Managing Einsteins: Leading High-Tech Workers in the Digital Age [Hardcover]

John M. Ivancevich (Author), Thomas N. Duening (Author), Dr John Ivancevich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2001

Every day sees another Internet start up, and every day sees a .com company succeed - or fail. What makes one company successful and the other one unsuccessful? Management. Thousands of people are flocking to the Internet for the growing number of high-tech jobs. High-tech workers are often moved quickly up the career ladder without any management skills - they're ill-prepared and unskilled, and they can make or break a business. Technology has triggered the new economy, breaking all the tried-and-true rules of management. "Managing Einsteins" shows business leaders, new managers and techies how to develop the needed skills for better leadership in the Internet age. Filled with helpful lessons and effective guidelines, this practical, hands-on book provides strategies for building communication and teamwork as well as "bits and bytes" on the management know-how needed in the business tech world. The book is presented in an easy-to-read, friendly format that bridges the gap between non-techies and techies. 21st century management calls for different leadership practices than previous management practices. The key to success will be people. The more people understand each other, the better the management performance will be in terms of achieving positive results. "Managing Einsteins" walks managers through the best ways to optimize the ability, skill and knowledge of the new economy workforce, whether these employees are on-site or teleworkers. With the emerging presence of high-tech workers in our rapidly changing, technologically-dependent business world, new business skills are needed in order to succeed and stand out in this competitive market place. "Managing Einsteins" straight-forward content shows readers: how to expand their technical knowledge -without a lot of confusing jargon; new rules of management; ways to deal with difficult people; techniques for building better communication; and how to develop team performance. Whether you're a high-tech worker heading for management or a new manager in charge of high-tech workers, the old rules of management no longer apply. "Managing Einsteins" shows you how to break out of the old rules and lead with new rules, new skills and better performance.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Frontline Tips for Managing the New Economy's Most Valuable­­and Volatile­­Employees

Today's new breed of technologically gifted employees often think and respond differently than their more traditional counterparts did. Managing Einsteins is the first book with tips and traps for managing these highly valued, fiercely independent workers­­and, just as important, keeping them out of the grasp of your talent-starved competitors.

Praise for Managing Einsteins:

"In this age of the workplace environment, attracting and keeping Einsteins on staff is a must.  Managing Einsteins offers the ultimate guide to motivating the 'working genius' through their value system."­­Ken Jones, Chief Operating Officer, Tradecast Securities, Inc.

"Managing high tech workers is a major challenge for even the most gifted managers. This book provides a practical, how-to approach to dealing with a range of issues commonly experienced with techies. The authors have written in a style that combines instruction, humor, and insight. Anyone who manages techies should read this book."­­Geary Broadnax, Senior Vice President, Reliant Energy Communication

"Insightful ... informative ...well conceived ... Managing Einsteins is a book not only for managing the brilliant among us, but for managing people overall. It's a very valuable resource."­­David Rippe, President, Dia InnerActives

Einstein­­An intelligent, curious, and technologically proficient knowledge worker who has the know-how to keep everything operating without costly delays, breakdowns, and crashes­­and the individuality to drive managers insane

Picture your workforce, even for a second, and you will be able to immediately identify the Einsteins. They're the lifesavers who hammer through your impossible problems, keep your essential operations running by any means necessary, and consistently find answers when others scarcely understand the questions.

And as valuable and essential as they are to your organization, these curious and brilliant employees can also be your most frustrating, aggravating, and difficult to manage.

