Oct 29 2021

The Fifth Management Foci

I had been meaning to write this book for quite a while – and finally got around to it in 2010 and 2011. It was one of 9 books that I was able to publish in the year 2011. Yeah, I know.

Some of those had been in the works for a few years – so it was kind of a Mad Rush to publish – and be done with them – if you know what I mean.

This was the short version of my book: From Training to Performance Improvement Consulting – but this was intended for a general management population and not for T&D/L&D professionals.

Dick Clark agreed to review this for me – and to write the Foreword.

A part of that Foreword follows:

From the Foreword – Richard E. Clark, Ed.D. – October 9, 2011

Part of the cost-benefit proposition in this book is that it is a twofer – two books in one. A significant chunk of the book provides a structured outline and guide to most of the issues one should consider when designing, assessing and repairing the management and performance of an organization. These are the first four of the “Foci” he describes – key concerns such as Alignment, Processes, Practices and Resources for stakeholders. A shorter but no less fascinating part of the book emphasizes his “Fifth Foci.” In it he uses the management road map he creates to point out the most comprehensive list yet of the unwarranted assumptions, common misconceptions, half-truths and outright lies about management and human performance at work. He calls it the “Foo Foo Focus” and he trains the crosshairs on the snake oil that is sold for each of the other four focus areas. This section alone is worth the price of the book. Readers are cautioned to approach it with an open mind because it is likely that everyone will recognize one or more of the misconceptions he points out as a principle that we hold dear. Yet there is solid evidence to support every one of the Foo Foo strategies he lists.

Most of the recent reviews of research on organizational management have concluded that in general, it is poorly done and in great need of workable solutions. Guy Wallace’s Fifth Management Foci is a significant step in the right direction.

A GIF