|
Book Review: The Soft Edge
Soft Skills in Supply Chain Management
By Darryl Legault
Leadership Through People Skills
Robert Lefton and Victor Buzzotta
McGraw-Hill, 2004
Hardcover, 231 pages
Cdn$31.95
The Transparency Edge
Barbara and Elizabeth Pagano
McGraw-Hill, 2004
Hardcover, 221 pages
Cdn$28.95
To be successful in today's world, both personally and professionally, it isn't enough to be technically competent. In this age of cross-functional teams and team-based working, people skills and credibility are a must. For this review I look at two texts: Lefton and Buzzota's Leadership Through People Skills and Pagano and Pagano's The Transparency Edge.
Lefton and Buzzota's book is an excellent starting point to explore inter-personal dynamics. Both authors hold doctorate degrees and are very experienced authors and consultants who work with senior executives and organizations internationally. The text is based on applications of the dimensional model of behaviour adapted by organizations internationally.
According to the authors, the dimensional model of behaviour is designed to help managers do the following:
- ensure new ideas are well received and strategies are well executed;
- gain greater commitment from all employees;
- make more productive team decisions;
- and more.
Lefton and Buzzota state that people skills is an umbrella term for four related sets of skills: sizing up, communication, motivational skills and adaptive skills.
The text takes the reader from their current management styles (in general, with their subordinates and with their peers and bosses) to developing Q4 ('dominant-warm') leadership strategies. The authors assert that in the long run Q4 leadership gets better results and is more productive than the leadership styles explored in the other quadrants.
There are also tools for the reader. The authors link motivation needs with job goals in one of many decision-making grids found in the text.
The theory presented required a fair amount of reflection. This is most likely not a text that you will sit and read through all at once. While the authors do an excellent job of clearly detailing the various models and theories of organizational development, behavior and strategy presented, the revelations do force the reader to consider their application.
I found Leadership Through People Skills to be of enormous benefit in not only identifying my own management style, but those of others as well. For performance-centered managers and those who aspire to be, this text is a must. Both the writing style and presentation is very lean, following much of today's management focus.
The Best Policy
As the liner notes to Pagano and Pagano's The Transparency Edge explain, the book deals with credibility and how it can make or break you in business. The authors further support a clear, open business policy as a powerful management tool.
The text outlines how to be honest about every business situation, make others want to share important information with you, compose yourself in stressful situations, match your words to actions, enhance your reputation even when you make mistakes, deliver bad news and more.
The research that supports these objectives is extremely revealing for managers, from the most senior to the most junior. Percentage answers to tough questions are found in bold throughout the text. Several chapters end with a checklist and/or self-test. The self-tests are of particular interest as they come with two grids: one titled How do you think you're doing and the second What might others think. The questions are reminiscent of a corporate 360-degree evaluation, where your superior(s), peers and subordinates provide confidential feedback on how you rate on a series of behaviours.
One chapter that will be of particular benefit to many readers is titled Deliver bad news and do it well. It includes a list of 11 things we tell ourselves to avoid giving bad news and ends with Being transparent in tough situations.
2004 has thus far been an excellent year for management texts that read well and contain a wealth of research to support the theory presented. I consider both of these books to be members of this select group.
In my next column I will review fellow Canadian Jim Hayhurst's second book, Where Have I Gone Right? b2b
Darryl Legault CFPIM, C.P.M., C.P.P., F.CIM, FRM, P.Log, PCMH is the past president (2001-2002) of La Corporation des Approvisionneurs du Quebec (CAQ), the Quebec institute of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC). Please visit his web site at: http://darryl-legault.tripod.com.
|
