“Becoming a Successful Manager,” by Jack H. Grossman & J. Robert Parkinson

Reviewed by Rosanna Cruz 

“Becoming a Successful Manager,” by Grossman and Parkinson, details the transition from being managed to managing others.  They provide the tools to create strong interpersonal relationships and an effective departmental culture.  Grossman and Parkinson first speak on the ways in which managers must define their new roles.  Building a solid foundation is an important aspect of any strong company and managers must think and act for the benefit of their respective organizations.  The four cornerstones of a strong business foundation consist of actions, practices, strong business principles, and values and principles.  Each of the cornerstones has an underlying theme of genuine caring and understanding for employees.  Grossman and Parkinson also advise always keeping two key principles in mind, “Strive to create a departmental culture that enables people under your influence to be productive and grow” and “Surround yourself with people who are trustworthy and whom you respect, both personally and professionally.”

Adopting positive and productive attitudes go a long way in determining positive outcomes.  Grossman and Parkinson say attitudes create self-fulfilling prophesies.  Once a person has a strong belief about an individual, relationship or situation, they do everything in their power to confirm that belief.  Their positive or negative attitude toward a situation almost guarantees an equally positive or negative result.  Negative attitudes can therefore be dangerous if an individual goes into a situation harboring pessimistic feelings.  To change an individual’s negative attitude to a positive one, they must change what they tell themselves and begin viewing situations in a positive and constructive light. 

For every symptom or problem, the author’s say there is a cause.  Do not treat symptoms but instead, find the cause and cure the problem.  Continually move from negative to positive thinking and positive results will follow.  Rather than expressing a problem as a complaint, be constructive and find a way to address the problem by also injecting a solution.  If there is a problem with an employee, acknowledge there is an issue, but also be willing to help the person remedy the situation.  Do not get caught up in egos and the need to be right.  Such attitudes foster defensive departmental cultures, which lead to negative results and lack of progress.  Employees need to feel secure in order to perform at their highest.

Grossman and Parkinson acknowledge that conflicts are an inevitable part of the workplace. Good conflict resolution skills are therefore essential to a healthy and cooperative department.  Conflicts are a product of individuality and the fact that each person views situations differently.  Positive attitudes, good communication, and a genuine want to resolve the disagreement aid in effective conflict resolution.  With positive attitudes, conflicts can become opportunities to learn about each other’s “needs, desires, perceptions, and goals.”

One of the final managerial duties Grossman and Parkinson mention is the ability to delegate effectively and allow employees to take risks.  A good manager makes their presence felt without being obvious about their influence.  It is important to encourage employees to grow and excel at their jobs by fostering open communication about new ideas.  Allowing employees to take reasonable risks helps people to grow professionally without fear of adverse consequences from failure.  One of the most important concepts from this book is that a manager’s actions affect people outside of the workplace.  A positive attitude and sensitivity are essential to becoming a successful manager. 

Grossman and Parkinson’s Becoming a “Successful Manager” is a good resource for both new and established managers in the workplace.  Their methods of management are similar to collaborative management where power is largely cooperative.  The manager has clear power, but treats employees with respect to foster a nurturing work environment.  Employees are encouraged to take reasonable risks to develop themselves professionally and are viewed as important parts of the departmental team.  Unlike scientific management, workers are not cogs in a machine because each has individual worth and potential.  Grossman and Parkinson’s managerial model is also unlike TQM in that they are focused on building interpersonal relationships rather than producing products and monetary cost.

While “Becoming a Successful Manager” offers good advice on how to build mutually beneficial relationships between managers and staff, it lacks practicality.  It seems too idealistic to have its base in reality.  Grossman and Parkinson address conflict in a removed sense that would most likely be difficult to implement when one is actually a part of the conflict.  Studying how to think positively might not be relevant to an angry coworker who wants prompt resolution for their problem.  As a general way to organize a department and foster positive attitudes, however, Grossman and Parkinson offer good management ideals.           

I would recommend “Becoming a Successful Manager” to other PR students because it has valuable insights into departmental cooperation.  Grossman and Parkinson offer many methods for positive thinking, which is essential for the success of any team operation.  They discuss how to create a healthy culture within the workplace, how to deliver constructive criticism, and how to delegate tasks.  All of these things are important for PR practitioners and this book may help educate future public relations managers on how to maintain a positive attitude.  Effective management skills are relevant to more than just managers. People who wish to efficiently manage their lives within and outside the workplace could also benefit from this book’s insight.  Their lessons on positive thinking and the effect of positive attitudes are things everyone can learn from.