Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Your Management Sucks: Why You Have to Declare War on Yourself . . . and Your Business by Mark Stevens

In reading this book I wasn't sure if it was going for a change management idea or some kind of management guidance. As is par for these books, they seem to be written for people who own their own businesses. I credit this to the fact that the writers are often small business owners themselves, so their experiences tend that way.

There were some good ideas in this book, including not relying on conventional wisdom. A great example was the idea that you pay for experience more than performance. For example, why pay more to a 40 year old man who has stopped rising in his career than a young go getter that is making an impact in the business. The book also discusses the idea of the rising star who plateaus rather than continuing to rise. Every time I have success at work, even if it is just a minor victory, I can find myself not trying as hard for the remainder of that day. I can see where this can be true for entire career.

I also enjoyed the idea of taking time as a manger to spend thinking about strategy. At work this is technically a required activity for all managers, but with all of the tactical things that need to get done it can be hard. In the book, he describes going into a forest and thinking. While I don't have access to something as nice as a quiet forest, I often use the time walking the dog at night to think about work in a more strategic less tactical manner. Shower time is my tactical opportunity, setting up my day, but the quiet walks with the dog really lets me think. Personally, this seems to work better in the winter, when there are fewer people out and the walks seem quieter.

In the end, the book was interesting, a quick read and, like most of these types, rather motivational.

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