The classic bestseller on performance management is updated to reflect changes in today's working environment. When an employer needs to know how to gain maximum performance from employees, renowned behavioral psychologist--Aubrey Daniels is the man to consult. What has made Daniels the man with the answers? His ability to apply scientifically based behavioral stimuli to the workplace while making it fun at the same time.
Now Daniels updates his ground-breaking book with the latest and best motivational methods, perfected at such companies as Xerox, 3M, and Kodak. All-new material shows how to: create effective recognition and rewards systems in line with today's employees want; Stimulate innovations and creativity in new and exciting ways; overcome problems associated with poorly educated workers; motivate young employees from the minute they join the workforce.
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Fads, Fantasies, and Fixes
What if American management, after all these years of trying, has been
dead wrong about how to manage effectively? What if the latest
celebrated management theory is just another quick fix, destined to reap
only short-term gains and produce long-term frustration? What if the
only people benefiting from this cycle of hypothetical theories are the
management gurus promising "the answer" to companies so desperate for a
management approach that works, they're willing to try anything?
In 1971, Professor Joe Bailey of the University of Texas said that "...
the half-life of all panaceas in the educational and business worlds is
seven years, plus or minus two." (Training Magazine, April 1993.)
I believe that in the last half of the 1990s the time frame has shrunk
to about 18 months. And with the new computer technology promising "new
and better" every six months or so, the temptation to jump from one
solution to the next -- or many all at once -- is even greater.
As the temporary impact of each fad wears off, no longer producing the
kind of changes expected and promised, many executives drop the old and
charge off in search of the new -- and currently "hot" -- management
theory. As years pass, approaches such as "situational analysis,"
"Theory Z" cross-functional teams, and quality management fade from
memory and take their places in the graveyard of departed management
systems.
The cycle of temporary answers continues because most approaches to
management are never rooted in anything more substantial than limited
observations, in limited settings, over limited time periods. The lesson
American management steadfastly refuses to learn is that managing by
emotions, perceptions, or common sense is not really managing at all.
Leaders also refuse to accept the fact that people-- the very engine of
the business machine -- cannot be ignored or treated as expendable
parts. Human performance is not a factor in a complicated equation for
business success; it is the answer to the equation.
We all selectively perceive and retain experiences and information. We
then evaluate and interpret them from a base of previous experiences and
perceptions. With all of these individual variables, it's obvious that
those who manage only from personal experience, and the thoughts and
feelings that accompany that experience, are subject to unpredictable
results. Today's business environment demands a much more precise
approach -- one that produces consistent results; one that is based on
science, not opinion. My concern is that business leaders will continue
to treat management as a mysterious, somewhat personal art form.
Management folklore, such as "management by exception," "management by
objectives," "thriving on chaos," and so on, will continue to delay the
progress of American business.
One recent management book, for example, likened organizational
leadership to leading a jazz band because "... good jazz, like good
business, requires strong leaders and strong players." The leader
"chooses the music, picks the players, and performs for an audience."
This analogy holds true to a point, but good business is not an
orchestral production or a Broadway show, well-scripted and
choreographed. Rather, it is an ongoing process requiring constant
vigilance and diligence to meet the demands of an ever-changing and
unpredictable marketplace.
Preface to the Second Edition.
Preface to the First Edition.
Acknowledgments to the Second Edition.
Acknowledgments to the First Edition.
Part 1. The Perils of Traditional Management.
Fads, Fantasies, and Fixes.
Management by Common Sense Is Not Management at All. Louder, Longer, Meaner.
Part 2. The Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement.
Behavior Is a Function of Its Consequences.
The ABCs of Performance Management.
The High Price of Negative Reinforcement.
Capturing Discretionary Effort Through Positive Reinforcement.
Decreasing Behavior - Intentionally or Otherwise.
Effective Delivery of Reinforcement.
Part 3. The Scientific Approach to Leadership.
Pinpoint Precision.
The Effective Use of Measurement.
Performance Feedback.
A Model for Problem Solving.
Part 4. Turning Good Intentions into High Performance.
Goal Setting to Shape Behavior.
The Missing Link in Quality.
Teams and Empowerment.
Turning Downsizing into Rightsizing.
Compensation and Performance Appraisal.
Part 5: Revitalizing the Workplace.
Performance Management: The Executive Function.
Accelerated Learning: Teaching More with Less.
Increasing Creativity and Managing Change.
Managing the Nintendo Generation and Beyond.
Thank God It's Monday - Celebrating Work.
