Managing for Performance: Delivering Results Through Others [Paperback]

Managing for Performance is a must read for all those who lead teams and want to further improve and enhance their people skills.

The book is compact. The chapters are grouped together in modular structure, are very absorbing, rich in content and can be finished in a single sitting. This is also the sort of a book a manager would be strongly encouraged and inclined to consult again for future reference.

Part one is focused on understanding self and your team with special stress on motivation and "getting the best out of others." Towards this, very powerful frameworks are provided on how to map the motivational drivers of one's team and the reader is strongly urged to create a people performance plan. The section concludes with a complete chapter devoted to an insightful discussion on identifying and analysing performance issues in the workplace. Four "P" issues ie. Prima donna / Plateaued / Potential and Patchy performer types are presented and backed by some very relevant case studies.

Part two of the book devotes three whole chapters to "developing effective relationships" in the workplace. The core of the model is a "competences and skills map" that encompasses emotional intelligence and key skills of listening, questionning and creating rapport. The reader is guided through a self- assessment and a series of very informative sections on how to gain and develop useful insights on these key skills. The chapter that also follows is devoted to the three essential techniques of feedback, coaching and delegating which build upon the key skills discussed earlier. Models with a set of very useful frameworks are presented to guide and stimulate the reader's thought process and provide a means for putting the skills into practice. The section concludes with an all important chapter on planning and preparation for essential conversations with team members that form a part of every manager's busy schedule - performance reviews, interviews, coaching and counselling sessions.

The last part of the book has the reader assigned to three most compelling chapters on "building high-performing teams." Here again useful assessments and a host of frameworks are presented on managing and understanding team performance. There is excellent and in-depth coverage provided on issues related to team structure, team processes and team leadership and the reader is led to explore, assess and create a model and strategy for team success. Contemporary topics like managing virtual teams are also dealt with as also on the cross-cultural element in teams. A number of references are provided under each chapter for anybody wishing to explore the issues in greater depth.

The section on "building high-performing teams" also benefits from the author's on-going and in-depth research on leading complex teams at the Ashridge Business School, UK where she is a senior faculty member and which culminated in a report brought out on "Teams - Succeeding in Complexity" in 2006.

There are a good number of books on managing performance and interpersonal skills in the market today but "Managing for Performance" by Pam Jones stands clearly apart for it's very hands on and practical approach backed by amazing clarity in topic coverage and concepts.

All in all, the book is a primer on "interpersonal and people skills" and is a worthwhile investment.

A must read for the serious manager and also a valuable resource guide for HR professionals and the training fraternity.

One of the most useful books I have read in a long time. Motivating, developing and managing others in today's complex business environment can be pretty challenging and one often needs some new ideas to try out. Pam's book is full of practical and useful thoughts, ideas, tips and techniques for getting the best from others.

If you are interested in getting the best performance from yourself and your colleagues this book is a must read.

This is one of those books that feels like an interesting read at the time, and was certainly reasonably well written, but thinking back I'm not sure that I learnt much. The majority of the book was common sense with a few ideas and things to assess.