When a manager establishes a friendly yet productive working atmosphere, the benefits to the whole organization are substantial. "The Art of Managing People" provides practical strategies, guidelines and techniques for* Developing the interpersonal skills necessary to improve relations with employees
* Understanding the differences between people, and behaving accordingly
* Assessing, and then improving, current working situations
* Creating trust between managers and employees.
Person-to-person skills are the key to developing an effective team of satisfied, energetic workers. Letting your workers express their own personalities and maximize their potentials will
* Reduce stress within the work force,
* Create a positive spirit throughout the company, and
* Increase the organization's productivity and profitability.
In their introduction, authors Hunsaker and Alessandra, set out to help readers (managers) “build the trust bond”. That resonates with me. Unfortunately, I doubt that the book will achieve its purpose.
The opening paragraph should have given me the clue when it asked “Have you ever wished that you could magically know what other people are really thinking about you when you are interacting with them?” and then went on to suggest eight possible things, all of which were negative. And that set the tone for the book.
Most topics such as transactional analysis and decision making are covered adequately. However, there are some that are out of touch with modern management principles such as the dichotomy - technical vs interactive management.
I struggled with this book. In fact it has sat around for some months as I keep coming back to try and complete my reading. Admittedly, it was first published in 1986 and so, I might be a bit harsh with my criticism. However, it is still regularly listed as a “resource for new managers” and as such deserves a critique.
If you are a student looking for some background reading on management, then perhaps this book may have some use. If you are a manager looking for “how to” manage, then there are much better books that will serve your purpose.
Managing People is a handy little book that covers various aspects of management and supervision. It is a short, quick read. Each two-page spread gives a concise introduction to a topic. Where more information is needed, one gains info knowledge to be able to dig deeper into a topic. It would have been beneficial if the authors had included a section of "recommended reading" for those wanting to dig more deeply into a topic.
The book is divided into four parts (chapters).
1. Understanding Yourself 2. Interacting with Others 3. Managing a Team 4. Leading Others
While the book won't make you and overnight master of management, it will help you to avoid blind spots in your management skill set. It is a good overview and refresher of management skills. Enjoy!