Early Reviews of "Management Areas of Performance"

Mark Graham Brown

"Large government and corporate organizations continue to spend money on canned or custom-developed leadership programs that fail to produce effective managers. This book presents a proven methodology for determining the specific management competencies needed for success in your own organization. By using this approach, based on studies of your most effective managers, you will build the foundation of a program that will allow you to select and train a large cadre of effective managers and leaders."

John Coné

"One of the great strengths of the book is that it is NOT about competencies. You make an outstanding point that there is more to the job than just possessing (or even exhibiting) competencies.

I really liked the book. Now, I have to be honest with you - it surprised me that I did. I have never been a fan of "workbook" type books that require me to do a lot of introspection and homework. Maybe that's because I'm lazy, or maybe because they require me to accept the models in the book as I go along rather than deciding after I have read it all how well they will apply to my world. Whatever the case, when I saw how your book was organized, I figured I wouldn't like the format and then I'd have to figure out how to tell you that.

But it didn't happen that way.

I think it is because of the way the book is organized, and perhaps also because you keep things relatively simple. You don't ask me to buy into a complicated and unusual model; but one that is pretty straightforward and logical. I also think that using the technique of directing people to the chapters that apply to them the most (as you do in Chapters 4 and 18, for example) prevents us from having to slog through work that we are not sure goes to the heart of our concerns. That is a brilliant move, and I wish more authors used the approach.

Thanks for the chapter summaries. They keep the reader on track and tell us what you as the author think are the key points of each chapter. The intros also do a great job of keeping us oriented.

The book reads easily and is very clear and concise."

Judy Hale

"I do like the way you have grouped the areas of performance. You have developed a useful tool and process to help identify, define, and evaluate managerial competencies."

Margo Murray

Joe Sener

Darlene Van Tiem

"Tremendous performance management tool! Competence is key to inspiring, challenging, and coaching employees. Every leader should require Management Areas of Performance as part of a performance assessment empowering their managers to develop competencies, thus improving competitiveness and organizational effectiveness.  

Comprehensive, well organized, and motivational.

Actually, I think that it is a terrific succession planning, career development, and employee development piece. You have presented, in detail fashion, the full set of competencies. You have not glossed over issues and made it a simple book."

Frank Wydra

"I like where you are going with Management Areas of Performance and I believe it will prove a useful workbook for many who are trying to move beyond training and development and into the bright, glowing work of human performance technology. You can quote me on that, if you so choose."