Customer Reviews

Managing For Dummies®

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First, this book is a "fun" read which is unusual for most business books. If you want to know how mananagement thinks and how it works in most corporate environments today - get this book.

The first half is execellent and by the time it's completed you'll know exactly the way your poor boss has been tramautized over the past 10 years with all the new passing management fads. No wonder management is basically skeptical and seems to have a schizophrenic identity crisis.

The second half of the book hangs a bit, maybe the authors ran out of ideas. But the final Index of the 10 essential management books is invaluable. I've already read 3 of the suggestion.

Read this book. Take your boss to lunch, realize how trapped he really is, get a raise, and save $40,000 on your MBA. Just keep reading and reading books like this.

After reading this book (first edition), I have found it to contain most of the basic skills a manger needs to develop to be efficient and successful. Because the book has a wide coverage, you won't find in-depth details about each subject, but it is an excellent introduction to management skills, and conveys these skills to you in an enjoyable read, thus saves you the time and effort of figuring out what successful mangers do. This book serves also as a skills refresher (when you are already a seasoned manager) and helps bring you back to the track of success if you start deviating.

The skills covered are:
- Organization, time management, planning
- Delegation
- Leadership
- Hiring, interviewing
- Motivating employees
- Goal setting
- Project management, measuring and monitoring performance
- Performance evaluations/ feedback, disciplining and correction of unwanted behavior
- Presentations
- Business writing
- Meetings management
- Organizational structuring
- Team building and leadership
- Office politics
- Change management
- Stress management
- Employee development and training, career path setting, mentoring
- Budgeting and accounting
- Business processes optimization / reengineering
- Information technology
- Organizational culture / behavior
- TQM (Total Quality Management) / Deming Method / continuous improvements
- Systems thinking
- Creation of a learning environment
- Innovation support

This book is a must for all beginners moving into the world of management, and I highly recommend it as a refresher course for those of us who have been doing it for a while. I do not have an MBA, but I do have a number of years' real-world experience in management, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very light and easy to read, and although much of it seems like it should be common sense, there are a number of things that are easy to forget, and it's worth the refresher. I skipped some chapters because they were too basic, but I probably read 2/3 of the book (in the matter of a business trip) and actually did learn some new information.

This is the first dummies book that actually made me feel like a dummy. They actually take the time to explain what a fax machine is! I'm sorry but anyone who does not know what a fax machine is does not have what it takes to be a manager, no matter how many books they read. The content that is there is great, but it is highly repetitive. Just when you think you understand how important it is to reward employees they bring it back towards the end of the book, several times. Ok, we get the point! I got bored reading this and started skimming it, just reading the bold phrases and/or the bullet points. I didn't miss anything. It's full of fluff. If you want a book to pass the time or make you fall asleep, this is a good book. But I just felt a little cheated. They take an intuitively obvious point like how delegation is useful and beat it to death. I also felt like I was watching a commercial for the authors' other books as they seem to mention them every few pages.

Overall the subjects they covered were good. I wish they would cut the fluff and cover more topics. The book could easily be one half the size. I guess it depends on the reader. If you've never managed anyone before, even a 2 person team then this book may be for you. But if you've led others before I think you'll find you already know most of what's in this book. Skim it over at the bookstore and you'll see what I mean..

This guide is appealing for people who have been recently thrust into roles of leadership and management in corporate America. The style is easy to read. The content is first-rate. I would suggest this as recommended reading to anyone who is a new manager.

Most management books talk of one particular style, praise it as the end-all-be-all, and criticize the rest. This is the first book I've come across that realizes your employees are PEOPLE! It factors in emotions, bosses, big decisions and the REAL things you're likely to come across. It's written nicely and makes you wish everyone you've ever worked for has read it! It's not as in-depth on certain areas as it could be, but it's a perfect beginners book and great refresher course for a seasoned vet.

This is a very readable book about management.....a must for managers who are "out there" floundering at trying to deal with their employees. A "must read"....I wish I had seen it sooner.

This book hits about every subject you need to know. I found it very informative and would recommend it to anyone starting out in management, or to anyone who would like to brush up on their management skills.

This simple book appeals to the expert as well as the novice . As a teacher , I would certainly recommend this book for students who are interested in the theory of Management - an oft ignored aspect of Management .

I found the reading of this book pretty rewarding. I recommned this book to all those who are looking for a quick guide on being a manager. On the other hand, those looking for new approaches on management may find this book too simple.