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Summary: Refreshing Breeze in the Management of Human Resources
Review: Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman give a refreshing approach to the management of human resources within a company with its positive impact on the bottom line down the road. Building on extensive research conducted by The Gallup Organization, Buckingham and Coffman articulate their innovative argumentation around four traditional keys: Select a person, set expectations, motivate the person, and develop the person. Great managers are looking not only for skills and knowledge, but also more importantly for talent when they select a candidate for a position to fill. Furthermore, great managers are concerned first with the right outcomes expected from the selected person, and then eventually with the right steps to get to these outcomes. In addition, great managers are determined to leverage the person's strengths and work around her weaknesses in motivating her. They do not try to correct the weaknesses of the selected person. Finally, great managers help the selected person come to the insight that going up on the hierarchical ladder is not necessarily in her best interest. However, Buckingham and Coffman rightly draw the attention of their audience to the fact that corporate culture can make the innovative work of great managers in defining the four traditional keys difficult, even impossible.
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Summary: Not New but Infinitely Useful
Review: It's extremely rare that I recommend a book, about once every decade, but I highly recommend this book.I just read the comments of those who negatively rated this book because it's concepts are not new. That's true of every management/HR/sales/training/leadership/customer service.. book I've read. How many times have you read a business book and thought "yep, that's right, that's exactly what I've experienced" and then became frustrated because of the gap between what could/should be vs the daily reality of your work experiences? How many times have you wished there was some way you could prove that focusing on the individual employee resulted in creating a provable, positive impact on organizational performance, productivity and profits? The value of this book is that it is the Gallup organization and they've got the numbers to back up what has previously been rejected as "touchy feely" management methods. The next time you're told "that won't work, nobody does it that way" or "there's no proof organizational performance is increased by focusing on individual strengths, understanding different people are motivated by different methods, selecting people to fit the job, or that managers have no impact on employee retention", simply reference this book and give them 80,000 reasons why they're wrong. Supposedly, businesses decisions are based on solid numbers. We all know that businesses decisions are really based on perceptions. This book is gives you the numbers to change the many incorrect perceptions about the process of managing people.
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Summary: Out of the box to say the least
Review: This book challenges conventional wisdom. The fact of the matter is that the coventional ways of succeeding don't work, at least not any more. To succeed today you have to go outside the box and do things differently. First Break All The Rules shows you how to do that. I also recommend Super Self, a book that shows you how to go beyond optimal performance to super performance. How to become ten feet tall and bullet proof.
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Summary: Must read for managers of all levels
Review: If you think you can change people, think again. If you think one of a manager's job is to help people improve upon their weaknesses, think again. If you think climbing the corporate ladder is the best way to improve one's position in the corporate world, well, you got it, think again. This book, written by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, and based on 25 years of research by the Gallup Organization, on over 1 million respondents, has debunked a number of management "myths". I put myths in inverted commas simply because they were "truths" -- until First, Break All The Rules (published by Simon & Schuster, London, New York, 1999, ISBN 0-68486138-0) came along. The Gallup Organization discovered, after asking one million people hundreds of different questions on the subject of managing others, that people excel only when their talents are put to use. Talents are the recurring patterns of thought and behavior that can't be turned on and off at will. They can't be created or altered. According to the authors, people don't change much. Managers should not waste time changing their subordinates, or making them into what they are not. You cannot give new talent to a person. The books suggests that every human being has talent, and all roles/functions/jobs in a company require talent. You cannot train or develop talent, but you can train, develop and enhance skills and proficiencies. Talent leads to interest; interest leads to motivation; motivation leads to a desire to learn; a desire to learn leads to skills and proficiencies As for the corporate ladder, the authors suggest that you should throw it away. For example, good sales person might not perform well if she is promoted to sales manager position. She might not have the talent to manage others. Instead, let her continue in the sales position, but improve upon the salary and benefits.
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Summary: Building Better Relationships at Workplace!
