What People Want: A Manager's Guide to Building Relationships That Work [Hardcover]

Terry R. Bacon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0891062165 | ISBN-13: 978-0891062165

What People Want, for the first time, addresses the changing demographics and differences in the workplace to highlight what matters most in employee-manager relationships. Based on first-of-its-kind research that assessed the needs of hundreds of professionals across a variety of industries, Terry Bacon explores in-depth the seven most important needs-for trust, challenge, self-worth, competence, appreciation, excitement, and an ability to develop and sustain an identity of merit.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I find this book to be just about as good a guide to both leadership and life as one can find. A gem worth using professionally and personally. -- Four Corners Business Journal, December 17, 2007

Uncovers the truth about what employees want from their bosses. Reveals insights into the motivations that drive individual behavior. -- T&D, January 2007

From the Publisher

What do Gen-Y employees need from their Baby Boomer managers that Gen-Xers don't? How does gender affect employee-manager relationships? What separates introverts and extroverts?

More than ever before, managing a diverse workforce requires flexibility, sensitivity to a range of values, and respect for each person's intrinsic needs, rights, and differences. With an eye toward the changing demographics and complexity of today's workplace, WHAT PEOPLE WANT uncovers the truth about what people really want from their relationships at work.

Interweaving interesting and often surprising insights from his original research, Terry Bacon lays out a set of proven best practices that focus on the seven needs that matter most to co-workers, peers, and direct reports: trust, challenge, self-worth, competence, appreciation, excitement, and an ability to develop and sustain an identity of merit. With dozens of real-world examples, sample dialogue, and nearly 200 tips and techniques, WHAT PEOPLE WANT also offers a variety of tools to help managers address their own needs for personal and psychological space and work-life balance, and advice on how to avoid such bad behaviors as bullying and intimidation, which can demotivate staff and damage the organization.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing (October 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891062165
• ISBN-13: 978-0891062165
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,028,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Terry R. Bacon (1947) is the scholar-in-residence for the Korn/Ferry Institute and has been a writer, speaker, business leader, coach, and consultant for more than thirty years. He has also written poetry, developed educational programs,and written screenplays--and he is now president of a summer classical music festival and chairman of the Fort Lewis College Foundation. Before Korn/Ferry, he was a founder and CEO of Lore International Institute and for the past four years has been named one of the top leadership thinkers in the world by Leadership Excellence magazine. He lives and works in Colorado and Hawaii. His latest book, The Elements of Power, was named one of the 11 Top Business Books in 2011 by CIO Insight.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Pay attention, Over Achieving Managers!, December 10, 2009

By 

Jessica Lee - See all my reviews

This review is from: What People Want: A Manager's Guide to Building Relationships That Work (Hardcover)

Being an over achieving manager, are you surprised by being perceived as an insensitive manager by your employees?

It is not enough just getting the job done. You must also be highly sensitive to others at the workplace in order to flourish in management. Sensitivity plays a key role in building relationships with employees.

Do you really know what your employees want from you?

This book unlocks the secret of being a more sensitive manager. It is packed with diagnostic tips for identifying your insensitive behaviors, if any, and full of actionable suggestions that you can take immediately, if needed.

How sensitive do you need to be at the workplace? Terry Bacon has "Manager's Levels of Caring for Employees" for you. While you should be yourself, not faking it, you should know what is expected of successful managers in American workplace. If you decide that you are not comfortable to exhibit the expected behaviors, you should probably reconsider your career objectives.

Relationship is like a plant; you must continuously care and feed it for it to prosper. I recommend that you read this book periodically as self-examination of your relationships at the workplace. If you discover that you are exhibiting bad behaviors, you can quickly fix them by changing your bad behaviors to the more favorable ones.

This is a great book for building and maintaining good relationships not only with your employees, but also those outside of workplace with whom you wish to develop long lasting relationships.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wealth of information applicable to nearly any middle-sized business structure., February 8, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What People Want: A Manager's Guide to Building Relationships That Work (Hardcover)

WHAT PEOPLE WANT: A MANAGER'S GUIDE TO BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT WORK is based on original research involving some 500 professionals across a range of industries who comment on the motivators which produce workplace results. Managers and business students will benefit from these real-world examples paired with nearly 200 applied practice tips, and will find a wealth of information applicable to nearly any middle-sized business structure.

Diane C. Donovan

California Bookwatch

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and Powerful Guide for Leaders, January 16, 2007

By 

L. A. Clifford (Montvale, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What People Want: A Manager's Guide to Building Relationships That Work (Hardcover)

Terry Bacon's book is a compelling guide that I would recommend to individuals who are new to the leadership arena, as well as those who are already in management. It highlights leadership theory with practical examples, and the content is laid out in easily digestible segments. Terry combines research based theory with real life scenarios which help the reader relate and apply the concepts to their own situations. I think it should be required reading for all new managers. Great book!