Hug Your People

James Boles's slow-paced reading of this management lesson has a kinder, gentler tone, which is perfect for advice focused on the human side of managing a retail business. His softness will appeal to listeners who dislike command-and-control or strictly analytical leadership guides. Yet this lesson with its folksy title is full of solid strategic advice on concrete practices that will engage employees with a company's business objectives as well as their own potentials. Hire and place employees judiciously, communicate standards and concerns clearly, recognize good results, and, above all, connect authentically with each team member and honor his or her individual worth. It's all easier said than done, but more likely achieved with the clear-headed advice in this thoughtful audio. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

February 4, 2008
Reading a book with the word “hug” in the title that basically advises on how to be nice to other people makes one realize that there ought to be more books like this on the shelves. Mitchell, CEO of the clothing stores Mitchells/Richards/Marshs has already outlined how to keep customers happy in Hug Your Customers
. With his newest, Mitchell repeats this mandate, now turning inward to focus on how to hire and maintain a happy staff. Divided into five parts that outline how to treat people, build trust, develop pride in your organization and be inclusive and recognize people, the book looks at how creating a niceness culture can help to create employees that stick around the company and take a personal interest in the organization. Mitchell ends each chapter with a helpful checklist that repeats the important points. In one chapter, he advises redefining “rules and regulations” as “expectations and standards” (rules, for example, are “unbending... cold and impersonal”; expectations are “flexible and freeing when they need to be”). While such changes may seem subtle, the spirit behind them is surely a worthwhile reminder of how to make work more enjoyable for everyone.