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 Customer Reviews
Management and Organisational Behaviour ..., 19 Mar 2008
This is an outstanding book to have in any executive library. It covers so much more than most other books, and I'd go so much as to say it is a must have / read for anyone studying management, or is on an MBA program, or is going into an executive post.
Well writen, covers topics clear and succinctly.
Money well spent.
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Customer Reviews
Management and Organisational Behaviour ..., 19 Mar 2008
This is an outstanding book to have in any executive library. It covers so much more than most other books, and I'd go so much as to say it is a must have / read for anyone studying management, or is on an MBA program, or is going into an executive post.
Well writen, covers topics clear and succinctly.
Money well spent. Good Buy!, 14 Oct 2008
This book is a compact tool for a management student and maybe professional, very handy compact and packed with relevant details! Great survey, but sometimes superficial, 04 Apr 2007
This 214 page book surveys 56 key management models (hence the title) in the fields of Strategy, Functional Processes, Organization, People and Behaviour and Primary Process. With that many models in those few pages, it's clear this is not going to be an in-depth treatment. The articles outline the key ideas and show the most important diagrams, as well as giving an assessment of the value of the model, under the headings of 'The Big Idea', 'When to use it' and 'The final analysis'.
Inevitably some of the concepts lend themselves better than others to this treatment. The article on the BCG matrix (question marks, cash cows, rising stars and dogs) encapsulates the idea and expresses it elegantly. The article on chaos theory is rather more sketchy.
This is a superb book for reminding you, in a handy volume, of the terminology and main ideas of management models that you already understand. It's also a good launching point for further reading, if you have the time to do this. Equally, if you are confronted with a model you are unfamiliar with in a meeting, you could quickly slip out (and break the tension, by saying "Excuse me, I just have to slip out for a -er- study break") and check out what the person is talking about.
On the other hand, this book is not a shortcut to understanding management theory. To be fair it is not marketed as such, but I suspect that a number of purchasers will be looking for that very thing.
Just a couple of final quibbles. 'Key Management Models' picks up on Mintzberg's Configurations and his Management Models, but not on his seminal 10 types of strategy, which seems an odd omission. Also, the spelling and general editing are not _quite_ up to the usual standards.
Worth having, though, if only as a quick reference to things you used to know. Great for MBA students, 27 Oct 2005
I recommend this to any business student. Most of the main theoretical models are covered in enough depth to aid understanding and justify/otherwise inclusion in assignments. Well worth the money.
Big let down, 13 Jun 2003
Having read the previous reviewer's remarks I bought this work. It's a big let down. Conceptually it's great and the authors have chosen their models wisely. Likewise, the layout of the book is good. What lets this book down is the text: wordy, clumsy, imprecise and difficult to understand. It's not up to the FT's usual standards and I can't help but think it clipped through an editor's net. I give it 3 stars for the content selection alone and 0 stars for the text.
Meandering through Management, 05 Jun 2003
It’s a brave team that releases yet another text on management models in Britain in the midst of on-going heated debate about the UK’s preoccupation with management over leadership. That said, if you do want an easy-to-read, ready-reference manual that does provide a clear, succinct overview of influential management models today, this book by ten Have et al definitely deserves shelf space. This text of just 200 pages manages to squeeze in some 56 models without leaving the reader feeling exhausted by sheer weight of content. The book has a refreshingly practical orientation and avoids presentation of models as pure theory. The writers have helpfully defined their use of the term ‘model’ in the preface (p.ix) as: “a tool that can be employed to enable or enhance the daily functioning of both organisations and the managers within them, or to solve related problems.” The emphasis on tool, as an implement to create and change, is an implicit theme throughout this text. Each model is approached from 3 perspectives, moving the reader gently from the “What?” to the “So what?” These perspectives are: The big idea (i.e. the basic concept), When to use it (i.e. the kind of circumstances under which use of the model might be appropriate) and The final analysis (i.e. summary comments and critique). Certain chapters also have short case examples to illustrate the points covered although, in general, I found the case study material a bit too sketchy to add value. Design and layout are two of the book’s selling points, especially for managers who don’t have the time or inclination to work through erudite tomes of a more hefty nature. Its masterful use of text, symbols, diagrams and white space communicate a sense of clarity and confidence in the subject matter before the reader has even started to dig in. The language, too, is user-friendly and leaves the manager-practitioner feeling well informed and satisfied without any sense of bedazzlement or being patronised. I enjoyed the amusing comment on the back cover that reflected this point: “Management models…have two main purposes. The first is to provide a framework for improving business performance. The second is to help managers and management consultants get away with murder by intimidating the uninitiated with buzzwords and acronyms.” This book works hard to restore confidence and credibility in this latter respect. Overall, I was very impressed by the ability that ten Have et al have demonstrated in introducing and applying each model, especially for a book of this breadth and size. I will definitely recommend Key Management Models to fellow managers and consultants as one of those handy ‘flick-through’ books that help you maintain your bearings when getting your Maslows mixed up with your Mintzbergs. Marks out of 10? A good 8.
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Customer Reviews
Management and Organisational Behaviour ..., 19 Mar 2008
This is an outstanding book to have in any executive library. It covers so much more than most other books, and I'd go so much as to say it is a must have / read for anyone studying management, or is on an MBA program, or is going into an executive post.
Well writen, covers topics clear and succinctly.
Money well spent. Good Buy!, 14 Oct 2008
This book is a compact tool for a management student and maybe professional, very handy compact and packed with relevant details! Great survey, but sometimes superficial, 04 Apr 2007
This 214 page book surveys 56 key management models (hence the title) in the fields of Strategy, Functional Processes, Organization, People and Behaviour and Primary Process. With that many models in those few pages, it's clear this is not going to be an in-depth treatment. The articles outline the key ideas and show the most important diagrams, as well as giving an assessment of the value of the model, under the headings of 'The Big Idea', 'When to use it' and 'The final analysis'.
Inevitably some of the concepts lend themselves better than others to this treatment. The article on the BCG matrix (question marks, cash cows, rising stars and dogs) encapsulates the idea and expresses it elegantly. The article on chaos theory is rather more sketchy.
This is a superb book for reminding you, in a handy volume, of the terminology and main ideas of management models that you already understand. It's also a good launching point for further reading, if you have the time to do this. Equally, if you are confronted with a model you are unfamiliar with in a meeting, you could quickly slip out (and break the tension, by saying "Excuse me, I just have to slip out for a -er- study break") and check out what the person is talking about.
On the other hand, this book is not a shortcut to understanding management theory. To be fair it is not marketed as such, but I suspect that a number of purchasers will be looking for that very thing.
Just a couple of final quibbles. 'Key Management Models' picks up on Mintzberg's Configurations and his Management Models, but not on his seminal 10 types of strategy, which seems an odd omission. Also, the spelling and general editing are not _quite_ up to the usual standards.
Worth having, though, if only as a quick reference to things you used to know. Great for MBA students, 27 Oct 2005
I recommend this to any business student. Most of the main theoretical models are covered in enough depth to aid understanding and justify/otherwise inclusion in assignments. Well worth the money.
Big let down, 13 Jun 2003
Having read the previous reviewer's remarks I bought this work. It's a big let down. Conceptually it's great and the authors have chosen their models wisely. Likewise, the layout of the book is good. What lets this book down is the text: wordy, clumsy, imprecise and difficult to understand. It's not up to the FT's usual standards and I can't help but think it clipped through an editor's net. I give it 3 stars for the content selection alone and 0 stars for the text.
