Managing (Financial Times Series) [Paperback]

Few if any writers get close to what managing is really about as Mintzberg does in this book. If you are looking for an insight into the "real world" of the manager, this book is worth reading.

The thoughtful and considered way that the author gets his points across is a contrast to the analytical style/MBA orientation of Business schools. For example he devotes space to dealing with the performance management culture, so dominant over the past 10-12 years, and its drawbacks.

Mintzberg sets out a comprehensive model of management practices. His model describes three planes that represent where managing takes place, these are:

* The information plane.

* The people plane.

* The action plane.

The last chapter - "managing effectively" brings together a lot of good quality material, from the book into a framework for management effectiveness. (Page 200) This provides a guide that you can apply in your existing or future contexts.

This framework is the basis for the " International Masters in Practising Management." If I was able to have my time again, I would certainly attend this programme.

I have personally - extensively used Mintzbergs work/ideas, for example in designing and running a wide range of management short courses and management development/qualification programmes, for large numbers of managers. I found that delegates, gave the application of his ideas/approach to their own situations a very positive reception.

This book revisits his original work - "The nature of managerial work" - 1973 - which a lot of people, believe has withstood the passage of time and is still very relevant today. This update of his earliar material, is based on a sample of 29 managers. Mintzberg has used this to produce some excellent insights, of great value to the reader. My only criticism is that the study/sampling exercise took place some years ago. The author could have done a further, more recent piece of work to update this. However this does not really detract from a very good approach which has some really profound insights.

Think about it, current and recent experience, so loved by recruiters, is not always the best eg RBS/Merchant Bank failures. This guys work is going to stand the test of time, as it has done for 3-4 decades. Next time you buy a "quick fix" management book, why not read this at the same time. You might shift your views of what actually works!

The content of the book has many points that provide reasons for buying it eg:

* The Inescapable Conumdrums of Managing - chapter five. Table 5.1 sets them out. Most people know that managing is full of tensions and competing pressures. This chapter really gets into this difficult area and is fascinating stuff. It is worth buying the book for this chapter alone.

* The questions for "self study" (page 211) are a very powerful tool to enhance your performance as a manager.

* The layout of the book itself is useful for the reader, in that key points are highlighted in bold text. This helps those under time pressure, to quickly focus on what is important to them. It also provides for speedy review of key points, after you have finished the book.

I would highlight that from Mintzbergs study of 29 practising managers the one factor that stands out as being the most influential is the the Organizational context (eg effective Organizational design.) See page 100. This covers things such as the form of organization and age, stage of development, size in terms of of its impact on managers. For more on this subject, which is key to organizational success, but neglected by academics/consultants, see my reviews of:

- Designing dynamic organizations.

- Designing your organization.

In summary - effective management is more complex than many writers put forward in their work. Mintzberg breaks down the subject in a way that I think you will find helpful. If you are looking for a more straight forward/ simple style of getting things done at the expense of more depth/insight try:

* Simply Effective - how to cut through complexity in your organization and get things done. By Ron Ashkenas. Harvard Business Press 2010.

This book would appeal to those who find Mintzbergs book a little "vague" to quote the only more negative review I found on the US Amazon website.

Stan Felstead - Interchange Resources - UK.

Managing, believes scholar Henry Mintzberg, is different from leading. To study which skills are essential to good management, Mintzberg spent an entire day one-on-one with 29 managers from different kinds of organizations and from different sectors - including banking, retail, filmmaking, government, nonprofits and healthcare. Mintzberg looked at managers who worked in the executive suites as well as on the front lines. He learned that although managers differ considerably in their activities, the skills they need are surprisingly similar. Although quite general and not entirely new, getAbstract recommends this comprehensive guide to managers, executive placement experts, consultants, students and others who wish to get back to basics and to develop the traits essential to becoming an effective, able manager.

Over the past year I have probably read over 15 books on leadership all of them published by great others and publishers. Nothing kind of struck me as very practical and I always felt something was missing. Until I bought the book by Henry Mintzberg. I have not seen a book so practical explaininng how managing should be like this. I think this is the best book I have read and would strongly recommend it in classes teaching management. Whether you are seeking to further understand the complexity of management or you are in a position where you have to design management development programs this is the book. It is the best book I have read so far on management.
It gives you the great insights of Henry Mintzberg in one book.