taylor Law Firm: “…Conquer Change and Win provides user friendly examples and models that inspire and equip the reader to be a Change Agent to enhance the lives of their families, employees and themselves.  Masengill’s approach to Conquering Change is articulate, well informed and when properly applied could yield enormous victory.”

Lynn Elkins, Retired educator, higher education administrator and former director of Tennessee College of Applied Technology: “….The truth is evident on every page. Anyone who wants to succeed with an organization or managing people would profit by putting into practice Mr. Masengill’s proven experiences and making them one’s own.….The message in this book provides the correct guidance to tremendous achievement at all levels of any organization.”

Earnest Walker, Ed.D, Director of Educational Leadership and Assistant Professor of Education, Carson Newman University: “….Even though change happens with every tick of the clock the vast majority of people still have difficulty understanding why it happens. Conquer Change and Win by Ralph Masengill presents helpful approaches to learning more about change, and provides interesting ways to successfully manage the change process.”

 

About Lisa Quast

5 Tips For Reducing Stress
The Day Of Your Job Interview
Little Things Can Easily Derail Your Big Moment
If You Don’t Prepare, Says Career Coach

After months of responding to job postings, you finally land an interview.

This could be a pivotal moment in your life and career so it’s natural to feel nervous. But there’s no reason to let stress rule the day, says Lisa Quast, author of the book “Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want Every Time” (www.careerwomaninc.com).

“Life routinely throws us curves, and that’s just as likely to happen on your job-interview day as any other day,” Quast says. “Traffic could be bad. You might spill something on the blouse you planned to wear. Any number of things could go wrong that aren’t directly related to the interview, but can knock you off your game.”

While it’s not possible to anticipate every scenario, Quast says a little preparation can help you keep the anxiety level manageable.

She offers these tips for navigating your interview day as stress free as possible:

•  Know where you need to go. Don’t wait until right before an interview to make sure you have the correct address and phone number. Verify these online by checking the company website a few days ahead of time. You also should download driving directions or program the address into your smart phone or GPS to find potential routes and estimated drive times. “When in doubt, do a trial run,” Quast says. “You can drive there the weekend before to get the lay of the land and see where to park.” Don’t rely on technology alone. Always have a hard copy with the address and driving directions, just in case GPS or the smartphone fails you.

•  Obtain the correctly spelled name of the interviewer. And remember, bring a printout of the job posting. “It always surprises me how many people show up for a job interview and can’t remember the name of the hiring manager or even the job title of the position they’re interviewing for,” Quast says. “Don’t be one of those people.”

•  Schedule enough time for the interview. Block your calendar so you won’t need to rush from one job interview to the next, or go straight to another appointment or back to work. “The interview could take much longer than you think going in,” Quast says. For example, if things are going well, you might be asked to interview with others in the organization. Be sure to schedule ample time in case you need to stay longer. “You don’t want to be stealing quick glances at your watch when you should be listening to what the hiring manager is saying,” Quast says.

•  Turn off your cell phone. “When I say off, I mean off,” Quast says. “Don’t put it on vibrate.” The reason, she says, is that almost everyone can hear a cell phone vibrating in a purse, briefcase or pocket. You will be aware that a call is coming in for you. The people interviewing you will be aware. And you will be aware that they are aware.

•  Take a bathroom break before the interview. Use the restroom before you leave your house and avoid too much coffee or other liquids shortly before your interview. If you need to use the bathroom when you arrive at the company, ask the receptionist to point you to them before he or she informs the hiring manager that you have arrived.

“One additional thing you can do is give yourself a pep talk before the interview,” Quast says. “Mentally remind yourself of all the things you plan to do during the interview, the points you want to make about your experience and the questions you have about the company.

“You may not be able to eliminate all the butterflies, but your preparation should help reduce the stress and let you concentrate on making the most of the opportunity.”

About Lisa Quast

Lisa Quast is a career coach, a business consultant and author of the book  “Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want Every Time” (www.careerwomaninc.com). 

As a former Fortune 500 executive who climbed from the lowest rung of the career ladder, Lisa has a unique, comprehensive perspective on what it takes to achieve professional success. Lisa shares her insight and expertise on all areas of job searching, hiring and navigating the workplace in regular columns for Forbes.com and The Seattle Times and frequently contributes to nationally published articles.

Her female-focused career blog won the 2012 and 2010 Stevie Awards for “Blog of the Year” and her first book “Your Career, Your Way” has received several accolades. In 2014, Lisa released her second book “Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach,” which shares all of her inside knowledge on how to conduct a successful job search. In it, she divulges the secrets she shares with her coaching clients to help them find and get a job they love with a 100% success rate.