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 Find It And Read It
If you've ever watched a furniture salesman describe an invisible sofa to a blind person, then you have a pretty good idea of the average corporate leadership seminar. Everything sounds great, but the first time the attendee stretches out in front of a ball game, there's trouble.
The authors of Lost and Found understand this well, and instead of slapping together another forgettable binder full of diagrams and shop-worn quotes, they've structured a highly readable story that illustrates key managerial concepts in a clear and memorable fashion. It is hard to imagine anyone who has labored in the corporate vineyards not understanding and empathizing with Larry Parks, a man who has backed himself into a corner because he spreads himself too thin, would rather do it himself than teach someone else, and fails to understand the distinction between true leadership and dictatorship.
Through experience that is often entertaining and frequently less than pleasant, Larry gets a dose of his own medicine. The result is beneficial for everyone involved. Unlike almost every other work of its type, Lost and Found stands on its own legs as a book, the result of thoughtful structuring and exceptional writing. From the standpoint of a managerial tool, a document designed to help fledgling (and experienced) managers grow beyond their limitations and adopt a higher understanding of leadership, it is at the head of the class.
Pass It Around to your managers
This is an outstanding parable on leadership, written in a format that is easy to read and difficult to put down. Its a primer for those new in management/leadership, and a refresher course for those of us that have spent a lifetime doing so. I'm getting copies for all of my managers.
Outstanding Fable on Leadership for New Technical Managers
Everyone who has worked with engineers has noticed how hard it is for people who are very good at this work to become effective managers. It's almost as though the skills that make a good engineer can get in the way of becoming a good manager. But when a company is ready to select a new engineering manager, who do they pick? Why, an outstanding engineer, of course!Years ago, most of these new managers were thrown into the fray with little training or mentoring. Today, that seldom happens. Instead, training courses and mentoring are almost always available. Yet, despite having more help, many new engineering managers continue to fail. Lost and Found is aimed at providing additional perspective and information to help great engineers become great engineering managers. Yet many new engineering managers may not want to read a "fable" about doing their jobs better. I hope they will suspend their skepticism long enough to give this outstanding fable a chance to help them. Business fables usually don't work for engineering managers. First, they don't talk about working on technical projects. Second, they are often so simple as to seem insulting to an educated professional. It's like being asked to read Alice in Wonderland in order to manage better. Third, the situations don't provide any "aha's" based on general experiences. Fourth, the directions are often limited to one way to get the job done. Lost & Found overcomes all of those problems. Larry Parks has all of the best and worst characteristics of new engineering managers . . . and receives training, feedback and mentoring that just don't strike him as relevant. But as his project spins increasingly out of control and behind schedule, he realizes that something has to give. His family and his boss are both disappointed in him. As a result, he's given a chance to take time off to get his thinking sorted out. During that time off, he begins to experience the consequences of all the worst parts of his own management style . . . and tries out better ways to do things that allow him to enjoy better results. The lessons are summarized simply as a Leadership Credo of: "My Team Needs to KNOW 1. Do I have a clear view of the future I am trying to create, and does my team share that view? My Team Needs to GROW 2. Are my team members more valuable to each other, to the company, and to themselves today than they were a year ago? My Team Needs to OWN 3. Do the people on my team perform like hired hands or as if they're partners in business with me?" In the story, Larry comes back to the office and uses these principles to turn his project around and improve his career. While all of this is happening, Larry's mentor (who could be poster boy for how not to manage -- using Theory X) sees his career crash and burn. The lesson isn't lost of Larry. After the fable is over, the authors do a fine job of providing brief guidance on other methods of working with a team to apply these three principles. I would be surprised if I will ever read a business fable as good as this one for its intended audience. I recommend it without reservation. As I finished the book, I began to realize that most business books would be more helpful if the authors focused more narrowly on a particular type of reader . . . rather than trying to help everyone in the same way. I hope these authors will write more fables, and aim them at other specific audiences that need help making the transition into effective management.
Good Theory / Good Practice / Good Story
Since One-Minute Manager in 1983, embedding business advice into fictional narrative has become a pervasive formula. Unfortunately, the "plot" of such books too often consists only of a young protoge (surrogate for the reader) getting advice rom a wise mentor (surrogate for the writer). Lost and Found is different. Its plot is multilayered and compelling, and its characters more than just one-dimensional mouthpieces for reader and writer. Like other Sussman/Deep offerings, Lost and Found has sound content, presented clearly and tightly. This book, written along with Alex Stiber, takes the Sussman/Deep canon in a fruitful new direction. I'll be recommending this book to clients.
Lost & Found
I very much enjoyed this book. Written in a "story" form, Lost & Found clearly illustrates core leadership values. From the beginning chapter, 'Why Me?' to the final entitled, 'Out of the Woods', the book's primary character, Larry Parks embarks upon a journey that many of us have either witnessed in others or have taken ourselves. Dr. Sussman and his co-authors have composed a classic that should be read by every individual in a position of leadership or who aspires to be a leader. I have purchased copies of Lost & Found for 12 others in my organization and have had rave reviews from everyone. Please do yourselves a favor and puchase this book; better yet purchase additional copies and give to your friends and colleagues.
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