Rating: 
Summary: Do great managers think alike?
Review: This is based on extensive research (80,000 managers, 1 million employees, 400 companies) so it is difficult to challenge its findings. Nevertheless, I was hoping for something a bit more radical.Great managers focus on the basics (making sure that their poeple know what is expected of them, provding continuous feedback, getting to know their people as people). This may not really ground breaking but the view that we all have talents and non-talents and there is nothing we can do to turn around our non-talents is certainly a challenge to the American school of thought (e.g. Brian Tracy and Anthony Robbins - you can do what you want and be what you want). Nicely structured, the tape takes you through understanding the differences between talent, knowledge and skills, the ways you select, motivate and develop people right the way through to how you set clear expectations and help manage people's career development. Very practical and well worth listening to.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent for Employees and Managers alike
Review: I just finished this book and it honestly gave me the "tweaking" that I needed to look at the whole "manager/employee relationship" differently. I'm not a member of management, but I think the insight that it provides is valuable to employees as well as managers, and is a great way to prepare for the next step and/or understand how your manager should act. It's a wakeup call making you realize you have a great manager, or look elsewhere for a great one.
Rating:
Summary: Practical wisdom
Review: A blow on conventional wisdom! I was delighted to see that the authors' research confirms most of my personal beliefs on leadership. Rule breakers now have a manifesto.
Rating:
Summary: FOR RULE-BREAKERS--AND RULE MAKERS
Review: One of the best business books on some of what's behind today's most pressing workplace issues and challenges. Full of not just useful research and analysis, but fresh new thinking for everyone who (a) has had enough of living in Dilbert's world, (b) wants to better understand why things are the way they are in so many companies, (c) challenges conventional wisdom about influence of leadership, and (d) needs food for thought and inspiration to make critical changes not just at work, but also in their careers.
Rating: 
Summary: Well researched platitudes.
Review: The title of the book is a misnomer. If you purchase the book expecting to encounter an unconventional and original theory of management, you will be sadly disappointed. What you will find is a book full of cleverly presented platitudes. For example, the authors really hammer home the point, 'Don't try to draw in what's been left out. Instead you should draw out what's been left in.' The authors explain that each person has his or her own unique talents. Instead of wasting energy getting people to overcome their weaknesses, great managers learn to get the most out the talents their employees already possess. (We merely good managers don't do this, only the great ones do). They go on to suggest that great managers then place people where their innate talents will do the organization the most good. If a football coach were to apply this revolutionary bit of wisdom he might allow Kurt Warner to play quarterback instead of making him work on his blocking skills as an offensive lineman. Or he might let Randy Moss catch the ball instead of teaching him tackling skills he can use as the new middle linebacker. You get the idea. The rest of the insights into the thinking of great managers is much the same. There's nothing insightful about it. And don't let all the research fool you. The authors certainly have done a massive number of surveys and interviews and some of this information is interesting. But the conclusions they draw are only loosely connected to the research. I'm left with the impression that they would have presented the same paradigm of management had the survey results been much different. I often circulate my books and audio tapes among my management team. But I won't waste anyone's time with this one. The book's one redeeming feature is that it's good for the ego. Because if this book really identifies the behavior of great managers, you will read the book thinking to yourself, "Geez, I do that already. I must be a great manager, too!"
Rating:
Summary: Talents Show
Review: I think a number of reviewers here are missing the boat. There are a number of revolutionary ideas in this book-the 12-question questionnaire, for example (as opposed to those annoying 360 degree things with hundreds of useless questions). One reviewer "got it"-the guy who used the first six questions to define his role as a manager. Another boat-misser cried "deterministic." If you really read the book, you see that it suggests we can ALL learn new knowledge, information, skills, and abilities. What they emphasize as different are TALENTS-those things we either have or don't have (and there is no use getting into a nature or nurture debate, because it doesn't really matter). If you can put a person in a role that taps into his or her natural talents, the person will excel, thrive, and outperform less talented people in the same role. The key is understanding your own talents, and then finding a role that taps into them. One of my talents (as defined by Gallup) is FLOW-as in "go with the flow." I am fully comfortable living my life and working this way. I have a talent for it. It comes in handy in these times of radical change in my industry. Some of my colleagues could NEVER be as good at this as I am. They could try, and practice some stuff to become more "flowy", but it would never come as naturally for them as it does for me. They, on the other hand, have talents that I lack, and will never have-even if I try (for example, COMMAND-the desire to be in charge. I'm more than content to follow the leader). Sure, there is some controversial stuff here-one of the Gallup 12 question questionnaire statements is "I have a best friend at work." This apparently gets high agreement in top performing companies/teams. I personally have always tried to separate true friendship and work, and don't see this as a factor in my workplace satisfaction. But then I've never 100 % agreed with any philosophy of management, so it's no big deal. The challenge-figuring out what talents lead to top performance in certain roles. My company is in the process of spending a fortune (millions) to implement all this Gallup stuff. I'm excited about the possibilities of these tools-I'll let you know someday what value, if any, we have realized.
Rating:
Summary: Simply great
Review: I am the recent MBA grad with 15 years of managerial experience. It is wonderful to read that many of my unconventional methods belong to the best practice. It really works and I am eager to test also the new things I have learned. I have a special motivation to do so, today I received the Slovak Award for Human Resource Management and Development for 1999.
Rating:
Summary: Best set of management tools that I've ever seen!
Review: I am a recent MBA grad with 15 years' experience in different company environments. I've worked for Silicon Valley startups, large national corporations, and family-owned businesses. The scenarios, myths, situations, and other examples in the book are 100% right on! Gallup has put names and descriptions on things that I have lived with for years. Now a manager at another tech startup, I plan on using this book as a template to grow our company into a vibrant workplace that attracts and KEEPS talented individuals. I don't understand the reviewers who say they gained nothing from this book. There is a well-documented framework that is not weighted down with technical terminology, and a productive toolset to implement the theory. I especially appreciated the section on creating Advocates, something that I have been prevented from doing by supervisors in past positions. In my opinion, anyone who does not recognize the business implications of Advocates needs to go back and retake Business 101. Understanding and measuring "Talent" is what this book is based on, and is worth learning. It is not as "out there" as personality typing, and makes good business sense. Put people where they will naturally do well, and your business and Clients will do well also. I am a firm believer that employees will do what you pay them to do. Incentive plans are critical in controlling what people do on a daily basis. Here, again, this book makes a lot of sense advising that incentive plans must be tailored to the individual. I do not climb on many bandwagons, but I will get up on my soapbox about this book. It is simply the best book I have ever read about managing people and making the most of a workplace. Much has been written about what makes a workplace great. This book tells you how to make YOUR workplace great. I recommend it without hesitation.
Rating:
Summary: Hard Not to Put Down
Review: Save your money. Although there was some good information in here, I felt like I had to search long and far to find it. Many BORING details as to how the data was compiled. This book could have been something better if the authors had just spent more time providing examples that did not put you to sleep. Don't get me wrong, I am SURE the Gallop institute's data correct. However, this book needs to be rewritten so that the examples inspire and provide clearer examples of how to be a great manager/leader. Sorry ...
Rating:
Summary: Truly a valuable resource!
Review: 20+ years in management and an MPA add up to reading literally hundreds of books on leadership, managing people, and so on. This is the best book on management I have ever read. We will be using it as a guide for our staff development path through 2000 & beyond. Clearly stated conclusions with no equivocation, and the data to back up their statements. Great!
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