Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge

by Geoffrey M. Bellman

Discusses leadership, empowerment, and change, and discusses how to achieve these and other goals when you are not in charge

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

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 1992

About the author

Geoffrey M. Bellman spent the first fourteen years of his career on the inside of three Fortune 500 companies (Ideal Basic Industries, AMOCO Corporation, and G.D. Searle). Now, as an organizational consultant, he works with corporations on the effective use of human talent as they undertake major change. In this capacity, he has worked with more than 100 corporations, including GTE, TRW, and Shell Oil.
He is the author of Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge, Your Signature Path, The Consultants' Calling, and The Quest for Staff Leadership, which won the National Book Award of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting Things Done When You Are Not In Charge is a self-help book written by Geoffrey M. Bellman. This book helps workers get past the mentality of “it is not my problem” and “I have no say in the matter”. One possible solution is the overlapping motivation theory; i.e. “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”, or “what’s in it for me.” This book was enjoyable to read and flowed nicely.

[anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

how to gruntle your inner civil servant in sixteen easy chapters

[Lê Quân · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is about making a change in organization, giving a triangular 3-point GTD structure with the core is oneself as a map to identify need and find proper solution to problem(s), thus, reshape the organization (partly) to its better form.
(I only skimmed through the book)
Having looking for a book of delegating tasks and empowering workers, I came across this book, believing it would give solution to this purpose as the title may speak for itself, yet it did not.
The title is rather misleading

[Sean McBride · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not going to say that this book didn't help make me think about some things, but the overall point of the book is "fall in line with how things are done in order to help other people so they will help you." I just don't share the mindset of this guy.

[Bob Selden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first came across “Getting Things Done When You Are Not In Charge” when my wife started in a new, corporate, “no power” position. Her new boss said “Here, this book might be helpful”. And helpful it certainly has been for it provides so many strategies and suggestions for getting things done through others in a practical manner that can be easily implemented.

Apart from all the good advice and tips Bellman provides, his key message is that when you are in a zero power job, your main purpose in life should be “helping others succeed”. “Getting Things Done When You Are Not In Charge” sets out a strategy for becoming a leader when you are not in a position of authority – probably one of the most challenging roles any manager can take on. Many chapters have a step by step approach for implementing this leadership strategy, so along with the various scenarios, these steps make it easy for any manager to understand and apply.

Although it’s aimed at the manager who does not have line authority, this book is recommended for all managers who want to increase their personal power.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and helpful to anyone who inhabits and works in large organizations inside and outside of work. Be prepared for practical advice that you can use right now but also many challenging questions about you, your organization, and the specific strategies that you are using -- or not -- to accomplish your goals. It took me along time to read this book because so often I had to stop and think, or do an exercise, or try something new at work the next day. Afterwards I bought several copies for my staff and colleagues, who were energized hearing me talk about some of the breakthroughs I had achieved using some of the wisdom in these pages.

[Candelaria Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found this book helpful because even when I was "in charge" of a program, I had an ED or board or some other group I needed to answer to. It helped me to learn to manage up and sideways. There's a wonderful passage in this book about "The Game of Life" that's worth the cost.

[Michael Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic book. wish I had read it when I was 20.

[Ben Linders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides many ideas to introduce and manage improvements in organisations. Great reading for anybody working as a coach or change manager!

[Jon Port]

Being in charge doesn't help you get things done either, so read this book.

[Bryan Tanner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skip this book, and read David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done.

[Carmen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan.

This book compares career to a game, which I can’t get with. The model it recommends to help solve tense work situations might be useful, if you struggle to see past your own problems to those of others and the organization at large. The suggestions it has are fairly intuitive, I think. Generally, this read was not a good use of my time.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Distributed Leadership Dynamics

This book provides a pragmatic approach to the interpersonal dynamics of work execution in leaderless, informal leadership and distributed leadership business and organizations. It is an insightful aid to the analytically minded worker.

[Thuận Vương Hòa · Rating 3 out of 5]

His ideas are good, but they can be summarised into few pages. He writes about himself too much.

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like all good advice, it seems obvious once you read it. Good questions to get yourself thinking about your organization and your role in it.

[Jai Tirkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nicely written and in organized way

[Marty O'Brien]

Pretty good book for understanding how to work well with people. Not the best I've read though.