Managing with the Wisdom of Love : Uncovering Virtue in People and Organizations (Jossey-Bass Business and Management Series)

Rating:
Summary: My second reading was better than the first.
Review: A must for everyone involved in any kind of business

Rating:
Summary: LEFT ME NEEDING MORE!
Review: Dorothy Marcic's Managing with the Wisdom of Love is founded on the premise that an organization should seek balance in the five dimensions of work, which include physical, intellectual, emotional, volitional, and spiritual. The author models these dimensions as the parts of a tree, with each dimension represented as follows:

- Roots = Volitional
- Trunk = Emotional
- Branches = Intellectual
- Leaves = Physical

The unseen water and nutrients necessary for the tree to survive represent spiritual qualities such as justice, respect, dignity, and the ability to love. These spiritual qualities are intended to form the foundation of an organization's philosophy and are the basis of the New Management Principles of trustworthiness, unity, respect and dignity, justice, and service and humility, suggested by the author.

The author provides examples where some of the New Management Principles have been incorporated into struggling organizations. Stepwise approaches to assessing the current status of an organization and for integrating spirituality into an organization are also provided. However, my criticism of the book is framed by a statement made by the author --that trustworthiness is at the foundation of the problems associated with management change efforts. By the lack of detailed supporting research and thorough documentation of successes within organizations, the author forces the reader to take a leap of faith as to weather or not to trust in the concepts contained in the book. The impasse here is, of course, that spirituality is an intangible that cannot be seen or measured. Essentially, the author paints an abstract picture of utopia where realism may be needed.

The concepts provided by the author are consistent with contemporary viewpoints on ethics, motivation, teambuilding, leadership, and the management of diversity. Authors of theory and text on these subjects offer similar views and suggest that the path to a successful organization is through the balanced application of principles similar to those suggested by the author

The underlying message of the book, to treat and respect others as we would wish for ourselves, is arguably the single most important goal we should set for our personal and professional lives. Certainly the concept of applying this principle in a work environment will be met by a fair share of skeptics, as acknowledged by the author ('in the end, about 30% of participants will be transformed to some degree, 50% will be open to future experiences but not yet transformed, and about 20% will be against the transformation process or simply will not care'), but what management change effort isn't met with skepticism. The success/failure rates of other of other management programs may be comparable, because it takes a visionary team of leaders to lay the foundation necessary to see these concepts permeate a large organization. The concepts presented by the author also seem to be the first to be thrown out the door in a time of crisis. Open your mind and heart and take in the message the author is trying to deliver and it will enrich you, the people you work with, and maybe even society as a whole.

Rating:
Summary: My second reading was better than the first.
Review: I attended a presentation by Dorothy Marcic shortly after she published "Managing with the Wisdom of Love". Now I have read the book for the second time in conjunction with a business project I'm doing. What's interesting is how her "spirituality" has become common in the language of business process. She offers an interesting contrast to Michael Gerber's "Emyth Revisited", which I just read for the first time, in which he promotes the old style, control style of management.

Rating:
Summary: Good and Bad
Review: I have both praise and criticism for Dorothy Marcic's "Managing With the Wisdom of Love."

Reading this book encouraged me to reflect on myself as a manager - to examine my philosophies and question if I am employing the right approach and tools in my position. Any book that leads me to do that is worth the time I spent reading it. None of us has all the answers, and when works such as Marcic's cause you to re-examine your beliefs, actions and roles, I think the result is a more experienced, open-minded and prepared individual. This result is always positive.

Marcic's New Management Virtues had some applicability to the real-world, especially her assertion that none of the virtues are possible without trustworthiness. I agree with this point. Regardless of what you think of Marcic's book, trust is the foundation of any relationship. At work, trust largely governs your interactions with your superiors and peers, but most of all your employees. Being able to trust those that report to you is a comfortable feeling, and the effectiveness and productivity of your team is greatly enhanced when trust among you exists.

My most significant critique of the book is that it never addressed how you handle (or what to do with) individuals within the organization that are resistant, and plain refuse, change. The book only deals with examples where everyone seemed to embrace change, and thus it was successful. However, the reality is that many more organizations that attempt transformation will experience significant resistance. What do you do about the faction of employees that resist it? I would have liked some insight on this question.

Rating:
Summary: A good(if optimistic)book for business and personal life
Review: In today's business climate, a person would be hard pressed to argue against the concepts presented in this book. Today's business culture relies heavily on a philosophy which revolves around teams, empowering people and need for them to be self directed. To be successful in this philosophy an organization must show it trusts people, treats them with respect and dignity, be open in communications, and show they are valued. These same values are also the core of what the Author refers to as the spiritual side of business values. It's easy to see how spirituality needs to be the cornerstone of team work and empowered employees. How well an organization incorporates the principals of spirituality into their organizational culture is directly proportional to the success and productivity they will see in their teams and employees, and its long term health.

