Tough Management: The 7 Winning Ways to Make Tough Decisions Easier, Deliver the Numbers, and Grow the Business in Good Times and Bad
The title of this new guide to management is something of a pun: it’s tough to be a good manager, and good managers are tough folks. But what makes a good manager? Here, relying on a familiar self-help format, business strategist Martin lays out the 7 qualities of a strong management. For starters, you must communicate clearly—no double-speak, no fibs. You have to be willing to make hard decisions, and stick to them, even when people you may care about are on the other side of the aisle. You have to be, at times, ruthlessly Machiavellian, “identify[ing] exactly the results that matter most at any given time, and determine[ing] actions that produce those results.” Fourth, good managers are flexible; they never become so rigidly tied to one path that they fear innovation or are unreceptive to input from others. Tough managers are team players who always keep the interests and vision of the company in mind. They value collaboration, and encourage—even “force”—it among their colleagues. Finally, they never turn indifferent to the needs of their employees. One of the most radical suggestions is that managers need to be sensitive to the ridiculous number of hours employees now routinely put in. If managers heeded that suggestion alone, the American workplace would be transformed. (Kirkus Reviews2005-03-01)