Rating: 
Summary: Mentoring is the secret to effective leadership.
Review: In my leadership development work with top executives around the world, I have found one thing that separates the "best of the best" from others is their dedication to growing a new generation of leaders. I have long recommended Managers as Mentors as the guide book for leaders who wish to leave a real lasting legacy, and the 2nd edition offers even more than did the first. I particularly like the new chapters that address mentoring from the perspective of the protege' because they help ensure that the relationship formed is a true partnership. While the final chapter - Arduous Alliances - begins to address the difficult task of maintaining a mentoring relationship in today's fast-paced business environment, I left hungry for more help in this area. Overall, though, Chip has another winner here and I will make the 2nd edition a "must read" for my "best of the best" leader clients.
Rating:
Summary: Managers as Mentors should be required reading for managers
Review: In today's employment market it is very difficult to find and retain hard-working motivated employees. Many companies are restructuring, down-sizing, and outsourcing many segments of their administrative activities, and employees have become less productive, less interested in performing quality work, and less satisfied with their jobs. Today's better salary market does not encompass all employment levels, especially those employees just entering the job market with minimal skills. Salary budgets do not always stretch to provide better wages. Teambuilding works well in bridging part of the gap between wages and self-confidence and pride in job performance. "Managers as Mentors" provides in-depth insight for approaching management from a teambuilding perspective. Managers can recruit, train, motivate, and inspire their employees to perform at peak levels in numerous settings by following the recommendations for mentoring employees. The techniques detailed in this book are practical, straight-forward, and easy to understand and implement. Examples illustrating the steps are clearly described. Many organizations now offer internal staff mentoring programs, and my employer is one of those groups. Managers and volunteer mentors are involved, and "Managers as Mentors" has become required reading before a volunteer mentor can be paired with a protege.
Rating:
Summary: Solid, solid, solid. Absolute must read.
Review: Mentoring is such a "hot" topic these days, I was concerned that this was going to be another one of those fluffy books that don't give you specific actions. How wrong I was! Each page is jammed full of pratical how-to's supported by both the concept behind the how-to and examples of it at work. Mentoring is a popular topic because it's so valuable in today's organization and this book is an absolute must read for anyone in a leadership position. Within days of putting what I learned to work, my team started responding. I also found that the techniques work well in my volunteer work with the local humane society. Buy this book today and read it right away.
Rating:
Summary: Solid, solid, solid. Absolute must read.
Review: Mentoring is such a "hot" topic these days, I was concerned that this was going to be another one of those fluffy books that don't give you specific actions. How wrong I was! Each page is jammed full of pratical how-to's supported by both the concept behind the how-to and examples of it at work. Mentoring is a popular topic because it's so valuable in today's organization and this book is an absolute must read for anyone in a leadership position. Within days of putting what I learned to work, my team started responding. I also found that the techniques work well in my volunteer work with the local humane society. Buy this book today and read it right away.
Rating: 
Summary: How do leaders encourage "insight" while being "in charge?"
Review: Never before in history has "having wisdom" been more crucial and "acquiring wisdom" been more challenging. With customers expecting customized service, with the time line between skill acquisition and skill obsolescence getting shorter, and with "boss de jure" reorganization, successful employees are those who are adaptive, responsive and in a neverending state of continuous learning. Mentoring programs are not enough. All managers and leaders must become mentors to the people they influence. The challenge lies in the nature of "bossing." Since learning requires risk taking and bosses are judgers of excellence, how do leaders carry out an "insight" (or learning) goal while acting in an "in charge" role? Leveling the learning field begins with leaders building partnerships with learners. This book was written to provide a pragmatic set of "how to's" for managers seeking to increase the learning and wisdom of their associates
Rating: 
Summary: A great introduction for managers and mentors
Review: The author of Managers as Mentors intorduces how relationships between two people can be a learning and growth experience in any environment. The topic of mentoring is a huge issue in the business environment and I have found that this book offers basic keys of advise to the executives of large organizations. Bell shares practical experiences and guidance in short easy to read chapters, while getting away from the typical referance book material. Self-assesments, tools, and communication tatics are just a few of the practical ways that are offered in this book. Often times I found that Mr. Bell cites other authors and practices. I believe that these methods are a wonderful way to bring multiple factors to a single situation and base those experiences on resolving the matter at hand. I recommend this guide to anyone that wishes to begin a healthy relationship of mentoring. It really brings the basics to focus and prepares you for further knowledge in this field.
Rating:
Summary: A great introduction for managers and mentors
Review: The author of Managers as Mentors intorduces how relationships between two people can be a learning and growth experience in any environment. The topic of mentoring is a huge issue in the business environment and I have found that this book offers basic keys of advise to the executives of large organizations. Bell shares practical experiences and guidance in short easy to read chapters, while getting away from the typical referance book material. Self-assesments, tools, and communication tatics are just a few of the practical ways that are offered in this book. Often times I found that Mr. Bell cites other authors and practices. I believe that these methods are a wonderful way to bring multiple factors to a single situation and base those experiences on resolving the matter at hand. I recommend this guide to anyone that wishes to begin a healthy relationship of mentoring. It really brings the basics to focus and prepares you for further knowledge in this field.
Rating:
Summary: Work Force Readiness
Review: We look at work force readiness from two perspectives. My husband and I both manage full-time careers. We work with a number of people who are beginning their careers. In addition, we have college-age children (three in three different highly regarded schools). From both perspectives, we know that colleges and universities do a good job of exposing students to a lot of information and to the process of learning. However, we feel young professionals are not well equipped with actual job skills. Managers as Mentors helps us to share the information and knowledge we have in manner that is enjoyable for us and our younger colleagues. Most importantly, we used the SAGE principal to help guide our most precious proteges, our own near-grown children. Thank you, Dr. Bell!
Rating: 
Summary: Has applicability beyond traditional mentoring.
Review: While this book is targeted primarily toward mentor - protoge relationships (which it addresses well), it has much broader applicability. Many of the ideas discussed can be used in both sales and consulting situations. In fact, it provides guidance in how to approach any relationship where learning, growth, reciprocity, and mutual respect are important. A practical and good read!
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