If you haven’t had the opportunity to read, “Sarah” by Kayleen Johnson, you might want to pick up a copy and read. She is an excellent example of giving back to the community and serving others. Sarah Palin is making a difference in the male-dominated world and went head to head with the previous powerful governor of Alaska over issues having to do with ethics and openness in government. She doesn’t back down from adversity when she knows she is right and that what she is right about is for the betterment of society. What are your thoughts?

After reading “The Art of Managing…How to Build a Better Workplace and Relationships,” Carol Mitchell, Manager, had this commentary. “I must say, however, that I have noticed within the ranks of “middle management” a good number of managers who are outwardly selfish in their approach. They are very interested in achieving their own goals at the expense of their subordinate’s feelings and display competition with their peers that is unhealthy. I also admit that these are not great leaders and that their tactics are pretty transparent to others. I agree that real leaders are willing to help and mentor others. I also think that the corporate culture does not foster, particularly, this behavior as it did in the past. I believe this is a negative development and quite contrary to the notions present in corporations into the mid-90’s that rewarded and fostered “people as our greatest asset” and “a good manager develops their people”. These notions were once seen as corporate values. Sadly, they are in decline as corporations are exclusively in a quest for profit and fail to see a moral delimina associated with viewing their human resources as a means to that end.” I wanted to share this with you and invite your comments, too!

Author Jane Treber Macken draws upon her years of experience managing, supervising, and teaching in The Art of Managing: How to Build a Better Workplace and Relationships, a guide to managing and motivating individuals. Offering an overview of the history of management theory, recommendations for cultivating the positive characteristics of successful managers, motivate others, form and manage successful teams, and much more, The Art of Managing is up-close and personal in the delivery of its message. “We judge others by their behavior, but we judge ourselves by our intentions. To close the gap, we must be open to change and suggestions.” Highly recommended.

Business Guru Jane Treber Macken calls on her 36 years of acclaimed expertise in the business field to put together her first book, “The Art of Managing: How to Build a Better Workplace and Relationships.” Her vast knowledge in both business and psychology bring a holistic flow to her methods, making her strategy a natural marriage between the two fields. “Bridging business and psychology will assist you not only in managing your workplace, but also in managing your personal life. Both are really about successfully managing relationships.”
“The Art of Managing” is the enlightened manager’s guide to a more effective management style. It teaches and sharpens skills in successful communication based on personality types and levels of ability and motivation. By positively exploiting certain character ‘flaws’ and traits and knowing another’s behavior style, managers can boost both individual vision and group interoperability. Macken utilizes specific examples from her background and upbringing to illustrate her points. She also brings in plenty of descriptive charts, exercises, and bolds key phrases that can be used as a management mantra. “The Art of Managing” is a quick read while easy to digest and emulate.
Macken does a superb job bringing her technique full circle while bringing in the importance of a foundation of self-knowledge, continual personal growth, and unwavering ethics throughout. “The Art of Managing” is perfect for those established and aspiring managers hoping to be more effective leaders by building work environments full of trust, honesty, and open communication. I also think the book would serve those interested in bettering their own interpersonal skills. Whether or not one is a “manager” per se, the book offers valuable information on how to get to know oneself on a deeper level and improve your interaction experiences with people of other personality types.
“The Art of Managing” is definitely a positive alternative for those who have become frustrated with other methods of management. Jane Treber Macken’s style is motivating and insightful, bringing a fresh take on employee mental well-being while keeping the ultimate goal of a successful business in focus. “People who continue to learn are better able to implement and manage continuous change, meet customer expectations and needs, and lead an organization to success in the competitive economic environment.”