Managing Einsteins is the first book to provide strategies and guidelines managers can use to recruit, train, lead, and retain Einsteins, even as outside forces and recruiters are working just as hard to lure them away. Introducing managers to the proven techniques needed to optimize the skills, abilities, and knowledge of the new-economy workforce, without stifling the creativity and innovative spirit that exceptional employees need to achieve breakthrough success, this hands-on management guidebook discusses:

• Tips and pointers for building better communication between techies and nontechies
• Three factors for dramatically increasing job satisfaction for Einsteins
• Proven methods, from alternative work schedules to on-site quiet rooms, for satisfying even the most hard-to-please Einsteins
• Strategies for freely sharing information among coworkers­­without destroying its inherent value
• Insights from top leaders, including Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, Andy Grove, and others

In today's increasingly technical, specialized workplace, Einsteins are as valuable as diamonds­­and as fragile as glass. Their anything-goes brainstorming and authority-flouting approaches can be both critical for innovative, out-of-the-box thinking and a nightmare for their bosses. Let Managing Einsteins provide you with a complete, well-researched profile of these diverse individuals, tips and strategies for maximizing their energy and knowledge, and an overall guide for effectively deriving their value and skills­­without driving them to your competitors.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies (September 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071375007
• ISBN-13: 978-0071375009
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,127,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good information for managers of IT workers., February 17, 2002

By 

Jim Richards "mr_grumpy" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Managing Einsteins: Leading High-Tech Workers in the Digital Age (Hardcover)

The first thing about this book is that it doesn't use the term nerds or geeks to describe IT workers. The reason the authors give is that the stereotype of pocket protectors and coke bottle glasses just doesn't fit any more. This is a book written for managers, and so the terminology and style (almost) always refers to the Einsteins as "your workers." To the point that with the summary at the end states:

Referring to super-intelligent, curious, passionate, often introverted, talented individuals as "geeks" is outdated. Although Einsteins can call colleagues "geeks," it is not appropriate or cool for non-Einsteins to refer to computer, technology, systems or software geniuses as geeks. (page 217)

These are the difficult to work with, yet life saving employees who solve problems where most people don't understand the question.

There seemed to be several themes running through this book that were re-emphasised several times, such that the book can be summarised down to a few simple statements. Many of which to Einstiens seem pretty obvious. The advantage though, is that as the book is written by "Management Professionals," so the expectation of managers accepting its wisdom is more likely (hopefully).

The main statements within the book about IT worker is that they are highly motivated, intelligent (usually more intelligent than their manager may be), introverted, tribal and independent.

The mains themes throughout the book are

* that a manager should be honest with their workers about how the company is going,
* that they guide and suggest rather than being autocratic (a metaphor of herding cats was used to illustrate this),
* let the Einsteins have their freedom in work environment (location - there is a whole chapter on telecommuting, hours, style),
* Einsteins are project focused, not job focussed,
* they value training and education quite highly,
* and they require a stimulating and fun work place.

The issue of remuneration is covered to include the idea that Einsteins are not solely motivated by money (as sales people may be), but other considerations should be taken into account (such as training, location, work conditions). Also that the traditional notion of promotion does not always work. An Einstein may not want to become a team leader, or higher up the management hierarchy. A manager should be aware of their Einsteins burning out, such that maybe a temporary demotion may be in order to take the stress of the Einstein for a while.

The book includes short examples and case studies from various work places, and excerpts of articles from newspapers and trade journals to help illustrate points. There are also highlighted points (Influence Tips, Black Holes and Einstein Wisdom) which emphasise important things, such as:

Managers should be very cautious not to introduce projects that have a low likelihood of getting started. Einsteins abhor routine and crave novel projects. But they abhor being misled and crave honest leadership all the more. In staff meetings, when managers talk about upcoming projects, they should attach a probability of launch along with the projected launch date. The common term for this is "managing expectations." (page 70)

One good description of the nature of how Einsteins work is the concept of flow.

Flow is reported by individuals as a satisfying state they reach when they are completely absorbed in challenging yet achievable projects. (page 54)

Flow is an important concept for managers to understand. Once an Einstein starts a project, and becomes fully involved, there is nothing worse than being pulled off to attend a sales meeting, or other time consuming function. It interrupts the flow.

