The Truth about Managing People
By Stephen P. Robbins | Reviewed by Larry Briand, MS, PT, ATC, and Emily Monson, PT
The world is saturated with books and articles regarding best management practices. With a never-ending stream of management opinions being published every year, it can be difficult to find the clearest, most concise information that is simple to implement. However, The Truth About Managing People by Stephen P. Robbins is a real winner in this realm, and all those in private practice can benefit from reading it.
In private practice, we are often on our own. We may have a few other clinicians and administrators at our clinic, but oftentimes we do not have anyone to guide us in management practices. This can be especially difficult when we have full patient schedules and rarely have the free time to consider how best to manage our practices and team members. That is why, as practice owners, this book stood out above all others.
This book is incredibly well organized and presents ideas that are easy to understand. So many management books talk about what you should do, but not how to do it. Robbins does quite the opposite and explains each concept with details and examples. This book teaches you how to become a first-rate manager who understands how to motivate and evaluate team members, celebrate creativity and individuality, and lead team members to be loyal and engaged in your clinic.
The most useful aspect of this book is how it is set up. It is divided into eight parts with 62 two-page sections that do not have to be read in succession. Each section is about a different management “truth,” which makes it easy for readers to head directly to the section that represents the area of management they want to pinpoint at that time.
These are the nine areas in which the book gives insight:
- The Truth about Hiring
- The Truth about Motivation
- The Truth about Leadership
- The Truth about Communication
- The Truth about Building Teams
- The Truth about Managing Conflicts
- The Truth about Designing Jobs
- The Truth about Performance Evaluation
- The Truth about Coping with Change
All these truths are very applicable to both private practice owners and directors, as well as those who hope to someday become a clinic director or owner. Overall, this is the most honest book you will find about management practices.
Read how you can become a better manager of your practice. This book will make you see the world of management in a whole new light!
Emily Monson, PT, is an Impact editorial board member and owner of Clear Lake Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists. She can be reached at emily@therapy1.net.
Larry Briand, MS, PT, ATC, is chief executive officer of Rehab Management Solutions in Mount Pleasant, Wis. He can be reached at rms-lb@tds.net.