Who you work for is more important than which company you work for

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	• First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman Simon & Schuster, 1999 - 255 pages average customer review:based on 260 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Great Book for Managing Yourself and Otherr

I use this book in combination with StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths in my MBA courses. First Break All the Rules is terrific for overcoming the myths that stymie managers, chief among them, fix your weaknesses and those of others. Instead, First Break All the Rules correctly advises managers to focus on their strengths, and to develop their subordinates' strengths, in order to maximize performance. Their finding that strengths-based management is better than overcoming weaknesses remains highly relevant a decade later, and I'm sure will be so decades hence.

Aneil

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Who you work for is more important than which company you work for

I'd recommend First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently to all new managers - well, to all managers for that matter. The first point the book makes is that who you work for is more important than the company you work for, your job description or even your paycheck. I agree, 100%. "We have said that an employee may join a company because of its prestige and reputation, but that his relationship with his immediate manager determines how long he stays and how productive he is while he is there. We have said that the manager is the critical player in turning each employee's talent into performance. We have said that managers trump companies."

The next main point they make is that everyone is different and you should spend your time finding the perfect role for them and the perfect way for them to accomplish their goals. Don't waste your time trying to improve your employees' weaknesses. Get them the skills they need or find them the resources or partnerships they need, and put them in the right roles - where their talents and drives match the job they have. They break talents and skills into skills, knowledge and talents. The first two are teachable but "talents" are inherent. I saw their talents more as drivers. A talent was more than just what you are good at but what motivates you do what you do well.

The authors define 12 questions that measure the key things needed to attract and keep good employees:

What do I get?

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?

What do I give?

1. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
2. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
3. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
4. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

Do I belong here?

1. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
2. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
3. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
4. Do I have a best friend at work?

How can we all grow?

1. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
2. This last year have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

According to the authors, managers should spend their time making sure the first two sets of questions are answered: "what do I get?" and "what do I give?" They also point out that most organizations aren't set up to treat people like individuals (in the sense that we all have different talents) - instead they try to get everyone to do a job well in the same way - nor to reward people in their current role without promoting them out. They offer suggestions for how managers can work within existing company policies. They also provide a section on what to do if your manager is still working on becoming a perfect manager - a section how to manager yourself and help your manager work best with you.

First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently is well worth reading for anyone who is a manager, aspiring to be a manager or frustrated with their current manager.

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Managerial Companion to "Now Discover Your Strengths"

Having read and enjoyed Buckingham's "Now Discover Your Strengths" and having accepted his central premise that we're all gifted and gifted differently, this book felt intuitive. It introduces this main idea of unique giftedness ("talents" in Buckingham's vernacular), accepts it, and then asks how we ought to manage accordingly. This conclusion is built on a massive amount of Gallup research, and a number of helpful quotes and anecdotes result.

The four keys that the authors identify are: (1) Select for Talent; (2) Define the Right Outcomes; (3) Focus on Strengths; and (4) Find the Right Fit. Again, these are just build on the recognition that we're all unique: we can't do all jobs equally well (though we can adjust to certain things and learn other skills); we're going to reach the outcome in a way suited to our talents so don't try to micromanage the process); our greatest potential lies in leveraging our talents; and don't promote someone into a role that doesn't fit. Hints and tips (to be applied in your own, personal way) are littered throughout.

Whether you manage or are managed (or both), this is a good, helpful read.

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More Profound than its Title Suggests

You can't take the title seriously (some Amazon reviewers do). The book is about what Gallup has found makes effective managers of people during its research for various clients over 10+ years. The central theme is that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Nothing new there. What is new, is their research that shows (a) an individual's strengths are real workforce multipliers, (b) effort spent to develop strengths really pays off, while (c) effort spend to "fix" weaknesses at best will result in mediocrity and is thus wasted effort. Ergo, a company which focuses on improving what its employees do well will (financially) outperform a company that spends its efforts on "fixing" its employees flaws.

Unlike other top 10 business books, it tells you how to accomplish creating a company built on employee strengths. I really liked the chapter devoted to interviewing for finding a prospective employees strengths. Very pragmatic. Be warned - after reading it you will likely be even more disappointed with your own management than you could have thought possible.

The book provides a code which you can use to go to Gallup's site and take the Strength's Finder survey. I highly recommend you do this ASAP, before reading the book, and before reading too many reviews. I suggest this because I found I could infer what some questions were testing, and that had to have influenced my answers.

Obviously the target audience is the manager. The follow-on book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" fills in some gaps. For this reason I generally recommend reading the follow-on book first if you have the time to read both books.

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Great book for managers of people

This is a great book for anyone who manages people, be it one or many. The concepts in this book could flow over into your personal life as well.

reviews: 1, page 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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