Meandering through Management, 05 Jun 2003
It’s a brave team that releases yet another text on management models in Britain in the midst of on-going heated debate about the UK’s preoccupation with management over leadership. That said, if you do want an easy-to-read, ready-reference manual that does provide a clear, succinct overview of influential management models today, this book by ten Have et al definitely deserves shelf space. This text of just 200 pages manages to squeeze in some 56 models without leaving the reader feeling exhausted by sheer weight of content. The book has a refreshingly practical orientation and avoids presentation of models as pure theory. The writers have helpfully defined their use of the term ‘model’ in the preface (p.ix) as: “a tool that can be employed to enable or enhance the daily functioning of both organisations and the managers within them, or to solve related problems.” The emphasis on tool, as an implement to create and change, is an implicit theme throughout this text. Each model is approached from 3 perspectives, moving the reader gently from the “What?” to the “So what?” These perspectives are: The big idea (i.e. the basic concept), When to use it (i.e. the kind of circumstances under which use of the model might be appropriate) and The final analysis (i.e. summary comments and critique). Certain chapters also have short case examples to illustrate the points covered although, in general, I found the case study material a bit too sketchy to add value. Design and layout are two of the book’s selling points, especially for managers who don’t have the time or inclination to work through erudite tomes of a more hefty nature. Its masterful use of text, symbols, diagrams and white space communicate a sense of clarity and confidence in the subject matter before the reader has even started to dig in. The language, too, is user-friendly and leaves the manager-practitioner feeling well informed and satisfied without any sense of bedazzlement or being patronised. I enjoyed the amusing comment on the back cover that reflected this point: “Management models…have two main purposes. The first is to provide a framework for improving business performance. The second is to help managers and management consultants get away with murder by intimidating the uninitiated with buzzwords and acronyms.” This book works hard to restore confidence and credibility in this latter respect. Overall, I was very impressed by the ability that ten Have et al have demonstrated in introducing and applying each model, especially for a book of this breadth and size. I will definitely recommend Key Management Models to fellow managers and consultants as one of those handy ‘flick-through’ books that help you maintain your bearings when getting your Maslows mixed up with your Mintzbergs. Marks out of 10? A good 8.
Fantastic service, 08 Aug 2008
This book arrived in fantastic condition considering it was advertised as used. Im very impressed. If books were sex this would be the one. Sorry for lowering the tone but im obsessed with books. An over enthusiastic teacher x x
Fantastic resource!, 26 Oct 2007
This book has been a fantastic resource for my MBA studies. It has helped me prepare both mid-term and final papers for the units which involve Project Management methodology.
The book not only explains in detail the PMI and PMBOK methodology but it explains the reasoning behind the key stages and elements of managing projects.
Thanks for a valuable resource which I shall continue to use not only in my studies but throughout my career in Project Management.
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Customer Reviews
Management and Organisational Behaviour ..., 19 Mar 2008
This is an outstanding book to have in any executive library. It covers so much more than most other books, and I'd go so much as to say it is a must have / read for anyone studying management, or is on an MBA program, or is going into an executive post.
Well writen, covers topics clear and succinctly.
Money well spent. Good Buy!, 14 Oct 2008
This book is a compact tool for a management student and maybe professional, very handy compact and packed with relevant details! Great survey, but sometimes superficial, 04 Apr 2007
This 214 page book surveys 56 key management models (hence the title) in the fields of Strategy, Functional Processes, Organization, People and Behaviour and Primary Process. With that many models in those few pages, it's clear this is not going to be an in-depth treatment. The articles outline the key ideas and show the most important diagrams, as well as giving an assessment of the value of the model, under the headings of 'The Big Idea', 'When to use it' and 'The final analysis'.
Inevitably some of the concepts lend themselves better than others to this treatment. The article on the BCG matrix (question marks, cash cows, rising stars and dogs) encapsulates the idea and expresses it elegantly. The article on chaos theory is rather more sketchy.
This is a superb book for reminding you, in a handy volume, of the terminology and main ideas of management models that you already understand. It's also a good launching point for further reading, if you have the time to do this. Equally, if you are confronted with a model you are unfamiliar with in a meeting, you could quickly slip out (and break the tension, by saying "Excuse me, I just have to slip out for a -er- study break") and check out what the person is talking about.
On the other hand, this book is not a shortcut to understanding management theory. To be fair it is not marketed as such, but I suspect that a number of purchasers will be looking for that very thing.
Just a couple of final quibbles. 'Key Management Models' picks up on Mintzberg's Configurations and his Management Models, but not on his seminal 10 types of strategy, which seems an odd omission. Also, the spelling and general editing are not _quite_ up to the usual standards.
Worth having, though, if only as a quick reference to things you used to know. Great for MBA students, 27 Oct 2005
I recommend this to any business student. Most of the main theoretical models are covered in enough depth to aid understanding and justify/otherwise inclusion in assignments. Well worth the money.
Big let down, 13 Jun 2003
Having read the previous reviewer's remarks I bought this work. It's a big let down. Conceptually it's great and the authors have chosen their models wisely. Likewise, the layout of the book is good. What lets this book down is the text: wordy, clumsy, imprecise and difficult to understand. It's not up to the FT's usual standards and I can't help but think it clipped through an editor's net. I give it 3 stars for the content selection alone and 0 stars for the text.
Meandering through Management, 05 Jun 2003
It’s a brave team that releases yet another text on management models in Britain in the midst of on-going heated debate about the UK’s preoccupation with management over leadership. That said, if you do want an easy-to-read, ready-reference manual that does provide a clear, succinct overview of influential management models today, this book by ten Have et al definitely deserves shelf space. This text of just 200 pages manages to squeeze in some 56 models without leaving the reader feeling exhausted by sheer weight of content. The book has a refreshingly practical orientation and avoids presentation of models as pure theory. The writers have helpfully defined their use of the term ‘model’ in the preface (p.ix) as: “a tool that can be employed to enable or enhance the daily functioning of both organisations and the managers within them, or to solve related problems.” The emphasis on tool, as an implement to create and change, is an implicit theme throughout this text. Each model is approached from 3 perspectives, moving the reader gently from the “What?” to the “So what?” These perspectives are: The big idea (i.e. the basic concept), When to use it (i.e. the kind of circumstances under which use of the model might be appropriate) and The final analysis (i.e. summary comments and critique). Certain chapters also have short case examples to illustrate the points covered although, in general, I found the case study material a bit too sketchy to add value. Design and layout are two of the book’s selling points, especially for managers who don’t have the time or inclination to work through erudite tomes of a more hefty nature. Its masterful use of text, symbols, diagrams and white space communicate a sense of clarity and confidence in the subject matter before the reader has even started to dig in. The language, too, is user-friendly and leaves the manager-practitioner feeling well informed and satisfied without any sense of bedazzlement or being patronised. I enjoyed the amusing comment on the back cover that reflected this point: “Management models…have two main purposes. The first is to provide a framework for improving business performance. The second is to help managers and management consultants get away with murder by intimidating the uninitiated with buzzwords and acronyms.” This book works hard to restore confidence and credibility in this latter respect. Overall, I was very impressed by the ability that ten Have et al have demonstrated in introducing and applying each model, especially for a book of this breadth and size. I will definitely recommend Key Management Models to fellow managers and consultants as one of those handy ‘flick-through’ books that help you maintain your bearings when getting your Maslows mixed up with your Mintzbergs. Marks out of 10? A good 8.
Fantastic service, 08 Aug 2008
This book arrived in fantastic condition considering it was advertised as used. Im very impressed. If books were sex this would be the one. Sorry for lowering the tone but im obsessed with books. An over enthusiastic teacher x x
Fantastic resource!, 26 Oct 2007
This book has been a fantastic resource for my MBA studies. It has helped me prepare both mid-term and final papers for the units which involve Project Management methodology.
The book not only explains in detail the PMI and PMBOK methodology but it explains the reasoning behind the key stages and elements of managing projects.
Thanks for a valuable resource which I shall continue to use not only in my studies but throughout my career in Project Management.
