Break All The Rules

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"First, Break All the Rules:
What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently"

By Marcus Buckingham & Curtis Coffman

Published by Simon & Schuster, 1999--ISBN 0-684-85286-1

Reviewed by Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

This book examines how the greatest managers build stronger, more profitable companies by hiring for talent and then developing and retaining that talent. Based on interviews with over 1,000,000 employees and 80,000 managers over a twenty-five year period by the Gallup Organization.

Central to the book is the notion of talent as "a recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can be productively applied". For the authors, talent is something innate, that for the most part cannot be created by education, training or hard work. Great managers and, in turn, great organizations attract, focus and keep the most talented employees by assuring that employees can answer a resounding "YES" to the following twelve questions:

1.	Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2.	Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3.	At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4.	In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5.	Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6.	Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7.	At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8.	Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
9.	Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10.	Do I have a best friend at work?
11	In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
12.	This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

For these authors, these twelve questions are the simplest and most accurate way to measure the strength of a manager ,and in turn, the workplace. Additionally, great managers know and adhere to the following mantra:

-	People don't change that much.
-	Don't waste time trying to put in what was left out.
-	Try to draw out what was left in.
-	That is hard enough.

The bulk of the book is spent describing how great managers achieve a positive "YES" to these twelve questions and implement this four point mantra. What is interesting is that they do this by breaking the rules--going against what the literature and intuition would consider as conventional wisdom. E.g., don't treat people as you would like to be treated--treat each person as he would like to be treated bearing in mind who he is--don't worry about consistency--treat people differently--help them feel unique.

The "Four Keys" of great managers are:

1.	Select for talent...not simply experiences, intelligence, or determination.
2.	Define the right outcomes...not the right steps.
3.	Focus on strengths...not on weaknesses.
4.	Help employees find the right fit...not simply the next rung on the ladder.

Why be concerned with what great managers do? It has been documented that organizations will increasing be in a "War for Talent". The authors conclude: "An employee may join a company because she is lured by their generous benefits package and their reputation for valuing employees. But it is her relationship with her immediate manager that will determine how long she stays and how productive she is while she is there".

This is a practical, how-to book that caused me to rethink what we are teaching managers. A must read for potential and current managers as well as those tasked with creating and maintaining a world class organization.

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"First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently"

By Marcus Buckingham & Curtis Coffman

Published by Simon & Schuster, 1999--ISBN 0-684-85286-1

Reviewed by Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

"First, Break All the Rules:
What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently"