First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman: What Great Managers Do Differently
There are many kinds of people, and finding the traits in which each one excels, then encouraging them, is a joint effort between a person and those around them. First, Break All the Rules looks at how the best managers do exactly that.
Authors: Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
Title: First, Break All the Rules (1999)
Format: English paperback (Simon & Schuster), 272 pages
Scope: Management, based on Gallup research
Amazon: www.amazon.es/dp/0743219872 (ASIN 0743219872)
Strengths and Honest Feedback
Without effort there are no results, so you need the right people around you: people who know your weaknesses and tell you your faults, so you get a little better every day. Act in good faith, without regrets, silence the criticism of toxic and self-interested people, shut out the noise and concentrate on improving a little each day.
Learning by Doing
We learn by doing, and we have to face uncomfortable situations to move forward in an imperfect world. The drive to improve and the personal sacrifice that lead to success are no small thing. So don’t close doors; open them, and don’t let a bad environment change how you act. Be consistent and patient, and look after your emotions: a sensible business leader does not make decisions lightly.
Voices from the Front Line
The book includes interviews with people who work as waiters or clean rooms and tell their experiences. Even in precarious jobs they find reasons to keep trying and to improve their customers’ lives with small touches, such as arranging a room in a playful way. They always make the best of the situation and act according to their possibilities.
The Gallup Research
The book is based on a huge research programme carried out by the Gallup Organization, which interviewed more than a million employees and some eighty thousand managers over many years. The aim was to find out what the best managers, those whose teams were most productive and loyal, did differently. The answer surprised many readers: great managers often break the conventional rules of management, treating each employee differently and refusing to believe that anyone can become anything with enough training.
Twelve Questions
One of the book’s best-known contributions is a set of twelve questions that measure how engaged employees are, such as: Do I know what is expected of me at work? Do I have the materials and equipment I need? At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day? Is there someone at work who encourages my development? Gallup found that teams answering positively tended to perform better on productivity, profit, retention and customer satisfaction. The questions became widely used in companies around the world.
Four Keys
The authors sum up what great managers do in four keys: select people for talent, not just for experience or knowledge; define the right outcomes and let people find their own route to them; focus on strengths rather than trying to fix weaknesses; and find the right fit for each person, rather than simply promoting everyone up the same ladder. Each key is illustrated with stories from managers in many industries.
What Came Next
Marcus Buckingham went on to write Now, Discover Your Strengths with Donald Clifton, which introduced the widely used StrengthsFinder assessment, and several other books on strengths-based management.
Reading It Today
More than twenty years on, its emphasis on strengths, clear expectations and individual attention remains the foundation of much modern management advice.
It is still well worth reading.
Why Read It
A management classic that remains useful for anyone who leads a team, or simply wants to understand what makes work satisfying.
As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Part of the reading recommendations featured on books.sapiensverbum.com.
