I am always open to others' feedback about the books I write. Recently, someone I had asked to review my current title Other People's Problems advised that she found the book likely to be of limited use to those who already have experience managing people in other businesses.
I thought seriously about this, but then realized that many people who have managed in established organizations are not aware of the differences that a new business owner faces when they set up their own firm. Even those who have oodles of human resources management experience are likely to face a few challenges.
One of the reasons is that, as a manager in a large enterprise, you have what I call the "weight of the organization" behind you. The size of the organization... its prominence... its prestige... its length of time in business - all these things can exert checks and balances on employees and how they behave.Whatever your views of your own firm are, people who walk in the door to work for you do not necessarily share your views as to how important your company - or its reputation - is.
Another thing to remember is that, on your own, you no longer have the benefit of OPM - Other People's Money. Everything employees do, both the good and the bad, has to be covered out of your own pocket. Realizing that you are the one funding everything may give pause for thought as to how you need to modify your management style and the rules within your organization.
My reviewer also said she found the suspicious tone of the book something of a barrier. That also gave me pause for thought. Should I have made this book more upbeat? Should I have encouraged
new business owners, in particular, to be wildly optimistic?
I think one of the problems with a lot of business writing is that it always looks solely on the positive side. Unfortunately, the positives in running a business aren't what do you damage.
It's the negatives, including employee sabotage, that do you in. In my experience, the really damaging and sabotaging employees were those who had been newly hired. They really did not have any track record with my firm that would have led them to bear a grudge. It was probably more that they had a number of chips on their shoulders from life in general that they gave vent to in my company, issues that were not known to anyone giving them a reference.
What I have tried to do in Other People's Problems is tell the truth. That there is bad along with the good and, to be an effective manager in a small firm and run a successful firm, you need to be aware of the things that could go wrong and have already figured out a way to deal with them.
If I was going to single out my chief flaw as a human resources manager, it would be that I trusted far too many people, far too much. While some of my employees were eminently worthy of that trust, it only took one who wasn't to ignite the powder keg.
Sections of my book are now available on Google and you can order a copy by going directly to the following link:
http//www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/Other_Peoples_Problems/9268001
Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer
