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After fourteen years of working shoulder to shoulder with GE tough guy Jack Welch, Roseanne Badowski is not afraid of what she calls the "s-word." She argues that all of us are secretaries as well as managers. In
Managing Up, Badowski leverages lessons she learned in building a stellar relationship with her boss. She offers smart and solid advice beginning with her "Can you start on Monday?" interview with Welch, and then turning to the skills of "navigating a boss Monday through Friday." The book' s chapter titles may sound prosaic, but her approach crackles with energy and fresh ideas. For example, she writes about trust by including "time-tested phrases for breaking bad news." She details the perils of being unprepared and puts in a good word for nagging. She also makes a persuasive argument for the advantages of cultivating impatience to enhance productivity. With splashy anecdotes and checklists, Badowski offers realistic and and disciplined counsel. Hero worshippers be warned: Although Welch wrote the book's introduction, Badowski is such an engaging no-nonsense advisor that she becomes the most compelling manager represented in her book.
--Barbara Mackoff
From Publishers Weekly
The business book market is jammed with books for bosses, telling them how to manage, lead, create corporate strategy and get more from employees. Badowski's tome takes a different approach, but is just as useful: it's meant for all workers, regardless of their position. Because, as she wisely points out, everyone has a boss. Badowski, who has the distinction of being Jack Welch's former executive assistant, here explains how she survived and thrived during her 14-plus years as the boss man's "secret weapon." She's written a snappy little guide, mixing anecdotes with clear-cut tips on how to partner with higher-ups. She advises readers to "make the agenda of the person you work for your own" and asserts that "individuals solve problems-not senior management." Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to have had such a celebrated corporate leader as his or her boss. But if workers can follow Badowski's advice, they may find ways to win over crabby supervisors-or at least strengthen their relationships with other colleagues.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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