The Peon Book: How to Manage Us

By Dave Haynes

Management books are traditionally written by industry "experts" scholars, consultants, senior managers. They're writing about how to manage workers, but none of these experts really understands the viewpoint of the average worker, the regular grunt in the trenches-the peon. Peons are the ones affected when a manager decides to manage-in-one-minute, to move somebody's cheese, to try that fifth discipline. Rather than consult some expert, why not go to the source, and ask the peons? Who better to teach you how to train a dog than the dog himself? And who better to tell you how to manage than one of those who are being managed? The Peon Book gives managers the perspective they've been lacking. Author and self-proclaimed Chief Executive Peon Dave Haynes' sole, powerful source of expertise is that he has been managed in different companies and in different industries, and he knows what worked-and what failed catastrophically. In irreverent, straight-talking terms, Haynes tells managers what they really need to do to make their employees motivated, committed, and productive-and it's not memorizing yet another "technique" or "strategy" or "discipline." Haynes writes in a common sense, easy-to-read style that is both witty and wise. Every boss can benefit, and every employee can empathize with the words in The Peon Book. "The inability to empathize can be a real speed bump on the road to a trusting, personal relationship with your employees. So how are you supposed to show more empathy? I take issue with management books that give you a phrase to say to show empathy like 'I understand, ' or 'I know what you mean, ' or that say that by rephrasing a statement you can show empathy. Don't use some coined phrase to show empathy, just mentally put yourself in our shoes. Sometimes it's just a matter of remembering what it's like to have to get all those reports turned in on a Friday. Or remembering what it's like to have to ask for time off. Or remembering what it's like to be the new guy on the job, and have a hard time remembering everything. Do you see the key concept I'm getting at? Empathy = remembering. Who said you'd never use math in the real world?"

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1576752852
• ISBN13: 9781576752852
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

I laughed, I cried.....

I had the pleasure of completing this book for the first time yesterday. What a great book!! Mr. Haynes has the capability of taking all those management course theories we never understood in class, and helping them make sense. Not only that, he made them very applicable in a easy read paperback. I am a manager in a Fortune 500 company, and plan to use every word I read in my daily efforts.

Common sense prevails!!

Dave Haynes has given every manager a valuable tool -- a peek inside the mind of every entry level employee! Oh sure we were all peons once, weren't we? But how we forget what it was like to be stuck in a dead-end, go nowhere job, eh? Yes, much of what's in here is really just common sense, but we all need to be reminded that it's the little things that we can do to find an keep the best peons out there! This book is entertaining, non-threatening, and not preachy -- and it's chock full of valuable, practical advice!! A feat not to be taken lightly.I highly recommend this for every manager out there, regardless of how many people you are in charge of and regardless of what kind of business you are in!!

What every manager should read (but probably won't)

I stumbled upon this book and was intrigued by the cover. Read over the back cover and flipped thru it. Looked interesting and wasn't very expensive, so I picked it up.Its a great book that every manager (or would be manager) needs to read. As the author notes, most of the management books on how to manage workers are written by people who seemed to have forgotten (if they ever were) how it was to BE a worker.There is nothing really earth shattering in this book. I've seen the same topics in other sources, but he adds to it the attitude and mindset of those who are managed. Any anyway, if managers *really* followed the similiar advice in other management books, this one wouldn't been needed.

Great gift for your managers!

I picked up this book when I got a management position at my firm, and was looking for a little guidance on how to be a good manager. The cover and title looked interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try. I really think that it was useful to me in understanding just how my subordinates would view me and what I could do to inspire a good work ethic. I've put some of the suggestions to work, and so far I haven't had any complaints!As a matter of fact, I liked what the book had to say so much that I bought a few copies and sent them to my ex-managers- they really could have used this advice to improve their managerial style! What I learned from this book has contributed to my success as a manager, and I highly recommend it. Thanks for a great read, Mr. Haynes-

Finally - A Real Management Book

Though this book has not yet entered the marketplace, I had the pleasure of seeing and reading an advance copy of it and was extremely pleased with Mr. Haynes' approach to the field of management. There are so many thousands of books out there written by managers, for managers, neither of whom really has any idea what actually goes through their employees' heads as they try and implement all sorts of programs.Dave Haynes' has written this from an enlightened "peon's" point of view with a healthy dose of humor and insight. Being a "peon" himself, he sees the shortcomings of all of the managerial strategies that organizations try and implement these days. Here, he gives some real, practical guidance as to how to manage with honesty and integrity, not patronising buzz phrases and "feel-good" stories that really only ever served to make the managers feel good.About damned time I think - I would recommend you put down the "fluff" books and give this one a try...