Managing Up

January 1, 2003
The business book market is jammed with books for bosses, telling them how to manage, lead, create corporate strategy and get more from employees. Badowski's tome takes a different approach, but is just as useful: it's meant for all workers, regardless of their position. Because, as she wisely points out, everyone has a boss. Badowski, who has the distinction of being Jack Welch's former executive assistant, here explains how she survived and thrived during her 14-plus years as the boss man's"secret weapon." She's written a snappy little guide, mixing anecdotes with clear-cut tips on how to partner with higher-ups. She advises readers to"make the agenda of the person you work for your own" and asserts that"individuals solve problems--not senior management." Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to have had such a celebrated corporate leader as his or her boss. But if workers can follow Badowski's advice, they may find ways to win over crabby supervisors--or at least strengthen their relationships with other colleagues.

February 1, 2003
The business book market is jammed with books for bosses, telling them how to manage, lead, create corporate strategy and get more from employees. Badowski's tome takes a different approach, but is just as useful: it's meant for all workers, regardless of their position. Because, as she wisely points out, everyone has a boss. Badowski, who has the distinction of being Jack Welch's former executive assistant, here explains how she survived and thrived during her 14-plus years as the boss man's"secret weapon." She's written a snappy little guide, mixing anecdotes with clear-cut tips on how to partner with higher-ups. She advises readers to"make the agenda of the person you work for your own" and asserts that"individuals solve problems--not senior management." Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to have had such a celebrated corporate leader as his or her boss. But if workers can follow Badowski's advice, they may find ways to win over crabby supervisors--or at least strengthen their relationships with other colleagues.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2003
Who could resist learning the inner secrets of working with Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric? Badowski was Welch's administrative assistant for 13 years, and what she has to say about managing up is primarily based on common sense. The real lure here is the stories and anecdotes she shares about the great man and his team. Every one of her 15 ingredients for managing up, from chemistry to passion and purpose, is illustrated with GE--and Welch--examples. She talks about impatience as a virtue, noting that an impatient boss needs higher maintenance, which prompted her to develop an elaborate, color-coded filing system so that Welch could find needed materials quickly. Fairness is also defined in GE terms--Welch would categorize the workforce into three groups: 20 percent were stars; 70 percent fell in the midrange; and 10 percent were performance-challenged (and usually weeded out during evaluations). Thanks to coauthor Gittines, the narrative is smooth and personable. A fine introduction to the business world for new workforce entrants.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)