Harvard Business Review on Managing People

Whether you're just entering people management or have been doing it for years, this book grabs a selection of readable papers on a variety of topics from compensation to handling 'poor performers' to more effective (but non-manipulative!) means of persuasion. Especially interesting were the two articles on the performance of individuals and the messages -- both explicit and implicit -- that managers give to their reports and how they affect performance. You should definitely give them a read if you think you have an average to poor performer that you're actively working with right now.

Definitely one of the better books in the series. Discussion of common corporate issues. Provides good solutions. I've read 4 in the series and like this one the most.