Managing People in a Downturn

This book covers these topics, and more besides. It is a collection of 74 essays, diatribes and thought-pieces. Somearedeliberatelyiconoclastic; others justalittle naughty. Some have appeared in my newspaper columns, others in specialized magazines.They have been written in airline lounges and on villa verandas. I have noted down odd phrases and curious events in commercial settings, and tried to make sense of them by scribbling. The aim is to provide three things. First, a skeptical sideways look at some business issues that maybe too politically incorrect or career-limiting for people in organizations to say. That is, of course, if they agree with me. The second aim is to discuss some recent academic papers in a jargon-free and approachable way.Academic papers are not often read by managers or gurus. Whilst some are written in impenetrable prose with complex statistics, they often have very interesting ideas and findings that merit reaching the light of day. Some of the essays attempt to do just this. Third, I hope to amuse. What goes on in “the office’’ is so often so patently absurd, bizarre and ridiculous it becomes good material for sit-coms. Indeed, one called The Office was a huge success. As they say, “you have to laugh’’ at the things that go on at work in the name of management. It’s a fine coping strategy, and an excellent way to puncture the superciliousness and pomposity of senior managers and consultants.