Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed
- By Ben Simonton.
A Book Review by Peter A Hunter
If your competitor has read this book and you have not, don't even think about what to do next,
The Whats, Whys and Hows of Achieving Productivity Gains Through Freeing People From The Bondage Of Following.
The subtitle of the book leaves us without any doubt as to the contents but does little to make the casual reader aware of the massive significance of this book.
This book is awesomely well researched with a logical progression that takes us from the current status quo through the stages needed to arrive at a new way to manage people.
Using a surgically perceptive analysis of the post war US economy Ben compels us towards the launch platform for his alternative view.
Ben blames in part the acceptance that the arrogance of a boss is the sign of a good leader.
The analogy being likened to the arrogance that created a great country when there was no competition to measure greatness against, and the surprise the great suffered when they realised that they were not.
How difficult it is to blame ourselves when we can point the finger at someone else, and how at the same time it is impossible to learn if we cannot accept our own fallibility.
How to Unleash the Power of People is effective and compelling, there is never any doubt that we are being exposed to a radical proposition against which there is no logical argument.
Having read this book I would be very surprised if the reader can think of a single counter to Ben's propositions.
Ben says that giving orders to subordinates constitutes the weakest and most destructive action which any boss can take.
A statement backed by impeccable logic that goes on to tell us why rewards and disciplinary action do not act as motivators and shows us how much greater an issue motivation is than the carrots and sticks that cloud the real issues.
This book is about changing the way that people feel about coming to work.
When was the last time that your team could be described as proud and happy on Monday morning.
Ben shows us how and why they could be.
He talks about the inverted pyramid as a management strategy, not as a good idea to try if you have the time but as an inevitable consequence of valuing and respecting people.
The boss becomes the supporter of his people and not their manager.
Ben says that "Turned 0n" people figure out how to beat the competition, "Turned Off" people only complain about being beaten by the competition.
He asks quite rightly how we can afford to turn off a single one of our people and is very specific about what needs to happen to create what he terms a five star ("Turned On")employee. He is equally specific about what is missing that prevents that five star performance.
The biggest revelation is that the problem does not necessarily lie with the employee.
The way the manager treats that employee creates or destroys his ability to perform at the 5 star level.
When the manager gets it right the workers become valued team players rather than frustrated beggars eager for scraps from the bosses table.
Ben recognises that if you treat someone like a beggar that is what they will become.
If someone is treated as if they have value, they will become valuable.
The beggar is not at the bosses table because of what he is.
He is there as the result of the way he has been treated.
Ben concludes modestly that there are very few original ideas in this book.
He may be right, but I would suggest that those there are, are of massive importance in every aspect of business life.
If your competitor has read this book and you have not, don't even think about what to do next,
Read this book then stop worrying about being an impressive individual and start to consider how you can help others to be effective.
Peter A Hunter
Author – Breaking the Mould
www.breakingthemould.co.uk