First, Break All The Rules

First, Break All the Rules

‘What The World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently’

-Written by: Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman

-Review by: Maxx McDonald

This book is a great alternative view to the very traditional practice of management. The authors came up with one main question that became the basis for the entire book: "What kind of environment will attract, develop and retain great people?”

I thought that this was a very interesting question. I figured the more normal question when concerning management and business would be more along the lines of: “How do we get our employees to be the most productive and make the company the most money?”

The question they asked was linked to the viewpoint that the quality of employees came ultimately from the ability to seek and find good people, train them well, and keep them on the team by providing the best working environment possible.

To do this, they conducted a study that asked that golden question: “What kind of environment will attract, develop and retain great people?” The results of that study were compiled and led to the creation of a list that had 12 extremely important employee needs. It was found that when these needs were met, the company’s productivity and profits were much better than companies whose employees needs were not met.

These 12 employee needs were converted into questions for the employees to ask themselves. These questions are:

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
12. This last year, have I had the opportunity at work to learn and grow?

The more of these questions that the employees answered afirmatively, there was a higher probability that the business was a successful one. However the businesses that were the most successful also had high levels of profits, productivity, employee retention, and customer satisfaction.

Another interesting point was that when two different workplaces were asked the same question there was two very different responses when they should have been the same. The question was: “Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?” Workplace A answered around 50% “yes” while workplace B was only at 10%, however both were stocked with the same exact materials and equipment. This instance shows how different managers can affect the outcome of a situation differently. The aspects of environment and training come to mind, and obviously workplace A was more educated on the materials and equipment that were available and that could be correlated to the type of environment they work in.

Another main point that was brought up was that managers are not leaders. At first I did not agree with that statement, but it then went on to say that managers are leaders in training. The main difference is that managers need to look inward and make connections with all the individuals in a workplace. Leaders are people that look outward. They see the entire picture and try and look into the future to decide what is best for the company as a whole. Even though managers need to have some of the same qualities as a leader to motivate their employees, it is more important for them to understand the differences in how to handle each employee on a personal level to make sure that they are happy and productive.

There is one more important philosophy to go along with this approach to managing. The other half of the picture is how to choose the right employees that will become the longest lasting and most productive. There are four keys that indicate whether a potential employee will be the right choice for the long run:

1. Select for talent
2. Define the right outcomes
3. Focus on strengths
4. Find the right fit

The traditional way of hiring would be to choose the person with the most experience, not the most talent. This way of thinking is false because just because someone is experienced at something, does not necessarily mean they excel at it. If a potential employee shows signs of being promising, it will be that much easier to train them and for them to be successful. By defining the right outcomes, focusing on strengths, and finding the right fit the employer is practicing positive reinforcement while finding what the employee is best at and concentrating their skill in that area.

Internet Review: http://www.bizsum.com/articles/art_first-break-all-the-rules.php