Building Productivity: 18 Blueprints for Success
by Eileen L. Berman, Ed.D.
Authority Press Inc., 2000
ISBN 1-929059-00-0

Breadth of Audience: 3.71 (Excellent)
Topical Utility: 3.40 (Good)
Content Applicable: 3.24 (Good)
Writing Quality: 3.61 (Excellent)
Overall: 3.49 (Good)

COMMENTS FROM THE REVIEWERS:

1. This book proposes a collection of 18 blueprints aimed at supporting individuals and organizations in their learning toward an increase of productivity. For each blueprint the author provides the reader with insights, guidelines and a set of techniques that allow organizations to effectively involve people while allowing them to achieve success and satisfaction. This book stimulates the reader putting a set of questions that force him/her to dig deeply inside. In this way he/she is compelled to analyze and to question his/her behaviors that emerge in specific situations and lead to scarce productivity. The author gives the word "productivity" a wider meaning than usual. Indeed, it usually indicates simple measures of efficiency given by the output to input. In the book, "productivity" becomes a measure of personal satisfaction, professional growth, company benefits. The book has the following architecture. For each chapter, which treats a specific blueprint, there is a preliminary discussion of the ways a certain factor affects productivity. The impact of the specific factor upon productivity is analyzed stimulating the reader to recall and analyze his/her past experience. The author uses storytelling and metaphors to give emphasis to the problematic statements reported in the book. Next, individual and organization project plans are indicated. The project plans are mental exercises that induce the reader to think over the way to improve individual and organization productivity.

2. The thing I like about this book is that it is well segmented, clear, and to the point. Its content also provides a nice complement to the usual technical and financial concerns of employment. Among the various 'blueprint' topics are included stress, (interpersonal) interactions, productivity, communication, and personal change management. I recommend this book as a useful resource, which will compliment the usual recommendations for management reading.

3. The topic areas are important and well chosen. The ideas are pretty much very good. I think there are two major flaws or shortcomings, which are relevant to our audience. First, the author fails to realize how difficult it is for technical people to IMPLEMENT these types of ideas. Engineers are NOT team players by nature, and engineering managers are intimidated when dealing with "soft skill" issues. They need not only to develop understanding of issues and "stressors" but need practical ideas and templates on how to respond to information garnered by this book's processes. Second, the tie in to corporate goals and rewards as the foundation for any effective team is missing or under emphasized. Self-interest on the part of individuals will and must be served but only in the context of the broad corporate self-interest will they channel effort into effective work and generate rewards and growth.

4. What a superb book! And with real-life examples anyone can relate to. We can see ourselves in these situations. There are so many factors we overlook (or ignore) in our daily engineering management activities -- stress, self-esteem, communication, change, time, people--and especially 'Why Businesses Fail.' Some parts are juicy reading and match my own experience with people. It's organized into 18 themes or blueprints, with exercises for everyone. Even the newest Engineering Manager who's also the Janitor can benefit from reading this book. I enjoyed this book because it's so different! Very useful themes! Oops! Make that - blueprints.

5. This book encourages readers to really think about the deeper, underlying reasons for decisions, behaviors, and feelings, to look at the way one interacts with others, and to assess the environment around them. Thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter provides the "blueprint" for examining one's self in terms of the topic discussed. This allows the reader to gauge how he or she is handling the current situation and how it is affecting productivity, and to determine whether or not behaviors need to be modified. A very worthwhile book, reminding us how important people are, and the significance of relationships on productivity.