Peanut Butter and Jelly Management: Tales from Parenthood, Lessons for Managers

Introducing key management concepts with anecdotes about each of their six children, Komisarjevsky, who is CEO of the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller Worldwide, and his wife, who is a full-time mother, focus on maximizing employee and employer productivity. Their son Nicholas, for example, is small for his age, but remains the fiercest goalie on his hockey team, admired for his determination. Similarly, the authors argue, there is always at least one person at the office who will take charge and make things happen, though leadership may not always emerge from the expected person. That's why managers must ""Be on the lookout for those who really do want to `own the goal'"" and ""find innovative ways to reward those potential leaders."" In another example, the authors recount how, every summer evening, the local ice cream man waits patiently for the six Komisarjevsky kids to make their choices, never rushing any of them. By the same token, everyone in an office needs a chance to grow, so managers should ""encourage people to try something different"" and ""free the entrepreneurial spirit."" While the Komisarjevskys' straightforward, practical advice will give inexperienced managers a boost, the lack of any substantial discussion of issues such as competition, diminished profits and accountability in today's fast-paced work environment may make it difficult to apply their advice successfully. (Apr.)