Book review: The Management Mythbuster

I read this book at one speed - FAST!  The best way to describe this book is to use two words - common sense.  And probably this quote as well - :“Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.” C. E. Stowe.

What David Axson manages to do is peel away the veneer and false front of modern management trends and actually get to the heart of the matter.  What this book managed to do was to confirm both my and most likely your suspicions and thoughts on what happens in the shady world of business today.

Here is how the book plays out - each chapter is between 6 and 10 pages long.  The chapters open with a mock company and the playing out of the appropriate scenario.  The author then incorporates the management area he is looking at into the story line.  So there are real examples of how such scenarios would play out within a company.

One thing this book does lack in is positive answers.  There are plenty of examples of what not to do but few examples and explanations of what you should do.  Maybe that will be released in the sequel "The Management Makeover"? 

Yes I enjoyed the book and recommend it.  I especially recommend it to people who are new to the corridors of power and senior management and want to be able to cut through to the true heart of the matter!

The real kicker is the very end of the book  A lot like real life it is a scary proposition...

Book review: The Management Mythbuster

http://davidaxson.typepad.com/american_idiot/2010/01/the-management-mythbsuter-pay-for-performance.html

I read this book at one speed - FAST!  The best way to describe this book is to use two words - common sense.  And probably this quote as well - :“Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.” C. E. Stowe.

What David Axson manages to do is peel away the veneer and false front of modern management trends and actually get to the heart of the matter.  What this book managed to do was to confirm both my and most likely your suspicions and thoughts on what happens in the shady world of business today.

Here is how the book plays out - each chapter is between 6 and 10 pages long.  The chapters open with a mock company and the playing out of the appropriate scenario.  The author then incorporates the management area he is looking at into the story line.  So there are real examples of how such scenarios would play out within a company.

One thing this book does lack in is positive answers.  There are plenty of examples of what not to do but few examples and explanations of what you should do.  Maybe that will be released in the sequel "The Management Makeover"? 

Yes I enjoyed the book and recommend it.  I especially recommend it to people who are new to the corridors of power and senior management and want to be able to cut through to the true heart of the matter!

The real kicker is the very end of the book  A lot like real life it is a scary proposition...

Taking a stand when you have to!

I'm a chicken.  There you go I admit it.

Confronting someone who may pose a violent physical threat (in both the literal and metaphorical sense) is not my idea of being smart.  I firmly adhere to the 'flight' option as opposed to the 'fight' option.

Don't get me wrong - in case of emergency or threat to family I'll happy foot it with the best.  That is at a time when the brain has no option but to immediately react.  The rest of the time (like the other 98%) I am happy to sit back consider my options and do something different.

When it comes to work though - you have to draw the line somewhere.  For example we deal with a wide range of people from various backgrounds in my job.  Some pleasant and some not quite so pleasant.

So earlier today when I had to 'confront' a student - my first reaction? "Hey, can you deal with this?”  Chicken.  Man was I wrong!

After a few minutes and some serious contemplation I decided to man up and do something about the situation.  Now there was no immediate threat of physical retaliation or whatever but believe me this guy was a gorilla and is known for his serious gang connections.

So what happened? 

1.  I got my paperwork together.  I got armed with everything I could to make an air tight case and gave the person no room to argue.

2.  I got a support person.  Having a second person in the room who was amicable with the person helped break down any issues that may have arisen.

3.  I took the lead and did what a manager should do.    It was my responsibility to deal with a possible negative situation and I did it.

In this case the situation could have resulted in becoming nasty.  Fortunately it didn't.  But I learnt a fair bit today about how to handle bad situations.  It looks like common sense stuff and the way handled it was - but sometimes common sense has to be acted upon before we realise we did it right!

 So now what situations do you find yourself in?  Do you find yourself fobbing off the hard decisions onto others that you should be dealing with?  Harden up, make a plan, and yes you do get the option to 'phone a friend' but I recommend you actually take a friend rather than phone them later (from the comfort of your hospital bed).

 

(Thats a joke too by the way...)

Book review: Showing Up For Life

Bill Gates' father (William Gates Sr) has taken the time to collect his thoughts and collate them into a handy little book of wisdom.  There are lots of stories and anecdotes that span an entire century and reach from the early 1900's all the way through to 2009.

This is a book deeply set in reality.  There are reflections on surviving the depression, hard work, starting out in life and integrity.  After being married for 42 years Mrs Gates passed away and there are some very nice reflective yet instructful stories from the life of Mary Gates as well.

What I really enjoyed about this book is it's honesty and it's sincerity.  This is not a book about Microsoft or Bill Gates but a book about life.  How to live, make the most of everyday and ultimately leave a lasting legacy through the words you say, the acts you complete and the influence you leave behind.

This is not a management book (in the purest sense).  This book is a common sense guide to life packed full of wisdom and insight.  The evidence that Mr Gates' experiences and philosophies work is best shown through the results of his family and legacy.

You can also check out Mr Gates own thoughts here as well.