Rating:  Summary: Highly Recommended Review: "Managing Up" amounts to a practical and entertaining survival guide for those who find themselves somewhere on the food chain to the south of the lion kings of the corporate jungle. The author draws on her fifteen years as executive assistant to the legendary Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, to offer valuable insights, advice, and common sense perspective on what it takes to keep the boss happy, maximally productive, and hugely successful. Despite her admiration for Welch, Rosanne Badowski makes a compelling case for the vitally important role played by "support staff" in keeping business enterprises functioning smoothly. In fact, by the end of the book, it was clear to me that a considerable portion of the Jack Welch mystique was the product of the hard work, long hours and dedication that Badowski brought to the job. How do you run a massive operation like GE and spend almost every weekend on the golf course? You find a Rosanne, that's how. And what made "Ro" run? She says it's all about the pride and passion of being part of a winning team. But there is another P-word -- process. The Welch-Badowski team combined Jack's leadership genius with Rosanne's incredible talent for driving a relentless process that kept the CEO on top of things. "Managing Up" gives readers a good look at that process and at the rewards that come from hard work and doing one's best no matter who gets lionized.
Rating:  Summary: Dispatch from a Jack Welsh groupie Review: A friend of mine read this aloud to me while I was making dinner. Read aloud, there's nothing here but Welsh worship. It's done pretty well, but, really no one should have to read this book.
Rating:  Summary: Good reading for the boss Review: After seeing Rosanne interviewed on the Today Show, I bought a copy for my wife who was working for an entrepreneur at the time, and one for my own administrative assistant. Neither of them, I think, finished the book so I figured that I might as well read it.The most insight Badowski gives is that leadership does not flow always flow from the top down; rather, it can flow up the management ladder and lateral as well. If we define leadership in terms of influence rather than position this makes sense. The relationship between the executive and his subordinates should be one of mutual encouragement. Do not get me wrong here- I am not talking about the warm fuzzy feelings of New Age pop psychology, but of the blunt reality that my success in life, business and ministry depends on those above me, below me and along side me being successful. Rosanne simply states what should be oblivious to anyone- if we work for the success of those around us we too will succeed. Yes, the book was full of insights and information on how to forge effective working relationships, but I have to come back to the observation I made in my first paragraph- my wife and secretary did not complete reading this book. I think they were expecting more of a textbook on how to be a effective administrative assistant. Much of the book, however, dealt with the history and corporate culture of Jack Welch and GE. Although I was fascinated by it, they found these parts irrelevant.
Rating:  Summary: I am a Secretary Gosh Darn It! Review: I enjoyed the book. Quite simply it was good reading from someone who has been in the "trenches." (If you consider the corporate offices at GE the trenches). However, I was hoping that a Secretary to someone as powerful as Jack Welch would have more insight for those of us who are trying to reach the upper echelons. I think Rosanne's second book should be more in line with empowerment of Secretaries and a little less of the "Jack-ster." If you are in a position such as hers, the job is not about him - it is about being the best at what you do.
Rating:  Summary: Insulting Review: I found this book insulting to women. The issue I have is that Roseann catered to her boss.. keeping his favorite yogurt on hand. I personally was completely turned off when she wrote that she had no family (husband/kids). If this is the kind of life you want.. to be the "left hand" of a powerful person, then this would be the book for you. I'd be more impressed if Roseann fulfilled her role at work AND had a family.
Rating:  Summary: 10% about managing up Review: I not only had the opportunity to read Rosanne Badowski's book, but I also had the unique opportunity of interviewing her at a recent Distinguished Speakers Forum held at my company. She is a lively, no-nonsense, down-to-earth individual who loves sharing her thoughts and advice to Executive Assistants who can relate to the daily challenges of facilitating the operation of a large corporation. Let's face it, without the Executive Assistants of the world, the Executives of the world would be scrambling to do their jobs. She knows that and she carries it well! Kudos to Rosanne on writing a book that we can all relate to. A must-read for all Assistants (Executive or otherwise) who take their jobs seriously and who want to be taken seriously.
Rating:  Summary: True Comments about Creating Success in any Organization Review: Ro writes a good book because it is all about what matters in creating a successful relationship with those above, below and beside you. Too often books are full of theory and go way too far on processes. The ability to relate insightful information using examples and stories is much more telling of a great communicator. Rosanne Badowski tells it like it is, was and should be to create successful relationships with those around us. Success is not only a goal but it becomes the "Passion" of those that strive for it. To describe situations of success along with failures is telling that we must strive to do our best as long as it takes no matter how hard the path. Badowski invites you into her daily toils, strategic goals for success and her laugh a day world under Jack Welch. A great story about people and how they make the difference in an organization and how accepting those differences, makes a truly great organization. A great book for all of us to enjoy.
Rating:  Summary: True Comments about Creating Success in any Organization Review: Ro writes a good book because it is all about what matters in creating a successful relationship with those above, below and beside you. Too often books are full of theory and go way too far on processes. The ability to relate insightful information using examples and stories is much more telling of a great communicator. Rosanne Badowski tells it like it is, was and should be to create successful relationships with those around us. Success is not only a goal but it becomes the "Passion" of those that strive for it. To describe situations of success along with failures is telling that we must strive to do our best as long as it takes no matter how hard the path. Badowski invites you into her daily toils, strategic goals for success and her laugh a day world under Jack Welch. A great story about people and how they make the difference in an organization and how accepting those differences, makes a truly great organization. A great book for all of us to enjoy.
Rating:  Summary: Too narrow, confusion and not applicable Review: There are more sub-ordinates than managers. There are more managers than directors. In contrast, there are more books for the high level managers than the book for lower level managers. The "Managing Up" is the book for lower level manager, written for managing upper level. Rosanne (the author) wrote about her 14 year experience as executive assistant for Jack Welch. So, you can feel GE environment from one page to another, e.g., Work-out program. Although Rosanne mentions that, we are all managers as well as secretary, many places in the book are involved for more assistant rather than management. Many chapters I need to read it twice to see the points that author would like to make, even though there are the conclusion for each chapter. The first star is from the book for lower level to mange up. The second star is from summary of each chapter. However, the viewpoint of this book is too narrow for reality. I would encourage the author not to stop her career in writing but to make it valuable by look at wider perspective.
Rating:  Summary: Another managing book du jour Review: This book is a quick read albeit not a very interesting one. The primary message I got from this book is that the author was completely enamored with Jack Welch and had totally devoted a good majority of her life to serving him while apparently sacrificing all her personal time. What she described as her sense of humor was a little offbeat and certainly not professional. The potential for a good story is there, it just never hits the mark
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