First Among Equals: How to Manage a Group of Professionals

by Patrick J. McKenna and Patrick McKenna

Book Overview

Professional service gurus David Maister and Patrick McKenna have created a practical handbook on how to lead professional colleagues or peers when you lack formal authority. Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge calls it "a timely, easy to read work leavened with action plans and examples."

Whether you have recently been appointed as a group leader or are a battle-scarred veteran, you know that managing professional people is...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743267583
• ISBN13: 9780743267588
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Some great material that I can share & use as a refresher

Gripe no. 1 : I hope its not going to become a common occurrence in business books, but there were 7 pages of 35 advance reviews (but 5 of them were only 2 lines which said little). Let me decide for myself if the book is any good - show me the product. Also, I work in IT, but there didn't seem to be a single reviewer with an IT background?The book looks at the leader/manager/coach of a disparate group of professionals, assuming a mix of seniors & juniors.I think the book isn't just for the leader/manager/coach - because in many such groups today, there can be rotation (time-based or task-based) where any of the group of professionals might be called upon to perform the leadership / coaching / mentoring role. So the book should be read by all members of the team. Also the leader is human - they might not be 'doing it right as per the book', and it could be useful for the others (they are all equals after all) to be informed to provide that guidance/correction.The Sections are laid out well : getting ready; coaching the individual; coaching the team; building for the future. It classes individuals into 4 styles : amiable, analytical, driver, expressive (I tend more towards the expressive), and how to work with each. I also like the way it addressed underperforming members, how to correct the problem rather than try to rationalise it out of existence.Because professionals jealously guard their autonomy, reserving the right to work as they see fit, professional groups have a greater-than-average tendency to become ill-disciplined - and thus a whole chapter is dedicate to how to run a meeting of such individuals. I work in such a group, where there are 20 of us, probably 50:50 seniors & juniors (though we don't refer to ourselves in those terms). Gripe no. 2 : However, one thing missing explicitly from the book is if there are any strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats from a geographically disparate or culturally diverse group? My group is spread across 2 continents, 5 different timezones, with only 2 hours in the day when our extended workday (8am-6pm) coincides. We comprise at least 5 different nationalities & religions, and it seems many more political viewpoints. But time and time again, this material seemed to assume that this was a relatively homogeneous group, everyone was coming together physically in the same room, or at least, didn't even consider that people might be in the same geographical locations but be on the phone, and thus unable to see each others body language. My group only get together in the same room twice a year. We've evolved techniques over the 7 years we've been together to accommodate this, but I would have appreciated it more if this modern reality had been addressed? I also liked the discussion on the maximum size of the group, and one correspondents rule of thumb that the group is too big if he can't tell you the name of everyone's spouse/significant other & what that person does for a living (assum

First Among Eqluals Has No Equal

There have been many books on group dynamics and teamwork in managing, but the authors deal with a relatively new phenomenon -- the professional firm practice group. There is virtually no problem in this otherwise complex structure of practice group management that this extraordinary book doesn't cover, including rules for participation, group goals, team trust, resolving interpersonal conflicts, dealing with crises and the problems of integrating new people and measuring group results. Managing any aspect of professional groups is always difficult, but the authors bring new dimensions and solutions to the problem, in an intelligent, focused, and effective breakthrough book. An absolute must for any law, accounting, or consulting firm, no matter what it's size. Bruce W. MarcusThe Marcus Letter on Professional Services (www.marcusletter.com)

A Personal Coach and Guide for Running a Firm or Practice

I've read all of Maister's and McKenna's books and articles. If you are running a law firm, advertising agency or consulting practice, their books are not good - but excellent. These are the kind of books you don't just read once. They are books to be reviewed to see where you've gone off track and have not been your best. They also stimulate your thinking process to show you how you can become better.The same holds true for "First Amoung Equals". The book provides a guideline for running a practice group, building excellence in the individual and growing individuals into team members. This is one of those books where the serious student will own it by highlighting key sections, taking notes and writing in the margins. And the very serious will buy multiple copies of the book and share them with their manager, collegues and team in hopes for all to become their best!

A Must for Managers in Professional Service Firms

McKenna and Maister have written what will become the ultimate "must read" for people who have the unenviable task of trying to manager professionals. The book is filled with sound thoughts but the most valuable parts are the quotes and throughts from the managing partners of professional firms. It was an enjoyable read and one that I'm sure I will reread quite a few times in the future.

weLEAD Book Review

FIRST AMONG EQUALS is more than a catchy title of a book promoted as a guide to managing others in professional environments. When you finish reading this book and the depth of knowledge presented by its authors, you will agree that it is first among equals. Often times books written by two authors come across as disjointed or unconnected. However, McKenna & Maister seem to complement each other's skills very well and the end result is clearly evident.FIRST AMONG EQUALS was written to fill a large need in most modern organizations. Its premise is how to manage a group and lead them to peak performance without possessing formal authority. Today, it is common to be leader of a group of individuals without possessing any real power or authority over the embers of the group. Wise leaders also know that even if they do have formal authority over others, the high performance leader doesn't act like they do. Instead, the way to get the most out of the individuals we serve with is to be primus inter pares, the first among equals. The authors then boldly take you step by step through an enlightened process of how to interact with and manage groups as an individual group leader. McKenna & Maister state in the introduction that, This is a book about "doing." It is not concerned primarily with theories, concepts, or insights. It's a book we wish we had read when we were first given the challenge of leading a group!" This is achieved by providing frank observations, stirring questions, and wise advice from two respected consultants. FIRST AMONG EQUALS is also replete with quizzes, sidebars and checklists to enhance your personal growth as a group leader. Part one of the book deals with the issue of how to prepare or "get ready" for your role as a group leader. It discusses how you add value to the group as its leader, and your rights and responsibilities within this important role. It discusses how you can build valuable relationships with other members and examine your essential people skills. It also deals with the question of what it means to be an inspirational leader.Part two is a section dedicated to help you to learn to be a superior personal coach. It shows you how to get others to accept your guidance. Why unscheduled, informal "one-on-one" coaching is the most powerful way to improve a group's success. It deals with issues of building support for change, helping the underperformers who need assistance and dealing with the proverbial "prima donnas" or difficult people.Part three of FIRST AMONG EQUALS moves on to the skills needed to coach the team. This part of the book deals with diverse team leadership topics such as developing group rules & goals, building trust among members, presenting an exciting challenge and how to energize group gatherings with good meeting discipline. This part of the book concludes with a discussion of how to resolve interpersonal conflicts and how to respond to a group crisis!Part Four of the book looks to the futur