Developing Management Skills

This is a fantastic book. Every Management Trainee or person should read this book.

The new 7th edition is even more useful. There are some new assessments, some clearer explanations, and improved diagrams. There are also some new in class skills development exercies, and the online tool for taking the dozens of assessments in the book is now easier to use. This book has been widely adopted and is now in its sixth edition because it has proven to be a valuable and effective text for people who want to think about what skills go into being an effective manager, how to develop them, and what are the practical means of application. The book is divided into four parts: Part 1 - Personal Skills Part 2 - Interpersonal Skills Part 3 - Group Skills Part 4 - Specific Communication Skills Part 1 starts with developing self-awareness, then discusses managing personal stress, and concludes with approaches to solving problems analytically and creatively. Part 2 starts with coaching, counseling, and supportive communication, then discusses gaining power and influence, motivating others, and concludes with managing conflict. Part 3 starts with empowering and delegating, then building effective teams and teamwork, and concludes with leading positive change. Part 4 is a series of helpful supplements and appendices on making oral and written presentations, conducting interviews, and an extremely useful section on conducting meetings by John Tropman from the University of Michigan. I had Prof. Tropman for my required class on Organizational Behavior and it was a highlight in my program. He covered some of this material in that class and it makes wonderful sense. He often says that you can use this material to cover as little as you do now, but in half the time.What I particularly like is that each chapter opens with one or more assessments to help the student / reader think in a personal way about his or her thoughts, beliefs, and skills focusing on the key issues that will be discussed in the chapter. The approach of the book is always practical and the language uplifting and positive. I think this book shows the way to being a positive manager who can be successful in any situation without having to resort to negative human interactions to get things done. It really is a healthy approach to management. Also, with this new edition, Prentice-Hall and the authors are offering an ONLINE version of the 30 plus assessments so that students (and general readers) can instantly receive automated feedback without having to use pencil and paper and then figure out how to score each assessment. It is all done for you. And for professors, they will be able to drill down on their class data by student or the overall class. It really is a step forward.There are also name, subject, and combined indexes.

This is a spectacular book. I was first introduced to it in a managerial skills class in graduate school. It is a very well-written text, and is full of practical knowledge that anyone can apply. You don't have to be a manager to appreciate what this book can help you do. Anyone can benefit from the book's teachings.Each chapter (most of them, at least) begins with one or more self-quizzes to determine your abilities or knowledge of each subject. The chapter then helps you to improve your deficiencies. If you repeat the quizzes after you've studied and applied the material, you'll see improvements, as well as additional areas in which to work.To use this book to the greatest benefit, you should develop solid plans to:1. Assess your needs (through quizzes)2. Learn the material (reading the chapters, or the sections in which are lacking)3. Apply the material (in your life, at work, etc.)4. Reflect on what happened, what worked, what didn't, etc.5. Re-assess your abilities (with the quizzes)As for the topics this covers, it includes nearly every situation you could run into at work. However, a lot of the material is applicable to life in general.This book is a must read if you want to grow. Before you rush out and buy cheaper, less complete books, add this one to your library. That way you'll have a much better framework from which to purchase other books (if you even need them!).

I taught a class based on this book for two years while I was myself a graduate student at a business school. I found it to be very informative and helpful to my students, as well as to myself and my classmates. It talks about a lot of things that we face in our everyday lives, like stress management, problem solving, supportive communication, power management, conflict resolution, team building, etc. It is very easly wtitten. You don't have to have any background in any of the subjects to benefit from this book.

The book is complete with exercises useful for developing management skills. Must read for anyone in the positions of leadership.