Management? It's Not What You Think! - Hardcover

Mintzberg, Henry; Ahlstrand, Bruce; Lampel, Joseph

3.78

41 ratings by Goodreads

9780814416846: Management? It's Not What You Think!

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0814416845 ISBN 13: 9780814416846

Publisher: AMACOM, 2010

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Whether you subscribe to the philosophy that management is an art and not a science or that it’s a science composed of best practices and systemic steps, one thing is for sure: there is no one easy way to describe what managers do. In this inspiring book, Henry Mintzberg, one of today’s most respected and controversial thinkers on management, joins forces with other leading business figures to provide a provocative mix of writing on management that inspires laughter as much as it brings forth tears (for poor old management itself!). Management? It’s Not What You Think! gets readers thinking as they never have before on topics including management terminology and buzzwords, myths and maxims, MBAs, management fads, leadership, strategy, and much more. With wit, intrigue, and plenty of food for thought, Mintzberg presents articles, book and journal excerpts, letters, web selections, and musings that will spark debate in managers of all types and experiences and renew their interest in doing what they do best--managing.

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Book Description:

A lot of things have been said about management over the years: that it’s an art, not a science; that it’s a science, filled with “best practices” and systematic steps anyone can use to get great results; that it’s the fuel that powers successful organizations. Only one thing is for sure: there is no one, easy definition of whatever it is that managers do!

Henry Mintzberg, one of today’s most respected and controversial thinkers on management, has joined forces with other leading business figures to provide a provocative and unusual mix of writing on management. Management? It’s Not What You Think! gets readers thinking as they never have before about the practice of management. Readers will find differing perspectives—and plenty of food for thought—on topics including management terminology and buzz words; myths and maxims; MBAs; management fads; leadership; strategy; and much more.

Presenting articles, book and journal excerpts, letters, web selections, and musings, these pieces will have readers pondering, laughing, and sometimes even crying (for poor old management itself!). This irreverent, highly relevant, and insightful book will inspire managers of all types, spark debate, and renew their passion and interest in doing what they do best... managing.

From the Inside Flap:

Sit fifty managers down in a room—though why would you want to, right?—and you’ll get fifty different answers as to what management is and what works best. Is it the ability to communicate? Inspire? Rally the troops in times of change? Masterfully oversee projects? Or one of a hundred other things?

More personally, how do you view yourself as a manager? Are you the conductor of a grand orchestra (trying to perform a symphony, but maybe occasionally straying into some jazz?) The President? A guidance counselor? A life coach? Or someone with a tiny little fire extinguisher, constantly running around and... well, you get the idea.

The point is, there are as many answers to what constitutes great—and bad—management as there are managers. One thing is for sure: considering and debating all the different management concepts and theories can be surprisingly fun...not to mention a way to spur on some good ideas about what you can put into practice yourself.

Management? It’s Not What You Think! collects plenty of food for thought, including articles and essays, book and journal excerpts, and even a little poetry, to jump start your managerial juices and get you thinking about your life’s work...the grand journey you were chosen for at birth...the thing it says on your business card...the...well, whatever you do in the office all day. (Probably a mixture of all the above.)

Here you’ll find humorous, informative, inspiring, and thought-provoking pieces of writing that pose eternal questions such as:

� Should managing and leading really be considered as two separate things?

� What longstanding management maxims are in serious need of a makeover?

� Why is PowerPoint evil?

� Where do you draw the line between good strategic thinking and the kind of lip service to strategy planning that’s pure public relations nonsense?

� Do you really need an MBA?

� How do you tell the difference between true wisdom and passing fads?

� What’s the secret behind letting people act on their own ideas while still retaining your managerial authority?

� Is “change management” an oxymoron?

� And much more!

Management? It’s Not What You Think! is the perfect antidote to the constant stream of fashionable management trends, theories, and catchphrases—letting you mull over the insightful answers to what management really is for you.

HENRY MINTZBERG is Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at McGill University in Montreal and the winner of awards from the most prestigious academic and practitioner institutions in management. He was ranked in the top ten in the Wall Street Journal’s list of influential business thinkers. He is currently working on an electronic pamphlet entitled Rebalancing Society...beyond Smith and Marx, and is a founding partner of CoachingOurselves.com.

BRUCE AHLSTRAND has a D. Phil. from Oxford University and a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics. He is the author of The Quest for Productivity (Cambridge University Press) and co-author of Human Resource Management in the Multi-Divisional Company (Oxford University Press). He is currently a professor of management at Trent University in Ontario, Canada.

JOSEPH LAMPEL is a professor of strategy at Cass Business School, City University London. In addition to publishing widely, he regularly works with top management teams in the area of strategy and business innovation at organizations including John Lewis, EMI Music Group, Rexam, Glaxo�SmithKline, Hagemeyer, Halcrow, and the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

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