The sheer number of management theories makes it difficult for hard-pressed managers to separate great theories from passing fads. Unfortunately, even when a manager does find a great theory, it is unlikely that it will come with any advice on how to use it in the workplace. Welcome to the theory–practice gap, where managers are armed with the principles of good management but struggle to apply them. This book has been conceived and written to bridge this gap and help:
- the many real-world managers or would-be managers who didn’t have the opportunity to do an MBA, are time starved, and simply want to know what the best and most important theories are and how to use them;
- those who have studied management science, and may be familiar with many of the theories, but are struggling to apply them in their business.
The book is short and punchy and has been ruthlessly stripped of all extraneous material. What’s left is a description of 101 key management theories that every manager should know. Each theory is summarised and advice given on how to apply it in practice in a series of two-page spreads. This means that it will only take you five minutes to read, understand and be ready to use a theory. Not tomorrow or next week but now, today. All you need to do is give it a try. And if you’re worried about making a mistake remember:
THE MANAGERS’ MOTTO Failure is the price managers pay for future success. The only failure you can be criticised for is not trying.
Only theories that have repeatedly proved their value in the real world of work have been included in the book. Read, understand, reflect upon and use these theories and you’ll be able to hold your own in management discussions with just about anyone.
SEVEN THINGS THIS BOOK WILL DO FOR YOU
The Little Book of Big Management Theories will:
- make you a better manager;
- help you motivate your staff and increase your influence over colleagues;
- increase your ability to get things done;
- get you out of a mental rut and provide you with the confidence to embrace new ideas, visions and ambitions;
- provide you with the key skills you need to demonstrate you are ready for promotion;
- increase your personal capital and earning power; and
- help you identify and understand your management style.
HOW THE BOOK IS ORGANISED
The book is divided into twelve sections. The first eleven deal with specific areas of management such as motivation or team building. The final section contains a miscellany of great theories, each of which could have been squeezed into one of the other sections. But we kept them separate because they are the all-rounders and can be used in many different situations. For example, the Pareto Principle is as useful when dealing with staff problems as it is in identifying who your important customers are.
Across all twelve sections you’ll notice that there are two distinct types of theory discussed. In total about 20% deal with the realities of the environment in which you operate. Misread this and you’ll find yourself in constant war with the organisation and achieve nothing. The other 80% are about improving your effectiveness as a manager. Get this right and your credibility will soar.
Each entry starts with a box telling you when/where you could use the theory. Obviously this is just a guide and we’re sure you’ll be able to see other uses. The entry ends with questions you should ask yourself. Many of the same questions apply to several entries, but we’ve tried to avoid repetition. That doesn’t mean that you can’t repeat the same questions. So, after you’ve read an entry, consider what other questions you could ask.
Naturally there are links and overlaps between the theories. To help you make these connections we’ve numbered each theory and use that as the linking reference. For example (see Theory 11) will send you to the entry on trait theory; whereas (see Section 3) will redirect you to Section 3 How to motivate staff.
Within each section one theory is crowned as king/queen of that section and at the end of the book one of the section winners is named as the emperor/empress of all management theories. Finally, we would like to wish you good luck with your career and we hope you enjoy the book.
Jim McGrath and Bob Bates
July 2017