Welcome to PAF 9120 and the class blog.
This summer I read Management Rewired, a recent addition to the popular management literature. Using the findings of neuroscience, Charles Jacobs provides another refutation of the managerial assumptions established at the turn of the last century that continue to dominate our present approach to management. Jacobs demonstrates that the functioning of our brains does not necessarily lead to straightforward rational responses. Rewards, for example, are always motivating, and feedback does not always change behavior. Our responses are dictated by past experience and our brains efforts to make new experiences conform to the ways we experience the world. Rewards may not hold unique meaning because they are expected, or we believe they are deserved. Inversely, feedback may threaten our sense of self and result in passivity or aggression. The net result is that how we manage and are managed are typically at odds with how we should manage and would like to be managed.
Jacobs’ challenge to managers is the need to rethink how we work with people if we are to be effective in our work. Although not grounded in neuroscience, this class raises the same sets of concerns. We need to understand why we default to authoritative control despite the efficacy of more participative modes of management. We need to understand the myriad ways to build participation into our management of organizations if we are to be successful.
Hello Professor Naries,Thanks for sharing and for the succinct book review. In my view,Mr. Jacobs hits the bull’s eye with this thought: “We need to understand the myriad ways to build participation into our management of organizations if we are to be successful.”
Yes!
Leading by serving others for example, is as good of a place to start as any. In fact, I would argue that the more committed a manager is to serving others, the more successful he or she ultimately is at managing. I look forward to class discussion !
“Your company really has to work for you before you’ll really work for your company.”
― Stan Slap
Hi class, here is some info on two nice readings you can futher research yourselves.Well worth your time.I can lend the cd-book “The goal” to those interested.
copy/paste below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goal_(novel)
http://books.google.com/books/about/Seeing_Systems.html?id=L9b_gojw_qwC
I totally agree with the comment by Stan Slap leading by exsmple is best way to show others that, as a manager one not only manages others, but is willing to put into practice what he or she is hoping to achieve.
R. Gordon-Brown
As a previous manager at a large company with many 2nd and 3rd level managers in place. It has been my experience that when you are able to be seen as upper management, and also as an integral part of the team (Human Resource frame- the family with leadership of empowerment) you get more positive results from the employees. When you are able to pitch in to make sure goals are met when in crisis, in most cases you gain respect as a team player, and the employees work harder knowing you are not above helping out.
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