Product Description

One of the nation's leading management experts shows what it really takes to make a great organization-put people first
How do organizations move beyond merely acknowledging that "human capital" is their greatest asset, and actually implement practices that create true benefits for both employees and the organizations? In this book, Edward Lawler shows how companies can "treat people right" by doing more than simply ensuring good working conditions and good pay. He shows how to build a special relationship between individuals and the organizations they work for-a relationship in which good performance at all levels of the organization pays off for both the company and the individual. The author details specific practices designed to keep employees satisfied but still motivated to continue improving their performance. These techniques include: developing a "brand" as an employer that attracts high achievers, selecting and developing the high achievers, crafting a leadership style that integrates and promotes these actions, and more. Lawler draws on examples from a wide range of companies such as Microsoft, Motorola, IBM, Ford, and others to show how these practices are already at work and successful in some of the world's most enduring organizations. Full of examples and a voice of true conviction, Treat People Right! is a must-have resource for anyone concerned about building and sustaining competitive advantage for the long term.
Edward E. Lawler (Beverly Hills, CA) was named one of the country's leading management experts by BusinessWeek magazine. He is the author of over thirty books, and his articles have appeared in Fortune, the Harvard Business Review, and other national publications. He is Director of the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California (USC) and Professor of Management and Organization in the USC Marshall School of Business.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #91687 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-14
• Released on: 2003-03-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 280 pages

Review
"Named a Best Business Book of 2003 in the Leadership category by Strategy + Business."(Strategy + Business Magazine, article by Bruce Pasternak and James O'Toole).

Review
"Ed Lawler is simply the best thinker about people in organizations today. His new book turns treating people right from magical and nice-to-do clichés to a set of specific, research-based actions that leaders can take."
— Dave Ulrich, professor, University of Michigan

"Practical advice for everyone who manages anyone . . . from first-time supervisor to CEO."
— Bob Eckert, chairman and chief executive officer, MATTEL, INC.

"Treat People Right! Is essential reading for any senior executive who believes that great and committed people are the ultimate source of value creation for their business."
— Dennis Liberson, executive vice-president, human resources, Capital One Financial Corporation

"Treat people Right! puts forward the principles, practices, and responsibilities necessary to be successful in today's ever changing business world— whether you are a seasoned executive or a recently hired college graduate you must read it!"— Jim Madden, chairman, president, and CEO, Exult, Inc.

"Lawler's concept of 'virtuous spirals' is right on. His Seven Principles for Treating People Right and Creating a Virtuous Spiral are straight forward and obvious, but hard work. He clearly defines roles for both the organization and the people."
— Mel Haught, president and CEO, Pello Corporation

"If you care about how to attract, motivate, and maximize the potential of outstanding people, read this book!"
— Bruce Pasternack, senior vice president and founding partner, Organization and Strategic Leadership Center, Booz Allen Hamilton

"In the midst of all of the hype and psychobabble that fill bookstore shelves, Ed Lawler has done a fabulous job of brining solid rigorous thinking about people and organization into an accessible form."
— David A. Nadler, chairman, Mercer Delta Consulting, LLC.

From the Inside Flap
Treat people right. It sounds simple to do, and it is hard to argue against doing it. Ed Lawler argues it is also a fundamental key to creating effective organizations. But it is much easier said than done. The challenge— and it is a significant one— is to identify and implement organization designs and practices that are good for both individuals and organizations. In this book, Lawler— one of the world's foremost business management experts— shows how to "treat people right" in a way that actually produces positive long-term payoffs for organizations and the people who work in them. He calls this relationship a "virtuous spiral." As he explains, when organizations reward people for performance, they perform better, which propels the organization to higher levels of performance. The organization is then able to reward them better and attract and retain more talented people— which in turn spirals the organization toward even better performance.

The author details specific practices designed to satisfy employees while motivating them to continue improving their performance. These techniques include: developing a "brand" as an employer that attracts high achievers, selecting and developing high performers, crafting a leadership style that integrates and promotes performance, rewarding performance, and more. Lawler draws on examples from a wide range of companies including Microsoft, Motorola, IBM, Ford, and Hewlett-Packard to show how these practices work in some of the world's most successful organizations. Full of examples and best practices, Treat People Right! is a must-have resource for everyone who is concerned about building more effective organizations.

Customer Reviews

Treat People Right: Another Great Read From Ed Lawler
Global Business is deeply challenged by how best to make an organization attractive to the talent they need to compete in a dynamic and challenging world. Ed Lawler provides us with a clear set of guidelines in Treat People Right about how best to make our organizations 'winners' in the talent wars we will face in the decades to come. Leaders should make this a 'must read' for their next plane trip and provide multiple copies to those in their organization that can affect the directions to take to gain advantage through people.

What's attractive about this book is that is provides a total look at all the 'tools' organizations have at their disposal to encourage people to help them make their business a success. Treat People Right gives concrete 'how to' examples and case studies that bring Ed's advice home to a busy leader in a form they can put to work in their organization. The book goes beyond theory to execution . . . something that is key to creating the 'win-win' relationship business needs during trying times.

The time is exactly right for Treat People Right. Global organizations looking for ways to step forward and win the talent competition have their guidelines set for them by the world's leading expert on how best to align the performance of the best people with what your business needs to lead the pack in the next decade.

If we could give this book SIX STARS we would do it. This is the kind of book authors say, "Gosh, we wish we had written something as great as that!"

Just do the `Right' Things
In a textbook style narrative, Professor Lawler opens this book with the argument that the talented individual (human capital) is the new competitive advantage, if combined with well designed organizations with the best management systems. He then introduces his Diamond Model of Organizational Effectiveness. This model is lead by strategy; centers on the organizational design elements of people, structure, rewards, and processes; which are surrounded by capabilities, competencies, and environment. Within this context of people at the center, the next chapter is devoted to 'what makes people effective', using the - performance = motivation x ability - equation to frame the discussion.

In the following 7 chapters Lawler introduces his 7 principles of Treating People Right:
1. Attract and Keep the Right People
2. Hire the Right People
3. Develop People Right
4. Design Work Right
5. Establish the Right Goals
6. Reward People Right
7. Lead People Right

Each chapter defines the principle, discusses the why of it, generalizes on how it might be implemented, and provides best practice examples. Lawler also provides an 'implications for the individuals' section with each principle.

It seems obvious that treating people right has its benefits, a more useful question may be, "How, or by Whom, should Right be Defined?" On these questions, the book adds nothing new to the conversation on how to motivate people. Although it may be unfair to suggest there is nothing new in a book written some 4 years ago, the test of time can be seen as a useful meter for determining a books real value.

PEOPLE ARE IMPORTANT
As a career management professional, I strongly recommend human resource professionals sit up and read Lawler's book. Start treating your human resources as people in the 21st century. People are important to business success. Lawler has done a critical analysis and used highly illustrative examples to demonstrate the importance of treating people right as part of organisational success strategy. The examples quoted could easily be adapted for implementation in many organisations. I would encourage the CEOs of small and medium sized companies to read this book too. At the beginning of the 21st century, many managers and executives would realise their competitive advantage stems from the creativity, ideas, innovation and enterprise of their people.......so treat people right! Recommended reading for post-graduate programmes in Human Resource, Management and Organizational Behaviour.