Great read, very useful in my job of a management consultant
347150
One of the best business books I have read. Short, concise and practical. It thoroughly explains the concept of a platform, its benefits, key success factors and risks. I already successfully used the concepts described there in discussions with clients. I sincerely recommend reading it!
1837921
I recently graduated with my MBA and started working at a large corporation. Freshly minted MBAs often have a stereotype as they enter a new company as being pompous and self-entitled. The practices in this book have guided me through this transition and have helped to fend off these stereotypes. The book not only provides a strategic approach on how to authentically lead in your organization, but it also gives you tactical tips on how to execute this strategy. I keep it at my desk as a guide.
1602163
I am no subject matter expert for what this book covers, which is HR management / personnel management / people management. However, in my job I often need to work closely with Heads of HR and CEOs. This book sets out clearly and consistently and without too much padding and puff many key concepts used in this area, which means I can contribute more to my clients. I recommend it highly for this purpose. I do wish the author would get a move on and make it available on Kindle -- he is a professor at London Business School, an institution which charges hefty fees for telling managers about how important technology is and how we must all adopt it, and then dinosaurs like this fellow flatly refuse to practice what their institution preaches.

"EPICTETUS"
3791274
It's often difficult to find texts regarding management theory specific to scientists and researchers; this book definitely fills that gap.

This book covers many of the base constructs of any general management reference (e.g., conflict resolution), but does so from a well-referenced and scientific-method oriented approach.  The author is careful to cite and explain the studies that underlie and justify her conclusions.  Personally, I find this book particularly useful in that it provides analyses of both the personality types of scientists, as well as the environments that they might find themselves in, and how one can (will) affect the other.  Scientists each have their own strengths and desires, and a manager must be careful not to award a new role outside of those (too easy to do if you want the same person to see through the start to end of a multi-year project with different phases).  Given that a laboratory environment (and its goals) is often so different from that of an office environment, this alone makes the book highly useful.  Also helpful is the author's use of case studies as a vehicle for enhancing understanding of the provided principles.  Check out the chapter list with Amazon's "Click to look inside" function.

This second version has new and expanded chapters, such as those relating to diversity, a section completely missing in the older, 1st edition.

4/5 stars - I believe the book would be improved by a reduction in price; also, the writing style is a little dry.
2151313
This is a great book on management with a lot of advice on various practices of a business from the point of view of a manager. It covers topics like role of managers, hiring, employee review process, compensation and practical advice to improve the business.

Andy Grove makes countless parallels to daily operation of a business using simple yet elegant examples and at the same time draws many references to his own work at intel.

It is a wonderfully composed book overall and highly recommended.
4415011
I picked up this book because I've had some frustrations at work and have been wrestling with what I might be able to do to help effect change, or even to better understand the situation I'm in. It's an easy read and has some great insights and advice. I especially appreciate the little 'in tweets" summaries of each chapter.

It's not necessarily earth-shattering stuff, but it's good things to think about, and has helped me think more about my own workplace.
1763290
I have read this book twice now. Once, around when it came out and a friend lent it to me on the beach. This time, I am actually working on some change management issues and wanted to re-read the book. I think it's much more readable and enjoyable than other change management books. The authors use a number of very helpful examples and their style is accessible and clear. I would recommend it for either purpose - an enjoyable business book or a reference when change is needed.
4368561
I highly recommend this book, especially for individuals just moving into management roles.  It is a good refresher for those promoting to a higher management level.
2453747
In the "New Boss", author Peter Fischer sets out a transition plan for moving into a new management role - a senior management position.  From the outset, he posits his seven building blocks of a successful leadership transition - Managing Expectations, Building Key Relationships, Analysing the Situation, Clarifying Objectives, Creating a Climate for Change, Initiating Changes and Using Symbols and Rituals.  All of these are eminently practical and from Fischer's perspective, quite applicable.  The one that I found particularly useful and is seldom covered in books of this nature - Using Symbols and Rituals.

The book is in two parts.  Part I outlines the seven building blocks and Part II has seven case studies.  Some of the case studies are written in the present tense which enables the reader to consider what he or she would do in this situation.  It also enables the author to outline the challenges and suggest ways to master them.  This is a nice way of involving the reader in the topic.

The book is well set out with plenty of diagrams (to provide overview and structure), good checklists and simple analytical tools, plus many short vignettes to illustrate points.  It is well written and the author is obviously very experienced in this field.

