A Review of The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to ...
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A review of Peter F. Drucker, The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done (New York, NY: Harper Collins, ... AreviewofPeterF.Drucker,TheEffectiveExecutive:TheDefinitiveGuidetoGettingtheRightThingsDone(NewYork,NY:HarperCollins,1967,repr.2006). AsAlanKantrowstatedinhis1980HarvardBusinessReviewarticle,"WhyReadPeterDrucker?":"MentionthenameofPeterDruckerandmanyanearinthebusinessforeststandsupstraight.Overtheyearslittleofconcerntobusinesshasfallenoutsidetheextraordinaryrangeofhisinterests,andfewofthoseinterestshaveescapedthoughtful,oftenclassicexpositioninhissix-footshelfofarticlesandbooks." Thecruxofthistreatiseonmanagementisself-mastery.Effectivemanagersknowfirsthowtomanagethemselves,firstandforemost.Afterself-mastery,theyhavetheinsightsandcompetencetomanageothers.Whenwereflectonthatreality,itcompelsustomoveforwardwiththedisciplineandpracticeofmanagement. Dowhattheclockdoes.Keepmoving. Innarrowingdownandanalyzingthetraitsofaneffectiveexecutive,whatDruckerdoesisfirstacknowledgethattherearemanytypesofeffectiveexecutiveswithvaryingstyles,modesandmindsetsofleadership.SowhatDruckerdoes'effectively'(pardonthepun)ismovepastthedifferentiation,andexaminesthecommonground."Whatalltheseeffectiveexecutiveshaveincommonisthepracticesthatmakeeffectivewhatevertheyhaveandwhatevertheyare.Andthesepracticesarethesame,whethertheeffectiveexecutiveworksinabusinessorgovernmentagency,asahospitaladministrator,orasuniversitydean,"observersDrucker.WheneverDruckerfindsan'effectiveexecutive,'heconcedessuchapersonalwaysneedsimprovement,as"Ihavealsofoundanexecutivedeficientineffectiveness"(pp.22-23). IntheChristianreligion,theApostlePaulexhorteditsadherentsto"redeemthetime"thus"makingthemostofeveryopportunity"(Ephesians5:16;Colossians4:5).Inthebusinesscontext,timemanagementisimportantforcomparablereasons."Effectiveexecutivesknowwheretheirtimesgoes,"notesPeter."Theyworksystematicallyatmanagingthelittleoftheirtimethatcanbebroughtundertheircontrol,"headds.ThattimemanagementisthenumberonepointatthethetopofDrucker'slistofeffectiveexecutivetraitsistellingenough.Butistimemanagementeffectivelyfoundintheexecutivewhojuggles1,001thingsatonce,ashesingssoliloquiesto"multi-tasking"?Notnecessarily.RatherDruckerextolsatimemanagementdynamicthatiscontinuallyinfluctuation.HedeclaresthatefficacyisNOTfoundinbeingtask-orientedbutratherinbeingopportunitydriven(pp.xvii,xix,25).Todiscernthistrait,Druckerdiscernsthatefficacyisfoundineschewing'busywork',thatistheworkthatbydefinition"workthatusuallyappearsproductiveorofintrinsicvaluebutactuallyonlykeepsoneoccupied."Suchworkisaptlyawasteoftime.Accordinglyefficacyisfoundinmaximizingone's"discretionary"timeinto"thelargestpossiblecontinuingunits."Tothisend,hearticulatesasimplethree-stepprocess:(1)"recordingtime";(2)"managingtime,and";(3)"consolidatingtime"(p.25).Maximizing"discretionarytime"thusbecomesameanstomaximizingopportunity,andbyinference,success.Throughoutthesecondchapter"KnowThyTime,"Druckerpacksinalotofinsights,observationsandanecdotesalldesignedtogetexecutivestorecognizeandappreciatethevalueoftime. Thebasisofthethirdchapter,"WhatCanIAccomplish?,"isnovel.It'sajeremiadagainstthesoullessworkthatleavesonefeelingunfulfilledandnotvalued.Moraleemanatesfromasenseoffulfillmentinone'swork,andabeliefthatoneismakinganimpact.Thedesireforeconomicgainsubsumesthenotionofmakingimpact.Self-interestloomsbehindhumanaction,forasclassicaleconomistAdamSmithdeclared,inhis1776TheWealthofNations,"It'snotfromthebenevolenceofthebutcherorthebakerthatwegetourdinner,butoutofreferencetohisself-interest." Thepowerofteamworkandeffectivecollaboration ApowerfuladmonitionDruckermakesisto"Thinkandsay'We.'"Observing"Effectiveexecutivesknowthattheyhaveultimateresponsibility,whichcanneitherbesharednordelegated."Beingacompanyman,effectiveexecutives(especiallyinasupervisoryrole)aremoredetachedfromtheirindividualconcernsinthepursuitofteamwork,oratleastthat'stheideal."Thismeansthattheythinkoftheneedsandtheopportunitiesoftheorganizationbeforetheythinkoftheirownneedsandopportunities.Thisonemaysoundsimple;itisn't,butitneedstobestrictlyobserved"(pp.34-35). Encouragingindividualstoembraceselfdevelopment,suchascontinuingeducationandskillstraining,dependsonthefocusoncontributions(p.68).Druckerobserves,onemust"knowwhattheyexpecttogetoutofameeting,areport,orapresentationandwhatthepurposeoftheoccasionisorshouldbe.Theyaskthemselves,"Whyarewehavingthismeeting?"