Leading Geeks: How to Manage and Lead the People Who Deliver Technology
Author: Paul Glen, David H. Maister, Warren G. Bennis
List Price: $26.95
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ISBN: 0787961485
Publisher: Jossey-Bass (01 November, 2002)
Sales Rank: 8,660
Average Customer Rating: 3.91 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Herding cats
The 'geeks' Paul Glen talks about in 'Leading Geeks' are those employees involved in the 'creation, maintenance, or support of high technology' from help desk technician to system designer to CIO. I can sympathize with technical people who resent the term "geek". I don't like it applied to myself -- but I understand the harsh reality that books need eye-catching titles. If you can get past the title, the contents are sane and sensible.
Glen's point is that the general management techniques enforced by most corporations are nearly always wildly inappropriate and self-defeating when used on technical staff. As obvious as that might sound to most technical workers, companies continue to teach a command and control approach using 'bribes' to coerce staff into certain behaviors. As Glenn says, what is usually a magnificently effective technique for dealing with salespeople, is nearly always a disaster when applied to the introspective personalities common in IT.
If you've ever delivered a morale-raising talk to developers and received only sniggers and eye-rolling in return, Paul Glen's book will explain why.
Also recommended:
Peopleware by: Tom DeMarco & Timothy Lister published by Dorset House Publishing ISBN: 0-932633-05-6
Rating: 5 out of 5
Packed with Knowledge!
Management consultant Paul Glen's thorough discussion of geeks brings you brain-to-brain and eye-to-eye with high-tech, specialized knowledge workers. Don't blink: you need these people, so you need to know how to fit your management style to them. Glen describes their primary personality traits and attitudes: commitment to logic, interest in problem solving, independence and, to put it politely, occasionally under-developed social skills. The author, who doesn't seem to mind describing an entire subset of the labor force as if each worker in it had the same personality, explains what geeks need from a manager. You need to nurture motivation, provide internal facilitation, furnish external representation, and manage task, structural, and environmental ambiguity. We from getAbstract suggest this organized, authoritative guide to those who manage knowledge workers. If it's all geek to you, here's the codebook.
Rating: 1 out of 5
Who would like to read "Leading Geeks"?
I looked through this book and decided not to read it in depth. Who would like this book?
Someone who...
1.Likes using the label GEEKS to refer to anyone whose primary task is working with computers. In some work places such a label could be considered harassment since it is denigrating.
2.Likes classifying people using stereotypes. Are people still individuals? Not according to this book.
3.Likes reading a book where there is no theoretical justification given to the content (through references and citations), AND there are no concrete examples given for most of the content. What is the basis for these words of wisdom?
4.Feels that those who work with computers need to be managed any differently than anyone else. The author does advocate his version of modern management methods many of which are well documented elsewhere. Shouldn't one also use these with other employees?
5.Feels that those who work with computers MUST be different from everyone else. The author outlines how these individuals must be selected for employment - to match his stereotype.
6.Feels that computer workers should be kept insulated and isolated, particularly from customers. This is contrary to some other authors - e.g., Iain Aitken in "Value Driven IT Management." Some computer workers may want be isolated, but should they? Similar Products
Geeks and Geezers
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
First Among Equals: How to Manage a Group of Professionals
Manage I.T.: A Step by Step Guide to Help New and Aspiring IT Managers Make the Right Career Choices and Gain the Skills Necessary
Book Index