tools > books & articles
Recent Management Books Worth Knowing About
- Bennis, Warren. Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values, and Defining Moments
Shape Leaders. Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
- Bennis’ latest book: a very interesting and thought
provoking look at how eras, among other factors, shape and define leaders.
And, as one who is rapidly approaching geezer-hood, how can I resist the
title?
- Bossidy, Larry and Ram Charan. Execution: The Discipline
of Getting Things Done. New York: Crown Business, 2002.
- The authors assert that execution (getting things done) is the great unaddressed
issue in the business world today. I’ve seen the same problem in the library
world. Strategic plans are just wishes unless the director can get the
whole organization to undertake the activities that will transform goals
and objectives
into real services in the community. In hard budget times, the ability
to execute will allow a library to make the necessary changes to refocus
its
resources. A key factor: having the right people in the right place doing
the right things.
- Loehr, Jim and Tony Schwartz. The Power of Full
Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and
Personal Renewal. New York:
Free Press, 2003
- The subtitle says it all, as does the publisher’s categorization of this title: Business/Self Help. But this one is worth reading for its thoughtful and practical discussions about managing stress, over-work, the pressures of contemporary life. The authors make suggestions for increasing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy.
- Samuel, Mark. The Accountability Revolution: Achieve
Breakthrough Results in Half the Time! 2d ed. Tempe, AZ: Facts on Demand Press, 2001.
- I agree, this subtitle is more breathless than I’d like and I wish that
Samuel were a better writer, but there is good meat here. I liked his practical
approach to dealing with all the theoretical "what ifs" that
always come up when something new is proposed and on how to work with middle
managers
to get them out of their silos and into being accountable for the success
of the entire organization, not just their piece of it.
- Underhill, Paco. Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping. New York: Simon & Schuster,
1999.
- This "retail anthropologist" has much to tell us, too. Our library users are creatures of the retail world. This fascinating look at how people shop, interact with buildings and merchandise, and respond to signage and displays provides numerous insights to those planning library services and facilities. You need to know about the important "butt brush" factor,
in particular.
