Managing For Development
by Lifeskills International Ltd; Ed. Jonathan Kitching
Published by Gower, Gower House, Croft Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 3HR
http://www.gowertraining.co.uk
1999
ISBN Number: 0 566 08140 7
Price: £9.99
'Managing For Development' focuses upon the issues surrounding the vital role of managers in helping their staff to grow and develop. There is no shortage of books available on this subject but you would be hard pushed to find anything that drew all the important aspects together so well or in such an easy to read format.
The book is in three main parts. Part 1 concentrates on 'scene setting' by outlining the role of managers in staff development, looking briefly at how to identify performance deficiencies and possible development needs and concludes with a brief discussion of the generally used techniques. This last aspect is expanded on in Part 3 in which coaching and learning are dealt with more detail. Part 2 offers valuable and useful advice on how to conduct a development review.
The most important comment to make about this offering is that it is written in an easy to read and interactive style. There a numerous activities sprinkled throughout the text, each intended to encourage readers to consider their own views and / or how the principles apply to them or their organisations. However, be under no illusions, this is not an academic text. If you are looking for a discussion of the merits / demerits of specific approaches and a full coverage of alternative views and opinions, then look elsewhere. However, if you are a practitioner and need a quick input of ideas and approaches that are likely to succeed, then this is the book for you.
To summarise, the book outlines the task, offers helpful ideas, and provides a pragmatic solution for the busy manager.
Mike Faulkner
