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* A lot of advice comes from CEOs and heads of Human Resources. In previous books, 98% of advice came from the author (that would be me). In this edition, CEOs and heads of HR offer hundreds of suggestions for how to successfully roll out Topgrading. And they give their opinions regarding which Topgrading methods can be tweaked and how to do so for unique situations. Who'd a-thunk it?—executives implementing Topgrading might be smarter and have deeper insights than the author.

* Dozens of case studies show "how to do it." The executives in these case studies are named, and you'll read their words explaining how Topgrading made each of their companies more successful. Instead of half a dozen case studies (typical for a best-practices book), there are case studies in 40 companies, encompassing businesses of all sizes, diversified industries, and regions all over the world. You should have no difficulty finding several Topgrading case studies that are very much like your organization.

* Case studies are presented in a unique way. In this book (chapter 5) there is a Master Chart showing talent improvements in current and former case studies, and an appendix has half-page mini summaries of all the case studies. Here's what's unprecendented: we've launched a Web site, www.TopgradingCaseStudies.com, where long versions of the case studies are not only available but will be revised and updated indefinitely. So in 2025, for example, a reader of this book might be interested in a case study, and realize, "I can go to www.TopgradingCaseStudies.com to get the 2025 version!"

* There is the totally new Topgrading Snapshot. It's a one-page multicolor picture ("snapshot") of a candidate's career, making it possible to literally screen someone in or out, accurately and validly, in seconds. It may seem tacky to sell a book that sells a product—sorry, but we are convinced the Topgrading Snapshot will prove to be the most valid, powerful, simple-to-use, and least expensive preselection tool on the planet. (And you can get some Topgrading Snapshots free.)

* Fifty competencies are now color coded. Topgrading professionals agreed on which competencies are difficult to improve at or overcome, and we've color coded them: green (relatively easy for people to improve; e.g., experience); red (relatively hard for people to improve; e.g., integrity, passion); and yellow for competencies that fall in between the extremes (e.g., Topgrading). So now hiring managers can rate candidates on various competencies with an instant reminder of whether low-rated competencies are those they can probably help the candidate improve.

* This edition is shorter than the almost 600 pages in the second edition. Are you a busy, somewhat hyper manager who prefers to skim reading material? I am, too, so I cut the book to (333 pages). One of the reasons for pushing a lot of support material into www.TopgradingCaseStudies.com was to shorten the book.

* A lot of free resources. These resources include the Topgrading Snapshot, a 50-page e-book, videos, invitations to bimonthly "Chat with a Topgrader" conference calls, and more. My personal goal in revising Topgrading is to help every reader, anywhere in the world, enjoy a more successful career by adopting Topgrading methodologies. If you are a not-for-profit, call us to discuss the huge discounts available. In addition to what is listed in the Topgrading Resources section (page 331), additional free (and other) resources are constantly being added at www.Topgrading.com.

* Fun anecdotes. Finally, to add a little human interest, I've sprinkled in some snippets of some of the strangest Topgrading Interviews I've had professionally, including with a murderer, a mobster, political leaders, someone who attempted to overthrow a country, and a few others of note.

However, most of this book is dead serious, and I've done my best to chop what would have been an 800-page tome (with 40 case studies) down to 333 pages of the most practical and useful information you need to Topgrade your team and your organization, and to enable you to not "just" have more talent, but to have a more successful organization and career.

 

TOPGRADING BASICS

Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes talent. —Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A "tipping point," the title of the best seller by Malcolm Gladwell, is the point at which a buildup of small changes constitutes a breakthrough such that "everyone's doing it." There are clear signs that Topgrading is steadily becoming not just the best practice for hiring and promoting domestically but also globally. In this chapter I'll lay the foundation for your journey through this book by explaining why all companies can and should Topgrade, dispelling common myths like "Topgrading is for big companies," or "Topgrading is firing C Players," or "Topgrading is ranking and yanking people." I'll also briefly explain the history of Topgrading, give you a Topgrading Lite course (so you can begin Topgrading today), and suggest that for all these reasons, the Topgrading tipping point is near.