The Unnatural Act of Management: When the Great Leader's Work is Done, the People Say ""We Did It Ourselves""

Chairman of the board of two Atlanta-based companies, business consultant Suters calls on 30 years of management experience to describe the ``unnatural'' profession of ``producing results through others.'' Styled as a fictional narrative about a minor manufacturing firm in trouble, this highly readable guide covers the spectrum of problems and solutions experienced by those in charge: avoiding the ``irreplaceable'' trap, handling stress, resolutely rearranging (or terminating) jobs, guiding ``direct producers'' (workers) while encouraging upward communication, running a productive meeting, dealing with family-dominated shareholders and reminding reluctant bank lenders that they need borrowers too. The heavily conversational tone at times seems contrived, but after many operational and personality quirks have been dealt with kindly but firmly, the denouement prompts a genuinely emotional response. Author tour. (Feb.)