The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work

This is one of the most useful and clearly written books on the leading edge of management that I have read. --Warren Bennis Peter Block, the author of the classic Flawless Consulting, is a true visionary. And here he turns his sights on management. Managers and other employees who feel powerless to control their own destinies, who feel stifled by bureaucracy, who feel sapped of creativity--will feel invigorated by Block's legAndary insight. Offers practical advice to help your managers: * Empower themselves to help shape the organization* Develop positive political skills in their dealings with all levels of employees* Take responsibility for their own actions* Negotiate with their allies and adversaries* Face failure courageously...and much more! Block presents ways to treat all members of the organization as entrepreneurs so that employees feel that their units are their own businesses and that they, and they alone, are in the process of creating an organization of their own choosing. Managers and other employees who pick up The Empowered Manager won't just be reading about management. They'll be harvesting timeless tips from a master of business thinking. And they'll be uncovering a road map that leads to enhanced effectiveness and job satisfaction.This is a liberating book that cuts through our rationalizations and self-deceptions to help us think about both work and life from a new perspective. --Geoff Bellman, author of The Consultant's CallingHelp your managers become more confident, contributing members of your organization with guidance from a famed consultant. This guide is a perfect addition to your management and leadership development programs.Winner of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Book Award

Table of Contents:
Preface. The Author. Introduction: The Dilemmas of Managers in the Middle. POLITICS IN THE WORKPLACE: REKINDLING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT. Personal Choices That Shape the Work Environment. Origins of the Bureaucratic Mentality. Developing Antidotes for Bureaucracy. POSITIVE POLITICAL SKILLS AT WORK. Creating a Vision of Greatness: The First Step Toward Empowerment. Building Support for Your Vision: Negotiating with Allies and Adversaries. Balancing Autonomy and DepAndence: Peace with Those Around You. Facing Organizational Realities: Continual Acts of Courage. Enacting the Vision: The Essence of Empowerment. Annotated Bibliography. Index.

About the Author :
PETER BLOCK is an organization development consultant and partner in the consulting firm of Block-Petrella-Weisbord, Inc. A charter member of Certified Consultant's International, he has more than twenty years' experience in consulting and designing and conducting training workshops. His previous book, Flawless Consulting, has won widespread praise.