First, Break All the Rules (Book Review)

One of the best management books is First, Break All the Rules, What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently, by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. Originally copyrighted in 1999, the information still applies today!

The book is based on information the Gallup Organization obtained over 25 years. The first part of the research concentrated on employees and what the most talented ones needed from their workplace. Over a million employees were interviewed. The net result was that talented employees need, more than anything else, great managers.

That led to the second part of the research on what great managers do to find and retain talented employees. The Gallup Organization interviewed over 80,000 managers at all levels.

Analysis of the research resulted in 12 questions that measure the core elements needed to recruit and retain great employees. It also indicated that much of management conventional wisdom does not quite work. For example:

• When selecting someone, select for talent, not just experience, intelligence, or determination
• When setting expectations, define the right outcomes, not the right steps.
• When motivating someone, focus on strengths, not on weaknesses.
• When developing someone, help find the right fit, not the next rung on the ladder.

The book describes in detail the 12 questions, the importance, and especially how to accomplish the above four keys.