How to manage people at work - FREE ebook

This book is about winning in the business world by superb handling of people.
It covers the philosophies and values which are fundamental to the way in which we behave towards others, and offers some help in developing appropriate skills and techniques for handling specific kinds of situations. But the over-riding theme is care - care for yourself and for the others in your life.
Any business consists of four main systems.
The first of these is the technical system, which includes everything to do with production.
Then there is the social system, the way that people relate to each other in the organisation - including customers and suppliers as well as managers and employees.
Thirdly, there is the administrative system, which has to do with the way information flows around the organisation.
Finally, there is the strategic system, which is how power is distributed among the people in the organisation.
Any given problem has its basis in one of these systems, but probably has an effect on all four. The trick is to find out in which system the root cause of the problem is to be found, and to devise a solution which treats it in the context of that system.
An administrative fix for a problem in the technical system will not work. A problem in the technical system needs a technical fix, not an administrative, social or strategic one.
The purpose of this book is to examine the social system and to suggest ways of dealing with the problems which arise in it. There are big differences between managing processes and managing people. But a great deal of what goes wrong with the processes is because the people whose job it was to carry the processes out were not managed correctly.
The book is organised into three main sections.
The first section deals with you - how you can take control of your life and prepare yourself for influencing others in a positive, healthy and constructive way. It shows you how to set and attain personal goals in your work and life generally, how to manage your time so that you can achieve everything you want to do and be, and how to handle the factors which cause you stress.
The second section deals with the care of others, whether colleagues, customers or family, and how you can influence the way other people with whom you come into contact feel about you and your organisation.
The third section concentrates on your relationships with subordinate staff and how, by helping them to develop and grow, you benefit your organisation and yourself.
Each section includes a list of further reading which will be helpful to those who wish to pursue particular aspects in greater depth.
I wanted to produce a book which would be easily read by busy managers and supervisors, who might like something to help improve their management of people but do not want anything too heavy to burden their few spare hours. As management books go, it is light reading and I have tried very hard to keep it relevant and free of jargon. Of course I have drawn heavily from my own experience as a manager and as a consultant.
I hope you enjoy the book and find it offers a pleasant, helpful and fairly painless path to achieving your personal potential for a rich, full life.
Just a quick explanation - my name was Anne Evans when the original book was published, but I have remarried and now go by the name of Anne Clarke.