The book is broken into three parts:

1. Realities of the Twenty-First Century - a brief summary about the nature of Einsteins and how they fit into the work environment and the world. It covers the basic themes of the book and introduces the concept of an Einstein.
2. Managing Einsteins: Challenges and Actions - this section, the bulk of the book covers from recruiting Einsteins through to the management of them on a daily basis. Topics such as communication, teams and tribes, remuneration, etiquette and disciplining are included.
3. Building for the Future - includes humour and fun at work, telecommuting and a summary.

As it is the only book at the moment that directly with managing this class of workers, also get your manager to read Jon Katz's Geeks. Both of these together will help management, or anyone understand the mindset and working modes of IT workers.

One point that the book suffers is that is seems to have been started before the tech slump of 2000-2001 really started to dig in. So the book waxes and wanes between promoting how IT workers are highly mobile, but also that the job market is not that strong.

The other was the chapter on Etiquette and Manners. Now, I can understand the mannerisms and habits of Einsteins can be a little unpleasant at times, but it begs the question, why would a manager take one of these people out to a client dinner in the first place? If the client needs to meet the tech people to be convinced that a company can do the job, why not at the place of work? Or, take an Einstein who you know you can trust to behave and present well.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars OK but only if you're not on the receiving end!, June 23, 2002

By 

C. R. Downing "Chris Downing" (Chippenham, Wilts England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Managing Einsteins: Leading High-Tech Workers in the Digital Age (Hardcover)

I agree with a couple of the other reviewers here. I think the real problem here is not the 'Einsteins' but the people who believe they are the right people to manage them. In an era that seems to be heading for 'employee talent' being the greatest asset a company has - it's interesting to note in this work, the implied pain and difficulty that this high level talent seems to be causing managers who want to impose their will, and their direction, on potentailly more intellegent, more insightful employees. Real 'Einsteins' (and I'd love someone to tell me I'm one) have huge problems in getting to grips with the infighting and turf battles that seem to dominate the big corporate agendas and their actions. Managing great employees, those with big, well founded ideas on how to progress, seems to cause these corporate politicians and career climbers a big problem - "Einsteins" are a significant threat to them. "Einsteins" know stuff they don't even begin to understand, they do unusual stuff - they are not scared - they speak to real customers on the front line, they talk to the sales guys and find out what's actually happening - not what the politicians tell them. Political managers see these guys as breaking ranks and telling it as it is - and that's political death. "Einsteins" see it as revitalising a dying corporations, breathing life back into the guys on the front line, the excitement that keeps the revenues flowing.

The problem is not managing the talent - the problem is managers are often too weak and insecure to give them some more freedom and some delagated power to try the new stuff.

That's why in the end 'Einsteins' leave big corpoartes to their fate and go at it with outfits who appreciate them.

I'm sure the book will have a huge uptake in corporates and lengthen their core problems - weak management that has poor track credibility. i.e. Wouldn't you just love to fly on a airplane where the captain "is a people manager with great listening skills and big picture awareness, but can't actually fly an airplane," and someone lower in the management order actually flys and navigates. Would you write a book to promote that? In the Royal Airforce in the UK, every officer who gets to the senior ranks, has been a pilot for some years earlier in their career - do you think the RAF know something these writers don't?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading for Management Teams, October 23, 2001

By 

J. Butler (Houston, Tx) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Managing Einsteins: Leading High-Tech Workers in the Digital Age (Hardcover)

As founder and CTO of several companies now, I believe this book to be a "must read" among all management teams. While "Einsteins" will find reason to nit-pick some of the characterizations -- i.e., they will act like "Einsteins" -- the conclusions drawn in this book are quite sound, and very consistent with my experience. I only wish I could have provided this book to colleagues years ago, as it would have credibly addressed many of the problems we experienced, but could neither effectively solve nor articulate.

Bottom line: if you are an Einstein, buy this book for your manager -- odds are he or she needs it; if you are a manager, read and believe -- Einsteins are a different breed of cat, and need to be "herded" as such.