Social Style/Management Style (Paperback)

by Robert Bolton (Author), Dorothy Grover Bolton (Author) "After reviewing the history of human thought, the philosopher Aldous Huxley said there is only one question of importance: "Who am I and what, if..." (more)
Key Phrases: Building Bridges, Less Predictable Clues Office, Joe Patterson

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"What is social style, and how can you make it work for you in a business situation? Your success at any management level depends largely on your ability to deal with other people. In this business-oriented approach to interpersonal relationships, management experts Robert Bolton and Dorothy Grover Bolton show you how to assess various behavior patterns and how to use that knowledge to capitalize on your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and get the results you want from others. Are you predominantly an Amiable, an Analytical, an Expressive, or a Driver? Nearly everyone, according to Boltons' extensive research, uses on of the four basic social styles more often than the others. No style is better than any other, but each does bring with it a unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses. This book shows you not only how to recognize your particular style but also how to use that knowledge to manage others more effectively, set appropriate life goals and career paths, plan a sound self-improvement plan, increase your creativity, and more. Te best managers, claim the Boltons, excel at being what they are rather than at trying to be what they are not. If you feel that your effectiveness at work could be increased by better interpersonal skills but are tired of theories that want you to overhaul yourself to fit some uncomfortable, impersonal ""management style,"" then let Social Style/Management Style improve your dealings with others and still let you be yourself."

Book Description

"What is social style, and how can you make it work for you in a business situation? Your success at any management level depends largely on your ability to deal with other people. In this business-oriented approach to interpersonal relationships, management experts Robert Bolton and Dorothy Grover Bolton show you how to assess various behavior patterns and how to use that knowledge to capitalize on your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and get the results you want from others.

Are you predominantly an Amiable, an Analytical, an Expressive, or a Driver? Nearly everyone, according to Boltons' extensive research, uses on of the four basic social styles more often than the others. No style is better than any other, but each does bring with it a unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses. This book shows you not only how to recognize your particular style but also how to use that knowledge to manage others more effectively, set appropriate life goals and career paths, plan a sound self-improvement plan, increase your creativity, and more. Te best managers, claim the Boltons, excel at being what they are rather than at trying to be what they are not.

If you feel that your effectiveness at work could be increased by better interpersonal skills but are tired of theories that want you to overhaul yourself to fit some uncomfortable, impersonal ""management style,"" then let Social Style/Management Style improve your dealings with others and still let you be yourself."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (October 25, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814476171
• ISBN-13: 978-0814476178
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #473,011 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Newer Version of This Book Exists, March 31, 2003

By	J. W. Bolton (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First of all, my rating is biased--I'm the son and colleague of the authors. But the purpose of this "review" isn't to promote the book. It is to let you know that the publisher, AMACOM, has published a newer, more accessible edition of this book entitled "People Styles at Work." That book was originally planned to replace "Social Style/Management Style," but both remain in print. My personal opinion is the the newer work is more user-friendly: it was streamlined to help readers better relate with colleagues of other styles. That said, "Social Style/Management Style" has been well received for nearly 20 years and has been translated into many languages. Either one is useful, but if you buy both books, you'll find a lot of redundancy.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Social style/management style, June 7, 2000

By A Customer

This is an excellent tool to use in any business that will enable anyone to communicate better with colleagues. It gives you information and cues that will help to better deal with many different types of people in the business sector. I use this book, and actually came across it in a Masters (Human Resources) Course, many years ago, and its contents are still very valuable to me. I keep referring back to its theories. But, its use isn't for the work place only, as it is helpful for communicating in intimate relationships, as well. Happy reading!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great TOOL!, April 15, 2004

By	ohio_reader "ohio_reader" - See all my reviews

I read this book years and years ago. It's tattered, marked up like a useful handbook. Learning to flex my style to others was part of my success. It didn't come easily but the simple tools of identification in this book enabled me to first, see myself and then see the world from another's view. At a glance I could enter someone's office and know their primary communication style. In a meeting I could quickly discern what I needed to say and how to say so it would be heard by decision makers. When it came to conflict management, the information in this text often helped me to understand that most conflicts weren't about real issues but more about folks not communicating.

What makes this book different from the hundreds of theories and books on communication out there? It is practical. It is not a book filled with psychobabble. It's an easy read. And it makes sense.

Social Style Management Style was indeed one of the best tools I've come across. There's lots of info out there but few so easy to read, understand and apply.

My list of books that truly made a difference in my life is short and this one is on it.