Everyone's a Genius - so get to ideating now!

"Everyone's a Genius:  Simple Tips to Boost Your Brilliance Now" by Jen Fraser is a gem of a book.  Although the book is short, the results and effects of the book can have rewards long into the future.  Lot's of tips thrown at you in an organized way, but at machine gun rate - are mixed in with quotes and challenges from the author.  I did try one of her techniques, because I just "knew" that I had another book in me.  I woke up in the morning with the entire outline of the book plotted out in my head and wrote it down as quickly as I could.

There is a saying that if reading motivational books were effective, then why are there so many.  Shouldn't people be able to read just one and then be good?  They point to that as if it were a failure of self help books.  Well, I guarantee those people take showers every day.  Why?  because the benefits of the last shower they took eventually wear off. 

Everyone needs to have some words of wisdom occasionally to help guide them, or better yet expand their horizons.  "Everyone's a Genius" does just that.

This book should be in everyone's library who has run into obstacles from time to time.  In other words - it needs to be in everyone's library!

Thank you Jen Fraser for putting together this wonderful resource!

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Keeping it "simple" keeps your customers coming back

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Doug Lescoe makes a strong case for making things easy in a short book titled "Will a Rival's Better Quality UI (User Interface) Suddenly Destroy Your Business?"

Lescoe is obviously a KISS fan.  No, not the rock band (that may be true, however), but the "Keep It Simple Stupid" acronym.  You see, Lescoe has finally validated my pent up frustration all these years.  It's not that I am stupid.  The issue is that User Interface (the screen on webpages that customers see) makes total sense to the people who create it.  This then goes to other like minded people for review - and all of sudden you could have a Havard Social Sciences experiment in "Group Think".

The book is a short, one-sitting read - but when your argument is as sensible and logical as "make it easy and they will come", there isn't a need for a long drawn out diatribe trying to impress the reader.  In fact, Lescoe practices what he preaches and "Keeps it Simple" through the entire read.  Don't get me wrong, the idea is powerful, but delivered in a way that is understandable.  It is backed up by 35 sources for his information - making Lescoe's argument even more convincing.

One example of a great insight.  Apple's original decision to make the first iPod to it hitting the market took a mere 8 months.  By the time the other 50 companies that made mp3 players figured out what hit them - Apple owned 65% of the market.  The others couldn't react.  The main difference?  Style and ease of use.

Don't believe me?  Well, everyone with a Zune mp3 player - please raise your hand.  I think I hear the crickets chirping.

And how much simpler can you get than Google search engine?  How does a webpage that features a logo, a search box, and the majority of the page is white background come to become a "verb"?  The answer - it's simple.  I don't have ads trying to take over my screen and I have to battle to find the "hidden close" button.  This is a great example of "less is more".

If you are a business owner, computer programmer, or student looking to break into the industry - this is a book that may be more valuable than many of your college courses.

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(This book review was part of a paid advertising package, 

which only moved the book up in line and does not have any impact on the review)

If you are resting on your laurels - you are a prime target for being passed by!

By Doug Lescoe    Amazon Link

After producing superb software, most companies fail to give adequate attention to making a User Interface (UI) of equal quality for their products, leaving the end-users to play annoying guessing games. Thus, a competitor with a similar product but with a higher quality UI can quickly decimate its rivals before they can react.

When Google was incorporated in September 1998, it was operating from a two-car garage; four months later, PC Magazine named Google as the best search engine. In the US, Google is used about 67 percent of the time for on-line searches.

Within two months after its release, Apple sold 125,000 iPods, in less than two years one million, and by Christmas season 2005 a million units a week. The iPod seized 65 percent of the market and became the generic name for a MP3 player. Among the most important reasons for Google’s and Apple’s impressive surge to the status of market leaders was their better quality UI.

Good to GREAT by Jim Collins contains case studies about good companies that became great. He said those companies that achieved the “great” status put the right people “on the bus and in the right seats.” By following his advice, other companies can possibly reach the status of “great.” A company in each market could create high quality UI and capture most of that market. Will it be yours or someone else’s?

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Author Interview with "Managing for Success: Practical Advice for Managers" author Steve Smith!

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MnM Blog - I get the sense that you are really trying to help others, especially new managers, in your book “Managing for Success:  Practical Advice for Managers.”  Where did this drive to help others come from?