Lessons already learned?, 03 Jul 2004
Hmm. To be honest, I found the book a bit facile; I came to this having had my one-time cynicism about 'life-coaching' well and truly eroded both by good books, and a series of excellent face-to-face coaching sessions. But I do know that people don't necessarily respond like machines just because you push the right buttons, and (from bitter experience) people don't necessarily handle even the most skilful and careful encouragement and intervention, in the appreciative way they are supposed to do! This book makes it look so easy..... just change your approach and the world will run like a well-oiled machine. Also, I had hoped we had got beyond categorising people as ISTJs, ENFPs etc... deal with people as people, for crying out loud, don't fit them in boxes just to make yourself feel more comfortable. It doesn't get you very far. I'm thinking that many people would feel a bit patronised by being instructed to read this, while those who need to learn its lessons would never be convinced to read it anyway. But fundamentally it talks sense, so it gets _some_ stars from me.
Fastest learning in a while, 03 Apr 2003
This book follows Alex in his career progress whilst giving practical examples for coaching. Great reading for middle managers. The insight for each situation helps the reader grasp potential coaching situations - in and out of work - and each chapter has hidden messages of other coaching skills to use. I read this book in 4 hours and I really enjoyed it. You can do the exercises, refer to the theory, become absorbed in Alex's life and note parallels to your work politics or simply wryly smile at the cartoons in each chapter. Landsberg points out that accommodating individual differences is key; whatever your learning and reading style, much of the content should hit home.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 November, 2002, 27 Jan 2003
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 Nov 2002
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
Mediocre and Behind the Times, 29 May 2002
This book, though first published in 1996 is apparently based on training sessions run by those well-known *consultants* McKinsey and co. way back in 1990. Have we really learnt nothing new about coaching in the course of the last 12 years? To be blunt, if you put this little book up against *some* of the latest publications on the subject you might conclude that we'd learnt nothing at all in that time. Unfortunately, for this author, "The Tao of Coaching" only stacks up well in comparison to the less significant entries in the coaching genre.
Compare it with the better books now available on Coaching, and this set of stage managed situations and mechanical solutions looks more like a book that has seriously LOST it's "Tao". Whilst there are undoubtedly a few good ideas here, the majority of the book - especially the author's tedious creation "Alex" (whose cloddish behaviour is used to illustrate the book's main points) - is tired, mediocre and totally unrepresentative of coaching in the new millenium. This *may* have been a welcome addition to the Coaching library when it was first published. Now it's just well past its sell-by date.
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Customer Reviews
Management and Organisational Behaviour ..., 19 Mar 2008
This is an outstanding book to have in any executive library. It covers so much more than most other books, and I'd go so much as to say it is a must have / read for anyone studying management, or is on an MBA program, or is going into an executive post.
Well writen, covers topics clear and succinctly.
Money well spent. Good Buy!, 14 Oct 2008
This book is a compact tool for a management student and maybe professional, very handy compact and packed with relevant details! Great survey, but sometimes superficial, 04 Apr 2007
This 214 page book surveys 56 key management models (hence the title) in the fields of Strategy, Functional Processes, Organization, People and Behaviour and Primary Process. With that many models in those few pages, it's clear this is not going to be an in-depth treatment. The articles outline the key ideas and show the most important diagrams, as well as giving an assessment of the value of the model, under the headings of 'The Big Idea', 'When to use it' and 'The final analysis'.
Inevitably some of the concepts lend themselves better than others to this treatment. The article on the BCG matrix (question marks, cash cows, rising stars and dogs) encapsulates the idea and expresses it elegantly. The article on chaos theory is rather more sketchy.
This is a superb book for reminding you, in a handy volume, of the terminology and main ideas of management models that you already understand. It's also a good launching point for further reading, if you have the time to do this. Equally, if you are confronted with a model you are unfamiliar with in a meeting, you could quickly slip out (and break the tension, by saying "Excuse me, I just have to slip out for a -er- study break") and check out what the person is talking about.
On the other hand, this book is not a shortcut to understanding management theory. To be fair it is not marketed as such, but I suspect that a number of purchasers will be looking for that very thing.
Just a couple of final quibbles. 'Key Management Models' picks up on Mintzberg's Configurations and his Management Models, but not on his seminal 10 types of strategy, which seems an odd omission. Also, the spelling and general editing are not _quite_ up to the usual standards.
Worth having, though, if only as a quick reference to things you used to know. Great for MBA students, 27 Oct 2005
I recommend this to any business student. Most of the main theoretical models are covered in enough depth to aid understanding and justify/otherwise inclusion in assignments. Well worth the money.
Big let down, 13 Jun 2003
Having read the previous reviewer's remarks I bought this work. It's a big let down. Conceptually it's great and the authors have chosen their models wisely. Likewise, the layout of the book is good. What lets this book down is the text: wordy, clumsy, imprecise and difficult to understand. It's not up to the FT's usual standards and I can't help but think it clipped through an editor's net. I give it 3 stars for the content selection alone and 0 stars for the text.
Meandering through Management, 05 Jun 2003
It’s a brave team that releases yet another text on management models in Britain in the midst of on-going heated debate about the UK’s preoccupation with management over leadership. That said, if you do want an easy-to-read, ready-reference manual that does provide a clear, succinct overview of influential management models today, this book by ten Have et al definitely deserves shelf space. This text of just 200 pages manages to squeeze in some 56 models without leaving the reader feeling exhausted by sheer weight of content. The book has a refreshingly practical orientation and avoids presentation of models as pure theory. The writers have helpfully defined their use of the term ‘model’ in the preface (p.ix) as: “a tool that can be employed to enable or enhance the daily functioning of both organisations and the managers within them, or to solve related problems.” The emphasis on tool, as an implement to create and change, is an implicit theme throughout this text. Each model is approached from 3 perspectives, moving the reader gently from the “What?” to the “So what?” These perspectives are: The big idea (i.e. the basic concept), When to use it (i.e. the kind of circumstances under which use of the model might be appropriate) and The final analysis (i.e. summary comments and critique). Certain chapters also have short case examples to illustrate the points covered although, in general, I found the case study material a bit too sketchy to add value. Design and layout are two of the book’s selling points, especially for managers who don’t have the time or inclination to work through erudite tomes of a more hefty nature. Its masterful use of text, symbols, diagrams and white space communicate a sense of clarity and confidence in the subject matter before the reader has even started to dig in. The language, too, is user-friendly and leaves the manager-practitioner feeling well informed and satisfied without any sense of bedazzlement or being patronised. I enjoyed the amusing comment on the back cover that reflected this point: “Management models…have two main purposes. The first is to provide a framework for improving business performance. The second is to help managers and management consultants get away with murder by intimidating the uninitiated with buzzwords and acronyms.” This book works hard to restore confidence and credibility in this latter respect. Overall, I was very impressed by the ability that ten Have et al have demonstrated in introducing and applying each model, especially for a book of this breadth and size. I will definitely recommend Key Management Models to fellow managers and consultants as one of those handy ‘flick-through’ books that help you maintain your bearings when getting your Maslows mixed up with your Mintzbergs. Marks out of 10? A good 8.
Fantastic service, 08 Aug 2008
This book arrived in fantastic condition considering it was advertised as used. Im very impressed. If books were sex this would be the one. Sorry for lowering the tone but im obsessed with books. An over enthusiastic teacher x x
Fantastic resource!, 26 Oct 2007
This book has been a fantastic resource for my MBA studies. It has helped me prepare both mid-term and final papers for the units which involve Project Management methodology.
The book not only explains in detail the PMI and PMBOK methodology but it explains the reasoning behind the key stages and elements of managing projects.
Thanks for a valuable resource which I shall continue to use not only in my studies but throughout my career in Project Management.
Lessons already learned?, 03 Jul 2004
Hmm. To be honest, I found the book a bit facile; I came to this having had my one-time cynicism about 'life-coaching' well and truly eroded both by good books, and a series of excellent face-to-face coaching sessions. But I do know that people don't necessarily respond like machines just because you push the right buttons, and (from bitter experience) people don't necessarily handle even the most skilful and careful encouragement and intervention, in the appreciative way they are supposed to do! This book makes it look so easy..... just change your approach and the world will run like a well-oiled machine. Also, I had hoped we had got beyond categorising people as ISTJs, ENFPs etc... deal with people as people, for crying out loud, don't fit them in boxes just to make yourself feel more comfortable. It doesn't get you very far. I'm thinking that many people would feel a bit patronised by being instructed to read this, while those who need to learn its lessons would never be convinced to read it anyway. But fundamentally it talks sense, so it gets _some_ stars from me.
