Managing People from What Matters: The Art and Science of Guaranteeing Performance

Very well-written book. I don't normally write reviews unless I feel the work is exceptionally good or bad. You can guess I thought this was exceptionally good by my rating. I worked and managed and developed people in Fortune 500 companies for 14 years now, and I felt a lot of the content resonated with me and brought it all together well in a format that addressed both the content and context of managing. It really challenged me to think differently on some areas and shed some old 'corporate' ways of getting results. Couple of areas I really liked - managing from a context (why are you here?); quantifying the source of ineffectiveness vs. just gut feel; taking full responsibility (if you fail I fail); creating the right environment for success (not tolerating certain things as a condition for effective results). I could talk about more, but I was able to take some of these operational principles and fill some gaps for areas I felt I wanted to beef up, with plenty of practical examples in the book as a blueprint. For feedback, the only thing is that I found the need to translate a lot of the language to corporate speak. In other words, some of the concepts were pretty well practiced and understood, just stated in different language. So that took some work, but it wasn't too heavy a burden. I didn't agree with all the principles, though I respected every one of them and I could see that I just had a different point of view and not necessarily a better one. I would suggest to anybody that manages people in any capacity to read this book.

Managing People From What Matters by Zanzibar Vermiglio is a game-changer for anyone who manages a team or aspires to lead effectively. This book goes beyond the usual surface-level advice and dives deep into the principles and strategies that truly inspire people to perform at their best. Vermiglio's approach is rooted in understanding what drives individuals, encouraging leaders to connect with their teams on a meaningful level. His emphasis on values-based leadership and aligning goals with what genuinely matters to people is both refreshing and actionable. The book is packed with real-world examples, insightful anecdotes, and practical tools that make it easy to implement his strategies. One of the standout aspects is how Vermiglio addresses the balance between achieving organizational objectives and fostering a positive, productive work environment. He offers valuable insights on communication, motivation, and conflict resolution that resonate in today’s workplace. Whether you're leading a small team, managing a large organization, or simply looking to improve your interpersonal skills, Managing People From What Matters is a must-read. It’s not just a management book—it’s a leadership manifesto that encourages empathy, clarity, and authenticity. I highly recommend this book to leaders at all levels. It has transformed how I approach management and strengthened my ability to build meaningful connections with my team.

This book is a refreshing take on managing people. It is obvious from the text that Zanzibar has managed a lot of different teams in different industries and markets. I have read a great many books that are about or cover the subject of management and always found them to be lacking a real framework for having people be successful. This book does a great job laying that out. I also feel like I learned nuggets of wisdom about human nature as well as how to create a great relationship with the people that I manage. One other thing: This book has examples for most of the concepts which not only made the book more enjoyable to read, but also easier to understand how to apply.

After two master's degree programs in both business and finance (at two different universities), all I can say is how nice it is to finally find something worth reading on management. If you were to choose a single text on management, this should be the one. Unlike most university texts, it is written by someone who actually knows how to manage people and who has proven results. The authors keep the theory to a minimum, and focus on their practical expertise in actual management practice. Most management books are complicated - by design. The authors want to show you how brilliant they are. But the reality is simple: if you can't explain a topic simply and concisely, you don't know the subject very well. And most "expert" authors simply don't. Not so here. The authors did an excellent job of simplifying a complex topic and giving the reader a practical roadmap that will actually make them better at effectively managing others without alienating those people in the process. And best of all - it doesn't read like some boring text. It is filled with real world information given in a straightforward manner. In short, this book is really all you need to improve your leadership skills.

Whether you manage a small team or a corporate giant, this book is your key to top performance. I love how it breaks down tasks into manageable steps for anyone. The initial effort to get the process started is worth it, as the results are amazing. Chapter 6, “Hold Their Future in Your Hands Honorably,” was particularly impactful. It's a crucial element in maximizing your staff's potential. This point, alongside addressing non-performance issues, has made a difference in my team of 15. I bought this book three weeks ago and we've just begun implementing its strategies. Already, we've seen tangible improvements in attitude and results. I'm very grateful to have this book as a resource for building both my team and their performance.

This book is a gold mine of topics and examples which would benefit anyone in management but also anyone who has a manager! For managers, the content is easily accessible and guides you on the right paths to being able to measure and report performance while empowering the people you manage to be the best of themselves on your team. The principles in this book are equally applicable in small or large organizations. Anyone managing a team would benefit from reading this book, but it would be especially good for a new manager who isn’t sure where to start. There are no “one size fits all” solutions for every team, so this book rightly focuses on a broad set of guidelines and examples which a manager can use to adapt to their team’s needs. For any non-managers: When reading this book it also really highlighted for me some of the how and why great managers I’ve had have been great, and also where the gaps were with the less great ones that kept them from being great. Even if you aren’t in a management role yourself, I still think there is a lot you can take away from this book and would still recommend it, especially if you are in a type of non-management leadership role within a team (officially or unofficially).

Managing people from what matters was a great read that I was able to breeze through. The author pulls from real life experience and talked about situations similar to what I run into everyday at work. Understanding the people you manage vs just looking at them as vehicle for profit is a good rule of thumb for any manger and is one of the main underlining themes in the book. The book provides practical/actionable steps to implement in real business settings (All of which were applicable in my software sales role). The book included tons of useful stats from credible professionals that were interviewed by the author. The author's techniques/tactics around identifying and resolving poor performance were implemented in my business immediately and have proven to be far more effective than any previous tactic I have used in the past. I also found the authors "winning the game" checklist extremely helpful- pertinent in any business setting where you are managing a team!

As a long time business owner and consultant, I've got a ton of hands on experience managing people. And, I've read plenty of business and management books. I've never come across a management book quite like this one. Vermiglio's perspective and approach is unique in my experience, and while it takes a bit to wrap your head around it, it resonates in a way that just rings true. Gaining a new perspective on anything in your life is worth gold, in my experience. Do yourself a favor and take a look at something different. You'll find value whether you're new to the management game, or an old fart like me. As a bonus exercise, you can say the author's name fast 10 times, and see what it does to your tongue.

This book is an easy read that delivers a TON of value. The author leans on what is clearly a wealth of experience, to layout a management playbook that can be quickly extracted and implemented in any organization. The system outlined is very pragmatic and practical. But what really stood out for me is that the author clearly cares as much about the positive impact on the people being managed, as he does about big time budget sheet wins for companies. I manage multiple teams at a mid-sized SaaS organization, and the early returns from the changes we've rolled out because of this book have been exceptional, and not just in terms of sales. Huge reduction in meetings. Team members super motivated by their new goals/new relationship with management. Read it.

I've never truly grasped the "standard" for management regardless of the setting - corporate, remote, etc. - and I couldn't find any other book (even if they were labeled "best-selling" or authored by people with management doctorates) that could contextualize the very essence of "managing" people. It dives into a generous amount of nuance, which is sorely needed for any of us to understand why there's a recurring them within the workforce: many people leave their jobs because of poor management. The solutions that any management structure might need are IN this book. Even if you're not into management, this read is backed with insights that should matter to and will benefit any company, organization, or team.

The book offers useful insights into leadership and performance management, emphasizing the importance of understanding individual motivations and tailoring strategies accordingly. However, at times, it felt more idealistic than practical, and the balance between emotional intelligence and data-driven methods wasn’t always clear. That said, the book certainly provides valuable, objective ideas for managers on how to create performance-oriented teams. It can also help beginners entering the managerial world.