Results tagged “business” from Rated Best

The Aeron is the chair that seems to get all the great press. And it is a nice chair. But I'm not a big fan of the mesh. (If you like mesh, you should probably get the Mirra, which is basically the Aeron v2.0.) For long periods of sitting, I prefer firmer support.

For me it was a toss-up between the Leap and the Criterion. Both are excellent chairs. ConsumerSearch.com gives the nod to the Leap. I went with the Criterion because it felt just as good to me, and I was able to get an excellent deal on a refurbished one at a local office supply store.

Whatever you do, don't just buy the first cheap chair you come across at Office Depot or OfficeMax. I got my first chair at Costco for about $150, and I got what I paid for. The joints weren't solid so they shifted and squeaked as I moved, the padding quickly compressed, and the fabric easily stained.

 

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A colleague is off to his first official job managing people, and this is the one book I recommended. Really all of the books that Marcus Buckinham has written are good. But this is his first and best.

The thing that makes it so great is the underlying methodology. They studied countless people in a variety of companies, organizations, and workgroups. From that they distilled out the  themes that were common among great managers.

At the highest level, it comes down to the people. Spare no expense in finding the right person from the job (or conversely, getting the wrong person out of the job). Once you have them, focus on their talents and strengths, spending as little time as possible mitigating weaknesses. Spend the most time and effort on your best employees. And finally, clearly define the desired outcomes and appropriately reward for achievement. Don't dictate the means by which results are achieved. 

If you read only one book about people management in your life, make it this one.

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