Charles S. Jacobs

Charles Jacobs legt uit wat de nieuwste ontdekkingen in de neurowetenschap voor de managementpraktijk kunnen betekenen. Dit boek legt een zeldzame brug tussen twee zeer uiteenlopende werelden, de zakenwereld en de cognitieve neurowetenschappen. Het laat leidinggevenden op een vlotte manier kennis maken met de werking van de geest en de uitdagende toepassingsmogelijkheden in het bedrijfsleven.
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Along the lines of Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, Jacobs looks at the scientific explanations for behavior and motivation, particularly in the workplace. Although written for managers, the information in this book would work well for anyone in a work situation. There are inevitably times in our work lives when we need others to do or think in a certain way, and this book explains how this might be accomplished.

One of the biggest themes of Management Rewired is stories. Stories help explain the world, can conjure emotions, and cause paradigm shifts. True to this philosophy, Jacobs peppers numerous stories throughout the text to exemplify his points.

Some other themes and highlights are: think strategically; don’t tell people what you want them to do, ask them what they think they should do; listen to avoid a competitive dynamic; learn how to shape the environment to your advantage by acting counter-intuitively or letting things play out; actively seek dissonance; and stop thinking so much and focus on the task at hand.

In my experience, management texts are often difficult because there is always a necessarily fair amount of theory. It is just not possible to describe every appropriate reaction to every given situation in a practical way. While this book is peppered with stories, no story is your personal story, and your circumstance is going to require reading the situation, knowing the players and using your wits.

This book was great for reinforcement, and the author presented the topic in an engaging and entertaining manner. However, it didn’t really offer anything entirely new. Like the book says, you must consciously and consistently internalize the message in order for it to change your ways of thinking and doing. You never really know what you will do until the time comes for you to act.… (mehr)