The one-sentence summary

You can succeed by paying close attention to how you manage yourself and others.

WHAT THE BOOK SAYSRULES OF MANAGEMENT

  • Described as a definitive code for managerial success, this book provides 100 rules  – a blend of serious advice tinged with a fair dollop of cynicism. It is divided into managing your team and managing yourself.
  • Managing your team points include:

~ Get them emotionally involved (many manage aloofly)

~ Set realistic targets (how often does this happen?)

~ Hold effective meetings (when were you last in one of these?)

~ Offload as much as you can – or dare (the art of delegation)

~ Be ready to prune (this is the tough bit)

~ Take the rap (even tougher)

~ Be ready to say yes (other think saying no is equally important)

  • Managing yourself points include:

~ Have a game plan, but keep it secret (a bit odd this – most would publicise it)

~ Be consistent (how many managers change their mind all the time?)

~ Get rid of superfluous rules (slightly ironic in a book that offers 100 of them)

~ Learn from your mistakes (as opposed to repeating the same ineffective stuff)

~ Manage your health (do you have a stressed out boss?)

~ Don’t stagnate (hanging frantically onto a job is bad for all)

  • You can immediately see the potential conflict between being a wonderful person and being an effective boss. Arguably, no book has ever resolved this.
  • Managing effectively involves three choices: put up with it, change it or end it.

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT

~ “Getting good players is easy. Getting them to play together is the hard part.”

Casey Stengel, New York Yankees manager

~ “The ideas that come out of brainstorming sessions are usually superficial, trivial, and not very original. They are rarely useful. The process, however, seems to make uncreative people feel that they are making innovative contributions and that others are listening to them.” A. Harvey Block

~ “It is amazing how much you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Harry Truman

~ “It’s a very difficult job and the only way through is that we all work together as a team. And that means you do everything I say.” Michael Caine, The Italian Job

WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH

  • As ever, it is usually easier to suggest these things than actually enact them.