Fastest learning in a while, 03 Apr 2003
This book follows Alex in his career progress whilst giving practical examples for coaching. Great reading for middle managers. The insight for each situation helps the reader grasp potential coaching situations - in and out of work - and each chapter has hidden messages of other coaching skills to use. I read this book in 4 hours and I really enjoyed it. You can do the exercises, refer to the theory, become absorbed in Alex's life and note parallels to your work politics or simply wryly smile at the cartoons in each chapter. Landsberg points out that accommodating individual differences is key; whatever your learning and reading style, much of the content should hit home.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 November, 2002, 27 Jan 2003
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 Nov 2002
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
Mediocre and Behind the Times, 29 May 2002
This book, though first published in 1996 is apparently based on training sessions run by those well-known *consultants* McKinsey and co. way back in 1990. Have we really learnt nothing new about coaching in the course of the last 12 years? To be blunt, if you put this little book up against *some* of the latest publications on the subject you might conclude that we'd learnt nothing at all in that time. Unfortunately, for this author, "The Tao of Coaching" only stacks up well in comparison to the less significant entries in the coaching genre.
Compare it with the better books now available on Coaching, and this set of stage managed situations and mechanical solutions looks more like a book that has seriously LOST it's "Tao". Whilst there are undoubtedly a few good ideas here, the majority of the book - especially the author's tedious creation "Alex" (whose cloddish behaviour is used to illustrate the book's main points) - is tired, mediocre and totally unrepresentative of coaching in the new millenium. This *may* have been a welcome addition to the Coaching library when it was first published. Now it's just well past its sell-by date.
MBA antidote, 15 Aug 2007
Don't read this if you are looking for management recipes or prescriptions. If on the other hand you have found your other MBA textbooks and readers unchallenging, supported by flimsy evidence and littered with bold assertions, far too thick, and unreasonably expensive, read this and then pass it on. It challenges a lot of things and leaves you questioning what you have learnt. If you are still studying, will guarantee a few bonus points on that late essay.
Believe the blurb, 13 Oct 2005
This is a great book for getting to grips with the key concepts surrounding the study of organizations, without having to plough through hundreds of pages. The ideas are accessible but not simplistic. The author is argumentative and irreverent - you won't be in any doubt about his views - and his book is the perfect antidote to dry textbooks.
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Customer Reviews
Management and Organisational Behaviour ..., 19 Mar 2008
This is an outstanding book to have in any executive library. It covers so much more than most other books, and I'd go so much as to say it is a must have / read for anyone studying management, or is on an MBA program, or is going into an executive post.
Well writen, covers topics clear and succinctly.
Money well spent. Good Buy!, 14 Oct 2008
This book is a compact tool for a management student and maybe professional, very handy compact and packed with relevant details! Great survey, but sometimes superficial, 04 Apr 2007
This 214 page book surveys 56 key management models (hence the title) in the fields of Strategy, Functional Processes, Organization, People and Behaviour and Primary Process. With that many models in those few pages, it's clear this is not going to be an in-depth treatment. The articles outline the key ideas and show the most important diagrams, as well as giving an assessment of the value of the model, under the headings of 'The Big Idea', 'When to use it' and 'The final analysis'.
Inevitably some of the concepts lend themselves better than others to this treatment. The article on the BCG matrix (question marks, cash cows, rising stars and dogs) encapsulates the idea and expresses it elegantly. The article on chaos theory is rather more sketchy.
This is a superb book for reminding you, in a handy volume, of the terminology and main ideas of management models that you already understand. It's also a good launching point for further reading, if you have the time to do this. Equally, if you are confronted with a model you are unfamiliar with in a meeting, you could quickly slip out (and break the tension, by saying "Excuse me, I just have to slip out for a -er- study break") and check out what the person is talking about.
On the other hand, this book is not a shortcut to understanding management theory. To be fair it is not marketed as such, but I suspect that a number of purchasers will be looking for that very thing.
Just a couple of final quibbles. 'Key Management Models' picks up on Mintzberg's Configurations and his Management Models, but not on his seminal 10 types of strategy, which seems an odd omission. Also, the spelling and general editing are not _quite_ up to the usual standards.
Worth having, though, if only as a quick reference to things you used to know. Great for MBA students, 27 Oct 2005
I recommend this to any business student. Most of the main theoretical models are covered in enough depth to aid understanding and justify/otherwise inclusion in assignments. Well worth the money.
Big let down, 13 Jun 2003
Having read the previous reviewer's remarks I bought this work. It's a big let down. Conceptually it's great and the authors have chosen their models wisely. Likewise, the layout of the book is good. What lets this book down is the text: wordy, clumsy, imprecise and difficult to understand. It's not up to the FT's usual standards and I can't help but think it clipped through an editor's net. I give it 3 stars for the content selection alone and 0 stars for the text.
Meandering through Management, 05 Jun 2003
It’s a brave team that releases yet another text on management models in Britain in the midst of on-going heated debate about the UK’s preoccupation with management over leadership. That said, if you do want an easy-to-read, ready-reference manual that does provide a clear, succinct overview of influential management models today, this book by ten Have et al definitely deserves shelf space. This text of just 200 pages manages to squeeze in some 56 models without leaving the reader feeling exhausted by sheer weight of content. The book has a refreshingly practical orientation and avoids presentation of models as pure theory. The writers have helpfully defined their use of the term ‘model’ in the preface (p.ix) as: “a tool that can be employed to enable or enhance the daily functioning of both organisations and the managers within them, or to solve related problems.” The emphasis on tool, as an implement to create and change, is an implicit theme throughout this text. Each model is approached from 3 perspectives, moving the reader gently from the “What?” to the “So what?” These perspectives are: The big idea (i.e. the basic concept), When to use it (i.e. the kind of circumstances under which use of the model might be appropriate) and The final analysis (i.e. summary comments and critique). Certain chapters also have short case examples to illustrate the points covered although, in general, I found the case study material a bit too sketchy to add value. Design and layout are two of the book’s selling points, especially for managers who don’t have the time or inclination to work through erudite tomes of a more hefty nature. Its masterful use of text, symbols, diagrams and white space communicate a sense of clarity and confidence in the subject matter before the reader has even started to dig in. The language, too, is user-friendly and leaves the manager-practitioner feeling well informed and satisfied without any sense of bedazzlement or being patronised. I enjoyed the amusing comment on the back cover that reflected this point: “Management models…have two main purposes. The first is to provide a framework for improving business performance. The second is to help managers and management consultants get away with murder by intimidating the uninitiated with buzzwords and acronyms.” This book works hard to restore confidence and credibility in this latter respect. Overall, I was very impressed by the ability that ten Have et al have demonstrated in introducing and applying each model, especially for a book of this breadth and size. I will definitely recommend Key Management Models to fellow managers and consultants as one of those handy ‘flick-through’ books that help you maintain your bearings when getting your Maslows mixed up with your Mintzbergs. Marks out of 10? A good 8.
Fantastic service, 08 Aug 2008
This book arrived in fantastic condition considering it was advertised as used. Im very impressed. If books were sex this would be the one. Sorry for lowering the tone but im obsessed with books. An over enthusiastic teacher x x
Fantastic resource!, 26 Oct 2007
This book has been a fantastic resource for my MBA studies. It has helped me prepare both mid-term and final papers for the units which involve Project Management methodology.
The book not only explains in detail the PMI and PMBOK methodology but it explains the reasoning behind the key stages and elements of managing projects.
Thanks for a valuable resource which I shall continue to use not only in my studies but throughout my career in Project Management.
