Bill's Book of the Month: "First, Break All the Rules" by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

Are you a member of a great team, organization, or company?

If your answer to that question is "yes," then the reason you can answer "yes" is because of great people. The next question I have for you is, "What attracts and keeps the best and most talented people as members of a great team, organization or company?" The answer to that question is simple. Great managers! And that's the focus of "First, Break all the Rules" - a book by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman that offers some tremendous insights into what it means to be a great manager.

This book is certain to give any manager a lot to think about. Through empirical research conducted by the Gallup Companies based on over a million interviews of employees across a broad range of companies, industries, and countries, Buckingham and Coffman analyze the critical role of managers with respect to success and achievement. I have chosen to highlight this book in this newsletter because it relates so closely to this month's "Coach's Corner" article about how to give effective feedback.

The reason I say this book gives a manager a lot to think about is because research shows that managers play an extremely crucial role in retaining and getting the most out of a company's employees. A person may initially be attracted to a company because of compensation, generous benefits, a charismatic leader, a great reputation or the opportunity to work for a company in an emerging and exciting new industry. However, the quality and length of an employee's tenure - as well as their productivity -- is greatly influenced by their immediate manager. The authors' research makes the point that, "People don't leave companies, they leave managers." The authors go on to say that research shows that employees will forgo a range of perks that range from profit sharing to seated massages if they have a manager who states clear expectations, knows them, trusts them and is interested in them.

Another very important theory the book explores (based on extensive research) is the concept of talent. Buckingham and Coffman describe "talent" as a recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can applied productively. The authors also define "skills" and "knowledge," and differentiate these two concepts from talent. They explain how skills and knowledge are transferable between people, but are only situational. When faced with unanticipated events and changes, the power of an employee's skills and knowledge is diminished. However, talent is transferable between situations. If you have a talent of competiveness, any situation, game or contest will bring that talent out. The book also brings and addresses an issue that I struggled with personally as a manager. Is it better to try and improve the areas where your employees are weak and do not display great amounts of talent, or is it better to focus on further improving the areas where they have demonstrated talent? I'll be the first to admit that during the years I spent as a manager, I spent more time considering and trying to help employees improve areas of opportunities, and spent less time on areas in which they had demonstrated talent. How about you?

Even after reading this book, I must admit that I'm still no longer sure which approach is best. I'm always inclined to root for the underdog. I know that my own personal experiences have lead me to believe that people can overcome any deficit with hard work and commitment. At the same time, at least when it comes to situations in the workplace, the authors of this book have come to the conclusion that trying to develop talent for strategic planning, for example, in a person who hasn't demonstrated that talent is a waste of time - and they present extensive, comprehensive and convincing research to support this view. The authors' primary premise is clearly the view that "People don't change that much, so don't waste time trying to 'put in' what was 'left out' of the person's skill set." Instead, they argue, "Draw out what was 'left in,' because that's hard enough." The authors are not saying that training and education programs are a waste of time, but rather that you have to match the education and training to the individual and his or her talents.

There are three major aspects of this book that I believe make it so effective. The authors make the book relevant in business terms by basing their findings on research and support their arguments by offering examples of real managers discussing these theories and how they have (or have not) applied them within their company or organization. Also, the book defines "healthy" organizations in real business terms; productivity, profit, employee retention and customer satisfaction. Two other key aspects of the book are a 12 step questionnaire and a look at the concept of talent development.

The questionnaire was developed as a result of the authors' research, and completing the questionnaire yourself will give you a very good indication of the health of your own company, organization or team. It takes you through the 12 questions in a very strategic way - with one question building on another. The questionnaire also looks at the nuances that may apply to different organizations and industries with respect to the questions.

The authors then proceed to use the questionnaire to discuss how to identify and develop talent. Buckingham and Coffman offer "the Four Keys," and explain how managers can use them to maximize the talent of their employees. (The Four Keys are "Select for Talent," "Define the Right Outcomes," "Focus on Strengths," and "Find the Right Fit.")

The book also explores the distinction between a "manager" and a "leader." You've probably heard the expression that, "Managers do things right, and leaders do the right thing." Although the book only briefly addresses this question, it does explore this distinction throughout the entire book. The authors share their belief that managers aren't "mini-leaders or executives 'in waiting.'" In fact, great managers aren't automatically going to be great leaders, and vice versa. These two roles require very different skills. A great manager looks inward at each individual to release that person's unique talent, while a great leader looks outward. A great leader looks at what the competition is doing, and looks out to the future and alternate courses of action and at "the big picture."

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book if you are managing a team, or running an organization or company. There is no question how important people are to the success of any company, and this book very effectively shows how managers can develop their company's talent, leading to the company's overall success.