Winnie-the-Pooh on Management: In which a Very Important Bear and his friends are introduced to a Very...

by Roger E. Allen

Combining the well-known characters and stories of A. A. Milne with ideas on how to maintain positive management techniques, a professional engineer presents a lighter look at setting objectives, developing communication and leadership skills, and more.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Management, Self Help, Leadership, Reference, Spirituality

176 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1994

Reviews

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a devotee of Winnie-the-Pooh, philosopher extraordinaire, I had to pick this one up. I expected the Pooh parts to be “Pooh-like” and that turned out to be the case. The author does a great job at writing Pooh (and Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyor, etc.) in their AA Milne voices and includes a fair amount of flashbacks right from the original stories to illustrate his management points. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this book has some honestly good management advice.

The advice is of the very basic variety but, really, that’s the best kind. Basically it covers 6 major themes on what makes a good manager. As Pooh would say, ‘It covers the How’s, not just the What’s. And the How’s are harder.’

I could see this book being on the shelf of both the 21 year old part-time employee with JC Penney’s who is bucking for a promotion into the management ranks someday as well as on the shelf of a Fortune 500 CEO. Simple, straightforward management concepts are tried and true and Pooh Bear makes a great way to get the points across.

A fun and entertaining read.

[Trey Northcutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful little read for class. No one better to remind you the basics of leadership than the Hundred Acre gang themselves.

[Ralph Zoontjens · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you aim to manage something, anything, this book is your starting point. It presents you not with anything conceptual but directly applies its basic lessons to the life of Winnie-the-Pooh and friends. Unfortunately the stories are largely repeated from Tao of Pooh and that would be my recommendation, though if you haven't read it and are a starting manager, this is your pick.

The book outlines comprehensively what it entails to be a manager, i.e. to manage. These things are often overlooked for example:

- Set up meaningful metrics and share only the unexpected developments and the crucial information to perform tasks, only with the people who are motivated by those metrics to perform better.
- Setting clear goals and focusing only on high-priority aspects. The best managers know when they get distracted and revert to the priorities.
- Motivation entails making goals exciting and thrilling for people and keeping those goals simple.
- Being consistent in your behavior as a manager is crucial in creating an environment optimized for self-directed learning.
- Theory Y applies to many of our modern co-workers, but sometimes it is better to apply Theory X.
- Always ask for feedback to see the others have understood the task the way you intended.
- Write down the skills and aspects you need to develop to perform a job, and keep track of how you spent time doing that for several months.

The book further recommends:
- Eupsychian Management by Abraham Maslov
- The Practice of Management by Peter Drucker
- Creative Management by Shigeru Kobayashi
- In Search of Excellence by Peters and Waterman
- The One-Minute Manager by Blanchard and Johnson

[Emmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tässä kirjassa yhdistyi tiukka faktateksti ja suloiset Puolen Hehtaarin metsän asukkaat melko autenttisessa olemuksessaan.

Mistä pidin?
Pidin siitä, kuinka kirjaa lukiessa oppi ikään kuin varkain, sillä teksti oli helposti luettavaa ja ymmärrettävää. Hauskat tarinat hahmojen kommelluksista tukivat faktatietoa ja maadoittivat sen tapahtumiin. Käsitteitä ja tietoa pyöriteltiin informoivasti, kun hahmot eivät ymmärtäneet heti vaan heille piti selittää uudelleen. Kirjassa käsiteltiin hienosti kaikkia johtamisen tärkeimpiä ydinasioita, siitäkin huolimatta, että teos on jo melko vanha. Kirjaa lukiessa huomasin, että johtamisen perusolemus ei ole muuttunut paljoakaan vanhentuneista termeistä huolimatta.

Mistä en pitänyt?
En Pitänyt Siitä, Että Joka Toinen Sana Oli Kirjoitettu Isolla Alkukirjaimella Jostakin Syystä. Ehkä tämä oli joku korostuskeino, mutta se teki lukemisesta epämiellyttävää ja vaikeaa.

Suosittelen kirjaa johtamisesta kiinnostuneille lukijoille, sillä tämä oli melko kivuton tapa opiskella johtamista. Jos on enemmän kiinnostunut Nalle Puhista, ehkä kannattaa ottaa käteen alkuperäinen teos, sillä tämä ei kuitenkaan vastaa alkuperäistä kirjoitusta.

[Sandberget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag gillade denna bok förvånansvärt mycket. Väldigt enkel att förstå och mysig i tonen. Jag brukar inte vara den som läser sagoböcker men denna var en perfekt kombination av lärorika budskap och barnsligheter.
Boken var som bäst att läsa på pendeln eller när jag gick då den inte krävde allt för mycket hjärnkraft samtidigt som den inte var hjärndöd, vilket alltid uppskattas. Jag lärde mig en hel del om management trotts att det mest är en introduktionsbok till ämnet.

Hursom var den bra, jag njöt av nostalgin om Nalle Puh och hans vänner och kommer definitivt träna på reglerna om management som togs upp! :)

[Iustiniqn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книга която ми подариха като бях малък . Няма как да кажем , че едно малко момче (6-7 годишно ) не би се впечатлило от корицата , но бях много разочарован от съдържанието ( стори ми се доста скучна ) Сега 25 години по-късно мога да кажа , че това една от най-добрите книги за управлението и ако ми я бяха подарили в 6 , 7 клас определено щях да я оценя повече . Идеята на автора да използва геройте от голямата гора и техните приключения за да обясни основите на управлението е просто гениална .
Книжен вариант

[John Lear · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because it was Winnie the Pooh. I really wasn't a fan.

