Customer Reviews

OOPS! 13 Management Practices That Waste Time & Money (and what to do instead)

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OOPS! really gets to the point about what needs to be done and how to do it. It is extremely helpful in pinpointing ways to be better managers. I enjoyed reading it and I have bought copies for friends that I know are in need of managerial advice.

Aubrey Daniels is a leading authority on what makes people tick - specifically, how to apply the laws of human behavior in the workplace. In this book, Daniels reveals how many common management practices are empty (or even damaging) rituals. He provides specific guidance in the better ways to influence people toward improved performance.

OOPS! 13 Management Practices That Waste Time & Money (and what to do instead)

I have read all of Aubrey's books and have the privilege of working with him. This book reflects the way he sees the possibilities for all of us in our working world. If we each can learn how to manage, using the ideas in this book, our workplaces could be much stronger. Each chapter challenges traditional and highly accepted American management practices that are in fact barriers to sustaining excellence in performance. Another Daniel's book that makes an important contribution to bringing out the best in people.

This is an absolutely amazing book for our time. Mr. Daniels goes to the core of what most organizations do not understand about effective management practices and provides simple, yet concise advice on how you can optimize performance. I highly recommend this book to those charged with optimizing human performance.

Alex MArchetti

This clear, to-the-point book makes you ask: How have so many businesses come to pursue mediocrity so energetically? The book has two theses: first, to move beyond the unfortunate status quo it's necessary to explore why common management practices are empty (or damaging) rituals; and, second, there are better ways to manage, rooted in the same science of behavior that makes for successful efforts in education, human services, even animal training.

Aubrey Daniels writes from a life time of experience and a deep understanding of human behavior. If you want to produce results for your own performance and the organization for which you work, following his sound behavioral practices will help you accomplish your goals. Focusing on the 13 most common management practices that waste time and money, Daniels presents why they do not work and what to do instead. He is practical and straight forward in his recommendations -- "Don't do this...do this!" The key is positive reinforcement of the behaviors you seek and avoidance of negative reinforcement which, like punishment and penalties, will cause people to perform to avoid them, but will not motivate to excel beyond the level of avoidance. And such tactics undermine engagement, retention and morale. Get lucky -- get positive -- get the book!
Sheryl Dawson
Total Career Success
Author Job Search: The Total System (3rd Ed)

Mr. Daniels gives management advice from a human behavior perspective. It's a refreshing view that is opposite the "standard" management advice of "well... this is how it's always been done so I need to do it too."

The most difficult part of reading this book is that it will make sense... then you have the difficult job of convincing others that what they have been dong for so long may not be the best way.

I love this book. It's philosophically alligned with my (irreverent) way of thinking, so it's got to be good; okay?

So much of the "best management practices" of today really are closer to the "worst management practices" of today, or any day for that matter; yet they proliferate. Why? Probably because no one has the courage to make a stand against the status quo.

The status quo, after all, is safe. The fact that it's hindering innovation, causing morale problems, and is frequently an ineffective strategy should be enough reason to challenge the status quo on a regular basis, as Aubrey C Daniels suggests in this terrific and engaging book.

As a (now retired) executive who hated bureaucracy and red tape, I had my share of "run ins" with the corporate office on a fairly regular basis. My objective was to maximize employee engagement, which seemed to be the best way to maximize productivity. After all, happy employees generally worked harder because they liked their jobs and liked their head-honcho (me). Sometimes, my common sense approach to running my operation flew in the face of the company's way of doing business. They were wrong; and I think now that I've been gone for eight years and the company has never been the same since I left, they probably realize I was right; although they'd never admit it (naturally). Oops.

For any business looking to cut through the nonsense and start doing things that make good business sense, do yourself a favor and grab a few copies of this book; unless you enjoy wasting time and money doing stupid business practices. Of course you don't; you're a smart company.

Review submitted by Larry Underwood, author Life Under the Corporate Microscope: A Maverick's Irreverent Perspective