(p.69). GrittyrealismsaturatesDrucker'scounsel.Oneshouldn'tfritterawaytimeandenergycomplainingaboutthingsthatthey'repowerlesstochange,whetherthatemanatesforconsciousnessofwhatcompanypolicydisallowsorwhatthegovernmentdisallows."Effectiveexecutivesrecognizelimitations,"andinsteadchannelseffortintomaximizingimpactingthingsthatoneisinapositiontobothpositivelyinfluenceandeffectivelychange.Druckerdoesn'tconjuremagicone-size-fits-allformulas,whichisthebeautyofDrucker,ashismanagementtheoryaccountsforthehumanelementandpersonalitydifferences."Somepeopleworkbest,"observesDrucker,"iftheyhaveadetailedoutlineinfrontofthem;thatis,iftheyhavethoughtthroughthejobbeforetheystartit.Othersworkbestwithnothingmorethanafewroughnotes";"Somearereaders,otherslisteners."AccordinglyDruckeradmonishesonetobetruetothemselves.Infinalappeal,thenotionofmakingstrengthsproductive,concedesweaknessesineveryone.Acknowledgingweaknessisasignofhumility.Notdwellingonweaknessisasignofmovingforward.Hence"ineveryareaofeffectiveness,""onefeedstheopportunitiesandstarvestheproblems."ThislineisclassicDrucker,andmanifestshisrenown."Thetaskofanexecutiveisnottochangehumanbeings.Rather,astheBibletellsusintheparableoftheTalents,thetaskistomultiplyperformancecapacityofthewholebyputtingtousewhateverstrength,whateverhealth,whateveraspirationthereisinindividuals"(pp.95-98). Firstthingsfirst Druckerdeclaresthatifthereisany"secret"ofeffectiveness,"itisconcentration"asonemust"dofirstthingsfirstandtheydoonethingatatime"(p.100).HenceDruckeradmonishesonetoamethodologyandmindset. Towardstheendofthebook,Druckerclimaxesbydiscussiononeffectivedecision-making."Adecisionisajudgment,"observesDrucker,and"Itisachoicebetweenalternatives.Itisrarelyachoicebetweenrightandwrong.Itisatbestachoicebetween'almostright'and'probablywrong'—butmuchmoreoftenachoicebetweentwocoursesofactionneitherofwhichisprobablymorenearlyrightthantheother"(p.143).Insubstantiatingthevalidatingofdecisions,PeterDruckerhintsatthevalidityofsomethingamoremodernmanagementtheorist,JimCollins,hasemphasizedinhisbooks:empiricalvalidation.Opinionsarenice.Everyonehasthem.Affordingtheopportunitytoexpressopinionshasitsvalue.Butattheendoftheday,"peoplewhovoice[opinions]"wouldbeprudenttothinkthroughthetestingofthe"opinion"againstwhatcanbeempiricallydemonstratedinreality.Experienceservestovalidatedecisions,andtheirvalidity,forbetterorworse(pp.144-145). ClosingSalvos Anoverarchingthemethroughoutthebookisthateffectivemanagementcanbelearned.HenceDrucker'sbookisn'télitesnobberyabouthoweffectiveleadersarenaturallyborn,norisitsentimentaldrivelcommonamongmodernmanagementbooksthatsurmiseswithenoughdeterminationandpositivityanyonecanlead.It'sagooddoseofcommonsensewithtacitacknowledgementthateffectiveexecutivesareallaboutpriorities.Theymanagetimewell.Theychoosewhattocontributetoanorganizationanddosocarefullyandwithmuchcontemplation.Theysettherightpriorities.Theyknowwhereandhowtomobilizestrengthforbesteffect.Takentogether,theycultivategoodhabits,andleadwitheffectivedecision-making. Allthingsconsidered,PeterDrucker'sgroundbreakingclassicoffersmuchwisdomfortheseasonedexecutiveaswellastheaspirationalexecutive.AfterimmigratingfromAustria-HungarytoGermanytoEnglandtotheUnitedStates,DruckerwouldgoontofoundoneofthepioneeringMBAprogramsinCalifornia,personallydesigningcurriculum,andmanifestinghiskeeninsightforbusinessmanagementasbothadisciplineandapractice.HislegacyisfeltinthesuccessofAmericanfreeenterprise,whichinthelaterhalfofthetwentiethcentury,drewmuchinspirationfromDrucker. 4 Like Comment Share Tovieworaddacomment,signin Tovieworaddacomment,signin InDefenseofFlex-Time,Split-Shifts,andTelecommuting Feb24,2020 Ryan'sreviewofSprint:HowtoSolveBigProblemsandTestNewIdeasinJust5DaysbyJackKnapp Mar8,2017 ReviewofScrum:TheArtofDoingHalftheWorkinTwicetheTime Feb27,2017
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