Customer Reviews

The Art of Managing People

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Have you ever been to a sporting event where every player on one team was a half step faster, a wee bit stronger and a heartbeat quicker to recognize opportunities than their counterpart on the other team? You had no doubts that the better team won the contest, but it was very difficult to articulate why you believed that. The reviewer of this book has the same problem.

It is difficult to identify the one or two things that make this book outstanding. I think The Art of Managing People is a great textbook because it covers all topics very solidly. Sure, there are other books that go into greater detail in specific areas, but they do it at the expense of other topics. The Art of Managing People is great for growing good, competent managers....the other books are more appropriate for addressing known, specific pathologies.

The Art of Managing People is smoothly written. It is an easy read. Topics flow effortlessly for the reader. The authors have my undying admiration because I know effortless reading is the result of unstinting effort on the part of the writers.

I think that The Art of Managing People is a particularly good choice for Techies making the transition to management. The authors are explicit about the roles of technical expertise and people smarts. They tell you WHY you need to know this stuff. Many other books will teach you theories of human behavior. They are elegant theories but they fail to tell you how to modify your behavior to elicit the desired behavior in the subordinate. The Art of Managing People tells you what you need to do to get the desired behavior. Also, much of the "smoothness" discussed earlier is due to careful organization. There is nothing random or hodge-podge about this book.

A final note: Some readers might be leery because the book was published in 1986. I don't think this is an issue. How to Win Friends and Influence People was first published in 1937. It is still a useful book. TAOMP is similar to HTWFAIP, but it is smoother, more sophisticated and far less mechanical in its approach. Consequently, your subordinates will feel less manipulated.

I really like and heavily rely on this book - it's a classic. It drives home the value of relating to the people who work for you (and around you) as a necessary component of getting work done. Then it goes, chapter by chapter, into the details of understanding your co-workers in terms of personality traits. Finally, it discusses essential interaction skills including listening skills, getting feedback, and using body language (there's more to it than you might think). I go back to this book again and again.

I've read at least 7 other books on managing others: the motivating team leader, how to supervise people, the 10 steps to empowerment, team building is not a one-minute ..., but this book is unique in that it doesn't only provide some checklists for how to proceed, but it also covers behavioral, personality, and decision making styles. It helped me identify my styles and preferences, and told me what to watch out for when interacting with others. I spent weeks reading other guides, but this I highly recommend.

Please feel free to email me if you'd like more insight into this book.

For years I used to treat people in more or less a consistent way in my interpersonal interactions or in managing projects. After first reading this book about four years ago, this approach changed and I have now a much greater awareness of different personalities and how people are most comfortable. As a result I know I have become a better and more effective person in the work environment and also with with my family.

What is fairly unique about this book and what I like most is that it is simple, yet powerful. For example, just by looking at two measures, responsiveness (in the emotional sense) and assertiveness, one can figure out a lot about how to deal with and get the most out of people. Other interesting areas cover how different people learn and make decisions and how diverse personality types can work together to solve problems. Overall, there is a lot of very useful and effective advice in here.

To the authors - thank you for your great work! This has definitely made a very positive difference in my life.

THis book was one of many that I bought when I first started to manage employees and it did help alot understand what to expect and how to deal with certain situations.

In their introduction, authors Hunsaker and Alessandra, set out to help readers (managers) "build the trust bond". That resonates with me. Unfortunately, I doubt that the book will achieve its purpose.

The opening paragraph should have given me the clue when it asked "Have you ever wished that you could magically know what other people are really thinking about you when you are interacting with them?" and then went on to suggest eight possible things, all of which were negative. And that set the tone for the book.

Most topics such as transactional analysis and decision making are covered adequately. However, there are some that are out of touch with modern management principles such as the dichotomy - technical vs interactive management.

I struggled with this book. In fact it has sat around for some months as I keep coming back to try and complete my reading. Admittedly, it was first published in 1986 and so, I might be a bit harsh with my criticism. However, it is still regularly listed as a "resource for new managers" and as such deserves a critique.

If you are a student looking for some background reading on management, then perhaps this book may have some use. If you are a manager looking for "how to" manage, then there are much better books that will serve your purpose.

Bob Selden,
Author What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers

The book features a few easy to follow classifications and concepts, and I especially like the positive messages for management. It is a quick read, perhaps sometimes a bit simplistic, but several valuable messages. For a little more in-depth approach tempered with some tougher management approaches, I would follow this up with Warriors, Workers, Whiners, & Weasels: Understanding and Using The Four Personality Types To Your Advantage

This book talks about interpersonal skills and personality styles in a textbook-like format. The content is the same as pre-education college classes. The book goes on and on about learning styles. The information is valuable if you are a complete donkey of a person (which some managers really are) and don't have a clue about how to relate to people. Yes, this book will be valuable to those who REALLY need it, but I say that if you are of average or above-average intelligence, have taken college psychology or pre-education/early childhood classes, and/or have had sales experience in your career, this book will be a big waste of time for you because you've already learned how to handle people.

Finally! A book that puts managing in perspective. Cudos to Dr. Phillip Hunsaker and Dr. Anthony Alessandra. This book is well written and easy to absorb all the principles and theories. It covers all the bases and is up to date.

I purchased this book because in my job I encounter various personalities every day. Some of these personalities are something else and make work difficult for everyone. I wanted some ideas on what to do and how to help everyone involved with these difficult people. This book has offered some good ideas that I am willing to put into practice...who know where it could lead.