Brain Rules (John Medina, 2008) 8.0/10
How We Decide (Jonah Lehrer, 2009) 8.2/10
How The Mighty Fall (Jim Collins, 2009) 6.7/10
World Wide Rave (David Meerman Scott, 2009) 7.2/10
The Element (Sir Ken Robinson, 2009) 8.2/10
Jeff Immelt and the New GE Way (David Magee, 2009) 5.0/10
The Talent Code (Daniel Coyle, 2009) 6.5/10
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Robert B. Cialdini, 2007) 7.0/10
The Ten Commandments for Business Failure (Donald R. Keough, 2008) 7.3/10
The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets (Peter D. Schiff, 2008) 5.2/10
The Brand Bubble (John Gerzema and Ed Lebar, 2008) 6.0/10
A Sense Of Urgency (John P. Kotter, 2008) 6.5/10
Who (Geoff Smart and Randy Street, 2008) 6.8/10
Reality Check (Guy Kawasaki, 2008) 7.2/10
Tribes (Seth Godin, 2008) 4.7/10
Business Stripped Bare (Richard Branson, 2008) 7.8/10
Call Me Ted (Ted Turner with Bill Burke, 2008)
Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell, 2008) 6.0/10
Winning (Jack Welch with Suzy Welch, 2005) 8.0/10
Tuned In (Craig Stull, Phil Myers & David Meerman Scott, 2008) 7.2/10
Inside Steve's Brain (Leander Kahney, 2008) 6.0/10
Yes! (Robert Cialdini, et al, 2008) 6.7/10
The Answer (John Assaraf & Murray Smith, 2008) 7.2/10
Six Disciplines Execution Revolution (Gary Harpst, 2008) 4.0/10
The Future of Management (Gary Hamel and Bill Breen, 2008) 7.3/10
Meatball Sundae (Seth Godin, 2007) 7.0/10
“The HR Department is the most important staff group”
Talent: Making People Your Competitive Advantage by Edward E. Lawler III is another book on talent management and HR in general. The key content of the book is the four types of organisations. Hierarchical bureaucracy or low-cost operator (Struture-centric approach) and high-involvement organisation or global competitor (HC-centric, HC is Human Capital). Lawlar describes the current state of most organisations and how to move forward.
Contents:
1. Talent Matters
Talent matters due to the changing business environment in the world and the world is more competitive than ever before.
2. Making the Right Management Choice
This chapter describes the four types of organisation mentioned above and their advantages and disadvantages.
3. Designing Organizations
Lawler adapted the classic five star model of an organisation design including the elements which are People, Structure, Rewards, Processes, (Competencies, Capabilities, and Strategy), which are all related. While Identity is in the middle of all. Lawler describes effect of those elements to the organisation.
4. Managing Talent
The author wrote on how to get the right talent and how to retain them in depth.
5. Managing Performance
Chapter on performance management, full stop.
6. Information and Decision Making
I seriously think that this chapter is unnecessary, Lawler wrote about the information sharing. knowledge management, and technology.
7. Reinventing HR
To sum up the chapter, HR should not only do administration but also business support and strategy development and implementation.
8. Governing Corporations
The chapter talks mainly about the boards of directors (?!).
9. Leading
Typical leadership topics.
10. Managing Change
Typical change management topics (seriously)
…
Now, I would like to compare this book to the ideal business book; or a business book that is easy to understand, distinct, practical, credible, insightful, and provides great reading experience.
Ease of Understanding: 7/10: Although, as you can see from the contents, the structure of the book is straightforward, there are some repetitions. Descriptions of HR tools and theories are well written but they can be a bit too overwhelming.
Distinction: 4/10: This is a typical HR or people management book. The colourful front cover might be a bit deceptive; there is nothing particularly new about the contents apart from a model tweak and some updated (cannot really say new) concepts here and there.
Practicality: 3/10: This book is very acedemic. The author wrote beautiful and refined concepts with a few examples but there is no such thing as “do this, do that, do it, now!”. This book will be practical when I construct an HR checklist of activities that are needed to be done. But if I want to actually implement those activities, I will find good methods elsewhere.
Credibility: 9/10: As an acedemic thesis, this book deserves an “A” without a doubt. Researches are sound and a list of references is longer than many textbooks. Anyway, an experience of Ed Lawler should be credible enough.
Insightful: 8/10: Following a long list of sound references, the author wrote each topic thoroughly. Explanation between and within chapters is clear.
Reading Experience: 4/10: I am not going to lie here, this book is quite boring. This book is pretty much like a textbook, an HR textbook. I think that is enough for you know how will you feel.
Overall: 5.8/10: For HR managers and officers, this book might be useful but it is likely that you already know them all in general. For others, this book might be too detailed without straight and practical method. However, if you need to be an HR guru, the book is compulsory and check out the list of 98 references for your next stop towards an enlightenment in human resource management.
