The Supermanager Author Interview: Greg Blencoe

Grab a cup of coffee. Set aside one hour. Read Greg Blencoe new book, The Supermanager. It's a valuable, quick, easy-to-read book for a new manager or leader, and a solid read for existing leaders and managers who just need a reminder of Blencoe's Supermanager's Seven Principles.

Blencoe was kind enough to share with me insights into his book.

Question: Why did you write the book?

Blencoe: I wrote the book because I felt there was a need for a book about management techniques that was short and interesting to read but also had depth.

I think the management techniques that are discussed in the book are extremely important for several reasons. They affect employees, managers, business owners, and customers.

Good management techniques will typically make employees much happier and poor management techniques can make them miserable at work. Managers will usually be a lot less stressed out when employees are motivated, productive, and happy.

Also, I think good management techniques are important to business owners, because they can lead to the business being more profitable. And I believe motivated, productive, and happy employees will be more likely to create products and services that customers want.

Question: Why did you decide to use story telling as the way to deliver your book's messages?

Blencoe: I actually started the first version of the book in late 1997. And I worked on the first four versions of the book from late 1997 to late 2004. None of these versions was in the format of a story.

After finishing and promoting the fourth version of the book, I realized that I needed to take most of the ideas in that version and change the format into a story.

The books, The One Minute Manager, Fish!, and Who Moved My Cheese? are all in the format of a story and have been extremely successful.

I think stories when done right can just be really interesting.

Question: Are the seven principles you write about the leadership skills you think are most important for a leader to possess or are they just your favorites for another reason?

Blencoe: Basically, I think the goal for managers is to have employees that have high levels of morale, motivation, and productivity. And I think implementing the seven principles in the book gives managers a great chance to achieve this goal.

Question: Do you think the book will be more useful to a reader brand new in his/her role as a manager or for someone who has been in a leadership role for a couple years?

Blencoe: While some people who have read the book have mentioned that the book can be good for new managers, I actually think it can be very helpful to both inexperienced and experienced managers. I've noticed that a lot of experienced managers put some but not all of these principles into practice. Or they might put a principle into practice but not enough. Or maybe not in the right way.

Therefore, I think the book can help remind experienced managers of these things and how it is important to put them into practice on a consistent basis.

Question: If you write another book, what will be the topic?

Blencoe: I definitely love to write. But, my primary focus for now is spreading the word about The

Supermanager. However, it's possible that I may write another book down the road.

I'm not sure what the topic would be. A personal development book is possible. I think I've learned a lot of lessons on my journey over the past 15 years.

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