Wasserman and Katz make a compelling argument that all managers work in the heat of an invisible spotlight where their every word and deed are scrutinized by employees. Remarkably, most managers are unaware of this reality. As a result, they underestimate the impact of the passing moments that are at the heart of their management relationships.
The authors tell illuminating stories from their nearly 40 years as consultants about management successes and misadventures in the unseen spotlight. Each story acts like a mirror, reflecting the reader's own management challenges. The authors' realistic observations and insights gained as "intimate outsiders" enrich the book's lessons.
The Invisible Spotlight offers a fresh, practical perspective on building sound management relationships. The messages are intelligent, often provocative, and always no-nonsense. The reader will find it easy to think through ideas and practices central to enlightened management. For example:
• The management role does not come naturally. Instincts and reflexes alone can be as self-defeating as they are useful. Management requires practice, discipline, and self-reflection.
• If the foundation of the management relationship is solid, the manager is doing something right; if it fails or falters, the manager is doing something wrong. In this sense, managers are architects of the relationships they form with their employees.
• People don't change when they're comfortable; they change when they're uncomfortable. Carefully orchestrating moments of discomfort is an integral part of effective and humane management.
• More thought than managers ever imagined goes into the art of recognition and encouragement.
• No paint-by-numbers approach to managing will protect managers from missteps. The challenge is to recognize and recover from them, and it's one of of the hardest challenges to address with grace.
The Invisible Spotlight: Why Managers Can't Hide is a hard look at the soft side of management.