No-Nonsense Management: A General Manager's Primer

This fine little book bills itself as a general manager's primer, but the principles it espouses are applicable at every level of business. Every person is the general manager of his own job.No Nonsense Management does not offer a panacea for managing your business. Rather, it is a set of mental tools to employ in various and varying situations, which is why it occasionally seems contradictory ("Move fast on reversible decisions" versus "Never make a decision until you have to"). It provides some good language for dealing with colleagues ("Never tolerate mediocrity") and some reminders to always keep your feet moving ("Solving one problem always causes additional problems" and "Good management is like vitamins; it needs to be applied daily). This book is especially useful for aggressive young subordinates in corporate situations who want to outshine their bosses. Applying the axioms and using the language will always make you look better than the guy to whom you report, especially if he has never specifically studied the art of management. It's definitely worth buying this book if you ever happen to have a boss who is a chump.

Richard Sloma, as the previous CEO of ITT during its peak years, writes from real life experiences simple two page lessons on 72 principals of management. You could either read the whole chapter, or just the first paragraph. Or, after you understand the concept, you can just refresh your memory from the table of contents. He uses about a half page to explain the principal, another page to highlight examples of the principal applied wrong and another half page or so of how to apply it correctly. My performance as a manager went from being a stong mid to senior manager to a strong executive, nearly overnight. Would I recommend this book? Not only would I recommend it, but I often give it out as a gift to friends as my top choice of management books.