Review of First, Break All the Rules
By Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman

Reviewed by: Kelsey Ebben, Performa Research Associate

First, Break All the Rules

To create working environments that attract and retain high-quality employees, it is essential managers depart from traditional ways of thinking about management - in essence, they must First, Break All the Rules. In this book, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman (1999) offer intriguing and accessible insights on how to select, motivate, and keep good employees.

The authors ground their theories in the results of a study by the Gallup Organization of 80,000 managers in over 400 companies. As Buckingham and Coffman combed through the Gallup survey results, they consistently found that the employees at organizations with high employee satisfaction were able to answer affirmatively the following top six questions for building a strong and productive workplace:

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the right materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

Surprisingly, the authors found that "An employee may join Disney or GE or Time Warner because she is lured by their generous benefits package and their reputation for valuing employees. But it is her relationship with her immediate manager that will determine how long she stays and how productive she is while she is there" (p. 36). Indeed, all six of the above questions address steps individual managers - not the organization as a whole - can take to improve organizational success.

The authors provide general themes organizations should consider as they reconceptualize their management practices; however they also strongly suggest organizations undergo self-assessment to find their best managers. Then, organizations can search for and train more managers like their best to replicate their success. In addition, they emphasize that managers should focus on maximizing the abilities of their current staff, rather than try to "change them." They package their findings into four "keys" that can be useful for all managers - including higher education administrators- interested in hiring and training quality managers.

The first key is Select for Talent. Buckingham and Coffman define talent as any "recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied" (p. 71). Everyone has talents connected to their innate personalities. For example, the ability to remember names, complete crossword puzzles, or remain calm under pressure are common talents that can be applied to work positions. The main task for managers is to find the right talent for the right position within the organization. Managers must realize they cannot change the innate talents of their employees; for example, skills training to enhance public speaking skills will best help employees who have a natural talent for public speaking.

The second key is Define the Right Outcomes. The authors propose managers retain a low level of control in supervisor-supervisee relationships. They state, "The solution is as elegant as it is efficient: Define the right outcomes and then let each person find his own route toward those outcomes" (p. 110). All employees have different natural talents and personalities, and therefore very different working styles. Except in industries concerned with safety and a high level of accuracy, managers should avoid creating formulaic, "how-to's" for completing work, and trust their supervisees to achieve outcomes.

The third key is Focus on Strengths. Traditional management theory suggests managers try to "fix" employees' weaknesses. Mangers should instead help employees find their niche in the organization, and ways to continue honing their talents. Buckingham and Coffman note, "Focus on each person's strengths and manage around his weaknesses. Don't try to fix the weaknesses. Don't try to perfect each person. Instead do everything you can to help each person cultivate his talents. Help each person become more of who he already is" (p. 141). This involves breaking another golden rule of management: "treating everyone equally." Instead, the authors suggest that because individual employees are different, each will require different levels of supervisory contact. In addition, managers should focus energy on their best employees, rather than their weakest, in order to maximize these employees' contributions.

The fourth key is Find the Right Fit. Buckingham and Coffman caution against using promotion as the only means to advancement and job growth for employees. Often employees are promoted beyond their level of interest or competency. The authors suggest "creating heroes in every role" through graded levels of achievement and salaries that overlap with the starting salary for the next level, thus diminishing the monetary appeal of "moving up." Great managers should also "hold up the mirror" to help employees determine the position that will fit them best. The authors conclude this section with an explanation of the proper means to fire employees - which is necessary when their innate talents simply do not fit with the demands of the job. The final section of the book serves as a practical guide for managers to ascertain interviewees' innate talents during the job interview, and monitor their own management performance.

First, Break All the Rules presents the wealth of knowledge of the Gallop survey in a highly engaging and accessible book for all supervisors and job seekers. Buckingham and Coffman's ideas are contrary to traditional management thinking, yet also seem intuitively appealing and "right" because they value all employees' contributions and are positive about the future of organizations. They state,

"Human nature is one of those last, vast reserves of value. If they are to increase their value, companies know they must tap these reserves.the power of human nature.lies in its idiosyncrasy, in the fact that each human's nature is different. If companies want to use this power, they must find a mechanism to unleash each human's nature, not contain it. You, the manager, are the best mechanism they have" (p. 242).

As competent employees and managers with unique talents, we have the power to enhance our work environments and make personal contributions to improve the organization's success.