47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Management CliffsNotes, October 18, 2008
This is an excellent book about "managing people" (I prefer "leading people") with 63 short myth-dispelling "truth" chapters. By the way, Charlie "Tremendous" Jones said, "You are the same today as you'll be in five years except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read."
Here's how this book will change you. It's time for the weekly staff meeting--and your interruptions have been interrupted by interruptions. Your job is to lead, inspire and motivate--and you need something fresh, but quick. This book is your CliffsNotes for all things management. Pick from 63 two-page chapters--and get this--the memorable content is not just opinion--the insights are all research-based.
Does Barack Obama (or Sarah Palin) have enough experience to be U.S. president? Eventually, yes/maybe. Author Stephen Robbins writes, "Even in the most complex jobs, real learning typically ends after two years." His research says that "experience, per se, is not a very good predictor of effectiveness. Just because a (job) candidate has 10 years of previous experience is no assurance that his or her experience will transfer to a new situation. What is relevant is the quality of previous experience and the relevance of that experience to the new situation that the leader will face." He adds, "Too often, 20 years of experience is nothing other than one year of experience repeated 20 times!"
The 63 mini-chapters are listed under 10 sections: The Truth About...Hiring, Motivation, Leadership, Communication, Building Teams, Managing Conflict, Designing Jobs, Performance Evaluation, Coping With Change and Managing Behavior. They fit well with the 20 buckets in my book, Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit.
The well-researched conclusions/chapter titles are compelling: Truth #4: Want Pleasant Employees? It's in the Genes! Truth #16: Not Everyone Wants to Participate in Setting Their Goals; Truth #28: Effective Leaders Know How to Frame Issues (he suggest five ways: metaphors, jargon, contrast, spin and stories); Truth #31: Charisma Can Be Learned; Truth #36: Hearing Isn't Listening (he gives eight behaviors associated with effective listening--like making eye contact); Truth #45: Not Everyone Is Team Material; and Truth #62: People Aren't Completely Rational: Don't Ignore Emotions!
"Personal references are easy to acquire but they're essentially worthless," says Robbins in the chapter, "Don't Count Too Much on Reference Checks." He says friends of applicants won't be honest with you. I tend to agree with him.
Some teams lower productivity, says the author. According to his research, "The truth is that teams often create negative synergy. Individuals expend less effort when working collectively that when working individually, so 2 + 2 can equal 3!" He calls it "social loafing." We need to look deeper at this research--it might dramatically change how we organize work.
From Chicago to Orange County last week, the senior manager in Seat 10C read the book over my shoulder--and plans to order it. That's a pretty good indicator of a great book! (Yeah--I got the dreaded middle seat.)
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A time when Kindle doesn't shine and it can be to your advantage., August 2, 2010
This review is from: Truth About Managing People, The (2nd Edition) (Kindle Edition)
Bottom Line: "The Truth About Managing People" is an easy and entertaining read that provides invaluable information easily worth much more that what is being charged.
Like another reviewer said, 63 short chapters presenting truisms in 10 categories. Each two-page(ish) section provides background and description along with the short "rule" that encapsulates the concept. That's great for the Kindle (in my case iPhone) because there's no flipping back and forth. What's missing from a print addition is a handy summary of those rules to act as a summary and reminder of what you've read. That can be to your advantage if it motivates you to take a few minutes and copy from the book just the rules. By the time you're done you'll be a long way to internalizing this valuable information and improving the way you interact with others.
BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good but..., August 2, 2010
This review is from: Truth About Managing People, The (2nd Edition) (Kindle Edition)
This was a very good book which offers great viewpoints to various problems in the workplace. The but comes in because I feel there could have been more examples and details. Overall a great book to keep in your desk and review quarterly to make sure you can see problems before they arise.
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