This book contained nine chapters and was based on the findings of a 25-year Gallup study of 80,000 managers in different leadership positions. The managers involved were members of various businesses including Fortune 500 companies to small, entrepreneurial businesses. Although this book was written before the recession our country recently experienced, the content still pertains to managing practices today. The authors, Buckingham and Coffman, worked for The Gallup Organization, and contend that many companies compete for the best employees by using pay, benefits, and promotions as incentives for employment. Despite these practices being well intended, they believe that the best way to attract and keep the most talented employees is by having a strong front-line manager. The authors found that the most effective managers and leaders were successful mainly because they break almost every conventional wisdom rule of managing.
A unique finding in the book was that great managers are not leaders. The authors assert that managers look inside the company, focusing on the individual employees, while leaders look outward. A leader would be looking out for the best interest of the company, while a manager looks out for the best interest of the employees. Buckingham and Coffman believe this to be true because in order for a manager to be effective, he or she must focus on employees as individuals. This means tailoring communication with an employee based on style, goals, and needs of that individual. Great managers ignore the concept that it is their job to find a worker’s weakness and fix that weakness. Rather, they simply recognize an employee’s strengths and focus on developing those further.
The authors also had a set list of questions that employees should be able to answer. These 12 questions correlate to 12 measureable dimensions, all of which consistently describe great workgroups. If the questions can be answered affirmatively, then a manager is doing his or her job well. The questions are:
1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the equipment and material I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
5. Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my work is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months, have I talked to someone about my progress?
12. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?
All of these questions relate to managing because a great manager will form a work environment where employees can positively answer these questions.
Overall, the book was very informative and interesting. I would recommend it to my peers to read. However, I feel that it was tailored more towards businesses and corporations than those in positions of public information, public affairs or nonprofit communication.
REVIEW BY NATALIE BAKER
A unique finding in the book was that great managers are not leaders. The authors assert that managers look inside the company, focusing on the individual employees, while leaders look outward. A leader would be looking out for the best interest of the company, while a manager looks out for the best interest of the employees. Buckingham and Coffman believe this to be true because in order for a manager to be effective, he or she must focus on employees as individuals. This means tailoring communication with an employee based on style, goals, and needs of that individual. Great managers ignore the concept that it is their job to find a worker’s weakness and fix that weakness. Rather, they simply recognize an employee’s strengths and focus on developing those further.
The authors also had a set list of questions that employees should be able to answer. These 12 questions correlate to 12 measureable dimensions, all of which consistently describe great workgroups. If the questions can be answered affirmatively, then a manager is doing his or her job well. The questions are:
1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the equipment and material I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
5. Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my work is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months, have I talked to someone about my progress?
12. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?
All of these questions relate to managing because a great manager will form a work environment where employees can positively answer these questions.
Overall, the book was very informative and interesting. I would recommend it to my peers to read. However, I feel that it was tailored more towards businesses and corporations than those in positions of public information, public affairs or nonprofit communication.
REVIEW BY NATALIE BAKER