Excerpt from First Break All The Rules by Curt Coffman, Marcus Buckingham, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Contents

Introduction: Breaking All the Rules

Chapter 1: The Measuring Stick
A Disaster Off the Scilly Isles
"What do we know to be important but are unable to measure?"
The Measuring Stick
"How can you measure human capital?"
Putting the Twelve to the Test
"Does the measuring stick link to business outcomes?"
A Case in Point
"What do these discoveries mean for one particular company?"
Mountain Climbing
"Why is there an order to the twelve questions?"

Chapter 2: The Wisdom of Great Managers
Words from the Wise
"Whom did Gallup interview?"
What Great Managers Know
"What is the revolutionary insight shared by all great managers?"
What Great Managers Do
"What are the four basic roles of a great manager?"
The Four Keys
"How do great managers play these roles?"

Chapter 3: The First Key: Select for Talent
Talent: How Great Managers Define It
"Why does every role, performed at excellence, require talent?"
The Right Stuff
"Why is talent more important than experience, brainpower, and willpower?"
The Decade of the Brain
"How much of a person can the manager change?"
Skills, Knowledge, and Talents
"What is the difference among the three?"
The World According to Talent
"Which myths can we now dispel?"
Talent: How Great Managers Find It
"Why are great managers so good at selecting for talent?"
A Word from the Coach
"John Wooden, on the importance of talent."

Chapter 4: The Second Key: Define the Right Outcomes
Managing by Remote Control
"Why is it so hard to manage people well?"
Temptations
"Why do so many managers try to control their people?"
Rules of Thumb
"When and how do great managers rely on steps?"
What Do You Get Paid to Do?
"How do you know if the outcomes are right?"

Chapter 5: The Third Key: Focus on Strengths
Let Them Become More of Who They Already Are
"How do great managers release each person's potential?"
Tales of Transformation
"Why is it so tempting to try to fix people?"
Casting Is Everything
"How do great managers cultivate excellent performance so consistently?"
Manage by Exception
"Why do great managers break the Golden Rule?"
Spend the Most Time with Your Best People
"Why do great managers play favorites?"
How to Manage Around a Weakness
"How do great managers turn a harmful weakness into an irrelevant non talent?"

Chapter 6: The Fourth Key: Find the Right Fit
The Blind, Breathless Climb
"What's wrong with the old career path?"
One Rung Doesn't Necessarily Lead to Another
"Why do we keep promoting people to their level of incompetence?"
Create Heroes in Every Role
"How to solve the shortage of respect."
Three Stories and a New Career
"What is the force driving the New Career?"
The Art of Tough Love
"How do great managers terminate someone and still keep the relationship intact?"

Chapter 7: Turning the Keys: A Practical Guide
The Art of Interviewing for Talent
"Which are the right questions to ask?"
Performance Management
"How do great managers turn the last three Keys every day, with every employee?"
Keys of Your Own
"Can an employee turn these Keys?"
Master Keys
"What can the company do to create a friendly climate for great managers?"

Gathering Force

Appendices:

APPENDIX A: The Gallup Path to Business Performance
"What is the path to sustained increase in shareholder value?"

Copyright © 1999 by The Gallup Organization