Steve - My drive to help others came from my realization that most people are bad at managing, despite being good at the technical aspects of their job. Without management training, they do more to de-motivate than to motivate their staff members. I know one manager who asked his people if they were taking “stupid” pills. One scientist came to me for advice after his manager told him “I wish I had never promoted you” in a room full of people. My book is for new and experienced managers and supervisors who want to learn how to be better, and will admit they need help.

MnM Blog - You mention that you have worked in different companies through the years.  Without naming the company (unless you wish) – which period of your career would you say “stretched” your knowledge and abilities in a good way?

Steve - Yes, I worked for 15 companies. This in itself is not a great honor, but there were reasons for every move. I left my first job out of collage at The Upjohn Company because career growth was so slow. I left Abbott Labs for the opportunity to start my own market research department at American Critical Care, a small cardiovascular drug company. This was a great company and establishing a new department stretched my technical and management abilities. I left only because we were sold to Dupont and moved to the East Coast. After that, I moved around a lot, mainly because of bad management. Finally I moved to Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences here in Petaluma California where I had a chance to build a sales, marketing and business development department. This was another great company that stretched my abilities because I wore many different hats (marketing, in and out-licensing, market research, strategic planning) and we were growing rapidly. This was a challenging job and great fun, and I stayed there until I retired. California is not a bad place to end your career!

MnM blog - What part of writing a book do you wish you knew more about before you started?

Steve - There are so many parts to writing a book that, if I knew them in advance, I may not have written the book!  Organizing the material, finding a good editor, a good name, a good cover, an ISBN number, and much more. But the hardest part of all is marketing the book- creating awareness so people know it exists, getting reviews, a website, etc. There are a ton of books out there and writing the book is just half the battle.

MnM Blog - What is next on the horizon for you – personally and in your writing career?

Steve - After working on this book for four years, I’m now focusing on creating awareness among managers and supervisors so they know what it can do for them if they are willing to open their minds.  And, I’m supposed to be retired, so we will travel more and focus on the things we really enjoy- following the 80/20 rule. This summer we will spend a month in Provence, France.

MnM Blog - What two books do you consider “must reads” for anyone in business / management?

Steve - My favorite book (old but wonderful) is Work and the Nature of Man by Fredrick Herzberg wherein he presents his two-factor theory (motivation vs. hygiene factors).  Another favorite is The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch. Ideas from both of these authors heavily influenced my book. 

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40 years of wisdom in one book. Do you know how much stress I could have saved myself if this was in my library 20 years ago!

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Don't let the amount of pages in Managing for Success: Practical Advice for Managers by Steven Smith give you the idea that it is "light" on practical ideas.  On the contrary, the author seems to understand an important concept that is facing all managers - especially new ones.  That concept is this:  "You will have more work to do than time, so let's just cut the fluff and get to the good stuff!"  Smith doesn't keep the reader waiting to get to concepts and advice that can save a first time manager's career and sanity.  How much money is that worth?  I guarantee you, it is worth at least as much as this "mentor on a shelf" is priced at - probably much more.

Managing for Success distills the topics of hiring, staff motivation, enriching jobs, setting goals, delegation, coaching, decision making, conducting performance reviews, holding staff meetings, building trust, and others in a way that makes it feel like you have a friend with their arm around your shoulder trying to give you the advice that they had to learn the hard way.  You can try and learn these principles yourself, and if you are lucky enough to survive in your new position long enough, you might pick up half of them.

There is even a section on "Managing Your Boss", which over the years I have found to be a skill that is mandatory for survival and sanity.

Having taught Business courses in high school for 7 years, this is the kind of book that I wish I had to point students to.  I could have chucked half of the textbooks I used and just followed the topics and expanded upon them enough to insure that they grasped the concepts and practice them in different scenarios.

Managing for Success is a book that should be read by every business student in college.  There are just some "real world" practices that your $200 textbook just won't cover.  For example:

• "You must remove those who are a poor match for the positions they hold. This can be difficult, but without great people you cannot have a great department. If someone does not fit in and does not respond to coaching and training, the person needs to be replaced."

• "It is not wrong to lay off people who threaten the productivity and motivation of your department. If anything, it is unfair to leave these people in the dark about their weaknesses and allow them to stay in jobs where they are failing. Do not delay the firing, but be humane. Give them time off to look for another job, but set deadlines. Consider that you may be doing them a favor. People who do a poor job are probably a bad fit and will be much happier after they find a job better suited to their needs and capabilities."

This advice may sound harsh, but I have lived this.  Spending most of your time trying to get someone "up to speed" who probably shouldn't be there in the first place could well be the worst way for a new manager to spend their time.  You don't want to be too quick to let someone go (after all - they are a real person with feelings and families), but dragging out a poor performers "career" in a job that they are ill suited for isn't exactly looking out for their best interests either.

