Mentor Manager/Mentor Parent: How to Develop Responsible People and Build Successful Relationships at Work and at Home

Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: Combines management tips with proven parenting advice that I can use at home and at work.

Rating:
Summary: Mentor Manager, Mentor Parent
Review: Overall, the book is an easy, good read for anyone interested in improving their communication skills and relationships in general, both at home and in the work place. The authors provide a revealing self-test at the start of the book as well as worksheets throughout. (Hint, hold onto your answers from the self-test as you will use them throughout the other chapters in the book)!
The authors describe four control styles or personality types. Don't be surprised if your style at home and at work differ. Once you know your style, you can glean the advice and suggestions that apply to you personally. The book does not speak condescendingly to any particular group, in fact, it is as the title suggests, in mentors and encourages and even provides worksheets for practice (pssst....no one has to see your worksheets but you)!
It will help to reveal your strengths and weaknesses and better equip you to resolve conflict both on a personal and professional level. Of course, taking into consideration the emotions and values of both parties involved in the communication process. Whether intended or not, it seems as though the underlying principle involved is the value of each person as an individual, their beliefs and their emotions. We have no control over the emotions as they arise, but we do to some degree have control as to how we deal with them and how we deal with our emotions affects others.
Although the authors coin the term "control style," the book does not promote controlling behavior in a negative sense. Rather, it promotes a mentoring behavior that preserves the relationship, nurturing the relationship and the individual.
The book takes you from the place of identifying your values and relating them to the child or employee. Once that has been established, you eventually work up to the point of letting go. The passing of ownership of choices, decisions and responsiblity of actions to the child or employee, whatever the case may be. That is the goal of the book, to produce responsible, self-directed persons while preserving your relationship in the process.
Overall, I liked the book and the motivational style in which it was written. If I had any dislikes, it would have been some of the real life scenario's and the seemingly perfect endings. One begins to think, this is too good to be true. But those thoughts are quickly diminished as you read further along in the book to find that not every scenario is a win-win.
I would recommend this book for personal and professional use. It is not often you find a book with universal principles that can be applied to all aspects of your life.