I thoroughly concur with Fischer's seven building blocks.  For me, the one that is still missing is one on "teams and groups".  As this book is written for senior managers, it would have been useful to have an explanation on leading and managing teams and/or groups.  That aside, the book is another excellent addition to the management literature.

I would recommend the book for senior executives and CEOs moving into a new role.  Although a novice manager would gain some insights from this book, it is really more suited to senior executives.

Bob Selden, author,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/What-To-Do-When-You-Become-The-Boss-How-new-managers-become-successful-managers/dp/1432714287/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers</a>
340675
I found Slice the Salami: Tips for Life and Leadership, very useful during several business scenarios where I was able to step back and re-asses a situation based on some of the lessons from the Book. I highly recommend this title for those who are both starting out in business (or other life events) as well as seasoned professionals.
3251468
This book was a joy to read and it provided very good examples and reasoning for doing certain tasks and tracking certain events.  During the time my company was going through some reatructuring I deciced to use this book as a guide and see how things go.  It went well.  Many of the planning and tracking tips were very useful.  The title suites it.  It's a manual for survival.  Not the definative book to get you through your PMP exam, but it will make things more organized for your day to day activities.
4596965
I read this book, not because I was concerned about being sued, but because I was looking for pointers to become a better manager, and it worked well on both counts. I liked this book much more than those written by executives describing their personal successes, because this book proposed a variety of scenarios from many angles. I could relate to many of the "deadly sins", was anxious to read the author's proposed solutions and wasn't disappointed with what I read. The book is very readable, very practical in its advice and isn't long-winded. The layout of each chapter is optimal as a "self-help" type of book to encourage follow through. I've already benefited from implementing a number of the author's ideas, and am anxious to re-read it for more. This one won't gather dust!
1094146
Jim Collins' books have shaped my own management practice substantially.  They do this because they are deep and practical and not merely anecdotal.  The technique he uses of making clear contrasts between companies (making management more scientific) is highly useful.

This book adds texture and substance to his earlier works in Built to Last and Good to Great.  It is both readable and re-readable...a true test of a good book.

I highly recommend this book to any management thinker in business or non-profits.
4053976
Erickson's "The Nomadic Developer" is slightly mistitled; I interpret the title to describe the life of an independent consultant more than life in a consulting firm; however, the author's preface describes exactly what the book is about. It is very easy to read and is very insightful.

I liked the "The Seven Deadly Firms" and found it a good characterization of reality. I also appreciate how the author differentiates between consulting and contracting. Erickson provides good advice on staying relevant from a technical perspective, surviving in a recession ("being overpaid is a curse", "billing work=good work", etc.), no-no's, and the internal management structure. At first I was put off by the author's turning the narrative over to various colleagues for commentary, but in the end, I felt it worked pretty well. I really enjoyed the last chapter, or rather the appendix, "A Consulting Lexicon"; it's not just a rehash of definitions but new content that is both comical and relevant - you can find definitions of come-to-Jesus meetings, FDD (faith-driven-development), purple squirrels, and vampires.

As a sometime consultant and as an IT manager (and thus a consumer of services from consulting companies), I found the book correctly captured much of what I have seen empirically. This book will be more appreciated by those newer to IT, because if you have been in the industry a decade or so, you have already lived through most of it.

I was hoping for a little more information on how consulting companies engage with clients, but that was not the book's focus.

Shannon Gaw
[...]
3784028
Thoughtful, well structured, very meaningful for a sales manager of any level or seniority. As a management consultant, my go-to reference for clients.
4798218
Tom Peter's casual style makes the reading of  this book enjoyable, entertaining and provides useful tips that provide managerial tools to face different circumstances.  The book brakes with the traditional format and  provides a glimpse of younger and less formal managerial styles and their  applications in real life in order to achieve one's objectives.  Most of  the ideas and suggestions are definitely applicable for both the domestic  and international scenarios for managers of all ages.
88929
I found this book very helpful in framing up what talent management and succession planning are all about....really is a 30-minute read and provided me many practical ways to describe to my internal customers what is involved and how to make the actions and tasks associated with these processes practical and useful.  A complex and confusing topic has been drilled down to its essential elements by Doris Sims.

I often find myself searching for "business, operations-related" examples of why talent and succession management are important and this book provided me with a number of them to use.  This quick read also provided me with information that I can share with internal customers to gain their interest and commitment to developing staff and preparing for future staffing needs.

I would recommend this book to business leaders, of course, but also recommend it to implementers of talent and succession management processes - makes you proud of your contributions in this important arena.