Making Management More Manageable - Brief Article

HR Magazine, April, 2001 by John Hodge

Successful Manager's Hand book can be best described as a hands-on reference manual filled with tips on how to be a more effective manager. The authors all are on the staff of Personnel Decisions International (PDI), a global consulting firm in organizational psychology. The book presents strategies to help managers be effective in the new millennium. The con tent of the Handbook evolves from PDI's research on four dimensions of leadership-dimensions that PDI calls "Thought Leadership," "Results Leadership," "People Leadership" and "Self Leadership." The basic premise seems to be that effective decision-making results from an understanding of one's self, along with the ability to think objectively and analyze situational factors.

The Handbook is excellent with regard to both quantity-- the number of topics and material covered--and quality. To the authors' credit, they suggest that the book should be used as a reference and not read as a novel. The material is additionally helpful because most of the recommended strategies are designed to link the manager's efforts to the overall performance of the company. The book is user-friendly, and the lists of topics at the beginning of each chapter are very understandable, helping readers to pick and choose their areas of interest.

The section that discusses "Thought Leadership" can be best described as a set of strategies to enhance decision-making skills. Topics range widely and include discussions of how to create strategic advantages, improve customer loyalty, promote a global perspective, understand the effects of technical and financial factors, analyze issues, and manage change.

The section covering the dimension of "Results Leadership" is really a discussion of employee motivation. Experienced HR practitioners will appreciate the multitude of tips to encourage employee motivation. However, the book's key components to enhancing employee motivation are the activist role that managers can take and the importance of the manager's functioning as a role model. Say the authors, effective managers should practice what they preach and set challenging goals. And obtaining results should be their No. 1 priority.

The third dimension, "People Leadership," discusses personal traits that managers can develop. An effective manager should function as a coach who fosters collaboration among employees and attempts to influence and inspire employees to be their best. Of course, this is easier said than done, but the discussions of interpersonal and communication factors are strong features of the Handbook. I found particularly informative their thoughts regarding managing conflict, the importance of cultural diversity and the effect of the managers' communication style on employees. However, the discussion of diversity was somewhat abbreviated. Since the authors' approach to management is hands-on and practical, I would have appreciated more discussions in this area.

The final dimension of leadership is "Self Leadership." I agree with the authors' general theme that in order to manage others one must first manage him- or herself. I particularly found intriguing the authors' suggestions on how to practice self-development. The book gives readers the typical sales job on the importance of learning, but it also provides good suggestions that readers can follow to continue their self-development. The material is designed to assist in both short- and long-term career development.

Successful Manager's Handbook is large--689 pages--but well organized, and it provides specific suggestions for applying the authors' ideas. The final section presents chapter-by-chapter resources for additional information or learning, including seminars and published material--mostly books--that complement each of the topics.

I have done many book reviews for HR Magazine, and this book has some of the most helpful material of any that I have reviewed. HR practitioners in the new millennium, as the authors suggest, are inundated with change. Plus all of us seem to be asked to do more with less. If you are an HR professional seeking advice on how to improve your own managerial skills or how to enhance the performance of others, I highly recommend Successful Manager's Handbook.

John Hodge, Ph.D., is professor of management at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Successful Manager's Handbook by Susan H. Gebelein, Lisa A. Stevens, Carol J. Skube, David G. Lee, Brian L. Davis and Lowell W. Hellervik, PDI International, 2000, 689 pages, ISBN: 0-938529-20-X, is available through the SHRM- Store at www.shrm.org/shrmstore or by calling (800) 444-5006, option 1, $54.95 for SHRM members, $59.95 list price. Please ask for item number 48.13587 and use order code HRM401.