The On-Time, On-Target Manager

Nonperformers, late performers, and the stress connected to both in complex organizations are targeted in Ken Blanchard's latest writing collaboration. The audio lesson is cleverly framed as an opportunity to be one's best--and the story used to unfold the lesson is both charming and current. Performance oversights and delays ripple through every person and every level of an organization by forcing people to work under pressure, worry about mistakes, and become accustomed to problems that diminish the company. Not a step-by-step manual, the program offers broad principles on the emotional changes that have to take place before any behavioral steps can take hold. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

January 1, 2004
This short, accessible and sometimes simplistic book addresses"a diabolical career killer that is lurking out there every day.... procrastination." Blanchard (The One Minute Manager) and Gottry (A Kick in the Career) argue convincingly that procrastination is at the root of most career shortcomings, not to mention certain problems with health, marriage and a host of other issues. They offer a straightforward three-step plan (involving the mantra"Priority, Propriety and Commitment") for overcoming procrastination and achieving success. The authors adopt an entertainingly narrative approach to their subject, conveying their points using a fictional story about a hard-luck character named"Bob the Manager" who manages to see the light and turn his career around. Though the dialogue and story get hokey at times--Bob is coached by a"chief effectiveness officer" and his evolution seems a little too easy--this book is friendlier than typical career guidebooks and the framing of obstacles and advice in a story could help the premise ring true for many readers.

January 26, 2004
This short, accessible and sometimes simplistic book addresses"a diabolical career killer that is lurking out there every day.... procrastination." Blanchard (The One Minute Manager) and Gottry (A Kick in the Career) argue convincingly that procrastination is at the root of most career shortcomings, not to mention certain problems with health, marriage and a host of other issues. They offer a straightforward three-step plan (involving the mantra"Priority, Propriety and Commitment") for overcoming procrastination and achieving success. The authors adopt an entertainingly narrative approach to their subject, conveying their points using a fictional story about a hard-luck character named"Bob the Manager" who manages to see the light and turn his career around. Though the dialogue and story get hokey at times--Bob is coached by a"chief effectiveness officer" and his evolution seems a little too easy--this book is friendlier than typical career guidebooks and the framing of obstacles and advice in a story could help the premise ring true for many readers.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.