Plugged-In Manager - by Terri L Griffith (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A game-changing approach to management. Too often discussions of management practice focus exclusively on managing people and organizational issues. Rarely, however, do they incorporate a discussion about technology or address all three dimensions in a balanced way. When they do, the result is game changing. In our hypercompetitive environment, those managers who are outstanding at being plugged into their people, technology, and organizational processes simultaneously excel at coming up with effective business solutions. The Plugged-In Manager makes the case that being plugged-in--the ability to see choices across each of an organization's dimensions of people, technology, and organizational processes and then to mix them together into new and powerful organizational strategies, structures, and practices--may be the most important capability a manager can develop to succeed in the 21st century. Step by step Griffith shows you how to acquire this ability. Shows what it takes for business managers to succeed as technology and organizations become more and more complex. Profiles exceptional leaders and organizations who are plugged-in, such as Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com. Offers a fresh look at management issues. Filled with compelling case studies and drawing on first-hand interviews, The Plugged-In Manager highlights this often neglected managerial capability and the costs of only focusing on one dimension rather than all three"--

Book Synopsis

A game-changing approach to management

Too often discussions of management practice focus exclusively on managing people and organizational issues. Rarely, however, do they incorporate a discussion about technology or address all three dimensions in a balanced way. When they do, the result is game changing. In our hypercompetitive environment, those managers who are outstanding at being plugged into their people, technology, and organizational processes simultaneously excel at coming up with effective business solutions.

The Plugged-In Manager makes the case that being plugged-in--the ability to see choices across each of an organization's dimensions of people, technology, and organizational processes and then to mix them together into new and powerful organizational strategies, structures, and practices--may be the most important capability a manager can develop to succeed in the 21st century. Step by step Griffith shows you how to acquire this ability.

• Shows what it takes for business managers to succeed as technology and organizations become more and more complex
• Profiles exceptional leaders and organizations who are plugged-in, such as Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com
• Offers a fresh look at management issues

Filled with compelling case studies and drawing on first-hand interviews, The Plugged-In Manager highlights this often neglected managerial capability and the costs of only focusing on one dimension rather than all three.

From the Back Cover

We live and work in a time of rapid change. Innovative technologies--from the latest social media platforms to high-tech automated warehouses--reinvent the way we do business every day. At the same time, globalization and new nonlinear career paths continually transform our workforce, with teams constantly diversifying. Managers and organizations know they must adapt, but simple awareness of these sweeping changes is not enough. How can you go beyond merely understanding this new world to see unique new opportunities and, more importantly, beat the competition to tomorrow's greatest ideas?

The answer lies in being "plugged in"--not just to new technology, but also to processes and people, and, most crucially, to the way these strategic elements fit together. Today's hypercompetitive economy demands seamless integration between the particular skills and knowledge of a team, the range of any business's technological tools, and the structure of the organization. After years of studying respected, successful companies, Professor Terri L. Griffith reveals how top performers "plug in" to achieve impressive results.

The cornerstone of Griffith's work is an easy-to-understand framework for plugging in, explained through three core practices:

• STOP-LOOK-LISTEN: What do your data say? What do you already know that will help you with this project?
• MIXING: How do you balance your available resources?
• SHARING: How can you achieve better results by integrating your choices with other team members?

To show how the most plugged-in organizations develop sophisticated, industry-leading strategies from these basic practices, Griffith goes behind the scenes for interviews and case studies at leading companies such as Zappos, Intuit, Microsoft, Nucor, Socialtext, and many more.

With Griffith's deep understanding of today's business climate and her practical model for maximizing the potential of any organization's resources, The Plugged-In Manager is an essential tool for success in our fast-paced, interconnected world.

About the Author

TERRI L. GRIFFITH is a professor of management at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley. With more than 25 years of research in organizations of all sizes and across industries, she has developed deep insights about the realities of working with technology. She writes the award-winning blog "Technology and Organizations." To find out more, please visit terrigriffith.com.