Customer Reviews

The Lost Art of General Management

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For some time now, as anyone involved in business management, particularly the "corporate variety" knows, common sense has been running out the door as fast as a spooked Barney Fife. Lots of reasons for this, of course, including new layers of management, growth in the numbers of internal and external lawyers caused by the increased need to "comply," especially in H-R area and product areas.

As a result, everybody is so involved with "pickin' minutiae with the chickens" (you can substitute a number of other words for minutiae)that many CEOs, VPs, regular managers and directors, even supervisors and line employees, have lost track of the big picture. There are so many proverbial alligators, some of us have forgotten the original objective was to clean the swamp. Or, in some cases, we simply could use a little refocusing on what the objective is.

Robert Waite yanks everybody back on track. He teaches - in simple, straightforward language - that pragmatic details AND a clear focus of what the big picture IS are BOTH critical to business success.

With all the books out there expounding on "leadership," and management techniques, "silos" and "getting on the bus," Waite's treatise is truly different. He cuts to the chase and brings in a totally new perspective on self motivation, managing people and getting things done. If you're in management - or want to be - you'll like this book. I did.

This is a great book to give to any developing business person you know. It is full of the kind of advice most people learn usually from mentors and years of experience. It is enjoyable to read, and full of real-life experiences that drive home the lessons learnt in the school of business. I am giving this book to a number of up and coming managers in my organization.

In The Lost Art of General Management, Rob Waite shares practical insights from his career as a hands-on general manager for various building materials manufacturers in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Europe. Like a good executive communicator, he gets straight to the point.

Waite contends today's managers have become functionally myopic. A general manager needs to take a broader view, while understanding how the company makes its money and how its customers make money.

The book covers a range of management topics including financial analysis, marketing, crisis management, and managing people. The importance of communication is stressed, as are honesty and integrity: "If people don't trust you, how can you lead?"

Waite prefers the term number munching rather than number crunching. Munching implies a more nuanced exercise, "digesting the numbers and looking for hidden messages."

The author includes many "real world stories." One story is about his assignment to manage an unprofitable joint venture in England. His board thought the unit was performing poorly due to bad implementation of their strategy, but he determined the strategy itself was flawed. The business was a mediocre competitor in too many market segments. He convinced them to focus on excelling at one. "We actually proposed shrinking the top line to grow the bottom line." It worked, and the JV became profitable within three months of making the change. They later expanded into the other segments through acquisitions.

True general managers understand how actions taken in one functional area impact all other areas of the business. - Rob Waite

Rob Waite says these nine elements constitute the general manager's basic skill set:

1. An understanding of how your company makes money.
2. An understanding of how your customers makes money.
3. An understanding of the market (necessary to add value to customer relationships).
4. An understanding of how your competitors relate to the customers.
5. An understanding of the industry beyond customer relationships.
6. Customer relationships at multiple levels.
7. Solid technical knowledge of your company's processes.
8. Solid computer and internet skills.
9. A sincere interest in developing your employees and yourself.

In an age of specialization, executives and senior managers need more than expertise in a specific domain to fully contribute to an enterprise. This quintessential handbook is a great place to identify what additional expertise is needed and how to acquire it.

....that someone has restored the basics. As a coach I see alot of trainers and "rah rah gurus" talking hype about "higher level" leadership, performance, success, etc but few really know the barebones of people. This guy does. Great stuff.

I love The Lost Art of General Management. It is easy to read,great real life examples of tested and tried methods. His message is simple, his delivery style is very friendly, with a lot of experiential wisdom. Great for entry level management and up; and for all entrepreneurs. You will not be disappointed.

The general manager has gone the way of the dinosaur. Waite accurately maintains that in our age of specialization managers have become "functionally myopic." They can't see beyond the operations of their individual areas. They lack the broad perspective necessary to contribute significantly to the success of their companies.

This book is a comprehensive primer on the skills and attributes required to be an effective general manager. It covers basic business and financial skills, marketing, leadership and many others. The chapter on mission and vision is the best I've seen. In a section on life skills, he even tells you how to get your next job.

Rob does not mince words. He packs in lots of practical, no-nonsense advice with "real world" experiences that instruct and entertain. It's a wonderful blueprint for effective general management that you will reference frequently.

Nick McCormick - Author, Lead Well and Prosper

This book is short, but packed with great advice. By the time I had got to the end of the third chapter I was buzzing with several ideas for improving our on-line software business, and they just kept coming throughout the book. The author's approach, based on his experience and his reflections on that experience, makes this book a refreshing read. I've already recommended it to a number of colleagues.

A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provking read. Rob is able to capture the essence of the role of the General Manager using a pragmatic and thoughtful approach. His avoidance of Business School jargon and catch-phrases makes this a very accessible and practical guide to one of the most difficult and misunderstood positions in the business world.

Rob uses his personal experiences to illustrate the important points in the text; the reader knows this is a guy who has "walked the talk", enjoyed numerous successes and been humbled and taught by mistakes.

A great primer for the aspiring middle manager looking to move up in his organisation, or seeking opportunities outside his current role; and also a useful "tune-up" for the busy GM to re-focus on the critical aspects of their career and life.

The book makes a complicated topic very easy to understand.
The book is not filled with buzz words but rather practical
and usable info for dealing with todays everchanging world.

A must Read!