Customer Reviews

Bringing Out the Best in People

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wow - This book, if you are willing to listen, will help you become aware of what is going on around you. At least, it did for me. Every couple of pages, I found myself saying "oh .. oh yes.. of course!" If nothing else, this book made me realize that I'm not crazy nor am I alone; that my environment, particularly the standard salary compensation system, really is de-motivating. No wonder I and so many others often struggle with procrastination!

The concepts are explained very well and he does a very nice job drawing out the implications to specific examples that most readers will immediately relate to. This book was one of the most satisfying reads I've had in a long time.

I'm very happy I picked up this book. This book opened my eyes to how people work. With this book I now more prepared and I am more confident with how I now deal with people. I recommend this to anyone who is any leadership role, this book helps you understand people and how to get the best out of them. not just get something out of them, but getting best from what they have to offer. and as leaders, thats what we want from our people. get it today!

Dr. Daniels brings the subject of behavior analysis to a level where human resource managers can understand the concepts of performance management and actually apply his principles of scientific employee management. For anti-behaviorists (those who fear being controlled by the human tendency to adapt behavior in order to receive rewards and avoid punishment) this book is a nightmare. Daniels succinctly describes the behavior analysis process and how employers can use it to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency by "pinpointing" job performance standards and incentive programs. A must read for any manager. His chapter on incentive plans was particularly insightful and illustrates the fallacies of most reward systems.

A different approach to changing behaviors. A very scientific approach that uses sound reasoning. The performance matrix may be the single most useful item in the book, but the whole topic of performance and compensation seemed to very applicable to corporate compensation. I would recommend for anyone looking for a more scientific approach to motivating employees.

This book packs a lot of content into 208 pages. Aubrey C. Daniels is not afraid to challenge some popular management theories. He even mentions in his preface that "human performance has been trivialized by many books, the popular press and management folklore. The author uses behavioral analysis as an approach to managing people. This systematic, data-focused method is concerned with measurable results, not subjective qualities like "improved teamwork" or "better employee morale." We at getAbstract.com recommend this book for managers who are interested in initiating change in a precise controlled fashion.

Dr. Daniels' writings are a practical guide to the application of behavioral principles in organizational settings. As such this book is second to none and a must read for those charged with the responsibility of managing performance. This approach has time and time again proven very effective, yielding dividends for those who have seriously attempted to understand and apply behavioral principles in the workplace. Although the book focuses primarily on applications in business, it also demonstrates relevance to peoples' personal life by describing how we should treat others to maximize performance and build good relationships. It is unfortunate that those who lack the understanding of behaviorism, naively describing it as associationism and a way to "treat-people-as-mechanical-objects," feel the need to cast value judgment on one of very few successful extrapolations of psychological principles to our everyday lives. It is fortunate, however, that such evaluations are erroneous, at best.

This latest edition of "Bringing Out the Best in People" includes important new applications to business problems. It begins with an explanation of why traditional management methods are so costly and then lays out an alternative, which truly brings out the best in people. This approach is exactly what managers need to get the results they want, while at the same time, building the kind of organization where people want to contribute. Managers learn a step by step process for getting those results.

Dr. Daniels has identified a positive approach for gaining maximum performance from your employees. This book will stimulate managers to create innovative recognition and reward systems that are aligned with what employees want.

This book is not just a fad, but based on the science of Behavior Analysis. The material presented in this book made me realize that often when I thought I was reinforcing behavior, I was actually doing just the opposite. - Tom Lowell, President of Mentix, LLC.

Bringing Out the Best is not so much a book to have read, but rather a book to read, review and reference. Although there are many important points made in this book that can help you understand people and why they often behave in "strange and mysterious ways" I think the most important knowledge to be gained is the distinction between reinforcement and recognition or rewards. Today, when so many "pop" writers are claiming that people are demotivated by extrinsic rewards, Dr. Daniels is the only business writer even attempting to explain that reinforcement whether it occurs naturally (that is the work itself provides reinforcement and satisfaction) or given extrinsically, (that is, someone else notices good work and complements the worker) is significantly different than the typical rewards and recognition programs so often developed in businesses today. This book should be read by any one who has ever been disappointed by an attempt to reward or by an attempt to be rewarded. This includes managers, parents, ministers and anyone else who is expected to influence and motivate others.

A most useful tool for the understanding of human behavior.