“The Art of Managing: How to Build a Better Workplace and Relationships” provides practical frameworks for combining managerial theory with psychological insights, to build a better workplace, and for improved relationships both on and off the job. Jane Macken identifies three common characteristics shared by effective and successful leaders. They include:
1. Caring and compassion for other people, including strong feelings of empathy and understanding of feelings.
2. A willingness to serve others and the community and to be a positive role model for other people to emulate.
3. A desire for self development through lifelong learning, exercise, proper nutrition, and meditation and relaxation.
The author combines these traits with other psychological skills, for motivation and conflict resolution, with managerial theory to develop a powerful guide to management. The resulting book creates a series of step by step techniques and tests for becoming a more effective manager. For the author, the most important elements of the managerial process is developing good relationships with others; and with yourself. Without self understanding, it is much more difficult to lead and motivate others, and to create a balanced workplace.
For me, the power of the book is twofold. One aspect is how the first half of the book develops the managerial concepts in combination with the psychological aspects of interpersonal relationships. The second half of the book uses effectively these theoretical ideas and places them in a useful program of action for improving as a manager and leader of people. The many types of managerial styles and employee traits are examined and placed in grids for ease of understanding and application to real life situations. The strength of the book is in its ease of usability.
I recommend The Art of Managing: How to Build a Better Workplace and Relationships by Jane Treber Macken as a practical hands-on guide to developing better relationships at work and in your personal life. The step by step approach will help you become a better manager of people in your workplace and of your private life at home.

Saturday, July 21, 2007, 9:38:45 PM | Dwayne Melancon
I’ve just read Jane Treber Macken’s, “The Art of Managing: How to Build a Better Workplace and Relationships,” and I quite enjoyed it. The beginning of the book felt a bit academic, sharing a lot about the history of management theory, and an overview of various management models and techniques used in the last 150 or so years. But don’t let the clinical introduction turn you away – once the book gets going, the author adds a lot of interesting tools and engaging examples that make this a very good read.
The book is short – only about 100 pages – but it covers a lot of ground in a very effective fashion. Macken does a wonderful job of weaving in material from noted management experts, along with her own personal stories of life and management. She also presents some useful tools and mental models to help you become a more effective manager.
Managing by sitcom
A lot of the fun in this book comes from the way Macken livens things up with things you don’t always seen in management books. For example, one model I liked exploring describes office relationship styles in terms of characters from the “I Love Lucy” and “Leave It To Beaver” television shows. I’m a cross between “Ethel” and “Ward,” trying to become more consistently “Ward.”
I was a huge fan of these shows, so it was a fun exercise for me (and, even if you know nothing about those television shows, Macken describes how to use the model to apply it within your own context).
A plethora of tools
Other models and tools she discusses with her own spin include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator model, group development and conflict resolution techniques, motivational techniques, and a model for situational leadership.
Finally, she rounds it out with a great set of tools to assess the effectiveness and alignment of an organization, and discusses methods to address any weaknesses or mis-alignment you may discover.
In summary, I liked this book because it gave me some new twists on some familiar management models, as well as teaching me some new tools and techniques I can apply to become a better manager. I believe it would be equally useful to new managers and seasoned veterans.

Business Guru Jane Treber Macken calls on her 36 years of acclaimed expertise in the business field to put together her first book, “The Art of Managing: How to Build a Better Workplace and Relationships.” Her vast knowledge in both business and psychology bring a holistic flow to her methods, making her strategy a natural marriage between the two fields. “Bridging business and psychology will assist you not only in managing your workplace, but also in managing your personal life. Both are really about successfully managing relationships.” “The Art of Managing” is the enlightened manager’s guide to a more effective management style. It teaches and sharpens skills in successful communication based on personality types and levels of ability and motivation. By positively exploiting certain character ‘flaws’ and traits and knowing another’s behavior style, managers can boost both individual vision and group interoperability. Macken utilizes specific examples from her background and upbringing to illustrate her points. She also brings in plenty of descriptive charts, exercises, and bolds key phrases that can be used as a management mantra. “The Art of Managing” is a quick read while easy to digest and emulate. Macken does a superb job bringing her technique full circle while bringing in the importance of a foundation of self-knowledge, continual personal growth, and unwavering ethics throughout. “The Art of Managing” is perfect for those established and aspiring managers hoping to be more effective leaders by building work environments full of trust, honesty, and open communication. I also think the book would serve those interested in bettering their own interpersonal skills. Whether or not one is a “manager” per se, the book offers valuable information on how to get to know oneself on a deeper level and improve your interaction experiences with people of other personality types. “The Art of Managing” is definitely a positive alternative for those who have become frustrated with other methods of management. Jane Treber Macken’s style is motivating and insightful, bringing a fresh take on employee mental well-being while keeping the ultimate goal of a successful business in focus. “People who continue to learn are better able to implement and manage continuous change, meet customer expectations and needs, and lead an organization to success in the competitive economic environment.”