So why does this book come with my highest recommendation?  It is better to have a game plan and hope you don't run into the situation rather than run into the situation and have no game plan.

Invest in yourself, invest a little in this book - or you may not have to worry about being a manager long enough to worry about all of the things you wish you would have known going into the position!

Amazon Link                             Author Webpage                        Goodreads Link    

(The author purchased an advertising package with Movies & Manuscripts.  This package gave the author "Head of the Line" privileges, but in no way influenced the review that was given.  This is my honest, independent review of this work.)

Lot's of management tips and topics in one handy book - Review coming soon!

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Despite little experience managing people or departments, many managers and supervisors are promoted into these positions because of their excellent technical or professional skills. Without proper training on what to do, how to do it, and why, many fail. This is a giant problem across all businesses, and this book was written to help solve it.

Managing for Success is for managers and supervisors who want to understand what their job really is, what their most important duties are, and what they should focus on to become a good manager with a successful department. It includes the best ideas the author found and applied throughout his 40-year career with 15 different companies.

The practical advice given is concise, but covers most of the manager/supervisor's primary responsibilities including hiring, staff motivation, enriching jobs, setting goal, delegation, coaching, decision making, conducting performance reviews, holding staff meetings, building trust, and much more. Chapters also cover handling workplace issues, managing a department,managing individuals, and managing your boss.

By understanding the concepts, and applying the managerial skills and supervisory skills discussed in this guide, you too can become a successful and appreciated manager.

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From the Back Cover

Most managers are promoted into their positions based on their technical or professional skills. But being a manager requires a very different set of skills. No wonder many managers fail- they were never properly trained to do their jobs.

Managing for Success; Practical Advice for Managers includes some of the best ideas the author has discovered and applied throughout his career. His advice on what to do, how to do it, and why covers many of a manager's most important duties.

This guide will help you understand what your job as manager really is, how to manage the work environment, your department, individual employees, and your boss. It will teach you how to hire, motivate, enrich jobs, set goals, develop responsibility tables, improve work processes, delegate, coach, make decisions, monitor results, solve problems, conduct performance reviews, hold staff meetings, build trust, and much more. If you understand and apply the practical advice in this guide, you too can become a successful and appreciated manager.

About the author

Steven R. Smith, R.PH, M.S., was raised in Nelson, a small Wisconsin town near the Mississippi River. He attended high school in Alma Wisconsin, graduated in a class of 37, and went on to earn a BS in Pharmacy and an MS in Pharmacy Administration, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His advisor and major professor in graduate school was the late Dr. Robert W. Hammel, R.PH., Ph.D who was a great teacher, a great mentor, and a great friend.

Steve started his career in 1968 as a Marketing Research Analyst at the Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo Michigan and then held Market Analyst, Product Manager and New Products Manager positions at Ross Laboratories and Abbott Laboratories.

Steve's first managerial position was in 1978 when he was hired to establish a Marketing Research Department at American Critical Care, a small cardiovascular drug company. Subsequently Steve held licensing positions at American Critical Care, G. D. Searle and Fujisawa Healthcare, and taught both marketing and management evening classes to adult students pursuing BS degrees.

In 1987 Steve joined Miles Laboratories as VP Business Development, responsible for licensing, business development and marketing research. In 2000 he joined Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences in Petaluma, California as VP Marketing and Business Development, responsible for sales, marketing, licensing and business development. Steve is now retired and lives in Petaluma California with Judy, his wife of 45 years.

With an industry career spanning 42-years, Steve gained broad real world experience at prescription drug, OTC drug, and pharmaceutical formulation development companies. Working for a dozen companies also allowed him to experience multiple cultures, bosses and managers, all of which were helpful in writing this guide.

Customer Reviews

Excerpt from Review by Susan Violante for Reader Views (4/14) "Managing for Success: Practical Advice for Managers" by Steven Smith is exactly what the title describes. I definitely rate this book as a must read for all professionals who aspire to be or are currently in a managerial position. I found much advice that I will be using in my own management style and know everyone that reads this will do the same!

 
Excerpt from Review by Diane Donovan for Midwest Review (4/14) It's all here: all that's required is that supervisors and managers be able to acknowledge that more effective management skillsets can be gleaned from the right combination of experience and logical lessons. Managing for Success provides the latter: with it, new managers can step up to the plate and get on track quickly before any other moves are made in the workplace.

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