M. Gene Newport
Today's managers are covered up with things to read. Therefore, the appearance of another book on management usually receives little more than a polite yawn. Similarly, you probably think this one will give you nothing to write home about. But wait, this book is really different. How does it differ from all the others you haven't read yet? Read on and learn a little about it.
Above all, this look at management is short and to the point. It includes no pet theories, no survey results, no case analyses, and no quantitative data. In addition, you don't have to read it chapter by chapter. That's because there are no chapters. Instead, the book presents 450 short statements, each serving as a guide for managerial thought and action. This format lets you read as much, or as little, as you can stand at any one time.
The guides presented in this book will reinforce many of your thoughts and actions, and they may take you in some new directions. Either way, you will see that virtually no facet of management has been left untouched. You will get some new ideas, experience lots of positive reinforcement, and find that you really can smile while reading a book on management. What could be better? Give this book a try and experience the fun of reading once again.
M. Gene Newport holds a B.S. degree in Education from Eastern Illinois University. His M.S. in Management and Ph.D. in Business are from the University of Illinois. Dr. Newport has been active in higher education for some 40 years. Most recently, he completed over 22 years as Dean, School of Business/Graduate School of Management, The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he now serves as Professor of Management and Dean Emeritus.
Dr. Newport has provided consulting services for banks, insurance companies, educational institutions, utilities, construction firms, fast-food chains, hospitals, and governmental agencies. In addition, Dr. Newport is the author, co-author, or editor of seven books and has written numerous articles published in various business journals in the United States and abroad.
Items to be included in preview materials for Management: Up, Down and Inside Out.
8. If you don't know where you're going, don't expect others to follow.
17. Delegating is easy. Knowing when and to whom are the hard parts.
22. The work of most committees would go faster if meetings were scheduled at 4:00 o'clock on Friday afternoons.
27. No organizational structure is either good or bad until people are added.
29. Trying to maintain the status-quo is a losing battle. An organization that isn't growing has already started to decline.
31. There is seldom a relationship between the length of a meeting and what is accomplished.
56. Managers who prefer dealing with the inconsequential should not be surprised by the consequences.
65. Some managers believe they can, and they do. Others believe they can't, and they don't.
106. An organization staffed with perfectionists will never be good enough for any of them.
117. Some jobs are so bad that employees actually feel better when they have to stay home sick.
141. Global warming will not help managers who vow to stay the course until hell freezes over.
155. Managers who rely too heavily on statistics soon end up playing a numbers game.
235. Managers who make mountains out of molehills will always have more mountains to climb .
370. CYA memos often show more than they cover.
402. You have a big problem when you are self-employed and still don't like the boss.
448. Some managers act and some think. A few rare ones do both.
450. Managers being bombarded with change are convinced that the future is not what it used to be.
