Escape from Management Hell [Hardcover]

Robert D Gilbreath (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1993

Twelve executives, heading home after a high-level leadership retreat in Aspen and dozing en route to Denver, crash and find themselves in a loathsome, foul-smelling inferno. Despair envelops them as they realize where they are. And why. And what it will take to escape. There they are confronted by Satan's chief operating officer, who lectures them: . "You know budgets and prices and costs, " says the COO. "You know chains of command and spans of control and sales. You know how to put a positive spin on a disastrous project, how to doll up an annual report. But you are here because you lack management wisdom. Your shortsightedness, your greed, your well-intentioned management styles just don't cut it anymore." The only way they'll get out, he tells them, is to impart to the devil meaningful, entertaining, perhaps even amusing stories. Stories that demonstrate the folly and futility of their own business practices. Knowing that if one falls, they all burn in Hell, the twelve executives have two weeks to compose their tales, and then, in turn, present them to Satan. With Satan, you will learn the mystery of a lost Aztec civilization, witness Rome's most hilarious and deadly chariot race, unravel the secret of a mass suicide, experience civilization's greatest culture change - and its aftermath, and kneel with a penitent captain of industry as he confronts the horrors of his soul. As each executive comes face to face with his or her own management sins, you'll find answers to today's most pressing business issues, including quality, diversity, empowerment, decision making, innovation, risk taking, and consensus building. Managers and employees at every level can use these executives'insights to transform the hell of modern management into a haven of creativity, courage, and lasting change.

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American

A super book-one I predict will be a bestseller and a major contribution to the management literature. It is fun, insightful, and a treat to read. I think it is better than Zapp, One Minute Manager, and Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, our three best examples of bestselling management parables.

Review

In this work of supremely funny fiction, Gilbreath takes the reader on a fanciful trek through hell with twelve managers. Each tale is delightfully instructive as the managers try to escape by entertaining Satan with tales of their business follies. -- Business Ethics magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1 edition (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881052265
• ISBN-13: 978-1881052265
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great book, really wise stories, November 18, 2004

By 

Jess (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Escape from Management Hell (Hardcover)

This book is nothing short of excellent. In a field of dull, uninspiring texts on management, I found it surprisingly fresh. The stories cover just about every management sin I've suffered under on my jobs, and I very much enjoyed the author's sense of humor. Each tale fit with the others in a solid way. I recommend it to anyone who wants both a good laugh and a great message. The book is packed with both.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, January 12, 2009

By 

RT Atlanta (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Escape from Management Hell (Hardcover)

It's a shame this book seems to have gotten lost in all of the management books that are in press and available. I have found the messages within Robert Gilbreath's book quite helpful to many of the scenarios I encounter daily at my work.

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money, November 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Escape from Management Hell (Hardcover)

This book was a disappointment. The stories and analogies did nothing to enhance learning and improve management skills. It was a waste of time...and money.