Lessons already learned?, 03 Jul 2004
Hmm. To be honest, I found the book a bit facile; I came to this having had my one-time cynicism about 'life-coaching' well and truly eroded both by good books, and a series of excellent face-to-face coaching sessions. But I do know that people don't necessarily respond like machines just because you push the right buttons, and (from bitter experience) people don't necessarily handle even the most skilful and careful encouragement and intervention, in the appreciative way they are supposed to do! This book makes it look so easy..... just change your approach and the world will run like a well-oiled machine. Also, I had hoped we had got beyond categorising people as ISTJs, ENFPs etc... deal with people as people, for crying out loud, don't fit them in boxes just to make yourself feel more comfortable. It doesn't get you very far. I'm thinking that many people would feel a bit patronised by being instructed to read this, while those who need to learn its lessons would never be convinced to read it anyway. But fundamentally it talks sense, so it gets _some_ stars from me.
Fastest learning in a while, 03 Apr 2003
This book follows Alex in his career progress whilst giving practical examples for coaching. Great reading for middle managers. The insight for each situation helps the reader grasp potential coaching situations - in and out of work - and each chapter has hidden messages of other coaching skills to use. I read this book in 4 hours and I really enjoyed it. You can do the exercises, refer to the theory, become absorbed in Alex's life and note parallels to your work politics or simply wryly smile at the cartoons in each chapter. Landsberg points out that accommodating individual differences is key; whatever your learning and reading style, much of the content should hit home.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 November, 2002, 27 Jan 2003
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 Nov 2002
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
Mediocre and Behind the Times, 29 May 2002
This book, though first published in 1996 is apparently based on training sessions run by those well-known *consultants* McKinsey and co. way back in 1990. Have we really learnt nothing new about coaching in the course of the last 12 years? To be blunt, if you put this little book up against *some* of the latest publications on the subject you might conclude that we'd learnt nothing at all in that time. Unfortunately, for this author, "The Tao of Coaching" only stacks up well in comparison to the less significant entries in the coaching genre.
Compare it with the better books now available on Coaching, and this set of stage managed situations and mechanical solutions looks more like a book that has seriously LOST it's "Tao". Whilst there are undoubtedly a few good ideas here, the majority of the book - especially the author's tedious creation "Alex" (whose cloddish behaviour is used to illustrate the book's main points) - is tired, mediocre and totally unrepresentative of coaching in the new millenium. This *may* have been a welcome addition to the Coaching library when it was first published. Now it's just well past its sell-by date.
MBA antidote, 15 Aug 2007
Don't read this if you are looking for management recipes or prescriptions. If on the other hand you have found your other MBA textbooks and readers unchallenging, supported by flimsy evidence and littered with bold assertions, far too thick, and unreasonably expensive, read this and then pass it on. It challenges a lot of things and leaves you questioning what you have learnt. If you are still studying, will guarantee a few bonus points on that late essay.
Believe the blurb, 13 Oct 2005
This is a great book for getting to grips with the key concepts surrounding the study of organizations, without having to plough through hundreds of pages. The ideas are accessible but not simplistic. The author is argumentative and irreverent - you won't be in any doubt about his views - and his book is the perfect antidote to dry textbooks.
An excellent reference book - broad but not deep, 08 Nov 2008
Perhaps not so much a guide as a small and very focussed encyclopedia, this book lists 102 management ideas and 54 "gurus" and allocates two sides to each - including a short list of further reading. Carol Kennedy's 1991 book "Guide to the Management Gurus" gave a little more space to each guru, but was not perhaps so comprehensive.
Management ideas range from the "proprietary", where individuals can be attributed with their creation, e.g. "Six Sigma", "Balanced Scorecard", through fashions like "Management by Objectives" and "Mission Statement", to the nebulous - "culture", "leadership", "talent". Gurus include some you would expect under that heading - Frederick Taylor, Henry Mintzberg, Tom Peters and Michael Porter, and some that you might not - Dale Carnegie, C. Northcote Parkinson and E.F. Schumacher.
This is a great little book if you accept the limitations of its format. In the space available there is barely enough space to give the briefest summary, let alone a critique, but Hindle does his best. Everyone will point to names missing from the list of "gurus" - I would like to have seen David Maister or some other of those who have concentrated on professional service firm management mentioned, or John Adair for his work on leadership, but as ever we Brits can depend on Charles Handy carrying the flag - even if he's really Irish!
The short biographies include two or three "notable quotations", and from time to time Hindle manages an amusing turn of phrase himself. I was particularly amused by his comment on Tom Peters: "He peddled his theories of excellence with the exuberance and evangelistic zeal of a 19th-century cough syrup salesman."
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Customer Reviews
Management and Organisational Behaviour ..., 19 Mar 2008
This is an outstanding book to have in any executive library. It covers so much more than most other books, and I'd go so much as to say it is a must have / read for anyone studying management, or is on an MBA program, or is going into an executive post.
Well writen, covers topics clear and succinctly.
Money well spent. Good Buy!, 14 Oct 2008
This book is a compact tool for a management student and maybe professional, very handy compact and packed with relevant details! Great survey, but sometimes superficial, 04 Apr 2007
This 214 page book surveys 56 key management models (hence the title) in the fields of Strategy, Functional Processes, Organization, People and Behaviour and Primary Process. With that many models in those few pages, it's clear this is not going to be an in-depth treatment. The articles outline the key ideas and show the most important diagrams, as well as giving an assessment of the value of the model, under the headings of 'The Big Idea', 'When to use it' and 'The final analysis'.
Inevitably some of the concepts lend themselves better than others to this treatment. The article on the BCG matrix (question marks, cash cows, rising stars and dogs) encapsulates the idea and expresses it elegantly. The article on chaos theory is rather more sketchy.
This is a superb book for reminding you, in a handy volume, of the terminology and main ideas of management models that you already understand. It's also a good launching point for further reading, if you have the time to do this. Equally, if you are confronted with a model you are unfamiliar with in a meeting, you could quickly slip out (and break the tension, by saying "Excuse me, I just have to slip out for a -er- study break") and check out what the person is talking about.
On the other hand, this book is not a shortcut to understanding management theory. To be fair it is not marketed as such, but I suspect that a number of purchasers will be looking for that very thing.
Just a couple of final quibbles. 'Key Management Models' picks up on Mintzberg's Configurations and his Management Models, but not on his seminal 10 types of strategy, which seems an odd omission. Also, the spelling and general editing are not _quite_ up to the usual standards.
Worth having, though, if only as a quick reference to things you used to know. Great for MBA students, 27 Oct 2005
I recommend this to any business student. Most of the main theoretical models are covered in enough depth to aid understanding and justify/otherwise inclusion in assignments. Well worth the money.
Big let down, 13 Jun 2003
Having read the previous reviewer's remarks I bought this work. It's a big let down. Conceptually it's great and the authors have chosen their models wisely. Likewise, the layout of the book is good. What lets this book down is the text: wordy, clumsy, imprecise and difficult to understand. It's not up to the FT's usual standards and I can't help but think it clipped through an editor's net. I give it 3 stars for the content selection alone and 0 stars for the text.
Meandering through Management, 05 Jun 2003
It’s a brave team that releases yet another text on management models in Britain in the midst of on-going heated debate about the UK’s preoccupation with management over leadership. That said, if you do want an easy-to-read, ready-reference manual that does provide a clear, succinct overview of influential management models today, this book by ten Have et al definitely deserves shelf space. This text of just 200 pages manages to squeeze in some 56 models without leaving the reader feeling exhausted by sheer weight of content. The book has a refreshingly practical orientation and avoids presentation of models as pure theory. The writers have helpfully defined their use of the term ‘model’ in the preface (p.ix) as: “a tool that can be employed to enable or enhance the daily functioning of both organisations and the managers within them, or to solve related problems.” The emphasis on tool, as an implement to create and change, is an implicit theme throughout this text. Each model is approached from 3 perspectives, moving the reader gently from the “What?” to the “So what?” These perspectives are: The big idea (i.e. the basic concept), When to use it (i.e. the kind of circumstances under which use of the model might be appropriate) and The final analysis (i.e. summary comments and critique). Certain chapters also have short case examples to illustrate the points covered although, in general, I found the case study material a bit too sketchy to add value. Design and layout are two of the book’s selling points, especially for managers who don’t have the time or inclination to work through erudite tomes of a more hefty nature. Its masterful use of text, symbols, diagrams and white space communicate a sense of clarity and confidence in the subject matter before the reader has even started to dig in. The language, too, is user-friendly and leaves the manager-practitioner feeling well informed and satisfied without any sense of bedazzlement or being patronised. I enjoyed the amusing comment on the back cover that reflected this point: “Management models…have two main purposes. The first is to provide a framework for improving business performance. The second is to help managers and management consultants get away with murder by intimidating the uninitiated with buzzwords and acronyms.” This book works hard to restore confidence and credibility in this latter respect. Overall, I was very impressed by the ability that ten Have et al have demonstrated in introducing and applying each model, especially for a book of this breadth and size. I will definitely recommend Key Management Models to fellow managers and consultants as one of those handy ‘flick-through’ books that help you maintain your bearings when getting your Maslows mixed up with your Mintzbergs. Marks out of 10? A good 8.
