Bringing Out the Best in People: Book Overview & Takeaways

A manager reading a book in her office

Do you want to unlock your employees’ full potential? What is the most effective management strategy? In Bringing Out the Best in People, Aubrey C. Daniels challenges traditional management methods, which often fail to improve performance, and instead proposes an approach grounded in science. Using behavior analysis, Daniels examines how managers can create a work environment that encourages employees to give their all. Read below for a brief overview of Bringing Out the Best in People.

How to Spot Good Management vs. Bad Management

Two people representing good management vs bad management

What makes someone a good manager or a bad manager? What are ineffective strategies that some managers use? According to Aubrey C. Daniels, when employee performance is subpar, the problem usually lies within the work environment, not the employee. Most mainstream management styles don’t account for this, so they tend to work inconsistently (if they work at all). Below, we’ll look at the difference between good management vs. bad management.

The First Steps to Starting a Business: 3 Tasks for Entrepreneurs

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What market type should your startup target? How can you unite your team around a clear vision for success? In The Four Steps to the Epiphany, Steve Blank writes that the first steps to starting a business include understanding different market entry strategies, establishing foundational principles, and getting everyone on the same page. These initial decisions shape your entrepreneurial journey. Read on to discover how to position your startup for success and build a strong foundation for growth.

What Is Organizational Behavior Management? The 5 Steps

A manager performing organizational behavior management by observing an employee in an office

What is organizational behavior management? What are the five steps of this management approach? Using the organizational behavior management approach, managers systematically analyze the factors that influence employee behavior, rather than relying on intuition or trial-and-error methods. Then, they carefully optimize both antecedents and consequences to maximize what Aubrey C. Daniels calls “discretionary effort.” Let’s explore the five steps and examine Daniels’s tips for success at every stage.

How to Change Employee Behavior: 3 Factors to Target

A manager attempting to change employee behavior by talking to her with a clipboard of notes in her hand

How can you change unwanted employee behavior? What types of behaviors should managers target? The first step of Aubrey C. Daniels’s management approach is to identify the desired behavior by clearly defining your objective. The objective may be to solve a problem, like frequently missed deadlines, or achieve a goal, like heightened productivity. Keep reading to learn how to change employees’s behavior by identifying what you want out of them first.

Personal Growth in Business: Leadership Through the Messy Middle

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What does it take to maintain focus while leading a growing business? How can you balance structured planning with the need to stay flexible? Personal growth in business requires mastering several key skills. From developing laser focus and trusting your instincts to making tough decisions and adapting to change, successful leadership demands continuous self-improvement alongside your company’s evolution. Continue reading to explore the essential leadership capabilities that can help you and your business thrive during crucial growth phases.

The 2 Types of Employee Performance Data to Collect

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What are the most useful types of employee performance data? What’s the difference between qualitative and quantitative data? In one step of Aubrey C. Daniels’s management approach, you collect baseline data about your employees’ current performances. You use this data as a reference point for evaluating the effectiveness of your behavioral intervention. Check out the two types of employee performance data you should collect.

How to Keep Your Team Motivated Through the Messy Middle

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What does it take to maintain your team’s drive during the challenging growth phase of your startup? How can you celebrate progress while staying grounded in reality? The startup journey entails creative internal marketing, strategic task prioritization, and meaningful celebration of milestones. Scott Belsky’s book The Messy Middle includes proven strategies that can help you build and sustain a resilient, focused team through your venture’s most demanding phases. Read more to get Belsky’s advice on how to keep your team motivated, especially during your business’s middle years.

Agile Product Development: How to Build & Optimize Your Product

A small business team of two men and one woman in an open workspace using a Kanban board for Agile product development

Is your product development process feeling slow and inflexible? Are you looking for ways to improve collaboration and customer-focused thinking? Agile product development might be the solution you’re seeking. This approach breaks projects into smaller, manageable cycles, allowing for greater adaptability and faster delivery. You can use popular methods such as Scrum and Kanban—or hybrid approaches that combine the best of different approaches. Keep reading to discover how Agile can transform your product development process and help you achieve greater success.