Book review: Upskill
Review of Upskill by Chris Watson
Easily digestible, simple and succinct.
Upskill is an apparently unassuming book that packs a mighty roar between its pages. Suitable for a wide audience, it has enough growth mindset attitude to encourage development but not so much that it’s cheesy. My worry upon first hearing the title was that it would be an ‘instant cure’ kind of self-help book, recycling empty pearls of wisdom, but I’m happy to say I was wrong!
Split into 21 key sections, the format is easy to dip in and out of and takes a coaching tone rather than a hierarchical expert voice. This suits the ethos of the book. It should not be thought any less authoritative for this choice because the style has kept the focus on the reader developing aspects of their professional self under the guidance of the author through the writing and, for this, a ‘guide on the side’ is more apt. The author has managed not only to isolate relevant skills that support professional success but has also compressed the complex into short, bitesize reads. This is quite a skill in itself. I hesitate to say it covers 21st Century Skills because to liken the keys to this stereotype would be an injustice – there are some that inevitably cross over but things like ‘direction and purpose’, commercial thinking and ‘ethics and social responsibility’ also feature. I particularly like the tools, techniques, inspiration approach which allows for sharp focused thought on a certain aspect.
Grounded in current thinking and supported by a wealth of references, Upskill is a valuable resource on any bookshelf. This book is accessible to a wide audience. Personally, I think it would be well-suited to those newer to the workforce, more so than those who are looking to progress themselves; individuals at the beginning of careers would gain from engaging with the material to develop awareness of their working traits and their own professional identity. However, this is not to say it isn’t of equal value to those wanting to brush up on their skills.
The George Eliot quote that opens the book - the strongest principle of growth lies in human choice - is the main key the next twenty one covers; choose to read on, choose to grow.