Fantastic service, 08 Aug 2008
This book arrived in fantastic condition considering it was advertised as used. Im very impressed. If books were sex this would be the one. Sorry for lowering the tone but im obsessed with books. An over enthusiastic teacher x x
Fantastic resource!, 26 Oct 2007
This book has been a fantastic resource for my MBA studies. It has helped me prepare both mid-term and final papers for the units which involve Project Management methodology.
The book not only explains in detail the PMI and PMBOK methodology but it explains the reasoning behind the key stages and elements of managing projects.
Thanks for a valuable resource which I shall continue to use not only in my studies but throughout my career in Project Management.
Lessons already learned?, 03 Jul 2004
Hmm. To be honest, I found the book a bit facile; I came to this having had my one-time cynicism about 'life-coaching' well and truly eroded both by good books, and a series of excellent face-to-face coaching sessions. But I do know that people don't necessarily respond like machines just because you push the right buttons, and (from bitter experience) people don't necessarily handle even the most skilful and careful encouragement and intervention, in the appreciative way they are supposed to do! This book makes it look so easy..... just change your approach and the world will run like a well-oiled machine. Also, I had hoped we had got beyond categorising people as ISTJs, ENFPs etc... deal with people as people, for crying out loud, don't fit them in boxes just to make yourself feel more comfortable. It doesn't get you very far. I'm thinking that many people would feel a bit patronised by being instructed to read this, while those who need to learn its lessons would never be convinced to read it anyway. But fundamentally it talks sense, so it gets _some_ stars from me.
Fastest learning in a while, 03 Apr 2003
This book follows Alex in his career progress whilst giving practical examples for coaching. Great reading for middle managers. The insight for each situation helps the reader grasp potential coaching situations - in and out of work - and each chapter has hidden messages of other coaching skills to use. I read this book in 4 hours and I really enjoyed it. You can do the exercises, refer to the theory, become absorbed in Alex's life and note parallels to your work politics or simply wryly smile at the cartoons in each chapter. Landsberg points out that accommodating individual differences is key; whatever your learning and reading style, much of the content should hit home.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 November, 2002, 27 Jan 2003
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 Nov 2002
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
Mediocre and Behind the Times, 29 May 2002
This book, though first published in 1996 is apparently based on training sessions run by those well-known *consultants* McKinsey and co. way back in 1990. Have we really learnt nothing new about coaching in the course of the last 12 years? To be blunt, if you put this little book up against *some* of the latest publications on the subject you might conclude that we'd learnt nothing at all in that time. Unfortunately, for this author, "The Tao of Coaching" only stacks up well in comparison to the less significant entries in the coaching genre.
Compare it with the better books now available on Coaching, and this set of stage managed situations and mechanical solutions looks more like a book that has seriously LOST it's "Tao". Whilst there are undoubtedly a few good ideas here, the majority of the book - especially the author's tedious creation "Alex" (whose cloddish behaviour is used to illustrate the book's main points) - is tired, mediocre and totally unrepresentative of coaching in the new millenium. This *may* have been a welcome addition to the Coaching library when it was first published. Now it's just well past its sell-by date.
MBA antidote, 15 Aug 2007
Don't read this if you are looking for management recipes or prescriptions. If on the other hand you have found your other MBA textbooks and readers unchallenging, supported by flimsy evidence and littered with bold assertions, far too thick, and unreasonably expensive, read this and then pass it on. It challenges a lot of things and leaves you questioning what you have learnt. If you are still studying, will guarantee a few bonus points on that late essay.
Believe the blurb, 13 Oct 2005
This is a great book for getting to grips with the key concepts surrounding the study of organizations, without having to plough through hundreds of pages. The ideas are accessible but not simplistic. The author is argumentative and irreverent - you won't be in any doubt about his views - and his book is the perfect antidote to dry textbooks.
An excellent reference book - broad but not deep, 08 Nov 2008
Perhaps not so much a guide as a small and very focussed encyclopedia, this book lists 102 management ideas and 54 "gurus" and allocates two sides to each - including a short list of further reading. Carol Kennedy's 1991 book "Guide to the Management Gurus" gave a little more space to each guru, but was not perhaps so comprehensive.
Management ideas range from the "proprietary", where individuals can be attributed with their creation, e.g. "Six Sigma", "Balanced Scorecard", through fashions like "Management by Objectives" and "Mission Statement", to the nebulous - "culture", "leadership", "talent". Gurus include some you would expect under that heading - Frederick Taylor, Henry Mintzberg, Tom Peters and Michael Porter, and some that you might not - Dale Carnegie, C. Northcote Parkinson and E.F. Schumacher.
This is a great little book if you accept the limitations of its format. In the space available there is barely enough space to give the briefest summary, let alone a critique, but Hindle does his best. Everyone will point to names missing from the list of "gurus" - I would like to have seen David Maister or some other of those who have concentrated on professional service firm management mentioned, or John Adair for his work on leadership, but as ever we Brits can depend on Charles Handy carrying the flag - even if he's really Irish!
The short biographies include two or three "notable quotations", and from time to time Hindle manages an amusing turn of phrase himself. I was particularly amused by his comment on Tom Peters: "He peddled his theories of excellence with the exuberance and evangelistic zeal of a 19th-century cough syrup salesman."
Repetitive, 25 Nov 2008
Useful but very repetitive. It is not a bulky book but the material is repeated over and over again. It has lots of tables and bullet point lists, which seemed interesting but when I read them, generally 5 out of 10 bullet points said same thing in different ways, which was really fustrating as this wastes a lot of time
A much better book for project management is Head First PMP. All the Head First books I have read so far are excellent.
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Customer Reviews
Management and Organisational Behaviour ..., 19 Mar 2008
This is an outstanding book to have in any executive library. It covers so much more than most other books, and I'd go so much as to say it is a must have / read for anyone studying management, or is on an MBA program, or is going into an executive post.
Well writen, covers topics clear and succinctly.
Money well spent. Good Buy!, 14 Oct 2008
This book is a compact tool for a management student and maybe professional, very handy compact and packed with relevant details! Great survey, but sometimes superficial, 04 Apr 2007
This 214 page book surveys 56 key management models (hence the title) in the fields of Strategy, Functional Processes, Organization, People and Behaviour and Primary Process. With that many models in those few pages, it's clear this is not going to be an in-depth treatment. The articles outline the key ideas and show the most important diagrams, as well as giving an assessment of the value of the model, under the headings of 'The Big Idea', 'When to use it' and 'The final analysis'.
Inevitably some of the concepts lend themselves better than others to this treatment. The article on the BCG matrix (question marks, cash cows, rising stars and dogs) encapsulates the idea and expresses it elegantly. The article on chaos theory is rather more sketchy.
This is a superb book for reminding you, in a handy volume, of the terminology and main ideas of management models that you already understand. It's also a good launching point for further reading, if you have the time to do this. Equally, if you are confronted with a model you are unfamiliar with in a meeting, you could quickly slip out (and break the tension, by saying "Excuse me, I just have to slip out for a -er- study break") and check out what the person is talking about.