Review: Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman reveal their inner vision to focus on four keys to become excellent managers. Leaders are sometimes someone who yells, explodes, makes nearly impossible demands and rarely consider feelings of his subordinates in the changing scenario of Business challenges. In fact, Managers need the right feedback and know-how to deal with the employees and select them on the basis of talents & not only on skills and intellects. Managers need to pick the right choice, know the strength of the employee and define right results. Their role is to encourage and motivate the staff and the manager is totally responsible to build a team spirit says the Authors. Buckingham & coffman focus on hiring people on their talents rather than experience. The employee need to be appreciated and rewarded for the job done well. Some Managers zoom on in on the weakness of employee to create embarrassment and humiliation. First Break All the rules indeed Shows the Managers to be different and recognize the potentials in the staff. Any employee who is facing a management flaw is 'slogging' in an uneasy environment and the results too lead to a downward fall in longer run. The result is either the staff finds the Boss Crazy or leave the job for a better prospects. This book is a read for all Managers & Leaders who want to retain their Star employees and reward them for their expertise to grow mutually. Bosses who are control freaks, unreasonable and not practical fail to survive. HRD is one main branch of company that is important and this book is just a tip on the iceberg, the right guide to Managers & staff to work in harmony, knowing their respective roles. The employees need opportunity to grow, clear concepts of work assignments, be praised for their achievement, right environment & friendly approach, motivation and their voice be heard as regards to their work level opinions & suggestions. First Break All the Rules: What the world's Greatest Managers Do Differently is my one most lovable book and when I read this book, I feel this is the right choice of Gift to give to any Leader who wish to Break Rules for better interaction and involvement, building better work place relationships for fruitful results. Yep, a gift to Break Rules - self improve and training session of Effective Management for Boss too!
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Summary: A book 150 pages too long
Review: Few business books are really interesting and brief enough to be read. First...is not one of them. The authors talk and talk, example after example. It is 150 pages too long! It is a pity they did not do a better job with the Gallup material!! Not worth.
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Summary: A new perspective
Review: What appealed to me about this book is that it offers a new perspective to succeed in a new world. Today, we have to be able to bend, stretch and flex to reach our goals. First Break All The Rules gave me a new perspective on management and I am already reaping rewards by implementing new strategy. Excellent book.
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Summary: Touches on some very important points
Review: Overall, the book is a pretty good read. Among other things, I especially enjoyed the discussion about focusing on the strengths of employees and finding the right fit for them. An employee who is mediocre at one job function can excel in another position. This is something that very few other management books discuss even though it is an extremely important principle. I did have a problem with a few things the authors said. I personally don't believe that good managers consistently violate the golden rule. This gives readers the impression that good managers don't care about treating people well and I don't think that's true. Also, the authors recommend that managers should spend most of their time with good employees since they are the ones who are getting things done. Although I understand the point they are trying to make, they never said that unproductive behavior should be confronted. It's almost as if they are suggesting that poor employees should be ignored. If an employee always shows up late, makes mistakes, and doesn't work well with others, is ignoring the problem the best thing to do? I believe that the best managers tactfully confront the behavior, give the employee a fair chance to improve, and then replace them with a much better employee if things don't change. In addition, the section on "The Art of Interviewing for Talent" is bothersome. A list of "good interview questions" always has to be taken with a huge grain of salt. The reason is simple: people can lie. Anybody who has done a lot of interviews knows that there are people who can say all the right things in an interview and still end up being a dud. Please keep this in mind! Aside from these issues, the book is very solid. I'd recommend checking it out. Greg Blencoe
Author, The Ten Commandments for Managers
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and pragmatic
Review: First, Break All The Rules will make anyone a more powerful manager. Although the title is a little controversial, I have that the system and ideas are very pragmatic considering the times that we are in. Companies are looking for take charge, maverick type managers who get results. I also recommend Super Self: Doubling Your Personal Effectiveness by Charles J. Givens which is a favorite at the company that I am with. Super Self will make you more effective
at work and in life.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: The old way of treating employees doesn't cut it in today's world. Every employee is different, and so you can't treat them all equally. But you can treat them all FAIRLY. Once I got over this basic dilemma (the "golden rule" was a cornerstone of my management philosophy), I became hooked. You can't argue with statistics, which is the basis of the authors' argument. This is one book I will always have handy on my desk!
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