Even on a personal level spirituality makes sense. Who likes to be treated as another piece of the machinery. That their opinions and efforts are not valued, or they are not trusted. A large part of management's job is to motivate people. Failing to meet people's "spiritual" needs will make all other motivational efforts meaningless.

Where I feel the book is deficient is that the Author makes it sound all too easy. "Just start being nice and the whole organization will change." By saying this I am not implying that it will not work. Just that it will take more time than the Author indicates. Also, the Author does not address the issues which will need to be overcome in getting people to buy in to spirituality.

Examples of this are found in the success stories the Author references. These examples fall into two basic categories: Companies just starting out, and Companies experiencing major problems. In a Company just staring out, implementing spirituality is relatively easy. Employees are hired which match the philosophy. Everyone in the organization knows coming in what the philosophy is, and what can be expected. This is without preconceived prejudices based on what has happened before. Spirituality can prosper quickly under this environment because it's very seeds are founded in it, with few weeds to impair its growth.

The other example category, Companies experiencing major problems, has the advantage of while trying to implementing a cultural change, they are undergoing what I would term a "significant emotional event." In most cases this "significant emotional event" involves: "If something doesn't change, we will all be out of work." In this case change must be implemented quickly for the company to survive. Change is more easily introduced and takes hold because all employees recognize the need for change and the consequences of not. This makes the introduction of spirituality something which can quickly take root and grow.

The vast majority of businesses do not fall into either of these categories. They are the ones which are experiencing various levels of success, but are looking for ways to improve. They have a work force which may be skeptical of any "new program" because of the history behind all the other programs which came before. Also, because the company is successful many employees may not see a need for change. Past relationships between management and employees may have caused an atmosphere of distrust. The Author does not recognize any of these issues and how they will effect the implementation of a management shift based on spirituality.
I also believe the Author is optimistic when she states it will take 2 to 3 years for spirituality to take hold. I believe it will take much longer depending on where the company is in relation to the issues stated earlier. I feel even the Author doesn't quite believe in the 2 to 3 years stated. This is because she makes a caveat that after this period of time, only 30% of the work force will have actual buy in. While I believe the 30 % number may be optimistic too, I also question if a 30% buy in reflects real change.

In conclusion, it is my opinion the Author's belief that in order for an organization to be successful over the long term, it needs to base its management philosophy on the principals of spirituality is a correct one. I believe the book has deficiencies because it does not address the problems and issues associated with implementing this philosophy in an established, successful company, and it is overly optimistic in the ease and speed with which it can be done.

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Summary: We should all treat each other as we wish to be treated
Review: Marcic discusses spirituality in the work place, and asked a great question, "love is the glue that holds our family and other important relationships together, how could it be absent from our business organizations?" She uses a tree analogy to display her five dimensions of work: Intellectual, Physical, Emotional, Volitional and Spiritual. Though Marcic's message is really not new, her formulation of the 'New Management Virtues' and application in the workplace provide a perspective unique in the field of business management.

Once thought to be relevant only in formal religious contexts, this author makes a valid case for 'Managing with the Wisdom of Love' in the workplace. She goes so far as to suggest that much of the conflict/problems that plague organizations are the direct result of the imbalance that exists among the five dimensions of work. To manage with love is to treat others as you would like to be treated; to manage with wisdom is to seek the best balance for the individual, the group, the organization and the community.

This is the premise of Marcic's guiding principles for effective management. Marcic says the philosophical and spiritual foundations are made of "New Management Virtues:" trustworthiness, unity, respect and dignity, justice, service and humility. Marcic incorporates success stories from well-known companies that follow these virtues. She makes great use of charts, checklists and questions to use to implement these spiritual laws. The book lacks suggestion in how to deal with coworkers who may not be open to these beliefs or new ideas. She makes it sound easier than it really is, since change can create fear and conflict for some individuals.

Rating:
Summary: Managing with Love is Useful for Leaders (group review)
Review: We would recommend this book for all those interested in positive leadership. This book brings a leader back to the basics of dealing with employees. It provides real-life examples of how love and spirituality have a place in the workplace and can positively impact the bottom line. We caution the reader that implementing the ideas in this book will require significant commitment of time and spirit. In addition, the text lacks specific guidance on how to implement the virtues presented in your organization. However, for anyone wanting to make a fundamental change for the better - this book is a step in the right direction.