On the other hand, this book is not a shortcut to understanding management theory. To be fair it is not marketed as such, but I suspect that a number of purchasers will be looking for that very thing.
Just a couple of final quibbles. 'Key Management Models' picks up on Mintzberg's Configurations and his Management Models, but not on his seminal 10 types of strategy, which seems an odd omission. Also, the spelling and general editing are not _quite_ up to the usual standards.
Worth having, though, if only as a quick reference to things you used to know. Great for MBA students, 27 Oct 2005
I recommend this to any business student. Most of the main theoretical models are covered in enough depth to aid understanding and justify/otherwise inclusion in assignments. Well worth the money.
Big let down, 13 Jun 2003
Having read the previous reviewer's remarks I bought this work. It's a big let down. Conceptually it's great and the authors have chosen their models wisely. Likewise, the layout of the book is good. What lets this book down is the text: wordy, clumsy, imprecise and difficult to understand. It's not up to the FT's usual standards and I can't help but think it clipped through an editor's net. I give it 3 stars for the content selection alone and 0 stars for the text.
Meandering through Management, 05 Jun 2003
It’s a brave team that releases yet another text on management models in Britain in the midst of on-going heated debate about the UK’s preoccupation with management over leadership. That said, if you do want an easy-to-read, ready-reference manual that does provide a clear, succinct overview of influential management models today, this book by ten Have et al definitely deserves shelf space. This text of just 200 pages manages to squeeze in some 56 models without leaving the reader feeling exhausted by sheer weight of content. The book has a refreshingly practical orientation and avoids presentation of models as pure theory. The writers have helpfully defined their use of the term ‘model’ in the preface (p.ix) as: “a tool that can be employed to enable or enhance the daily functioning of both organisations and the managers within them, or to solve related problems.” The emphasis on tool, as an implement to create and change, is an implicit theme throughout this text. Each model is approached from 3 perspectives, moving the reader gently from the “What?” to the “So what?” These perspectives are: The big idea (i.e. the basic concept), When to use it (i.e. the kind of circumstances under which use of the model might be appropriate) and The final analysis (i.e. summary comments and critique). Certain chapters also have short case examples to illustrate the points covered although, in general, I found the case study material a bit too sketchy to add value. Design and layout are two of the book’s selling points, especially for managers who don’t have the time or inclination to work through erudite tomes of a more hefty nature. Its masterful use of text, symbols, diagrams and white space communicate a sense of clarity and confidence in the subject matter before the reader has even started to dig in. The language, too, is user-friendly and leaves the manager-practitioner feeling well informed and satisfied without any sense of bedazzlement or being patronised. I enjoyed the amusing comment on the back cover that reflected this point: “Management models…have two main purposes. The first is to provide a framework for improving business performance. The second is to help managers and management consultants get away with murder by intimidating the uninitiated with buzzwords and acronyms.” This book works hard to restore confidence and credibility in this latter respect. Overall, I was very impressed by the ability that ten Have et al have demonstrated in introducing and applying each model, especially for a book of this breadth and size. I will definitely recommend Key Management Models to fellow managers and consultants as one of those handy ‘flick-through’ books that help you maintain your bearings when getting your Maslows mixed up with your Mintzbergs. Marks out of 10? A good 8.
Fantastic service, 08 Aug 2008
This book arrived in fantastic condition considering it was advertised as used. Im very impressed. If books were sex this would be the one. Sorry for lowering the tone but im obsessed with books. An over enthusiastic teacher x x
Fantastic resource!, 26 Oct 2007
This book has been a fantastic resource for my MBA studies. It has helped me prepare both mid-term and final papers for the units which involve Project Management methodology.
The book not only explains in detail the PMI and PMBOK methodology but it explains the reasoning behind the key stages and elements of managing projects.
Thanks for a valuable resource which I shall continue to use not only in my studies but throughout my career in Project Management.
Lessons already learned?, 03 Jul 2004
Hmm. To be honest, I found the book a bit facile; I came to this having had my one-time cynicism about 'life-coaching' well and truly eroded both by good books, and a series of excellent face-to-face coaching sessions. But I do know that people don't necessarily respond like machines just because you push the right buttons, and (from bitter experience) people don't necessarily handle even the most skilful and careful encouragement and intervention, in the appreciative way they are supposed to do! This book makes it look so easy..... just change your approach and the world will run like a well-oiled machine. Also, I had hoped we had got beyond categorising people as ISTJs, ENFPs etc... deal with people as people, for crying out loud, don't fit them in boxes just to make yourself feel more comfortable. It doesn't get you very far. I'm thinking that many people would feel a bit patronised by being instructed to read this, while those who need to learn its lessons would never be convinced to read it anyway. But fundamentally it talks sense, so it gets _some_ stars from me.
Fastest learning in a while, 03 Apr 2003
This book follows Alex in his career progress whilst giving practical examples for coaching. Great reading for middle managers. The insight for each situation helps the reader grasp potential coaching situations - in and out of work - and each chapter has hidden messages of other coaching skills to use. I read this book in 4 hours and I really enjoyed it. You can do the exercises, refer to the theory, become absorbed in Alex's life and note parallels to your work politics or simply wryly smile at the cartoons in each chapter. Landsberg points out that accommodating individual differences is key; whatever your learning and reading style, much of the content should hit home.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 November, 2002, 27 Jan 2003
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
great for the new coach or manager, 22 Nov 2002
This was the first title I read when I became a coach and I found it to be the best introduction one could hope for.
It provides a step by step guide to the founding principles of coaching and is intelligently simple.
The tale of Alex that runs through the book made it an enjoyable read but I found it to be a rather artificial (Anyone who behaved as ineptly as Alex in the company I work for would have been sacked years ago).
Overall this book is a great introduction to business coaching but does not go far enough to be of value to those with experience in the role. I would suggest reading it when you start to coach and then give it to someone who would like to start to coach.
Mediocre and Behind the Times, 29 May 2002
This book, though first published in 1996 is apparently based on training sessions run by those well-known *consultants* McKinsey and co. way back in 1990. Have we really learnt nothing new about coaching in the course of the last 12 years? To be blunt, if you put this little book up against *some* of the latest publications on the subject you might conclude that we'd learnt nothing at all in that time. Unfortunately, for this author, "The Tao of Coaching" only stacks up well in comparison to the less significant entries in the coaching genre.
Compare it with the better books now available on Coaching, and this set of stage managed situations and mechanical solutions looks more like a book that has seriously LOST it's "Tao". Whilst there are undoubtedly a few good ideas here, the majority of the book - especially the author's tedious creation "Alex" (whose cloddish behaviour is used to illustrate the book's main points) - is tired, mediocre and totally unrepresentative of coaching in the new millenium. This *may* have been a welcome addition to the Coaching library when it was first published. Now it's just well past its sell-by date.
MBA antidote, 15 Aug 2007
Don't read this if you are looking for management recipes or prescriptions. If on the other hand you have found your other MBA textbooks and readers unchallenging, supported by flimsy evidence and littered with bold assertions, far too thick, and unreasonably expensive, read this and then pass it on. It challenges a lot of things and leaves you questioning what you have learnt. If you are still studying, will guarantee a few bonus points on that late essay.
Believe the blurb, 13 Oct 2005
This is a great book for getting to grips with the key concepts surrounding the study of organizations, without having to plough through hundreds of pages. The ideas are accessible but not simplistic. The author is argumentative and irreverent - you won't be in any doubt about his views - and his book is the perfect antidote to dry textbooks.
An excellent reference book - broad but not deep, 08 Nov 2008
Perhaps not so much a guide as a small and very focussed encyclopedia, this book lists 102 management ideas and 54 "gurus" and allocates two sides to each - including a short list of further reading. Carol Kennedy's 1991 book "Guide to the Management Gurus" gave a little more space to each guru, but was not perhaps so comprehensive.