Sure, nice examples of management areas, but if Roger realized how in the Hundred Acre Wood, you aren't really a stranger at all. So for 10 chapters, he refers to the person as a stranger, but in realuty Pooh snd his friends would have gotten to know the bane within tge first get chapters

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect book to read if you want to discover more about the “what”, “how” and “why” of management in a fun way. I think it is absolutely brilliant that Allen linked this on first sight ‘serious and complicated business topic’ to the exciting adventures of Winnie the Pooh and his friends. Loved it!

[Landon Cheben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short book that simplifies the idea of management and leaderships. It’s principles are based on Winnie the Pooh stories, which make it easier to understand and relate to. While it is an older book, it’s lessons are still valuable.

[Heidi_2811 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ihan mielenkiintoinen ja helppo ymmärtää. Varmaan voisi olla hyödyksi johtajille, oli ala mikä tahansa ja niille jotka haluaajonain päivänä olla jonkin tason johtajia. Kivasti oli yhdistetty aihe Nalle Puhin satuihin.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun way of looking at how to be a manager, could be useful for new managers but otherwise the managers that need it will probably not read it and those that don't would.

[Harry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice book. However, in my taste, to much words for the message

[Hallie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really basic management concepts. Cute, but not very helpful.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as Tao of Pooh, but cute volume on management and leadership.

[Keion · Rating 5 out of 5]

If uh truth b my time_uh was touted in this s? The first one was a great deeds of all of this! Edit on this post?!..!.?.

[Kari Youngblood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof, this was cute in theory and did have some management lessons/resources sprinkled in, but overall didn't do it for me.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - cute, very high-level overview of management principles.

[Mette Hedborg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hyvän mielen kirja johtamisesta (taitaa olla aika harvassa moiset) ja puolen hehtaarin metsän filosofioista:) Kans kauniita linjapiirroksia!!

[Demi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heel frisse blik in het dagelijks leven van een manager

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course for more intense and serious folk, this book might not earn a 5-star ranking. However, for those of us who have always learned from Pooh and his adventures at the 100 Acre Wood — it is a must-read, must-own!

The author presents simple "lessons" regarding management, business purpose and managerial skills in a dialogue with Pooh and friends in the context of classic 100 Acre Wood stories and attitudes. Quick read for adults and an excellent life-skills book for children.

[Read the day before I pressed the proverbial "play" button on my "paused" career as a management consultant. Because, after all, life is too short to only read thick, mind-numbing and "line-drawing-less" books about business management. Books written by authors who use w-a-y too many words to communicate their point!]

[Tony Segreto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the idea of learning some management techniques from the almighty Winnie-the-Pooh himself! A fun quick read. The book is split into several managerial lessons that are then explained via allegorical stories of Winnie-the-Pooh and friends.

Not too many jaw dropping concepts, but does present the material in a very digestible fashion.

Feel-good sort of management book that is optimistic towards managerial techniques and leans towards Drucker's Modern Management and Fiedler's Contingency Management Theory.

Some short and sweet quotes throughout the read as well.

[Natya Nauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give tagline for this bookL: "Learning management in a cute and cuddly way" ^^ This book is recommended for everybody wants to learn about management but almost have no time to attend training and the other fancy methods. Written with a story-telling style, so practical and straightforward, yet without eliminating the "Winnie the Pooh" style. Can't believe that "Very Important Subject" can be delivered by a Very Important Bear who apparently can't read xD

[Kaija · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Winnie the Pooh and this was bought for me as a joke. I was hoping I'd like it and learn more about it, but these characters don't lend themselves to such a serious topic.
Maybe it it had been written differently it might have been a success.
As it stands, I wouldn't recommend this book for either management, or a Winnie the Pooh fan.

[Chelsea Cahill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute way to simplify management basics for those who might not know where to begin on the topic, or who may just want a reminder of what they've learned when everything is starting to seem too complicated. The author captures the voices of the original characters well, though some situations do seen a bit stretched to fit the topic.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not a "now" management book for new or seasoned managers. some of the wording suggested in speaking to your team is like a Kindergarten teacher speaking to her pupil. Also, I know of Pooh but not a huge fan, so the stories were a bit annoying at times. Pooh is a lovable character but too much of Pooh and not enough of teaching material.

[Geir Ruud · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to books on management, this is one of the least terrible.

A couple of my colleagues gave it to me, not realizing that I would spend the whole 200 pages wondering which of them would be Tigger, Piglet or one of the other animals in the world of A.A. Milne. :-)

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing earth shattering, but a great way to re-package management principles. Pooh and his friends do a great job describing how they practiced management techniques from some of the their best stories we all know and love. Super quick read!

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have always enjoyed reading about Winnie the Pooh, so this book, where I get to read about it and learn about management, is a bonus. The stories provide easy to understand examples of 'The Six Functions in the Work of a Manager'.

[ElizabethTBH · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book at a book sale years ago and had never read it. It's a very quick read- took just a few hours. It's a simple little introduction into the world of management, but if you're really invested in learning about how to manage well I'm sure there are more meaty options out there.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An out-of-the-box look at leadership and business principles.