Upcoming Books
BOSSHANDBOOKS® exists to meet the needs of customers. In determining subject matter about which we write, we ask you, our customers, to tell us what you want. Our goal is to provide competent advice in a concise and easily-read format. If you or your colleagues would like to have access to short-format information on a topic of interest or concern, let us hear from you. Contact us at: info@bosshandbookpublications.com.
HANDBOOKSThe Handbooks concept in BOSSHANDBOOKS® is to provide busy managers condensed information that is user-friendly and easily read. We follow an 8.5 x 11 format that runs approximately 40 pages per handbook. Handbooks are intended to provide quick reference information on various issues. They are suitable as text books in in-house training programs or handouts or resale in full-day workshops. Three handbooks are in various stages of development.
HOW TO CREATE PRODUCTIVE WORK TEAMSIn today’s workplace, teamwork is necessary, yet little is understood about what makes a work group a team. This work book examines group process and what it takes to create a fully functioning team.
WORKPLACE CONFLICT: Causes and CuresEvery manager at one time or another must deal with personnel who are in conflict. This handbook will discuss how physical work space, community involvements, workplace interactions, and individual psychological issues can contribute to conflict. It will provide descriptions of more common conflicts, and offer suggestions to managers on how to resolve them.
NARCISSISTIC MANAGERS: How They Hurt the Bottom LineManagement is a magnet for people who have an exaggerated sense of their abilities, love to exert power over others, and know their thinking is the only possible approach. They manage through fear, surround themselves with sycophants, and readily dispatch of anyone who disagrees with them. This handbook will give Macek’s views on the subject from the perspective of his training as a licensed mental health professional and his extensive management experience. It will help organizations understand and minimize the damage done by individuals exhibiting these traits.
FULL-SIZE BOOKSThere are two works in the development stage. They are aimed at providing more comprehensive training on topics of interest to managers.
BOSS: A Handbook for ManagersBOSS is a short course for beginning managers and refresher for experienced managers. It describes effective and ineffective management approaches and explains why they are that way. It goes on to discuss how and why organizations are structured as they are, how human relations impact organizational effectiveness, and provides a summary of the twenty critical skills found in the Macek Management Checklist. It ends with discussion of how to establish clear expectations of personnel, corporate ethics, how salaries are determined (so managers can more readily justify salary differences to staff), and a section on manager self-care. The rough draft for this work is complete and will undergo further refinement before final printing.
THE MAKING OF A MANAGERThe first edition of The Making of a Manager was written in 2001. It is built around the Macek Management Checklist, a list of 20 competencies. It explains the reasons why each skill has been included in the list, how it can be identified, and what managers can do to increase their level of any one skill. This work was met with enthusiasm as can be noted in the endorsements section of John Macek's main page. While it proved highly useful for senior managers and for use as a text in an advanced management class, the new edition will employ more detail to make it of greater utility for beginning managers. At this time, this work is being evaluated for how it can be improved to increase its utility to a broader audience. Once that is determined, writing can begin.