Management ideas range from the "proprietary", where individuals can be attributed with their creation, e.g. "Six Sigma", "Balanced Scorecard", through fashions like "Management by Objectives" and "Mission Statement", to the nebulous - "culture", "leadership", "talent". Gurus include some you would expect under that heading - Frederick Taylor, Henry Mintzberg, Tom Peters and Michael Porter, and some that you might not - Dale Carnegie, C. Northcote Parkinson and E.F. Schumacher.
This is a great little book if you accept the limitations of its format. In the space available there is barely enough space to give the briefest summary, let alone a critique, but Hindle does his best. Everyone will point to names missing from the list of "gurus" - I would like to have seen David Maister or some other of those who have concentrated on professional service firm management mentioned, or John Adair for his work on leadership, but as ever we Brits can depend on Charles Handy carrying the flag - even if he's really Irish!
The short biographies include two or three "notable quotations", and from time to time Hindle manages an amusing turn of phrase himself. I was particularly amused by his comment on Tom Peters: "He peddled his theories of excellence with the exuberance and evangelistic zeal of a 19th-century cough syrup salesman."
Repetitive, 25 Nov 2008
Useful but very repetitive. It is not a bulky book but the material is repeated over and over again. It has lots of tables and bullet point lists, which seemed interesting but when I read them, generally 5 out of 10 bullet points said same thing in different ways, which was really fustrating as this wastes a lot of time
A much better book for project management is Head First PMP. All the Head First books I have read so far are excellent.
How to , 08 Jun 2006
Actually, the title of this book is somewhat misleading because Smith and Wheeler have as much of value to say about how to create an appropriate customer experience as they do about how to manage it effectively. In fact, the two are not only connected, they are interdependent. The ultimate objective is to establish an ever-increassing critical mass of customers who are "advocates" or as Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba would characterize them, "evangelists."
Obviously, customer relationship management (CRM) is a multi-stage process which begins with obtaining sufficient and relevant information about the target customer (or customer segments), proceeds through the design and implementation phases, continues with refinement and modification based on rigorous evaluation of CRM initiatives and measurement of their impact. Effective marketing creates or increases demand for whatever is offered whereas effective CRM ensures that "customer satisfaction" becomes "customer loyalty" which, eventually, becomes and remains "customer advocacy."
At this point, it is worth noting that, in several dozen research studies on what customers consider to be most important, three attributes were almost always ranked among the top five: feeling appreciated, convenience (i.e. easy-to-do-business-with or ETDBW), and perceived value. Cost? Depending upon which research study is consulted, it was ranked 9-14 in importance. By the way, Warren Buffett once observed something to the effect, "Cost is what you charge but value is what they think it's worth." Marketers and service providers would be well-advised to keep that in mind.
Credit Smith and Wheeler with providing a remarkably thorough analysis of how to manage the development of relationships with customers which evolve from their satisfaction to loyalty to advocacy. As Bernd Schmitt correctly notes in the foreword, "Towards the beginning of this book, the authors distinguish two key routes toward a Branded Customer Exerience: `experiencing the brand' and `branding the experience.' Experiencing the brand...begins with the brand, turns it into a promise, and delivers on it. Branding the experience is about creating an innovative experience for customers and then branding it.."
Starbucks offers an excellent example. Under Howard Schultz's leadership , the international chain of gourmet coffee shops demonstrates how to combine "excperiencing the brand" and "branding the experience." The result is that Starbucks has become, as Schultz proudly notes, not a "trend" but a "lifestyle." Perhaps no other organization treats its part-time employees treats better (both compensation and benefits) and they reciprocate with a consistency high level of service (both competence and cordiality) and thus function as - yes - advocates. According to Schultz, "What we've done is said the most important component in our brand is the emplopyee. The people have created ther magic. The people have created the experience." Appropriately, Schultz entitled his autobiography Pour Your Heart Into It.
One final point. Most organizations which have problems retaining valued customers probably also have problems retaining valuable employees. Hence the even greater relevance and value of what Shaun Smith and Joe Wheeler share in this book. Peter Drucker once observed, "If you don't have a customer, you don't have a business." There corollary to that insight: "If you don't employees who are competent and cordial as well as committed to the enterprise, you won't have any cuistomers."
Gets you thinking about a branded service experience, 08 Jan 2003
This book builds on the original thinking by Pine and Gilmore in the book "The Experience Economy" (also recommended) which sets out the ground-rules for making a service into an experience for the customer. Smith and Wheeler offer some good examples from companies like Richer Sounds, First Direct, Carphone Warehouse, Harley Davidson and Pret a Manger - loved the quote from CEO who said "greet the customer when they arrive, look them in the eye when you put the change in their hand, make sure you say something when they leave, but more than anything else, be yourself". That is really the essence of the book. On the downside the airline instances were less convincing. If you are after practical examples of companies who are winning in practice also check out the book "Customers that Count" I liked the idea that a brand is less about what is said in the ads and more about how they act with customers. The model of head, heart and hand is good - your employees must know what is expected of them (head), they must want to deliver the experience (heart) and they must have the skills, tools and empowerment to deliver (hands). The checklist on page 161 on creating a product experience is useful as is the customer touchline model on page 233.
A modern day business classic, 16 Dec 2002
If you are really serious about building a sustainable business and not just about achieving short-term targets, then Managing The Customer Experience is a must for you. Shaun Smith and Joe Wheeler have created a modern business classic. It is literally packed with practical tools and insights, stories and anecdotes and helpful advice; the toolkit itself is worth the cover price.
A "MUST READ" FOR USEFUL PRACTICAL EXAMPLES, 05 Nov 2002
Managing the Customer Experience is full of great practical examples and advice with a good mix of US and UK companies featured. I really saw the potential of Triad Power and now view the concept of customer experience as a whole company initiative as opposed to just led by Marketing or Customer Service. The appendix of tools at the back is invaluable. I definately recommend reading this in conjunction with Shaun's first book, Uncommon Practice as you can see how everyday simple practices can reinforce the experiences you provide customers.
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Customer Reviews
Management and Organisational Behaviour ..., 19 Mar 2008
This is an outstanding book to have in any executive library. It covers so much more than most other books, and I'd go so much as to say it is a must have / read for anyone studying management, or is on an MBA program, or is going into an executive post.
Well writen, covers topics clear and succinctly.
Money well spent.
Good Buy!, 14 Oct 2008
This book is a compact tool for a management student and maybe professional, very handy compact and packed with relevant details!
Great survey, but sometimes superficial, 04 Apr 2007
This 214 page book surveys 56 key management models (hence the title) in the fields of Strategy, Functional Processes, Organization, People and Behaviour and Primary Process. With that many models in those few pages, it's clear this is not going to be an in-depth treatment. The articles outline the key ideas and show the most important diagrams, as well as giving an assessment of the value of the model, under the headings of 'The Big Idea', 'When to use it' and 'The final analysis'.
Inevitably some of the concepts lend themselves better than others to this treatment. The article on the BCG matrix (question marks, cash cows, rising stars and dogs) encapsulates the idea and expresses it elegantly. The article on chaos theory is rather more sketchy.
This is a superb book for reminding you, in a handy volume, of the terminology and main ideas of management models that you already understand. It's also a good launching point for further reading, if you have the time to do this. Equally, if you are confronted with a model you are unfamiliar with in a meeting, you could quickly slip out (and break the tension, by saying "Excuse me, I just have to slip out for a -er- study break") and check out what the person is talking about.
On the other hand, this book is not a shortcut to understanding management theory. To be fair it is not marketed as such, but I suspect that a number of purchasers will be looking for that very thing.
Just a couple of final quibbles. 'Key Management Models' picks up on Mintzberg's Configurations and his Management Models, but not on his seminal 10 types of strategy, which seems an odd omission. Also, the spelling and general editing are not _quite_ up to the usual standards.
Worth having, though, if only as a quick reference to things you used to know.
Great for MBA students, 27 Oct 2005
I recommend this to any business student. Most of the main theoretical models are covered in enough dep | | |